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Random checks reveal numerous unregistered pets

Pet owners who have failed to re-register their cats and dogs with Council are being sent reminder notices this week prior to a crackdown on unregistered animals next month.

By Latrobe Local News - 14th May 2003 - Back to News

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.

Latrobe City’s General Manager City Development, David Powell, said there were a considerable number of previously registered animals which owners had failed to reregister with Council by 10 April this year, which was the due date.

"In a number of cases this can be explained by the owners moving from the district, or the pet having been given away or sold to new owners. In some cases the animal may be deceased, and the owner hasn’t advised us. However with many of these outstanding unregistered pets we know this is not the case," Mr Powell explained.

"Local Laws Officers have recently undertaken random checks on a number of properties to establish whether unregistered animals were there. In more than fifty percent of cases we discovered that unregistered animals were present on the premises."

Latrobe City Mayor, Councillor Graeme Middlemiss, said the number of outstanding pet registrations was unreasonably high. "Annual pet registration is a responsibility pet owners must embrace, just as they accept responsibility for feeding their pet and supplying shelter. Besides that, it is the law," Cr Middlemiss said.

"To provide one last opportunity to comply, Council is sending out reminder notices to all owners of pets registered with Council in the past two years, that have not been registered with Council this year. Owners of pets may re-register their cats and dogs to avoid fines until Friday 30 May 2003. If dogs and cats remain unregistered on a property after that date, $200 fines will be issued," Cr Middlemiss said.

Mr Powell said that if owners of pets previously registered with Council received a registration reminder and they no longer have a pet at the premises, they should advise Council, so that records can be updated after verification.

"While we are currently targeting unregistered cats and dogs belonging to pet owners who have previously registered their pets with Council, Local Laws Officers will also be checking for non-compliance elsewhere in the neighbourhood. I strongly recommend that people who have never registered their cat or dog, do so immediately. In cases where an unregistered animal is found and has never been registered, there will be no reminder letter or second chance, we will issue a $200 fine immediately," Mr Powell stressed.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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