New lifetime registration discs for dogs

Christchurch dog owners won’t have to replace their dog’s plastic registration tag each year as Christchurch City Council moves to introduce 'lifelong' metal tags.

Under the present system each dog that is registered is issued with a new plastic disc for that registration period, which attaches to the dog’s collar. Owners are subsequently issued with a new disc each time they renew their dog’s registration. The discs are colour-coded according to the year.

From June 2022, to coincide with the next registration renewal period, dog owners will receive a single-use metal disc engraved with a unique identification number. 

The disc is designed to last the dog’s lifetime.

Animal Services Manager Lionel Bridger says the initiative will be more convenient for dog owners and reduce the amount of plastic waste going into landfills.

“We have to look to the future. It is not sustainable to keep throwing away the plastic tags every year and expecting dog owners to do the same. Each year we register around 40,000 dogs in Christchurch which means there are at least 40,000 plastic tags going into the bin each year as these cannot be recycled."

He says he’s confident the public will embrace the move.

“We've received many messages from people in the community about the impact of these plastic tags on the environment. We expect that the public will be in favour of this new system from a sustainability perspective.

“It will also speed up the registration process as at the moment people have to pay their registration either in person or online and then wait up to two weeks for the new tag to arrive in the mail. This new system will streamline the process  where the only administrative task for dog owners will be to pay their new registration cost each year.”

The new discs will save Council about $50,000 over ten years.

Both Selwyn District Council and Upper Hutt City Council have recently introduced single-use metal registration discs.