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Dog registration fees to go up

Bryce Luff, Cockburn GazetteFremantle Gazette

The cost of registering a sterilised canine for 12 months will increase from $10 to $20, while three-year registration fees will also increase ” from $18 to $42.50.

It currently costs $30 to register an unsterilised dog for one year, but that will increase to $50 at the end of this month while the cost of registering an unsterilised dog for three years will increase to $120, up from $75.

Residents who fail to register dogs older than three months could incur a $500 fine and false declarations on registration forms will attract a $1000 penalty.

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Dangerous dogs will incur a $50 fee on top of registration costs and can only be registered for 12 months.

A spokesperson for the Department of Local Government and Communities said dog registration fees, which have not increased since 1995, were reviewed during development of registration fees for cats, which also kick in on November 1.

‘The new fees reflect the principle that it is fair that owners of pets bear more of the cost of management and enforcement than the non-pet owners in the community,’ she said.

‘There are lower fees for sterilised dogs to encourage responsible dog ownership.’

Hamilton Hill pet owner Josie Haynes was frustrated by the increase but said she would pay it.

‘We have one dog and two cats. With the introduction of (mandatory) registration for cats – from November 1 – we will be paying $127.50 instead of $18 for three years,’ she said.

‘We are responsible pet owners so we already had the pets micro chipped and sterilised. I just don’t see how the council can justify the fee increase.

‘I accept that the cost of a pet includes these extra costs but irresponsible pet owners are the ones who won’t register, sterilise or microchip their pets anyway so I’m not sure if this will change much.’