Words by

Jóhannes Bjarkason

Photo by

Jessica Peng

At least 10.000 dogs are estimated to live in Reykjavík, with only a quarter of them being registered, the Animal Services of Reykjavík report. According to Icelandic regulations, dog owners are responsible for registering their furry friends with the relevant health authority.

Each dog owner is subject to a 15.700 ISK dog registration fee, of which 30% is deducted should the owner attend a dog training program. These fees are used to fund the Animal Services of Reykjavík which perform a number of tasks – from searching for lost dogs to funding dog parks.

This high number of unregistered dogs in Reykjavík means a loss of potential funds for the Animal Services, which barely manages to break even as it is.