Don't wag on registering your dog

Owners are being reminded to register their dogs so any lost pooches can be swiftly brought home.

Dog registration letters will be sent out later this month and the annual fees are due by the end of June for people with responsible dog owner status. All other dog owners must pay for their pet’s registration by the end of July. 

Dog owners are being reminded its time to get their pooches registered.

There are about 36,500 dogs registered within Christchurch City Council boundaries.

Last month the Council voted to increase dog registration fees by $2 to help cover the cost of education programmes, dog parks, micro-chipping, and other Animal Management services throughout the city, including returning lost dogs.

In 2016, Council Animal Management staff returned 1473 lost dogs to their owners. Last year 1448 dogs were taken home, often in less than an hour. That's four lost dogs returned safely each day, on average.

Council Animal Management Team Leader Mark Vincent says it’s important that every dog is registered so his staff have an accurate record of who the animal belongs to and where it lives.

“Dogs don’t belong in shelters, they belong at home with their families and we really like being able to take a registered dog straight back to its owner. It makes the owners and the pet happy and it saves on impoundment costs.”

Dog registration fees can be paid online, over the phone to the Council's Customer Service Centre on 03 941 8999 (or 0800 800 169) using a credit card, at Council Customer Service Desks, or by posting the payment slip with a cheque to: Linwood Customer Service Desk, PO Box 73025, Christchurch 8151.

This year, for the first time, owners will be able to choose if they would like a registration strip tag (rectangle shaped) or a disc (circular) for their dog. The Animal Management Team's tip for the strip tags is to soak them in hot water for a couple of minutes before bending and locking them on to your dog's collar.