As a way to encourage dog owners to take good care of their dogs and be a responsible dog owner, Gisborne District Council has a Selected Dog Owner Policy.
This policy rewards responsible dog owners with a discounted registration fee.
To be a selected dog owner
You need to be a responsible dog owner with a fully fenced, dog proof property.
If you meet the criteria you can apply to be a selected dog owner. To qualify we prefer that your dog is neutered and:
- microchipped
- your annual registration is always paid before 31 July each year
- you have a good dog ownership history - no record of impounding, infringements or justified complaints against your dog
- if you have more than one dog at the property, you must have a permit to keep more than one dog
How your property needs to comply
To comply with the criteria, you must have:
- A suitable gated entrance to the front door.
Visitors to your property must have free access to the front door without entering the area where the dog is kept. - A suitable enclosure to contain the dog within the fenced area.
A shed within the fenced area can be a suitable enclosure.
Application for selected owner
There's no fee to apply.
It's best to apply before 1 May, as the discount will apply from the following annual registration period.
Once we receive your application, we'll contact you to arrange a time to inspect your property.
When we do your property inspection, you need to be present and we'll discuss the obligations of a selected owner.
If your property doesn't meet the criteria on the first visit, a $60/hr fee may be charged for any further visit to assess the property.
Notify us if you change your address
If you've been a selected owner in another district, it doesn't automatically qualify you for this status in the Gisborne district.
If you change address, you need to notify us and we'll inspect your property for compliance.
We reserve the right to revoke any selected owner status for any breach of conditions.