Well, another August 1 has gone – and with it a chunk of my funds for being a responsible dog owner, to pay for the troubles of wanderers or mongrels. I mean the dogs - not the owners. Well, maybe.

Yes, the dog registration deadline has been and gone – another $85 for the 2016/2017 year for ‘registering' my pooch in the Western Bay of Plenty.

So what does my dog or I get for it? Nothing. Diddly squat.

But I do get a pat on the back for supporting the uselessness of others. Because from what I can tell the money we pay goes into council coffers – and they reckon they use it to pay for animal control. And you guessed it – not just dog control but ‘control' of all animals. Because that make sense.

Now Western Bay of Plenty District Council's policy committee recommends a $250,000 upgrade and expansion of the 20-year-old Katikati and Te Puke animal shelters to meet needs of a growing dog population.

Yep that's right - dogs impounded in the WBOP will soon be locked up in new digs - courtesy of responsible dog owners paying registrations district-wide.

Council says a number of picked up, lost, or roaming dogs is more than it can accommodate. I say boohoo.

But don't worry – no increase in dog registration fees is required to fund the shelter upgrades because the dog population is growing fast enough to ensure there is sufficient funding. So we won't be charged extra for the upgrades – cool!

Apparently dog impounds in the last five years have increased 40 per cent. I wonder how many registered dogs were impounded? I bet not many. The majority will be the wanderers or mongrels without a yellow tag. The dogs – hopefully not their owners.

Any why do dogs on Matakana Island only cost $40 before August 1? Compared to my dog's $85?

The dog bylaws of most councils in this country are archaic. What about user-pays?

K Morland, Katikati.