Auckland dog registration in the spotlight

A dog named Buster is the star of a new spoof video which Auckland Council hopes will encourage Aucklanders to register their dogs.

Some dog owners have missed out on the earlybird rate for registration, which expired on Monday (1 August), but Auckland Council says they can still complete registration at the full rate.

In the spoof video, dog advocate Busterfarious Sneed ("Buster") "says" a 2016/17 blue registration tag is a "must-have" in the park this season.

"I need that tag!" he says.

Geoff Keber, Manager - Animal Management says Buster acts out some signs of "Bad Dog Anxiety Syndrome" which can see dogs put off their food, reduce tail wagging and generally exhibit more hangdog behaviour.

"It's not their fault, of course they're not bad dogs. The video highlights how dogs rely on their owners to take care of them, which includes registration, microchipping and de-sexing," he says.

When asked why he produced a video instead of an article, Mr Keber said, "Dogs can't read."

Almost 100,000 dogs are registered in Auckland every year. Information on dog registration can be found on the Auckland Council website http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/licencesregulations/dogsandanimals/registration/Pages/registeryourdog.aspx.