A Dunedin veterinary lecturer is setting out to put collars on every family-owned dog in Rarotonga as part of an effort to curb the number of dogs roaming the streets and beaches of the island.

There are close to 5000 dogs on Rarotonga but it's hard to know if they've got owners or are strays.

Veterinary lecturer Holly Kendrick says there are packs of dogs that aren't owned, "but at the moment you don't know who they are, you can't say, 'excuse me do you have a family?'"

That's why Ms Kendrick packed unusual luggage for her Cook Islands trip - 69 kilos, most of it dog collars.

"So much luggage, and that's largely due to the support of New Zealand," she said.

Her plan is to put the collars on every family-owned dog as part of a larger goal to desex and microchip every dog on the island.

"Animals go for a wander, they get lost, or they run into thunderstorms. And we can't reunite them with their owners, especially if they're injured," she said.

Ms Kendrick works alongside the Te Are Manu Veterinary Clinic. It opened seven months ago, replacing an internationally owned clinic that operated there for more than 20 years.

This clinic is locally owned and relies on donations from backers to stay afloat.

"There's no excuse anymore for unwanted animals on the island," said Patricia Barton, Te Are Manu president.

Angela Wilson, a veterinary nurse of 11 years says in the last couple of weeks she's "learnt quite a bit in regards to animals and the care and having to work with limited resources," on the island.

The long term goal is to employ trained locals.