Dog owners face financial mauling

BY CLAIRE CONNELL

A dog-loving couple may have to leave Blenheim, if the Marlborough District Council axes a discount for owning seven or more dogs.

The council's environment committee yesterday discussed the idea of removing the discount, but asked for more information before recommending the council go through with it.

However, the committee agreed to raise dog registrations by up to $12; to retain the reduction for microchipped and neutered dogs, and to raise pound fees.

Currently, all dog owners who own seven or more dogs get a free registration for the seventh and any subsequent dogs.

Springlands couple Richard and Marita Winstanley pay about $1000 annually to register their 12 dogs, but get a $400 rebate under the current rules.

The news has shocked the Winstanleys who say they will have to leave Blenheim if the decision goes ahead.

"It's not fair. We love our dogs heaps, but if they do that I don't know what we will do," Mr Winstanley said.

"We will have to move, we can't afford it. I'm scared, we just hang out for that rebate," Mrs Winstanley said. "Marlborough is so anti-dogs it's ridiculous."

Council finance and information supervisor David Craig said the rebate was historical.

He said 105 people owned seven or more dogs. Rebates were paid for 328 dogs, resulting in $14,000 worth of savings for the owners.

Councillor Francis Maher asked how many owners had seven or more "menacing, horrible, mean dogs in their backyard".

Councillors Jenny Andrews and Liz Davidson and the committee's Federated Farmers representative, Chris Bowron, also wanted more information.

Councillor Peter Jerram, a former vet, was not at the meeting but later told The Marlborough Express he felt revoking the rebate was "a bit mean-spirited".

Many of these people were either dog breeders or owned pig dogs, and he said they were usually "extremely responsible" dog owners.

The council introduced lower registration fees for dogs that were microchipped and neutered last year.

Mr Craig said the number of microchipped and neutered dogs had since risen from 500 to 1800 dogs, resulting in $32,000 less in council revenue.

Mr Craig said fee revenues would probably fall by $80,000 if fees did not go up this year.

Blenheim resident Nanette Wood, the owner of Missy, a 13-year-old ex-rescue dog, said this morning she would not welcome a registration fee increase.

"I'm not very happy. It's getting a bit high, isn't it? People can't afford to be doing that all the time."

Meanwhile, Mr Craig also told the committee that pound fees had to be raised too, as costs were not being recovered from unclaimed dogs.

The registration and pound fee recommendation will be raised at full council next Thursday. The issue of revoking the rebate will be brought up at next month's environment committee meeting.

DOG FEES

2009-10 Marlborough District Council dog registration fees:

$20 for a working dog.

$48 for a non-working dog with category one status (criteria includes dog is microchipped, neutered and has not been classified as dangerous or menacing).

$72 for a non-working dog category two (all those that do not meet the criteria for category one). For dangerous dogs, the fee is 150 per cent of the fee that would normally apply to the dog.

Proposed 2010-11 Marlborough District Council dog registration fees:

$24 for a working dog.

$56 for a non-working dog with category one status (criteria includes dog is microchipped, neutered and has not been classified as dangerous or menacing).

$84 for a non-working dog category two (all those that do not meet the criteria for category one). For dangerous dogs, the fee is 150 per cent of the fee that would normally apply to the dog.

- The Marlborough Express