Owning Dogs in Rotorua
All dog owners in Rotorua must abide by the Council's Dog Policy, including yearly registration.
Dog owners also need to comply with the policies below around microchipping, kennel licensing or owning multiple dogs if applicable.
Responsible dog owners can apply for Selected Dog Ownership, offering a reduced registration fee.
As a dog owner, you are responsible for the safety of your dog and those around it. You will need to know the areas within Rotorua where you can and can't exercise your dog.
All dogs over three months must be registered and renewed each year by 30 June.
Make a note of this date, as it is your responsibility as a dog owner to make sure registration is completed.
Council's Dog Policy
The owner of a dog is any person who owns a dog or has a dog in their possession.
As the owner of a dog, you have a responsibility to abide by Council's Dog Policy.
When you register your dog, Council gives you a copy of this policy. An offence against any of the bylaws in the Dog Policy can lead to an infringement fee of $300.00.
Microchipping
Dogs that are required to be microchipped by law:
- All dogs registered for the very first time after July 2006, except working farm dogs
- Dogs classified as dangerous or menacing on or after 1 December 2003
- Dogs that get impounded and are unregistered
- Dogs that are registered but get impounded more than once.
A dog's microchip provides a unique number which, when scanned and checked against the National Dog Database, will provide your contact details. This is a reliable way to identify your dog from any other dog for the rest of its life.
You need to advise the Council when you have microchipped your dog. You will also need to provide a copy of the microchip certificate, or one of the barcodes that the implanter has given to you.
What is microchipping?
A microchip carries a number unique to your dog. It works in a similar way to a supermarket barcode reader. A microchip is a transponder, which means it responds to a scanner. It is not a transmitter and has no power source. About the size of a grain of rice, the microchip is implanted via injection under the skin between the shoulder blades. Microchipping is a harmless and painless procedure.
Farm working dog exemption
Farm working dogs, kept solely or principally for the purposes of herding or driving stock, are exempt from the requirement to be micro-chipped. Other types of working dogs must still be micro-chipped. Dogs (apart from the working farm dog exception) registered prior to 1 July 2006 will not need to be micro-chipped.
Farmers must specify a dog is a working farm dog when registering it and council may require proof of this. If it is discovered that the dog is not used solely or principally for herding or driving stock the owner will be subject to legal proceedings for falsifying their registration application. No other working dog category is exempt.
Rebates on registration fees
You may claim the following rebates:
- Sterilisation rebate $10.00 - you must produce a certificate from a veterinarian showing that your dog is spayed or neutered
- Pensioner Rebate $10.00 - This rebate will be automatically applied based on the registered dog owners DOB ie: if 65+, will receive the $10 rebate per dog. The owner is still required to fully complete the annual re-registration form. The dog registration period covers 1 June - 30 July each year. If you happen to turn 65 during the dog registration year, you will receive the pensioner rebate the following year.
Owning more than two dogs in Rotorua
In the Rotorua urban area, no more than two dogs over the age of three months may be housed on individual premises. To keep any more than two dogs over three months old, you need a Kennel Licence.
You can download a Kennel Licence application form below or visit our Customer Centre during opening hours. Please note our current fees and charges will apply.
Permit conditions for owning more than two dogs
All requirements of the Dog Control Act 1996 and relevant Rotorua Lakes Council Bylaws shall be met at all times unless otherwise approved by a Council Officer.
- The application shall attempt to obtain the signature of their four closest neighbours prior to submitting an application.
- An application fee must be paid before any inspection is carried out.
- The site/location must be checked by an Animal Control officer prior to any permanent building work being commenced.
- A yearly fee is required to be paid for the renewal of a Kennel License.
- Kennels are not to be sited closer than 6 metres to a neighbouring dwelling and 1 metre from any boundary of the applicant's property.
- If a permanent as opposed to a moveable kennel and run is to be constructed, the base area of the run must be concreted to an approved with a concrete nib wall around the base of the concrete pad no less than 200mm in height with adequate fall to a gully trap.
- A water supply must be available in order to facilitate cleaning and the supply of fresh drinking water.
- The entire kennel is required to be maintained in a sanitary condition at all times.
- Dogs may be housed in other than outdoor kennels. This will depend on the individual circumstances of each case and subject to any condition that may be imposed.
- A building consent is required for structures over 10 square metres.
Selected dog ownership: rewarding responsible owners
Rotorua Lakes Council has a special category of dog owner called Selected Dog Owner Status for owners who have been approved as a responsible dog owner in the urban area. Owners with Select Owner Status pay a lower registration fee, provided they meet required criteria each and every subsequent year.
The criteria for Selected Dog Ownership are:
- Any person who has owned a dog for more than one year
- The property where the dog(s) is/are housed has been inspected by a Rotorua Lakes Council Animal Control Officer and the owner interviewed as to their understanding of statute and bylaw requirements
- The property is adequately fenced to contain the dog(s) at all times
- The sleeping quarters (kennelling) and exercise facilities for the dog(s) are adequate
- Any dog owner whose dog has not been the subject of a justified complaint in the two years prior to application
- The dog(s) has not been found to be a nuisance to neighbours or impounded in the two years prior to application, e.g. complaints about aggressive dogs, barking dogs
- The dog(s) must be registered by the due date
- Preferred owners must notify Council of any change of address within 14 days. A property inspection of the new address will be required
- Correctly answering 10 out of 12 questions on responsible dog ownership.
How to apply
You can make an application by phone or in writing from 1 July to 31 March in any year. Your application will apply to the next registration year.
Once your application is accepted, you will be required to pass a test on responsible dog ownership with Council's staff and have a property inspection. The responsible dog ownership test is completed at the owners address at the time of inspection. The field officer carrying out this inspection will make a decision on acceptance for Selected Owner Status.
If you are successful in attaining Selected Dog Ownership status, it will be applied in the following registration year.
There is no cost involved in applying for Selected Dog Ownership.
Contact us on 07 348 4199 to find out more.
