Section 37 of the Dog Control Act 1996, makes provision for the Council to set dog control and associated fees, and section 14 of the Impounding Act 1955 makes similar provision for the control of stock.

The Animal Management team administers and enforces the provisions of the Dog Control Act 1996, the Christchurch City Council’s Dog Control Policy and Bylaws and the Impounding Act 1955, within the Christchurch City Council district.

Animal Management fees

Animal Management services have two separate functions:

  • Dog control – is funded through the collection of annual dog registration fees, and is not currently funded through rates contribution. These fees pay for dog control services including  dog nuisance complaints and investigation, school education programmes, dog owners information updates and integrity of the dog register, and the care and welfare of stray impounded dogs.
  • Stock control – is funded through rates contribution where officers investigate complaints regarding stray or wandering stock on the roads, contain and as required remove stock in order to prevent traffic hazards for the safety of other road users.

Responsible dog owner status offers an annual reduced dog registration fee, where owners of dogs have successfully completed the application, agreeing to required conditions, their records have been checked and they have been granted the status. The application form to view this status is Responsible Dog Owner Status.

The Dog Control Act 1996(external link) sets infringement fees for various offence within the Act.  Animal Management Officers can issue infringement offence notices for specific breaches of the Act. Officers may decide to issue a warning notice to an owner instead if the circumstances allow it. 

View the fee schedule for dog registration, impounding, seizure and infringement offence fees.

Dog registration information

You can now register your dog online.

The neutered dog fee relates to dogs that have been either spayed or neutered and are not dogs that have been registered as Responsible Dog Owner Status, Working/Rural dogs, Dangerous dogs, or Disability Assist dogs.

No separate dog registration fee exists for dogs that are classified as menacing.

Spayed/neutered dogs: Evidence in the form of a veterinary certificate, or a declaration from the owner may be required. This neutering status will be held on record for subsequent registration years.

Owners granted Responsible Dog Owner status are required to register all dogs in their possession or care by 30 June each year in order to obtain the rebate (discount) offered by  the Council on the dog registration fee.

Where the Responsible Dog Owner status is held by an owner, failure to register by 30 June each year may cause the status to be lost.  When the status is lost, an owner would then be ineligible to obtain the status again for two years.  Note: Responsible Dog Owner Status may be lost for a number of other reasons under the status conditions.

Responsible Dog Owner fee concessions do not apply after 30 June each year.

A working dog will generally be a dog kept solely or predominantly for the herding of stock, or a dog kept by a government agency eg. the Police, for carrying out the functions of that organisation. Some other dogs may qualify under certain circumstances. If you feel your dog may qualify as a Working dog, contact the Animal Management team for verification.

A rural working dog is a dog housed on a working farm and kept solely or principally to contribute to the working of the farm or otherwise assist in farming activities, (but which does not qualify as a "working dog").

Disability assist dogs are dogs trained for a person with a disability by one of the following organisations: Hearing Dogs for Deaf People New Zealand, Mobility Assistance Dogs Trust, New Zealand Epilepsy Assist Dogs Trust, Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind or Top Dog Companion Trust. 

There is no fee for registering disability assist dogs.