File ref: IRC-4451
30 March 2023
Mike
[FYI request #21868 email]
Kia ora Mike,
Refinement/Charging Letter Response
Thank you for your response dated 26 March 2023 to the refinement/charging letter sent on 17
March 2023. For clarity your original request is provided below, followed by your response and
our answers:
1. The total number of dogs currently registered, and per year for the previous 3 years?
2. The number of new registrations of dogs per year for the last 3 years?
3. The number of dog deaths registered per year for the last 3 years?
4. The number of dog ownership changes registered per year for the last 3 years?
5. The median age of registered dog owners based on their DOB provided at registration?
6. List the primary breeds registered and the number of dogs for each of those breeds?
7. List the secondary breeds registered and the number of dogs for each of those breeds?
8. List the number of dogs per year of age?
9. List the dog types registered (e.g. domestic, guide, working) and the number of dogs for
each of those types?
10. List the number of dogs registered in each suburb within WCC jurisdiction?
11. The total number of dogs currently registered as dangerous?
12. The total number of dogs currently registered as menacing?
Please provide the data requested in a CSV file, excel file or similar
Please provide the data requested in a CSV file, excel file or similar
By asking you to send it in a CSV file I have not asked that you provide more detail than is
requested in my original questions numbered 1-12 which your response seems to assume i.e. your
assuming that I'm asking you to export the records from the dog database is incorrect.
I have simply requested that when you answer questions 1-12 that you do so in a Comma
Seperated Values (CSV) file (or similar) and not a PDF file which might as wel be a JPEG. I've no
issue if you want to give the answers to my question in both PDF and CSV file types.
Thank you for the confirmation above, I can look to provide you with the information in a Comma
Separated Values (CSV) file (or similar) and not a PDF file.
Refinement – Questions 3 & 6
Question 3 - The number of dog deaths registered per year for the last 3 years?
Please refer to my question as I have not requested when the dogs actually died or any death
certificate info, I have asked for the total number of deaths “registered” in a year. As such no
manual search or col ation is required. I am only interested in your records where a death has been
registered.
Thank you for the confirmation above, we can look to provide you with this information
requested.
Question 6 - List the primary breeds registered and the number of dogs for each of those
breeds?
I am trying to understand what "primary" breeds (using the terminology of WCC's own dog
registration form online") are registered with WCC and how many of each breed there are.
Your refinement response does not clarify what part of this is difficult and wil require "manually
gathering 45,000 records". If you clarify what part is difficult then I can respond to your request to
refine.
The system used to record dog registration information is not detailed enough to export all breeds
of dogs registered in one file format to confirm the number of dogs registered for each primary
breed.
To confirm this information, officers would need to individually export data for each individual
primary breed of dog registered to confirm the total count of dogs registered against that breed.
This would require individually exporting over 150 primary breeds of dogs registered to confirm,
and as such would be substantial collation.
If you were to refine your request to information officers have to hand, which is the top 10
registered breeds as of November 2022, we could provide you with this. However, if you would
still like this information the Council would either consider refusing your request under section
17(f) of the act due to substantial manual collation or research or we may consider charging for
the request.
Unable to provide
Question 4 - The number of dog ownership changes registered per year for the last 3 years?
To confirm I understand your response. When someone completes a dog registration form and
ticks "Change details/address" you do not record that a request was received or a change has been
made, you just action the change requested on the form.
Is that correct?
That is correct.
Potential Charge
Question 5 -The median age of registered dog owners based on their DOB provided at
registration?
Question 7 - List the secondary breeds registered and the number of dogs for each of those
breeds?
Question 8 - List the number of dogs per year of age?
Wellington City Council | 2 of 3
Can you confirm that you do not currently (or in the last 3 years) have existing reports, analysis,
insights, or similar that answer, or partially answer, these questions?
If you confirm that is the case I am wiling to put these questions aside and continue with the
others.
On investigation I can confirm we have no existing reports, analysis, insights, or similar regarding
the median age of registered dog owners, on the secondary breeds of dogs registered and age of
dogs registered in order to answer or partially answer this question.
Questions 1,2,9,10,11, 12 and 3
To confirm, the fol owing questions can be answered using data generated by the Councils dog
team:
The total number of dogs currently registered, and per year for the previous 3 years?
The number of new registrations of dogs per year for the last 3 years?
List the dog types registered (e.g. domestic, guide, working) and the number of dogs for
each of those types?
List the number of dogs registered in each suburb within WCC jurisdiction?
The total number of dogs currently registered as dangerous?
The total number of dogs currently registered as menacing?
And now with the inclusion of question 3:
The number of dog deaths registered per year for the last 3 years?
Before we proceed further with your request, please confirm:
• your agreement to refine question 6 to information we have to hold
• your agreement to the charge with respect to questions 5,7 and 8 or to withdraw these
requests
Please let me know if you would like to refine or charge for your request as soon as possible, so
that I am able to provide you with the Council’s final decision by 4 April 2023.
Any questions please let me know,
Kind regards
Ollie Marchant
Assurance Advisor
Wellington City Council | 3 of 3
