Dog owners face fee increases

Responsible dog owners in the Stratford District are being rewarded with no change in their registration fees, says Stratford District Council Chief Executive Michael Freeman.

However, the news isn’t so good for other categories of dog owners.

“We have three categories of urban dog owners,” Michael says, “and the best owners get cheaper registration fees. Under our current Dog Control Policy, you can be a General Dog Owner, Good Dog Owner, or a Select Dog Owner. Select Dog Owners are rewarded for their status with lower dog registration fees.”
Michael says “it is proposed in our draft Long Term Plan to raise the annual registration fee for General Dog Owners by $10 to $110, and for Good Dog Owners by $10 to $80. The Select Dog Owners fees will remain at $40. We are intentionally keeping Select Dog Owners fees down to encourage more dog owners to apply for this status.”

“All that is required to become a Select Dog Owner is to fill in an application each year. The application form asks whether your dog is neutered and whether your property is fenced. Your property is then inspected, and your application approved or denied. We ask all dog owners to apply by 30 April every year, as situations can change rapidly,” Michael says.
“Members of the public who have a comment on the proposed increase in fees are encouraged to put it in writing before 24 April 2009.”

Anyone can make a comment by visiting www.stratford.govt.nz, or contact Council for more information.