Brown Dog, Bertie Beetle and Boogie Shoes are some of the more unusual names owners have bestowed on their dogs but Max and Bella are the most popular.
Labrador retrievers are top of the list when it comes to the most beloved breeds, making up almost 15 per cent of the total 10,530 registered dogs in town according to Tauranga City Council data, which shows dog ownership has grown by around 5 per cent every year for the past five years.
Bella was the most common dog name in Tauranga (164) followed closely by Max (146), Molly (141) and and Charlie (102).
All of the names were also on the 2013 top 100 child names list, according to the Department of Internal Affairs. This was no surprise to Papamoa woman Belinda Clark, who said her bitser dog Bella was just like a child to her.
"She is my fur baby and I haven't got around to having children yet so I chose the name I have always wanted for my daughter," she said.