City council collects $100,000 in dog fines

Tauranga City Council has collected more than $100,000 in infringement notices from unregistered dogs in the past six months.

After a council crackdown in August there were only 350 dogs left unregistered in Tauranga from a total of 11,502 dogs.

Animals and enforcement leader Brent Lincoln said that since July, Tauranga City Council had issued 350 infringement notices for unregistered dogs.

The $300 notices brought in more than $100,000 for the council.

Dog owners who had not registered their dogs could still expect a council visit and would be fined the $300 infringement notice, he said.

Mr Lincoln said most of those who had not paid the registration fee on time could either not afford the annual $78 or had simply forgotten.

It was a legal requirement to register your dog, he said.

"If there are any issues with the dog it can be traced back to the owner, or alternatively if the dog escapes or is lost we can quickly locate who the owner is and arrange a return of the dog.

"It's one of those responsibilities that if you choose to own a dog it needs to be registered."

Mr Lincoln said having most of the dogs registered now was ideal.