What we do
Dog control and wandering livestock
The Animal Education and Control Team is responsible for managing and controlling dogs and livestock in Hamilton city and its surrounds. This includes providing dog registration and microchipping services as well as responding to issues in relation to stray dogs, barking dogs and/or concerns about unwanted dog behaviour. Our team also provides education about caring for dogs and dog safety and holds community events for people and their dogs to attend - for example, Paws in the Pool . We also respond to issues related to wandering stock.
See our contact information below to report an issue.
You can see a recent annual summary of our activities related to dog control here - and find out more about dogs and your responsibilities as a dog owner in Hamilton city and its surrounds.
Nuisance animals
Our team also deals with nuisance animals (for example, barking dogs, crowing roosters in urban areas and wandering stock as mentioned above). Our Animal Nuisance Bylaw 2013 allows for the keeping of animals within the city boundaries, and ensures that there are controls in place to avoid undesirable nuisance issues relating to the keeping of animals.
See our contact information below to report an issue.
Find out more about keeping animals in Hamilton city and its surrounds.
Feral cats and possum trap hire
The Waikato Regional Council (WRC) is the organisation with the key responsibility for controlling pest animals within the Waikato region, including Hamilton city - see 'what others do ' below for details.
However, our Animal Education and Control Team assists WRC with its pest control activities by hiring out traps for catching feral cats and possums to Hamilton city residents. We can also provide advice on how to use these humanely and we provide a disposal service for any live animals you may catch in our hire traps .
Costs for hire are noted on our fees and charges list here. Note that it is your responsibility to appropriately dispose of any animal you catch.
Contact us to discuss what you need: phone 07 838 6632, email us or make an online request for services. Full details on our contact information are available below.
For more information and tips, see feral cats and possums.
back to top
What others do
Animal welfare and cruelty issues - SPCA
While we don't ignore these issues when our team comes acr oss them as part of their activities, the main organisation equipped to deal with animal welfare and cruelty issues is the SPCA. We work closely with the SPCA where their work and ours overlaps, however if you want to report animal neglect or abuse, please in the first instance please use contact the Waikato SPCA - phone 07 847 4868. If you live outside Hamilton city and its surrounds, use this list to contact your local SPCA in the region.
Welfare concerns about livestock can be taken to the SPCA (see contact details above) and/or the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) - freephone 0800 00 83 33.
Pest animal control and management
The control of animal pests (for example, for feral cats, possums, rats, deer, stoats etc) is managed by the Waikato Regional Council's Biosecurity Team. They deal with pest plant and pest animal issues throughout the Waikato region - contact details here. Their website also has a wide range of information about dealing with pest animals, including free factsheets.
However, if you need to hire a live catch cage to catch a feral cat or possum on your property, you are welcome to get in touch with us to do this. See feral cats and possum traps above for details.
back to top
Our Animal Education and Control Centre (including our kennels) is open seven days a week (see opening hours below). We are available by phone 24/7- see below. You can also email us - although for urgent enquiries, it's best to phone us first.
- 24/7 urgent calls: 07 838 6699
- Animal Education and Control hours: 7.30am to 7pm, seven days
- Kennel opening hours: 12.30pm to 4.30pm (closed on statutory holidays).
- Dog registration, requests for service, report an incident (including wandering stock ) and general enquiries: phone 07 838 6632.
- Impounded, lost and found dogs and adoption enquiries: phone: 07 838 6664.
- After hours phone: 07 838 6699.
Register with Dogs Online
You can now register your dog/s online. 'Dogs Online' allows you to register your dog/s online and pay the annual fee at the same time.
back to top
Check out our services
Find out about what's required when adopting a dog from us - and view dogs that are available for adoption on our Hamilton Adopt a Dog Facebook page .
Check out our Animal Education and Control Centre for lost/found dogs, register your dog in our 'lost dog' book, get tips on finding your lost dog and what to do if you find a lost dog .
Online dog registration, microchipping, overview and details on registration requirements, fees and discounts, dog exercise areas in our city and parks, adopt a dog, lost and found dogs , safety around dogs, dangerous and menacing dogs, dog education, barking dogs, dog events and more .
Council offers the hire of cat traps for the capture of feral cats and possums.
Find out about keeping animals in the city (including roosters and chickens), wandering animals (livestock) and reporting nuisance animals.
back to top