DOG FRIENDS - AUCKLAND REGION & RODNEY - MAY 2012 NEWS www.dogfriends.co.nz Keep up to date with what Dog Friends - Auckland Region & Rodney are doing for you. Join up today! * required First Name: * Last Name: * Email Address: * Phone Number: We will only use your number if we lose contact by email. www.facebook.com/dogfriendsNZ BACKDOWN BY COUNCIL ON PROPOSED OUTRAGEOUS DOG REGISTRATION FEE INCREASES You have probably heard by now that the outrageous increases, originally proposed by Auckland Council for this year's fees, have been dropped. Huge thanks to Councillor Cathy Casey who proposed an amendment: “To retain the current dog fees and charges with a CPI increase.” She said: “We need to go back to the drawing board on this. I think we should roll over the current rates plus a CPI increase for the next 12 months as an act of good faith and then consult with responsible dog owners about services that we intend to provide, their cost and a fair cost sharing ratio between dog owners and council.” Click on the link below to listen to Cathy Casey as she put the case for dog owners so well at last Thursday's Council meeting: http://www.franklin-live.net/site/player/1143.html Cathy’s amendment was passed by Council with only North Shore’s George Wood against. Staff admitted at the meeting that $1.1 million of revenue had been omitted from the original calculations. Councillors asked many questions before the vote including a question about why a whopping $1.8 million of Council overheads appeared to have been arbitrarily added to the Animal Control Budget. It appeared, by the time of the vote, that many Councillors felt that they should definitely support Cathy's amendment to allow time to ensure that Council "get it right" next year. Thank you to Angela Anderson who started the “Stand up Auckland Dog Owners” Facebook group to fight the original proposals, to all members of that group and our own Dog Friends members for supporting the campaign and spreading the word far and wide. It was a real team effort and without every one of you success would not have been possible. Till next time..... Dog Friends - Auckland Region & Rodney Rodney Dog Friends     www.dogfriends.co.nz     Forward this message to a friend   They need to join our pack!  So just ask them to go to: www.dogfriends.co.nz and sign up, it's sooo easy! MISSED OUR PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS ? December 2010 News March 2011 News June 2011 News August 2011 News October 2011 News January 2012 News Please support Dog Friends - Auckland Region & Rodney, we need you!

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