Owners are required to register their dogs yearly with the Waitaki District Council.
The deadline to avoid a penalty was extended under an amnesty from July 31 to last Friday.
But the council suspected 117 dog owners had still not registered, regulatory services manager Lichelle Guyan said this week.
That was far better than three weeks ago, when 340 were unregistered, she said.
Over the past four weeks, animal control had tried to contact owners by phone to urge them to take advantage of the amnesty.
Penalty interest had now been applied to fees for unregistered dogs and letters were being sent yesterday, notifying owners of the new fee and their obligations.
Animal control officers would then visit properties to talk to dog owners, who risked a $300 fine.
While the council acknowledged some owners struggled to pay for dog registration, it was a legal requirement and part of the cost of owning one.
''We are aware of some people who elect not to pay the fee because they don't believe in the legislation.
''Unfortunately, this results in additional work for council staff to collect the payment,'' she said.
Some people also seemed to be unaware they must register their dog.
''They are made aware that if the registration fee is not paid, the dog could be seized and held by council until it is paid,'' she said.
Dogs can be registered at council offices in Oamaru or Palmerston.
