The Animal Control Officers administer the Waimakariri District Council Dog Control Bylaw 2009 which has as its prime objective:

"To promote the control of dogs in public places to protect public safety"

In order to protect public safety, the Bylaw contains rules and penalties to encourage responsible dog ownership and includes:

• Any dog found not under continuous and effective control in any reserve may be seized and detained by any authorised officer, or a person employed by the Council and be impounded.
• No person for the time being in charge of any dog shall permit the dog to enter or to be in or upon any premises used for or in connection with the manufacture, preparation, packing or storage of sale of food.
• No person shall take into or have in his/her charge any dog in or on any public swimming pools or other bathing places, except on authorised occasions.
• No person shall take into or have in his/her charge any dog in or on any land or premises used as a public school, kindergarten or playcentre, except on authorised occasions.
• The occupier of any premises whereon any kennel or enclosures in which dogs are kept or housed shall maintain and keep them in a clean condition.
• No person shall take into or keep in any cemetery any dog.
• Requiring dogs in public places (unless prohibited or required to be leashed), to be kept under continuous and effective control at all times.
• No person shall in any public place or private road or street, set on, urge, encourage, aid or assist at the fighting or baiting of any dog or other animal or willingly permit any dog to fight or to rush at, attack or worry any person or animal, and no person being the owner or having charge thereof shall suffer or permit any dog which has been known to rush at or attack or annoy any person or animal to be at large.
• No person being the owner of, or having the control of any dog shall permit the dog to foul any public place with droppings, provided that no offence shall be deemed to have been committed against this by-law when the person having control of the dog removes the droppings immediately.
• The owner or person in charge of any dog in any public place shall carry a suitable receptacle for the removal of any faeces defecated by that dog.
• Any person allowing a dog to ride on the open tray of a vehicle shall ensure that it is at all times kept under control by a chain that is sufficiently short in length as to prevent the dog from leaving the tray or endangering passers-by.
• No occupier of any property in any urban area shall keep for any period exceeding fourteen days, three or more dogs over the age of three months unless a licence is granted by the Council.
• Every person who violates any of the provisions of the bylaw is liable to a penalty not exceeding $500.

Click here to view Dog Control Bylaw 2009 in PDF format. (511kb)

The Bylaw also lists most of the reserves within the District into three categories being Prohibited Areas, Leash Control Areas and Under Control Areas.

Rangiora

Kaiapoi

Woodend

Oxford

Cust

Waikuku Beach

Pines/Kairaki

Sefton

Ashley

Ohoka

Pegasus

Cemeteries

Prohibited Areas: All cemeteries throughout the District, excluding Kaiapoi Anglican Cemetery Reserve.

Beach Surf Patrol Areas

Prohibited Area: Within the area marked by Surf Patrol flags and extending around that area for a distance of 50 meters beyond the flags.

All Other Public Places

Dogs shall be under control.

Note:
If a reserve is not listed, it remains an 'Under Control Area' until reclassified. Always check the reserve's signposts before taking a dog onto a reserve.

In 'Under Control Areas' a dog is not required to be on a leash if the dog is under the control of its owner.

Every dog over three months of age must be registered.

Fact Sheets

Registering your Dog (pdf 2,788kb)
Keeping a Dog (pdf 594kb)

The registration year is from 1 July to 30 June and the registration fees are available in the attached document:

Dog Control Fees (pdf 54kb)

Please select the following links for the appropriate document

Where the Dog Registration Fees Go (pdf 155kb)
Application to Keep 3 or more Dogs in Urban Area (pdf 153kb)
Working Dog Declaration Form (pdf 26kb)
Certificate of Desexing (pdf 18kb)
Change in Address - Owner (pdf 22kb)
Notification of Death Form (pdf 21kb)

Dog collars are available from the Council offices at:

215 High Street, Rangiora
34 Main Street, Oxford
176 Williams Street, Kaiapoi

(Large collar price $7.50 GST inclusive
 Medium collar price $6.00 GST inclusive)

The Dog Control Act 1996 requires the owner of any dog to keep the dog under control at all times. Through responsible dog ownership, we not only improve public safety, but we can keep the costs of providing the dog control service at current levels.

For further information contact the Animal Control Officers at Waimakariri District Council, High Street, Rangiora - (03) 311 8900 or (03) 327 6834.