Winthrop resident livid to receive fine for failing to provide City of Melville dog’s microchip number despite doing so twice

A WINTHROP resident says he was livid after being fined for failing to provide City of Melville with his dog’s microchip number, even though he had done so on two previous occasions.

Frank Bolton received a letter from the council in late October stating a change to the Dog Act meant all canines over three months of age had to be microchipped.

In the letter – addressed to “sir/madam” – the City’s rangers team asked residents to arrange for their dogs to be microchipped and for proof to be provided within 14 days.

Having already provided the information when he registered the female rescue dog with the council, and again a few years later “when the City updated its information”, Mr Bolton disregarded the letter believing he had already met the criteria.

But it was not long before he was being asked to pay a $200 fine.

“When I got the first letter I thought I’d ignore it,” Mr Bolton said.

“They didn’t alert me that I had to provide the information again.

“Then I got the fine for not complying within 14 days.

“I was pretty cheesed about it.”

Mr Bolton said he called the council to clear up the mess, but it was only overturned when his daughter wrote a letter to the City.

“After reviewing the contents of your letter and considering the circumstances in relation to this matter we are prepared on this occasion to withdraw the infringement,” Melville’s rangers team said in reply.

“This decision is not to be taken as a precedent for any future infringements you may receive.”

Mr Bolton said other dog owners he knew were in the same boat.

“They weren’t asking for registration fees, just the microchip number, which I’d already provided,” he said.

In a statement, acting Melville chief executive Steve Cope said letters were sent “as a reminder to dog owners who had not yet provided the microchip number… when renewing their registrations”.

Mr Cope did not say why people who had already supplied the chip numbers were sent letters or fined.

There are 10,914 dogs currently registered in Melville.

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