Auckland Getting Something Right

[sandgrubber]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360650519/thousands-auckland-dog-owners-hit-fines

 

Registering dogs is only a first step, but it's a good first step.  I only wish they'd do the same for cats. Having moved from Oz to NZ, I generally find Kiwis are more sensible with dog legislation.

Edited April 14 by sandgrubber

[tdierikx]

It says dogs must be registered with council by the time it is 3 months old, and microchipped within 2 months after that. Interesting. How does that work for breeders who may have pups from litters that take longer than 12 weeks to get new homes?

 

$213 for first time registering, then annually between $48 and $213 depending on desexing status, whether the dog is of a certain category (service, etc), concession card holder... funnily enough, microchip status isn't on the list of things in the calculation for annual fees, but a responsible dog owner license is (but doesn't change the annual fee at all if you have one). The average annual fee for a pet desexed dog is $162.

 

I'm thinking the annual registration fee is a little high. Maybe a lower annual fee might attract more renewals? I'm also a bit leery of having to register by 3 months of age, as most dogs will not necessarily be desexed  by that age, and thus "justifies" the $213 initial fee.

 

I can't find anything that says cats must be registered with council though... just that they recommend microchipping and desexing.

 

T.

[DogsAndTheMob]

I’m sceptical. I doubt if they’re targeting the people who never bother to register, desex or properly care for their dogs because there is no easy way to identify those people and their dogs and it might be challenging to enforce payment.

 

The fact that they’re able to quote such precise numbers and their stated goal of “helping ensure they had the most up to date information for dogs and dog owners” lead me to suspect that they’re targeting dogs which were previously registered but haven’t been registered this year. That’s fair for those who haven’t bothered to re-register but it seems a harsh outcome for those who are grieving but have failed to notify council of their dog’s death. I also feel sorry for those who, in these harsh economic times, may have to skimp on necessities to pay the annual registration fee. With this group, the enforced payment of the annual registration fee may backfire if the owners can’t pay so are forced to surrender the dog to the council pound.

Edited to add: The substantial discount for holders of a Responsible Dog Owner License is an excellent idea. I hope they make it accessible for people who are not literate in English.

https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/dogs-animals/responsible-dog-owner-licence/Pages/apply-responsible-dog-owner-licence.aspx

Edited April 14 by DogsAndTheMob

[tdierikx]

21 hours ago, DogsAndTheMob said:

Edited to add: The substantial discount for holders of a Responsible Dog Owner License is an excellent idea. I hope they make it accessible for people who are not literate in English.

 

I did the fee calculator thing on their website, and having the RDOL didn't reduce the fee at all. The biggest reduction was desexing your dog. The lowest renewal fee I could get it to give for a desexed dog with an RDOL and a microchip was $162 - if you aren't on some form of concession or own a working dog.

 

I reckon that an annual renewal fee of more than $100 is a bit steep - here in NSW it currently costs a $78 once off lifetime registration fee for most pet dogs, less if you are a concession holder, and $0 for service or working dogs. Note that there are people who think that one off fee is too expensive (and they can't afford it). We also require dogs to be microchipped BEFORE registration, unlike NZ that requires it AFTER.

 

T.

[DogsAndTheMob]

41 minutes ago, tdierikx said:

 

I did the fee calculator thing on their website, and having the RDOL didn't reduce the fee at all. The biggest reduction was desexing your dog. The lowest renewal fee I could get it to give for a desexed dog with an RDOL and a microchip was $162 - if you aren't on some form of concession or own a working dog.

 

I reckon that an annual renewal fee of more than $100 is a bit steep - here in NSW it currently costs a $78 once off lifetime registration fee for most pet dogs, less if you are a concession holder, and $0 for service or working dogs. Note that there are people who think that one off fee is too expensive (and they can't afford it). We also require dogs to be microchipped BEFORE registration, unlike NZ that requires it AFTER.

 

T.

Looking at their scale of charges, the discount is substantial IF the fee is paid before the first of August. For a desexed dog, the RDOL drops the fee from $124 to $74 before 1st August but is $162 with no RDOL available if paid on or after 1st August. I wonder if it means that anyone who acquires a dog during the other 11 months of the year can’t get the RDOL discount for that dog.

 

I agree that their fees are steep. The enforcement process seems even more harsh,,, two months from sending out initial notices to handing over the infringements to the court system for enforcement does not allow much leeway for people who are in hospital or struggling with homelessness, for example. In either case, it might take more than two months for the initial notice to catch up with them.

 

I also wonder about the cost/benefit ratio. I don’t see how it will enforce responsible dog ownership, or even payment of fees, by irresponsible people. Some responsible people will hurry to pay overlooked fees but will those payments come close to covering the enforcement costs for those who don’t pay?