All cat and dog owners in East Gippsland Shire are reminded that that their animals must be registered from three months of age.
Owners with pets that are already registered should have recently received their renewal notice. Pet registration is a legal requirement across Victoria and registration renewals are due by April 10 each year.
Council’s Community Laws Coordinator Bill Petersen said registering your pet means if it becomes lost it can be returned to you safely. A discounted registration is available in a few situations.
“These include if the animal has been desexed, is over 10 years old, belongs to a domestic animal business or applicable organisation, or if the pet is a dog that has undergone training or is a working dog.
“Animals not meeting any of these criteria will attract the full registration fee,” Mr Petersen said.
“Before being registered for the first time, pets must be microchipped.
“New registrations can be completed online, so pet owners do not need to visit a Customer Service Centre if it’s not convenient for them,” Mr Petersen said.
Registration fees help provide animal welfare services such as the animal shelter, removal of wandering and aggressive dogs from the streets, education programs and bags at various sites for collecting dog waste. These are a back-up in case owners have forgotten to bring a bag from home.
