Keeping dogs - What you need to know

	Micro-chipping
	Adopting a dog
	Procedures for Adoption
	Where to exercise your dog
	Dog obedience training
	Dog owner licensing tests
	How many dogs am I allowed?
	Dog registration
	Declaration of a dog as a full-time working dog
	Lost or impounded dogs
	Noisy dog remedies

Micro-chipping

From 1 July 2006, all dogs registered in New Zealand for the first time will have to be micro-chipped. This will mainly apply to new puppies born on, just before, or after that date. Most other dogs will not need to be micro-chipped.

The microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and will be inserted into the scruff of your dog's neck. It contains a number that belongs only to your dog, providing a secure and reliable way of identifying it for the rest of its life. As with other injections, micro-chipping is a simple procedure.

After it has been micro-chipped, if your dog gets lost and picked up by a dog control officer, or injured and taken to a vet, the microchip can be scanned to find out the number. This can then be checked by council on the National Dog Database (from July 2006), which will show your contact details. This greatly increases the chances of you and your dog being quickly reunited.

As well as helping identify the owners of lost or stolen dogs, micro-chipping and the National Dog Database will help dog control officers identify those dog owners who don't properly care for their dogs or allow them to roam. It will also be much easier for dog control officers to keep track of dangerous and menacing dogs as they move around the country.

If your dog has been micro-chipped elsewhere then you still need to contact us with the microchip number to have it logged against your details. 
The vet clinic or where ever  the micro-chipping was done is not responsible for giving this information to the council - it is the owners responsibility.   It is in the owners best interests to update the council with this number so that if your dog ever goes missing it can be returned home to you as soon as possible.

Dog registration and micro-chipping are two separate processes. You must register your dog every year, but you only need to microchip your dog once.

Please contact us for further details.

What you need to know?

From 1 July 2006, if you have:

• a new puppy
• a dog that has never been registered in New Zealand, or
• a dog that has been classified dangerous or menacing on or after 1 December 2003

Then you must do the following:

• for a puppy or dog registered for the first time: microchip within two months of registration (first registration occurs before new puppies are three months old, or straight away if your new dog is older than that, but unregistered). If you get a vet to microchip your puppy, it can be done when they vaccinate your pup.
• for a menacing or dangerous dog: microchip within two months of being classified, (or by 1 September 2006, if classified between 1 December 2003 and 30 June 2006).

For further information contact us.

Adopting a dog Dogs can be viewed and are available for adoption from the Animal Welfare Centre during normal opening hours. If an impounded dog is not claimed within eight days, it is then available for adoption. You can view the dogs currently impounded, and leave your details with the office if you find a dog that you would like to adopt. An Animal Welfare Officer will then inspect your property within three days of your visit to ensure that it is a suitable environment for the dog. This does not necessarily mean that the dog will go to the first name on the list.  Dogs are vaccinated before they leave the centre (puppies require booster shots, so consult a vet). Puppies under six months of age will need to be placed in a foster home for 7-10 days after being vaccinated, so they are healthy when they enter your life. If you live in rental accommodation, a letter from the property owner giving approval to have the dog on the property is required.

A charge of $220 is payable, and includes: de-sexing, micro-chipping, registration, vet check and first vaccination. After all adoption formalities are completed and $220 is paid in full, any expenses incurred after the dog leaves Animal Welfare Services are not the responsibility of Animal Welfare Services. The following is an example of the expenses that you will incur when you are the owner of a dog: Yearly registration Yearly vaccination (all dogs should be vaccinated each year) Vet treatment if the dog should become sick Treatment if the dog is hurt or in an accident

Procedures for Adoption

Dogs stay in the kennels for 7 full days, in case the original owner should turn up to claim their animal.

• Please be aware that if an original owner fronts up to claim the dog while in the centre that person has all rights to have the dog back.
• Dogs are de-sexed, vaccinated and micro-chipped before they leave Animal Welfare Waitakere (puppies require booster shots - so consult your vet).
• Property checks are organised within 3 days after you visit Animal Welfare Waitakere. These checks are to ensure your property is fenced appropriately and of adequate size for the dog you are adopting.
• Puppies under 6mths of age will need to be placed in quarantine for 7-10 days, after being vaccinated. The reason being, we want the dog to be healthy when it enters your life.
• If you live in rental accommodation we require you to supply us with a letter from the property owner giving approval to have the dog on the property. This must be provided before property checks are completed (via hand, fax, email or mail only).
• You may need to pick the dog or puppy up from the vet the day of its de-sexing. If so, you will be informed of this prior to the de-sexing. The vet we use is Swanson Road Vet Clinic, 269 Swanson Rd. The pick up time is between 4 and 6pm on the day. Please contact them on 833-7794 if you encounter any problems with this pick-up time on the day.
• Also note that all formalities including payment are completed prior to, or on the day of collection of your dog/puppy.
   

Where to exercise your dog

All Council reserves can be used to exercise your dog, however dogs are not allowed:

• within 10 metres of playground or fitness apparatus
• within 10 metres of marked sports fields
• within 10 metres of people on the park, beach or reserve
• on a jetty or ramp

Outside these areas, all dogs must be under control but depending on the place, not necessarily on a lead, e.g. the owner being near the dog and using voice or body language to control the dog.

Dog exercise areas on beaches

 

Dog obedience training

Please note that the list below is not a comprehensive list of all dog trainers within the West Auckland Region, nor is it a list of Waitakere Welfare Centre recommended trainers. Any costs, outcomes, terms and conditions are subject to the individual trainers and have no relation with the Waitakere Welfare Centre.

Dog Owner Licensing Tests

Dog Owner Licensing Tests are run by Animal Welfare Services and successful completion of the course results in a reduction of the annual dog registration fee. 

The course is based on the New Zealand Dog Owner's Manual (which can be purchased for $12 from any Council outlet or borrowed from any Waitakere Library). 

The Dog Owner Licence Test consists of twenty multi-choice questions and generally takes about 20 minutes. From when you arrive to when you leave the whole process takes 45 minutes to one hour, this includes sitting and marking the test and the issuing of the actual licence.

If you have a licence from Auckland City Council or North Shore City Council you do not have to sit the test again - your licence can be transferred and a Waitakere licence issued.

Dog owners who have licences from other organisations may have to resit the licences.

Contact us for test dates and times.

How many dogs am I allowed?

The number of dogs allowed on a property in the city depends on the size of your property.

• Up to 600 sq metres - 1 dog allowed
• 600 - 2,000 sq metres - 2 dogs allowed
• 2,001 sq metres+ - no limit

If you have more dogs than is allowed for your section size, you will need to obtain a permit. To obtain a permit, an application form must be filled out and a fee of $45 submitted.

Contact us for more information.

Lost or impounded dogs

If you have lost your dog please contact us with your details and those of your dog.

If you want to know if your dog has been impounded contact us and your details will be passed on to Animal Welfare or you can visit the Centre during specific hours.

Noisy dog remedies

Under the Dog Control Act 1996 the key to whether or not a dog is deemed noisy is where a dog control officer has received a complaint and has reasonable grounds for believing that a nuisance is being created by persistent loud barking or howling of any dog. Noisy dogs are a nuisance if you or someone else finds them so. It depends on whether the noise affects you or not. Where a dog barks occasionally, even if the noise is a nuisance to someone and is loud, this is not barking persistently and therefore cannot be dealt with in terms of the Dog Control Act. However, where the noise is persistent, loud and someone complains it is a nuisance then The Dog Control Act may come into play.

Dogs are sociable creatures with a huge need for social contact and are often left alone for long periods due to our busy lifestyles.

Why are dogs noisy?

Dogs may become vocal due to a variety of reasons including:

• Boredom
• Attention seeking
• Loneliness and the need for social contact
• Natural exuberance
• A response to other animals people or changes in the immediate environment
• To alert the owner to something unusual
• Pain
• Incompatibility of dog type to environment (e.g. farm working dog on quarter acre)
• Lack of exercise or stimulation
• Other reasons that we may be unable to identify

How to make the dog less noisy

Dogs may become less vocal or noisy where a mixture of the following is provided:

• Companionship (even a radio or a budgie in a cage can be company for a dog), however the dog needs daily dose of regular human company.
• Familiar items available such as a favourite toy to nurse or chew.
• A bone or chewing bone for occupation.
• Creature comforts such as a warm dry soft bed or pad to relax on.
• A visual screen or being contained so the dog cannot see lots of things to bark at such as passer by, but remember that the dog needs some visual stimulation so don't close it in.
• Being located within the property to an area inside or outside that muffles the noise and/or screens the dog from the people affected by it.
• Being located to another property where there is company. A neighbour to walk the dog or keep it company while the owner is away each day or a day boarding kennel can make a difference.
• Low key departures and arrivals can help to prevent the dog becoming anxious upon departure and overly excitable upon the owners arrival. (Dogs can suffer separation anxiety!)
• Feeding before going out, meaning feed smaller amounts twice a day instead of a large meal in the evening.
• Daily stimulation and exercise
• Training the dog not to bark using a professional dog trainer or canine psychologist. You will need to follow this training up with regular work to maintain the conditioning work which you and your dog complete together.

Remember that the dog a being social animal needs to belong to a "family pack". Dogs have belongingness needs much like we do. Isolation and/or rejection from the family pack inevitably leads to behavioural problems. Inclusion in daily activities is important for the emotional well being. The dog is a sentient being and a responsible owner will respond to this aspect of the dog's nature and be rewarded with the joys of a devoted companion. It is important to acknowledge the needs of and to include all members of the family/household in obtaining and keeping of a dog.

For more information or to make a complaint about a dog barking contact us.