Last week dog owners were issued dog registration accounts. Close to 11,000 fees are paid at $78 per dog (if paid early otherwise its an extra $30). At $78 the total is somewhere upwards of $850,000 income. For this fee in Tauranga a dog owner receives nothing other than a plastic tag and ever-decreasing places to exercise their pet.

We're told the money is for TCC's Animal Services team, who tend to complaints about dog and other animals. Kindly dog owners, it appears, are expected to fund all animal control services, which I suspect include cats stuck in drain pipes and up trees etc. In addition should your dog be impounded by an enthusiastic animal control officers - looking for something to do, when they're not proposing to TCC additional no dog zones - regardless of having your dog registered you will pay horrendous fees for release from custody: $750.

The infringement fees for dogs only are so huge I suggest they can fund dog control without need for dog registration fees of $78 that is user-pays. There's a total of 28 infringement fees ranging from $100 for failing to advise a change of address to $750 (for eight of the infringements listed). Dog registration, as noted in TCC material supplied, is one of the oldest laws in NZ dating back to 1865.

It's well overdue this legislation is revisited and controls, in respect to fees councils can levy, are set fairly; and fees raised for dog control are used for dog management purposes only.

M O'Neill, Maungatapu.


TCC response to dogs fees:

The Animal Services team provides a range of services to try ensure dogs, their owners and the general public are able to share the city and be safe.

The services include things such as: managing the registration process; operating the pound; education programmes; investigating dog attacks and complaints; and managing prosecutions.

Legally, dog registration fees can only be used in relation to dog control matters. Other animal services activities, such as cat or stock control, are separately funded from rates or by invoicing stock owners where applicable.

Dog registration and pound release fees are set by council.

Infringement fines for breaching the Dog Control Act 1996, such as failing to register a dog, are set by Government.

Impound fees range from $40 for a first offence to $150 for the third offence (plus food costs).

Fees for unregistered dogs are higher. The income from dog registration for the year ending June 30, 2014, was about $650,000. This total reflects the fact not all fees are for the full year and some registered dogs are exempt from fees (for example, guide dogs).

More information on animal services is on: www.tauranga.govt.nz