Dog FAQs

Below we have answered questions about dog ownership, visiting the area with your dog and more.

Can I adopt a dog from Animal Management?

Yes. There are some stages:

Come and visit the dog. We will check that it is a suitable dog for adoption. We will record your name and contact details and discuss the adoption fee with you. This fee includes registration and microchipping.

Call us back eight days after the dog was impounded to ensure it is still available.

We will send an Animal Control Officer to do a property inspection and if all is ok, the dog will be put on our de-sexing list. This is one of the conditions of adoption.

If the dog is still available and you have had your inspection and paid the fee, you will be able to collect your new pet along with your new owner pack.

How can I pay my dog infringement/fine?

If you have received an infringement notice from the Animal Management section you should carefully read the details of your rights and obligations on the reverse of the notice.

The infringement fee must be paid all at once, in full (one payment only) to the Council within 28 days of the notice's date of issue.

Payment may be made at either the Dargaville Council office or Mangawhai Service Centre by cash or eftpos, or online via kaipara.govt.nz/pay. Please reference the infringement notice number. 

Kaipara District Council no longer accepts payment by cheque as our bank phased them out. Please use an alternative method for your payment.

If the infringement fee is not paid within the 28 days, the Council will send a reminder allowing a further 28 days, before the notice is referred to the District Court for collection. Once a notice has been referred to the Court, the fee can no longer be paid to the Council.

Council does not encourage owners to delay payment, however if an owner is unable to pay in one payment they may wait for the infringement notice to be referred to the Court, at which time the Court may allow them to pay off the amount owing over a period. The amount owing at this point will also include a Court lodgement fee, and the Court may also add some collection fees.

You should contact the Court to see whether additional fees apply to you and if so how much these are.

If you have any questions about any infringement notice you have received please read the rights and obligations on the reverse of the notice. If you still have questions, please call Animal Management on 0800 727 059.

How much is dog registration?

You can find the cost of registering a dog in our Fees and Charges.

I am away during July. What shall I do about reregistering my dog?

If possible, ask the person who is looking after your dog to reregister it for you or come to the Kaipara District Council in Dargaville or Mangawhai and we will work something out for you.

I am visiting from another district- do I need to let you know about my dog?

If you are in the Kaipara district for more than six weeks, you will need to come in and swap the tag you have for a Kaipara tag. There is no charge for this, you will also need to fill out a registration form.