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Dog Control Act 1996

Probationary owners

24: Obligation of probationary owners to dispose of unregistered dogs

You could also call this:

"Probationary dog owners must get rid of unregistered dogs within 14 days of being told to do so."

If you are a probationary owner, you must get rid of any unregistered dogs you own within 14 days of getting a notice. You can find out more about this notice in section 21(4). You have to dispose of these dogs in a way that does not break any laws.

When you get rid of a dog, you must do it in a way that is allowed by law. If you object to being classified as a probationary owner, you can lodge an objection under section 22, subsection (1).

If you are keeping an unregistered dog when you get the notice, you will not get in trouble for keeping it until you have time to get rid of it. You can find out more about keeping unregistered dogs in section 42(1).

You will get in trouble if you do not get rid of your unregistered dogs, or if you give a dog to someone who is not allowed to have one, as stated in section 25. You could be fined up to $3,000 if you break these rules.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM374850.

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24Obligation of probationary owners to dispose of unregistered dogs

  1. Where any person is classified as a probationary owner, that person shall, within 14 days after the date on which the notice of classification is, under section 21(4), given to that person, dispose of every unregistered dog owned by that person.

  2. Every dog disposed of under this Act shall be disposed of in a manner that does not constitute an offence against this or any other Act.

  3. Where any person lodges, within 14 days after the date on which the notice under section 21(4) is given to that person, an objection under section 22, subsection (1) applies in relation to that person as if the period within which that person is required by that subsection to dispose of every unregistered dog owned by that person ends on the 14th day after the date on which the notice under section 22(4) is given to that person.

  4. Where any person is given a notice under section 21(4) at a time at which that person is keeping an unregistered dog in contravention of section 42(1),—

  5. it shall not be an offence against section 42(1) for that person to keep that unregistered dog until the expiration of any period allowed by this section for the disposal by that person of that unregistered dog; and
    1. nothing in section 42(2) authorises the seizure and impounding of that unregistered dog at any time while that dog is still being kept by that person and any period allowed by this section for the disposal by that person of that unregistered dog has not expired.

      1. Every person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $3,000 who—

      2. fails to comply with subsection (1); or
        1. fails, in disposing of a dog under subsection (1), to comply with subsection (2); or
          1. at any time while classified as a probationary owner becomes the registered owner of a dog (unless the person was the registered owner of the dog on the date of the offence or the date of the third infringement offence in respect of which the classification was made under section 21); or
            1. disposes or gives custody or possession of any dog to any person, knowing that the person is disqualified under section 25.

              Notes
              • Section 24(5): added, on , by section 6 of the Dog Control Amendment Act 2004 (2004 No 61).
              • Section 24(5): amended, on , by section 413 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 (2011 No 81).