Register your dog

• Dog registration fees aid the welfare of dogs and keeps our community safe from dog nuisance.
• They help us to investigate dog complaints, such as reports of dog attacks and complaints about dogs barking and stray dogs
• They help us maintain our dog database and provide dog safety education for children and workgroups.
• Provide a dog pound and shelter services: impounding, animal care and reuniting dogs with their owners
• Rehoming dogs through our connection with organisations such as SPCA, HUHA and Ellie’s Canine Rescue
• Provide dog safety education for dog owners, schools and the public
• Enforce compliance with dog owner responsibilities, issue infringements and patrol public spaces such as beaches and parks
• With legal costs for serious dog related offences under the Dog Control Act.

You need to provide the renewal form which should have all current details listed (phone, email address dog details etc)

If you've misplaced your renewal form we may be able to provide a copy.

If you don’t have a dog renewal form because it's a new dog you'll need to complete a new registration form - this can be done online and at our Council offices.

Make sure to choose whether you’d like a strip or round tag.

Yes, you can get a refund of the unexpired portion of the registration fee.

Where the fee for the registration of a dog is paid and that dog dies, a refund will be made on request as follows:

• where a dog dies before the commencement of the year, the full fee will be refunded;
• where the dog dies during the year, one-twelfth of the annual fee for each complete month remaining in the registration year after the date of application for a refund will be refunded. 

Yes, you can set up a payment arrangement. However, it must be paid in full by 31 July to avoid a 50% penalty fee.

To set up a payment arrangement you must come into the Levin office and complete a pre-payment application.

Dog registration fees vary depending on the dog's classification (e.g., neutered, entire, dangerous).

Horowhenua District Council's fees and charges for the 2026/2027 financial year, adopted by Council on 27 May 2026, are available below.

All fees are GST inclusive and apply from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. Council may review fees and charges at any time. Please contact Council to confirm current fees.

Animal Control fees pay for:

• running the Animal Services Department;
• responding to complaints;
• education programmes and material;
• Pound facilities; and
• legal costs.

A lifetime dog tag is a strong, durable tag that stays with your dog for its whole life. 

Once issued, you don’t need to get a new tag every year.

We’ve made this change to make things easier for dog owners and better for the environment. It helps to: 

• reduce plastic waste  
• make annual registration simpler  
• cut down on administration and processing  
• provide a more reliable, long-lasting tag for your dog 

No problem - just contact Council and we’ll arrange a replacement tag. 

A replacement fee may apply.

Your dog’s registration can be transferred to your new council. You will need to complete a transfer into district form with your new local council.

Usually, yes.

• If you register your puppy for the first time when it is 9 months old or younger, you'll pay the puppy registration fee.
• The Dog Control Act says that dogs must be registered from 3 months of age. If you wait until your dog is older than 9 months to register it for the first time, the puppy registration fee will still apply but a late registration penalty fee will also apply.
• If your dog is already registered and is still under 12 months old when the next registration year starts, you'll still be eligible for the puppy registration fee for that year.