There are so many good reasons to register your pet (even if already microchipped). These reasons include:
Helps us reunite you
Registration (unlike microchipping) includes:
- Individualised registration tags linked to Council systems for each of your registered dogs and cats
- Animal management staff to support reuniting lost pets with their owners
If your dog or cat becomes lost and one of Council's Local Laws Officers finds them, we rely on registration details in the first instance (not the microchip details) to verify ownership and return them quickly, where possible, avoiding pets needing to be impounded. Microchip details are checked after impound when there is no registration tag. Microchip details are often less accurate than registration details, due to not being updated regularly.
If your pet is found and not registered or microchipped, it will be taken to the pound. To reclaim your pet, you will need to prove you own the pet, pay an impound fee and registration fee, and possibly a microchiping fee. Plus, you may receive an infringement notice from Council for not having it registered.
Helps us provide services and facilities
Your pet registration fees go toward:
- Animal Management staff and equipment - enabling staff to attend to nuisance complaints (ie. barking, cat and dog trespassing complaints, wandering and stray animals), attend to and investigate dog attack/bite/rush incidents, patrol parks and streets, collect stray cats and dogs, reunite lost pets with owners, manage and run animal shelter facilities, attend training courses and programs, and the provision of animal capture and handling equipment enabling them to perform their role efficiently and safely.
- Provision of facilities such as dog off leash areas and parks, dog poo bins and bag dispensers, and pound and shelter facilities.
- Ensuring Council has sufficient staff to audit domestic animal businesses such as pet shops, breeding facilities, boarding kennels, catteries, training establishments, shelters and pounds and to enforce the control of dangerous, menacing and restricted dog breeds to ensure compliance and community safety.
- Delivering community education programs and campaigns - related to responsible pet ownership.
- Assisting Council with its emergency planning for pets.
- A portion of the registration fee is paid to State Government to assist with research into dog and cat welfare, and for responding to exotic disease and biosecurity threats that may affect cats and dogs.
Gives you access to Pawsitive deals
Here at Council our Local Laws team members LOVE responsible pet owners, so we have a few 'pawsitive deals' in place to say thanks.
First ride home FREE program
Even the most responsible cat and dog owners can find their precious pets have escaped or gone on an adventure of sorts.
We get it – accidents happen, Council offers a first ride home FREE program. You can rest assured knowing impound fees will be waived for first-time ‘Houdinis’ with current Council registration at the time of impound, and no prior instances of being out, provided they haven’t been too naughty while out and about.
*Terms and conditions apply.
First-time FREE cat registration
Desexing your cat helps prevent over population in cats, so, we continue to waive first-time registration fees for desexed cats! . . . How good is that? Owners of desexed and microchipped cats can register their cat/s online – “first-time free”, at a Council office or via post. Proof of desexing is required to qualify.