Auckland Facilities for pets
Pets are found all over the Auckland area, and are allowed most everywhere – except for certain restricted public areas, like cemeteries, swimming pools, libraries and certain areas of a few popular beaches.
Owners are required to keep their dogs on leashes in most public areas and to clean up their faeces. The law calls for dogs to be registered yearly. You can find the complete legal requirements for dogs and other animals at the Auckland Council website. You can obtain a discounted license rate if you pass the ‘Dog Owner License’. To get this license you need to pass a responsible dog owner test, have no previous or outstanding animal control complaints registered against you, plus you may have your property and dogs inspected by a council official to ensure you are keeping them correctly.
Cats basically have no restrictions or licensing requirements. But don’t count on keeping a pig as pet in the Auckland area – that’s a no-no.
Ferrets and Koi Carp are banned as pets in New Zealand.
Kennels
There are a full range of services for your pet – there are several upscale kennels, such as:
- Creature Comforts Pet Resort (http://www.petresort.co.nz)
- All Seasons Pet Resort, featuring “The Bark Inn” and “The Mews” (http://www.allseasonspetresort.co.nz),
- Pets in the City day spa and pet hotel (http://www.petsinthecity.co.nz)
Pet Stores
The best pet stores, which stock international brands, include:
- Animates, which has 6 outlets in Auckland (http://www.animates.com)
- Pet Shop Boyz (http://www.petshopboyz.co.nz)
- All About Pets (http://www.allaboutpets.co.nz)
Pet Grooming
Some high-level pet grooming service providers include:
- Barkely Manor (http://www.barkleymanor.co.nz )
- Star Dogs (many branches all over Auckland) – http://www.stardogs.co.nz )
There are also many mobile pet grooming services that will come to you — you can find several of them listed at http://yellow.co.nz/search/auckland+city/Pet+Grooming-1.html.
Off-Leash Parks
Almost all city parks and reserves are dog friendly. A few outstanding off-leash parks for dogs include
- Waiatarua Reserve in Remuera
- Meola Park in Point Chevalier
- Big King Reserve in Mount Eden
- Totara Park in Manakau
- Kauri Park in Birkenhead
- Shepherds Park in Beach Haven
Other Resources
- The SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has a strong presence here. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) can provide advice and assistance – particularly if the pet is sick or injured. Their website is http://www.spca.org.nz.
- The website http://www.petsonthenet.co.nz is a great free resource that offers advice and veterinarian listings and allows you to post free online ads for lost or found pets. You can also adopt pets through this service.
