The Council has a Selected Owner Policy. Dog owners within urban areas may wish to apply for Selected Owner status. This entitles you to a reduced dog registration fee.
To get Selected Owner status, you must complete an application and self-assessment. This must be completed prior to 30 April each year. Following this, an Animal Control Officer will inspect your property and assess your dog to confirm suitability for Selected Owner status.
Where a dog owner with a "responsible dog owner" status under the Selected Owner Policy fails to pay their registration by 31 July of any year, the registration fee will revert to the standard fee for the classification of dog and the owner will lose Selected Owner status for that year.
Please note as a selected owner, if you move address, you must reapply for selected owner policy within 14 days.
Infringements
Infringements of the Dog Control Act 1996, the Council Bylaw (Chapter 6, Control of Dogs) or the Council Dog Control Policy will result in automatic loss of Selected Owner status and a stand-down period will apply as follows:
| Offence | Stand-down |
|---|---|
| Failure to register prior to penalty date | 1 year |
| A written warning not resulting in legal action | 2 years |
| For impoundment of a dog | 3 years |
| For issue of an infringement notice for any offence | 3 years |
| For prosecution in the District Court, not including a contested infringement notice | 5 years |
Owners who do not hold Selected Owner status at the time of an offence will also have the above criteria applied to any future application for Selected Owner status.
Last updated: 01 Jul 2022