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Owners of unregistered pets sent infringement noticesMore than a thousand pet owners who have failed to re-register their cats and dogs with Latrobe City Council are being sent $200 infringement notices from this week as part of a crackdown on unregistered animals. By news@gippsland - 17th October 2003 - Back to News
Latrobe City’s General Manager City Development, David Powell, said all cats and dogs in Victoria aged six months or more must be registered with their local Council under State legislation, with $200 fines imposed on owners of unregistered animals.
"After an exhaustive process of contacting owners of previously registered animals who have failed to re-register them this year, there are still a considerable number of registrations outstanding, or situations where we have not been advised that there is no longer a need to register an animal at the address," Mr Powell said.
"Those residents who had registered their pets with Council previously, but had failed to do so by the mandatory 10 April this year, were contacted by mail some months ago and reminded of their obligations. Council also placed a number of advertisements to pet owners in the media as reminders. As a result of these reminders, thousands of pet owners registered their animals in the ensuing weeks and we took no further action against them," Mr Powell explained.
"Hundreds of other citizens also contacted us and explained why they no longer needed to register an animal at their address. This might have been because the owner at the registered address had moved from the district and there was now a new property owner, or that the pet was now deceased, or had been given away or sold to a new owner. However, there are still more than a thousand outstanding cases of unregistered animals that have not been accounted for through this process," he said.
"Naturally, any infringement notices now being issued will be withdrawn should Council be advised owners of previously registered animals no longer have their dog or cat, or the circumstances have changed. Council can be advised in writing or by telephone or email, and no further proceedings will be taken. Local Laws Officers will however undertake random checks on a number of properties as a consequence, to establish whether the advice is correct.
Latrobe City Mayor, Councillor Graeme Middlemiss said annual pet registration was a responsibility pet owners must embrace, just as they accept responsibility for feeding their pet and supplying shelter.
"Where animals remain unregistered on a property, Council will serve infringements. The vast majority of pet owners have already complied with the legislative requirements, and I am certain that they and the rest of the community believe that those who have not done so should be followed up in the interests of responsible pet ownership in the municipality," Cr Middlemiss said.
Mr Powell said that while Council was currently targeting the owners of unregistered cats and dogs who have previously registered their pets with Council, Local Laws Officers will also be checking for other instances of non-compliance.
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: news@gippsland.com
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