Questions about pet registration

Every year your pet registration is due to be renewed with council on April 10.

About registrations

Why do I have to register my pet?

Pet registration is a legal requirement under the Domestic Animals Act 1994. All cats and dogs over the age of three months must be microchipped and registered with us. The registration year is from 11 April to 10 April the following year.

Registering your dog or cat greatly improves their chances of being returned to you if they become lost. You must be over 18 to register an animal.

Your pet registration includes:

Why do I have to renew my pet’s registration?

According to section 10(2) of the Domestic Animals Act 1994:

the owner of a dog or cat which is registered must apply for renewal of the registration of that dog or cat with the Council of the municipal district in which the dog or cat is kept, before the expiration of the current registration.

Pet registrations are a yearly requirement as each registration is only valid from 11 April to 10 April the following year.

Renewal notices are emailed or posted every year in March, it is the responsibility of the pet owner to ensure they renew and update their registration every year or penalties may apply.

How can I update my pet’s registration details?

If you have moved to a new house within the municipality it is very important to notify us. Animal management officers require all information on an animal’s registration to be up to date in order to return an animal home if your animal is missing.

Pet owners should notify us if their pet no longer lives in Darebin, has sadly passed away or has new ownership details. You can update using the button below:

Change an existing registration

What happens if I do not register my pet?

Pet registration is a legal requirement under the Domestic Animals Act 1994. Owners who fail to register their pet can face on-the-spot fines, potential legal proceedings and may have to pay court-imposed penalties.

Animal management officers regularly patrol Darebin's parks and scan animals to ensure they are registered, if your animal is not registered you will receive a fine.

If an unregistered animal runs away or is lost, our animal management officers will not be able to return your pet home to you. It will be impounded at the Wat Djerring Animal Facility. There are impoundment fees to reclaim an animal, and you will have two infringements posted to you:

1. Failure to register animal infringement
2. Dog at large infringement

What if I don’t renew my pet registration by April 10?

According to section 10(2) of the Domestic Animals Act 1994:

the owner of a dog or cat which is registered must apply for renewal of the registration of that dog or cat with the Council of the municipal district in which the dog or cat is kept, before the expiration of the current registration.

It is the responsibility of a pet owner to renew their pet’s registration yearly by April 10. If a pet owner fails to renew their pet’s registration by the April 10, the animal will no longer be registered, and the pet owner will receive a fine for failing to register an animal.

If you have moved out of the Darebin or no longer have your previously registered pet, you must use this change of registration form to let us know, or you may receive an infringement.

How do I register my animals if I have more than 2 dogs or 2 cats?

You will require a multiple animal permit if you wish to keep more than:

• 2 cats
• 2 dogs
• 5 poultry (excluding roosters)
• 5 mice, rats, ferrets, guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters
• 10 birds (including budgerigars, canaries, finches and pigeons)

If you have more than 2 dogs or 2 cats you will need to apply for a Multiple Animal Permit via the form below:

Download the multiple animal permit application form(PDF, 282KB)

What happens after I register my pet?

After completing your pet’s registration, you will receive a Darebin registration tag in the mail. This tag will have an identification number and your pet must always wear this registration tag on their collar.

Tags and microchips

I've lost my pet's registration tag

If you cannot find your registration tag you can contact our Customer Service Team for help.

What is a microchip and how does it work?

Having your pet cat or dog microchipped is very important as it significantly increases the chances of reuniting with your pet if they become lost.

A microchip is a tiny, permanent electronic identification device that is implanted just beneath the skin, usually between the shoulder blades at the back of the pet's neck. Each microchip contains a unique identification number that can be detected using a scanner. This number is then recorded on a central registry along with the pet's and owner's details. In case your pet goes missing, vets, animal shelters, and local councils can scan the microchip and use the database to contact you.

In order to register your animal, you must have it microchipped. You can have your pet microchipped at any vet clinic, pound or animal shelter with many offering reduced microchipping costs for pensioners.

It is crucial to keep your contact information up-to-date in the database so that you can be reached even if you move or change your phone number.

If you transfer ownership of your pet, the new owner must ensure that their contact details are recorded on the database.

Desexing

Reduced registration fees apply for all residents with desexed cats and dogs. To pay the reduced registration fee, you must provide us a desexing certificate with the animal’s details.

Here’s some other benefits of desexing your animals:

• Desexed dogs and cats can be better behaved and are less likely to roam.
• Desexed cats are less likely to yowl at night or spray strong smelling urine.
• Desexing your pets can also be a health benefit, as it can prevent them from getting certain types of cancer.
• You'll also be helping to avoid contributing to the problem of pet overpopulation in Victoria.
• We give discount registration fees for pets that are desexed. The savings can be substantial, as registration is required annually.

Dogs and cats can be safely desexed from three months of age.