Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Dog Control Act 1996

Registration and registration fees

49: Transfer of dog from one address or district to another

You could also call this:

"Telling the council when you move your dog to a new home"

If you own a dog and you move to a new address in the same district, you must tell the territorial authority in writing within 14 days. You need to give them your new address so they can update their records. This helps them keep track of where dogs are living in the area.

If you take your dog to live in a different district for more than a month, you must tell both the old and new territorial authorities about the move within six weeks. You have to give them your new address and they will update their records without charging you a fee. The new territorial authority will also give you a new label or disc for your dog.

If you do not follow these rules, you can get a fine of up to $500. The territorial authorities will update their records for free when you tell them about the change of address for your dog.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM375188.

Topics:
Housing and property > Land useCrime and justice > Police and safety
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48: Change of ownership of dog, or

"What to do when you sell or give away your dog"

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50: Dog not wearing proper label or disc may be impounded, or

"Dogs must wear a registration label or disc, or they might be taken away."

49Transfer of dog from one address or district to another

  1. Where the owner of any dog changes his or her address within the district of a territorial authority, he or she shall, within 14 days, give notice in writing of his or her change of address to the territorial authority.

  2. Where any dog is transferred to and is kept, for a period of 1 month or more, in any territorial authority district other than that in which it has been kept, the owner shall, within 6 weeks of the transfer, give notice in writing of the transfer to the territorial authority in whose district the dog has been kept and to the territorial authority to whose district the dog is transferred, setting out the address at which the dog will ordinarily be kept.

  3. Where the dog is registered, the territorial authority or territorial authorities concerned shall, without fee, record the changes in its register or their registers, and the territorial authority in whose district the dog is ordinarily to be kept shall, without fee, issue a new label or disc for the dog.

  4. Every person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $500 who fails to comply with subsection (1) or subsection (2).

Compare
  • 1982 No 42 s 46
Notes
  • Section 49(4): amended, on , by section 413 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 (2011 No 81).
  • Section 49(4): amended, on , by section 29 of the Dog Control Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 119).