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Council clamps down on lax animal owners

If you haven’t registered your cats or dogs, your day of reckoning is fast approaching.

By South Gippsland Shire Council - 30th September 2004 - Back to News

From 11^th October, South Gippsland Local Laws Officers will be conducting door- to- door compliance checks across the Shire to see if your animals are registered with Council.

Officers will carry hand held computers with them so that they can instantly check on the status of your registration.

"We are becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of compliance with registration requirements," said Ian Nicholas, Council’s Local Laws Coordinator. "In excess of 90% of all dogs and 99% of all cats that are found wandering are unregistered. Regrettably it appears as if enforcement is the only method."

All dogs and cats over 6 months must be registered with the Council, with a fine of $203 per animal for failure to register. Any owner with an unregistered animal detected on or after 11th October will receive this penalty.

Registration fees are:

Unsterilised $72
Sterilised $24
Working dog $24
VCA/FCC $24

Pensioners receive a 50% DISCOUNT. Health Care cards are not eligible. Registration Forms can be completed and fees paid at Council’s Main Office Reception.

So what do you get for your registration fees?

• A Council identification marker for your pet to wear.
• Lost and found service; a guarantee that if your pet is found wearing a council identification marker you will be notified.
• Council control of ‘dangerous’, ’menacing’ and ‘restricted breed’ dogs in your area.
• Council services to deal with nuisance problems
• Council monitoring of pet shops, boarding kennels and catteries to ensure they meet basic animal welfare standards required by law
• A State Government education program for schools and pre schools.

A brochure containing further information regarding pet registration was enclosed with the recently distributed Rates Notices to all ratepayers.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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