All dogs and cats living in Strathbogie Shire must be microchipped and then registered with council by the age of three months. Dog and cat registration renewals are due on 10 April each year and renewal notices are sent out in March. This date is set by the State Government’s Domestic Animals Act 1994. Contact Council if you haven’t received your renewal notice by 1 April or if your pet’s details are incorrect on the notice. To help us keep our records up to date, please advise us of any status changes such as address, transfer of ownership, or deceased animals.
To register your pet, complete one of the following steps:
- Fill out our online application form
- Download and print a hardcopy application form
- For further information and assistance, you can phone our Customer Service Team on 1800 065 993
Registering your dog or cat greatly improves the chances of your animal being returned to you if it becomes lost.
Registration fees also provide a whole range of other important services including a Council identification tag which must be worn by your pet.
Microchipping
Microchipping provides a permanent form of identification. It is a requirement that all cats and dogs are microchipped when they are sold or given away from pet shops, commercial breeders and pounds/ shelters.
Microchips are a tiny computer chip the size of a grain of rice that is injected under the animal’s skin in between the shoulder blades. You can get your animal microchipped by any Authorised implanters such as registered veterinarians. Animals cannot be registered with council without a microchip.
When selling, giving away or adopting an animal it is important to change the microchip details to the new owners. Additionally, if your residential or contact details change over the years it is important that you update that information on the microchip registry as well. Having up to date information allows Authorised Officers to reunite owners in a timely manner if the animal is found at large. Authorised officers use special scanners to identify the microchipped unique number. This can then be checked on a microchip register which provides officers with owners details.
Benefits:
- Lifetime identification
- Cannot be removed or fall off like collars
- Quickly reunited with lost pets
- Could save your pets life as many unidentified pets in pounds have to be euthanised each year in Victoria because they can’t be reunited
- Vets can contact if animal is found injured
Microchipping registries:
- Animal Welfare Victoria |Domestic animal (microchip) registries
- Pet Address (if you have microchip number but don’t know the registry, visit this link to find out where your information is stored)
Information can only be accessed by:
- Owner of the animal
- Authorised implanter
- Certain Authorised government employees
More information
Working dog registration
Working dogs must be registered with Council and are eligible for reduced registration fees. To be classified as a working dog under the Domestic Animal Act, they need to meet the following criteria:
- Working dogs must be primarily used for herding, droving, protecting or working stock on land used solely or primarily for primary production.
- To be eligible you must be engaged in primary production as your primary source of income.
They must be one of the following working breeds:
- Australian cattle dog (blue/red healer)
- Australian Shepard
- Kelpie
- Border Collie
- Koolie
- Maremma
If the owner of a working dog resides in a residential area they must show proof of their occupation.
Further information: