Warrnambool residents are reminded to renew their pet registration over coming weeks.
“Pet owners have started to receive pet registration renewal letters,” Warrnambool City Council Chief Executive Officer Peter Schneider said.
“We have about 6,500 registered pets in the city, of which about 4,500 are dogs.
“We also have an estimated 847 unregistered dogs and cats.
“This number is based on these pets having been previously registered but the registration has not been renewed.
“In the event these pet registrations are not renewed we will remove them from the animal register
“Council is required to pay the Victorian Government $4.40 for each pet that is on the register.
“We know that in some instances the pet will have died or been given away but we do need pet owners to let us know if this has happened.”
Renewing registration is a much simpler than re-registering a pet which requires owners to provide microchip and desexing documentation.
There is also a fine for failing to register a pet which is $363.
When an unregistered dog or cat is found wandering the streets it is harder to return it to its owners because Council may not have contact details available.
The cost to register a sterilised cat or dog is $72 (unchanged from the previous year) or $36 for pensioners.
“The cost of registration subsidises the running of the animal pound and the Local Laws service which helps rehome pets each year,” Mr Schneider said.
“In 2020-2021 Local Laws officers returned 70 pets directly to their owners and over the past two months alone19 animals have been safely returned home.
“Our officers also conduct after-hours patrols, attend to nuisance complaints including barking complaints and investigate dog attacks.”
It is a requirement for dogs and cats to be registered under the Domestic Animals Act (1994).