From beach walks and café visits, to afternoons strolling through the neighbourhood, dogs are part of everyday life in Tauranga.
With more than 15,000 dogs across the city, Tauranga City Council is reminding owners to register their dogs for the 2026/27 registration year.
The responsible dog owner registration fee is $133, with all funds reinvested directly back into Animal Services to help make Tauranga a safer, more dog-friendly city.
This year’s dog tag is green and links each animal directly to their owner in Council’s system. This helps Animal Services reunite lost dogs with their owners sooner.
Animal Services Team Leader Oscar Glossop says dog registration is not just a legal requirement, it’s one of the simplest ways owners can help keep their dogs safe.
“Registering your dog means we can identify them and return them sooner if they become lost, stolen, or start roaming.”
Oscar acknowledges registration is another household cost but says it’s essential to make sure Animal Services can continue their work that keeps both the community and dogs safe.
“Registration fees help fund essential services including education and safety programmes across the community and maintaining dog shelter facilities to care for lost or stray dogs, and rehoming dogs that come into our care.
“They also support our response to barking, roaming, or aggressive dog complaints, the installation and upkeep of poo bag dispensers, maintaining our registration database of more than 15,000 dogs, and monitoring leash rules and dog-prohibited areas.”
In the 2026/27 year, the team expects to attend more than 800 barking dog enquiries, and 1000 roaming dog complaints.
“Dog registration is part of being a responsible dog owner, and we want to thank the many people in the community who do the right thing and register their dogs each year,” says Oscar.
Dog registration has been part of dog ownership in New Zealand since the late 1800s and remains an important way to keep dogs and their owners connected.
Registering before 1 August helps avoid late fees. To register your dog or update your details, visit www.tauranga.govt.nz/register-your-dog or head into a Council Library Community Hub.