Preferred Owner Status for dogs

16 March 2023

To encourage and recognise responsible dog ownership, Council offers a reduced registration fee for owners that achieve “preferred owner status.” Your dog must be registered for at least a year before you are eligible to apply for Preferred Owner Status.

Applications must be made before the last Friday in April to be eligible for the reduced fee for the following registration year. Approvals are subject to a satisfactory property inspection and administrative checks.


Farmers with more than 5 working dogs
Farmers with more than 5 working dogs that were eligible for reduced fees last year, please contact us as soon as possible if you have had changes to your dog registration details i.e.; if you have any deceased, transferred, or new dogs. If you currently have 5 working dogs but expect to add to that number, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can process your upcoming dog registration fees swiftly.

More information can be found here:  Animals | Tararua District Council (tararuadc.govt.nz)