Dog Control Act 1996

Objects

5: Obligations of dog owners

You could also call this:

"What dog owners must do to care for and control their dogs"

If you own a dog, you must do certain things. You must make sure your dog is registered and that the council knows where you live and who owns the dog. You must keep your dog under control at all times. You must also give your dog proper care and attention, including food, water, and shelter.

You must give your dog enough exercise and make sure it does not cause problems for others, like barking too much. You must take steps to ensure your dog does not hurt or scare people, other animals, or damage someone else's property. You must follow the rules of the Dog Control Act and other laws about dogs.

You also have to follow other laws and rules about dogs, not just the Dog Control Act, and you can find more information about these laws on the New Zealand legislation website.

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This page was last updated on 19 May 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM374486.

Topics:

Crime and justice > Police and safetyGovernment and voting > Local councilsEnvironment and resources > Conservation

4: Objects, or

"What this law is trying to achieve: keeping dogs and people safe"

6: Functions, duties, and powers of territorial authorities, or

"What councils must do and can do to help with dog ownership"

5Obligations of dog owners

The obligations imposed on dog owners by this Act require every owner of a dog—
to ensure that the dog is registered in accordance with this Act, and that all relevant territorial authorities are promptly notified of any change of address or ownership of the dog:
to ensure that the dog is kept under control at all times:
to ensure that the dog receives proper care and attention and is supplied with proper and sufficient food, water and shelter:
to ensure that the dog receives adequate exercise:
to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the dog does not cause a nuisance to any other person, whether by persistent and loud barking or howling or by any other means:
to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the dog does not injure, endanger, intimidate, or otherwise cause distress to any person:
to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the dog does not injure, endanger, or cause distress to any stock, poultry, domestic animal, or protected wildlife:
to take all reasonable steps to ensure that the dog does not damage or endanger any property belonging to any other person:
to comply with the requirements of this Act and of all regulations and bylaws made under this Act.

Nothing in this Act limits the obligations of any owner of a dog to comply with the requirements of any other Act or of any secondary legislation regulating the control, keeping, and treatment of dogs.

Notes

Section 5(2): amended, on 28 October 2021, by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).