Dog registration

The Dog Control Act 1996 requires that all dogs in New Zealand be initially registered by three months of age, and annually after that (by 30th June each year). We post registration renewal invoices to all dog owners who registered their dogs the previous year around mid-May.

You can register your dog:

Register your dog for the first time

Ensure you have the following documents ready when registering your dog for the first time. You can also follow up with these requirements later using our Dog Online Form.

Provide a copy of a neutering certificate from your vet - urban dogs receive a discount.
Provide a copy of the microchip certificate provided by a vet or Council Animal Control Officer.
Complete a fencing rebate application if you have dog-proof fencing (urban dogs only).

Once you have your documents ready, please follow these steps:

Read some important notes about dog registration.
Register your new furry friend with our Dog Online Form. Our dog online form also covers:
1. Change of address
2. Dog registration refunds
3. Fencing rebates
4. Neutering rebates
5. New registrations (including the new registration of dogs from other councils)
6. Submission of microchipping certificate
7. Transfer of dog ownership
Request a dog registration pack from our customer support team.

A copy of this online form will be sent to your email address upon completion.

Complete Dog Online Form | Register online now

Renew your dog registration

All dog registrations in New Zealand expire 30 June each year, regardless of when they were first registered. Around mid-May all dog owners should receive a renewal notice by post. Payment is due by 30 June each year.
We allow an extra month to pay your fee, but any unpaid registrations after 31 July will incur a 50% penalty fee.

If you misplaced your renewal notice letter, our customer support team can reprint or email it for you.

Remember to attach your dog’s registration tag to its collar. This year’s tag colour is BLUE.

You can either pay by:

Using our online account portal with a credit card (surcharge applies) or debit card.
You can add multiple Dog IDs to your shopping cart and make a single secure transaction. Please note: registrations made online will be assigned a strap style tag.
Visiting one of our council offices in Te Awamutu or Cambridge.
Finding other payment methods.

If your dog is already in our system you can simply renew their registration online using your dog's unique ID numbers, which you'll find on your re-registration notice.

Renew your dog registration fee online

Registration fees

Your registration fees help pay for Council’s 24-hour dog control service, maintaining pound facilities, dog exercise areas and agility equipment and signage, doggy do bins and public education activities as well as registration newsletter, letters and dog tags as well as costs towards re-homing dogs.

Dog registration fees vary in cost depending on where in the district you live. Failure to register a pup by three months of age or any adult dog within 14 days of new ownership can also incur a penalty fee of 50% on top of the relevant fee.

Dog registration fees 2024/25

	Fee if paid by 31 July 2024	Late Fee if paid from 1 August 2024 (penalty fee of 50%)
Urban Fee (no rebates)	$ 101.00	$ 151.00
Urban Fee with Neutered Rebate (savings: $10)	$ 91.00	$ 136.00
Urban Fee with Fencing Rebate (savings: $15) Please note you must apply for the fencing assessment before 1 April for the rebate to apply	$ 86.00	$ 129.00
Urban Fee with Neutered and Fencing Rebates (savings: $25.00)	$ 76.00	$ 114.00
Rural Fee (for full year)	$ 58.00	$ 87.00

Sundry items (when available)	From 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025
Slip Leads/Clip Leads - 3/8 inch width	$20.00
Slip Leads/Clip Leads - 1/2 inch width	$22.00
Doggy doo bag - x4 rolls (12 bags per roll)	$3.40

Your registration fee covers your annual dog tag. If you misplace your current dog tag a replacement one will cost $3. Please email info@waipadc.govt.nz, call 0800 924 723 or pop into a Council Office to collect a replacement dog tag.

Please note: registrations made online will be assigned a strap style tag.

Impounding fees 2024/2025

	Until 30 June 2024	From 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025
First Impound Fee	$ 75.00	$ 82.00
Second and subsequent impounding (within the same registration year)	$ 100.00 (standard fee each time)	$ 100.00 (standard fee each time)
Feeding and Care per day (from 2nd day) Microchipping Implant Fee	$ 10.00 $ 28.00	$ 11.00 $ 30.00
Disposal fee for unclaimed dogs	$ 55.00	$ 55.00

Notes:

The destruction or disposal fee for any unwanted/unclaimed/surrendered/impounded dog is $55.00 plus applicable sustenance fees.
The owner of an impounded dog that is not claimed or signed over to Council remains liable for all impounding and sustenance fees irrespective of the fate of the dog.
Microchipping is to be booked and paid in advance and will occur at times and locations specified by Council. Other arrangements may incur additional fees.

Urban and rural registration boundaries

Unsure if you will be charged the urban or rural dog registration fee? Enter your address below to find out if your property is classed as urban or rural.

Additional information

Rebates

Council offers rebates for urban dogs if:

You can provide a vet certificate confirming your dog is desexed
Your dog is contained behind dog-proof property fencing, subject to inspection by an animal control officer. The cut-off date for fence rebate applications is 1 April each year, to allow enough time for all properties to be inspected prior to dog registration notices being posted.

You can submit vet certificates and fencing rebate applications using our Dog Online form.

Dog registration refund

If your dog passes away, you can apply for a refund of the registration fee (pro rata rate). You can choose to credit your rates or water account or donate to pooches in need (options are detailed on application form).

You can now save time and apply for a dog's registration refund using our Dog Online form.

Moved house?

It’s important to let us soon as a dog owner’s details change, or if you move to a new address.

You can update your dog's address details online or at a Council office.

Applying for more dogs

The Dog Control Bylaw 2023 restricts the number of dogs kept on urban properties to two dogs, and five dogs at rural dwellings. While we don’t encourage dog owners to keep extra dogs over this number, we understand that sometimes there are special reasons for wanting to do so and we have a permit system where applications can be assessed.

Use these forms to apply to keep more dogs:

Registration Tags

Your registration fee covers your annual dog tag.

If you misplace your current dog tag you can email info@waipadc.govt.nz, call 0800 924 723 or pop into a Council Office to collect a replacement dog tag. Replacement tags cost $3.