OWNERS of cats and dogs on the Mornington Peninsula must renew pet registrations by Saturday 10 April.
All cats and dogs over the age of three months must also be microchipped.
Services for pets provided by Mornington Peninsula Shire financed from the registration fees include: off-leash dog areas (mornpen.vic.gov.au/leashfree); the Community Animal Shelter and Pound which cares for lost pets and finds new homes for unclaimed cats and dogs (mornpen.vic.gov.au/lostpets); and rangers who respond to dog attacks and nuisance complaints.
Cats must be de-sexed to be registered within the shire unless the cat and owner are a member of the Feline Control Council.
It costs $50 a year to register a de-sexed dog or cat and discounts apply for pension card holders.
The fine for owning an unregistered dog or cat is $330.
The shire is offering free first year registration for eligible residents whose pets are microchipped and registered within eight weeks of taking ownership or moving into the municipality.
Animals adopted from the animal shelter will also be registered for free.
To change an animal’s microchip details go to car.com.au.
Pet registration fees can be paid online, over the phone and in person. Details: mornpen.vic.gov.au/petregistration to learn more about the different ways to pay your registration.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 6 April 2021
