More than 1000 dogs remain unregistered with the Dunedin City Council and owners who fail to pay up could lose their dogs.
Senior animal control officer Jim Pryde said 13,112, or 92%, of dog owners had registered their dogs by last week's deadline, but the remaining 1881 would be sent reminder notices and charged a $40 late fee.
Last year, the council adopted a zero-tolerance policy on the non-payment of dog registrations and would continue to do so this year, Mr Pryde said.
If the registration and late fee were not paid, a $300 penalty for having a non-registered dog would be imposed and, if that was not paid, the dog would be removed by an animal control officer.
The council removed about 20 unregistered dogs in the past year.
Any dog removed was held by the council for seven days, before it became the property of the council, which would decide its fate.
Most people would eventually co-operate as they were "generally fairly passionate" about their dogs and did not want anything to happen to them, he said.
"Unfortunately, there is a cost in owning a dog and people have got to recognise that fact."
Animal control officers were pro-active about checking dog registrations and would visit properties to ensure dogs matched council records.
Registration for a non-working dog is $80 and had to be paid by August 1.
Registration fees paid for complaints investigations, impounding and care of wandering dogs, education programmes for the general public and the provision of dog exercise areas.
Dog control fines also went back into animal control activities.
