Dog owners urged to pay rego and keep details up to date

Fraser Coast dog owners are being urged to ensure they have paid their registration renewal and kept their pet’s details up-to-date.

Cr Paul Truscott said Council issued just over 20,000 dog registration renewals late last year and about 2,000 dog owners were yet to respond.

“Registration reminder notices were issued to 3,000 dog owners in January and so far, about 2,000 have not contacted Council,” he said.

“We urge pet owners who have received a reminder or might have changed address and not received a notice or reminder, to contact Council, especially if you no longer have your pet.”

All dogs must be registered, desexed and microchipped unless an approved exemption applies.

Dog owners found with an unregistered dog are liable for the $275 fine.

“We all lead busy lives and sometimes dog owners forget to update registration details with us when they move or their pet passes on,” Cr Truscott said.

“It is important those details are kept up to date with Council and the group which holds your pet’s microchip data.

“Registered dogs can be reunited with their owners very quickly if they are found wandering or are taken to the pound.

“It is harder to reunite dogs with their owners when they are unregistered or not microchipped, or the information on the microchip is out of date.

“And remember, if you have a new dog, registration is free the first time you register your animal in the Fraser Coast region.”

Dog registration fees help pay for animal management staff; as well as provide education programs and facilities such as the two pounds, fenced off-leashed areas and free doggy doo bags that are placed in dispensers along the foreshore and puppy playgrounds.

“In the last 12 months Council received more than 6,000 animal-related requests, including almost 600 complaints about barking dogs and nearly 600 reports of wandering dogs,” Cr Truscott said.

If you have not re-registered your pet, or your pet’s details have changed, please contact Council on 1300 79 49 29 and talk to a Customer Service Officer.

For more information, visit www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/animals-and-pets