It's no longer 'fetch Fido' at dog park

SPECIAL CHARACTER: Liam Taylor with Captain Wayne Higginbotham the Third.PHOTO/WARREN BUCKLAND

Liam Taylor has a real mouthful calling his dog - Captain Wayne Higginbotham the Third.

Although, it's normally just Wayne.

Wayne was rescued from Hastings District Council pound in March. He was due to be put down the next day but with their dog recently dying, the Taylor family took a liking to him.

"My wife wanted to call him Wayne as we have a cat named Bruce but when the council rang asking for a name on the spot, I thought I'd one up the wife."

Mr Taylor said despite the charismatic name, Wayne was "dense as a post".

"He's my second shadow.

"However, he's fantastic with the kids and absolutely loves the river."

The Taylors weren't the only ones giving their dogs more unusual names. Some of the quirkier names registered with our local councils include Biggie Smalls, Fungus, Steak, Virus, Toni-Maloney and Captain Poopie.

One family even named their hound "Get Outside".

Pop culture has a strong influence on many dog names with a number named after characters or franchises such as Wookie, Silvermist and Aku.

Names released by Napier City, Hastings District and Central Hawke's Bay revealed that traditional dogs names such as Rover, Fido and Patch were becoming more scarce as owners opt to give their four legged friends more personable names.

Bella, Max, Molly and Jack were at the top of the list for the most popular canine names in the region.

There are 293 dogs registered in Napier, Hastings and Central Hawke's Bay called Bella, followed by 273 dogs called Max and 214 dogs called Molly - which could lead to confusion at the dog parks.