Pet registration

Pet registration is due on 10 April each year. We will send you a renewal notice when this due date is approaching.

  • Owning a pet is a big responsibility. You need to make sure your pet is registered with us each Animal Registration period April 11 to April 10 each year.

    Registrations are only valid until April 10 each year meaning you need to renew your animal registration every year.  

    All cats and dogs over the age of 3 months in Merri-bek must be registered with us. This is required under the 'Domestic Animals Act 1994'. If you fail to renew your pet's registration, you may get a fine. 

    Renewal notices are emailed or posted in March if we don’t have your email address each year in March.

  • Owning a pet is a big responsibility, as you need to make sure your pet is registered with us, desexed and microchipped. 

    Registration means that we have a record of your pet's name and your contact details, so that we can return them to you if we find them. It also helps keep the community safe.

    All cats and dogs over the age of 3 months in Merri-bek must be registered with us. This is required under the 'Domestic Animals Act 1994'. If your dog or cat is over 3 months old and not registered, you may get a fine. 

    Pet registration helps us understand how many pets live in Merri-bek, and also helps fund council services including off leash and fenced dog parks, free desexing programs and animal welfare programs. We also provide the service of our Animal Management staff who keep the community safe by patrolling parks and streets, picking up stray cats and dogs, investigating dog attacks/bites and rushing incidents and attending to nuisance complaints.

Renew your animal registration

Renew my dog's registration     Renew my cat's registration 

How to register your pet

There are different types of registration you may need depending on whether it's a new pet, a registration renewal, or a transfer of a pet.

Before registering your pet for the first time, make sure: 

1. To get your pet microchipped if they do not have one already. You can find out more about this on our How to get your pet microchipped section on this page. Microchipping your pet does not mean they are registered with Council.

2. If you have a cat, make sure they are desexed. You can find out more about this on our Pet desexing page. We strongly encourage you to also desex your dog.

Once your pet is microchipped, and desexed if they are a cat, you can then register them with us. You will need to include a copy of your pet's microchipping certificate, and any supporting documents with your registration form.

  • You can apply for a new pet registration by:

  • You can renew your pet registration by:

    • paying the renewal fee on our eServices website
    • Calling us on 9240 1111 and pressing 1 to make a payment
    • Bringing your animal registration notice to one of our Customer Service Centres and paying for your registration to be renewed. You can find out the locations and details for our Customer Service Centres on our Contact us page.

  • If you are given a pet that is already registered in Merri-bek you can transfer the registration into your name by filling in the Transfer of Animal Ownership Statutory Declaration (DOC 33Kb) form. Once the form is filled in you can either:

    If you move to Merri-bek with a pet registered in another state or with another council you can transfer your registration to Merri-bek for free with proof of current registration. You still need to apply for a new pet registration in Merri-bek. You also need to inform your old council that you have moved.

You do not need to register:

  • animals such as birds, fish, or rabbits
  • greyhounds that are registered with Greyhound Racing Victoria (except those which are part of the greyhound adoption program)

How much does it cost to register my pet? 

The animal registration period is from 11 April to 10 April the following year. See the sections below for dog and cat registration fees. The current pro-rata fees are available on our eServices website.

To claim the pensioner discount, you must provide evidence that you hold a current valid Commonwealth Issued Pensioner Concession Card or Veteran's Affairs Gold Card TPI/War Widow. Health Care cardholders are not eligible for the pensioner discount.

How much does it cost to register my dog?

Registration fees for dogs

The fees in the table below are inclusive of the government levy of $4.51 per dog and are subject to change. No concession applies to the government levy.

Type

Full fee

Pensioner discount

Evidence required

Standard

$171.25

$85.62

Copy of microchipping certificate.

Reduced fee - desexed

$57.12

$28.55

Copy of microchipping certificate.
Copy of certificate of sterilisation.

Reduced fee - kept for breeding

$57.12

$28.55

Copy of microchipping certificate.

Evidence of Domestic Animal Business registration, where breeding is conducted at a registered premises. Please note micro breeders are not eligible for reduced fees. You can find out more about this on the Animal Welfare Victoria website.

Reduced fee - undergone approved obedience training

$57.12

$28.55

Copy of microchipping certificate.
Copy of obedience training certificate issued by an approved obedience training organisation. You can find out more about this on the Animal Welfare Victoria website. Puppy training does not qualify for a reduced fee.

Reduced fee - registered with an applicable organisation or assistance dog

$57.12

$28.55

Copy of microchipping certificate.

Evidence of registration and evidence of animal owner's membership with an applicable organisation such as Dogs Victoria. Assistance dog's must have completed recognised training and be accredited with an applicable organisation. 

Reduced fee - under 6 months

$57.12

$28.55

Copy of the microchipping certificate. Once your dog is over 6 months, provide the desexing certificate to qualify for the reduced fee at the next registration renewal date.

Reduced fee - aged 10 years or over

$57.12

$28.55

Copy of a certificate containing the date of birth.

Guide or Service dog (e.g. customs, police)

Free

Free

See below

Assistance dog

Free

Free

See below

Guard dog or protection dog

$375

$374

Copy of microchipping certificate.
Copy of current pet registration with another Council.

Restricted breed or declared menacing or dangerous dog

$374

$374

You can find out more about ristricted breeds or menacing/dangerous dogs on our Problems with pets and wild animals page. Copy of microchipping certificate
Copy of current pet registration with another Council. 

Registered dog with another council

$0

$0

If you have just moved to Merri-bek City Council and have your dog registered with your previous council, you can transfer your registration at no charge. Please provide proof of current registration with your previous council such:

       - a proof of registration letter from previous council

       - a receipt for payment for the current animal registration year

       - proof of microchipping and desexing (if applicable) are also required

Replacement tag

$7.40

$7.40

To request a replacement tag, please email citysafety@merri-bek.vic.gov.au with your pet registration details.

Registering a guide dog, service dog or assistance dog

Guide or Service dog (e.g. customs, police)

  • Copy of microchipping certificate.
  • Copy of service papers, for example, identification cards issued to the dog and the handler.     
    - a dog being used as a guide dog by visually or hearing impaired person     
    - a dog being trained as a guide dog by approved organisation       
    - a dog working with a person who is carrying out duties for a Department or Agency of the State or Commonwealth

Assistance dog

Assistance dogs who meet the legislative requirements, are required to be registered with council. Assistance dogs are exempt from council fees.  For further information please visit the Animal Welfare Victoria website.

Who is now eligible for assistance dog registration?
To be eligible for a registration fee exemption, the assistance dog must meet the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (EO Act) definition, being “a dog that is trained to perform tasks or functions that assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effects of their disability”.

What evidence do I need to provide regarding my need to be accompanied by an assistance dog?
Evidence of a disability (as defined under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992) necessitating you to be accompanied by your assistance dog may include a:

  • declaration from a health professional as part of a registration application form, or
  • a written recommendation from and/or a declaration by the relevant treating medical practitioner to verify that you have a disability and will require the assistance of an assistance dog.

What evidence do I need to provide regarding my dog’s training and suitability to be recognised as an assistance dog?

  • the applicant has a disability that necessitates an assistance dog
  • the assistance dog has been trained to alleviate the effect(s) of the disability
  • the assistance dog has completed obedience training, as defined in the GiC Order
    You can find out more about this on the Animal Welfare Victoria website.
  • the assistance dog is at least 12-months old
  • the assistance dog is microchipped 
  • the assistance dog is desexed

An applicant is not eligible for free registration of their assistance dog if:

  • not all eligibility criteria are satisfied
  • the applicant has been found guilty of two or more offences under the DA Act with respect to the same assistance dog
  • the assistance dog has been declared menacing or dangerous
  • the assistance dog is a restricted breed dog.

The requirement to provide this evidence ensures that only dogs that fit the definition of assistance dog receive free registration.

For further information please visit the Animal Welfare Victoria website. 

To request free registration for your assistance dog:

  • Complete an Animal Registration form
  • Gather the required supporting documents – see above for a list of documents required

You can apply for a new pet registration by emailing the Animal Registration form and the required documents to citysafety@merri-bek.vic.gov.au or by attending one of our Customer Service Centres.

How much does it cost to register my cat?

Cat registration fees

To help reduce the problem of stray cats and cat over-population, we have introduced compulsory desexing for new cat registration. You can find out more about this on our Pet desexing page.

To encourage people to desex and register cats, we have also introduced a free first year of animal registration (pro-rata free until 10 April). All cat registrations are renewed on 11 April each year.

The fees in the table below are inclusive of the government levy of $4.39 per cat and are subject to change. No concession applies to the government levy.

Type

Full fee

Pensioner discount

Evidence required

First year

First-time registration

$0

$0

Copy of microchipping certificate.
Copy of certificate of sterilisation.

First-time registration with Pensioner Concession Card

$0

$0

Copy of microchipping certificate.
Copy of certificate of sterilisation.
Pensioner Concession Card.

Second and following years

Reduced fee - desexed

$32.50

$16.25

Copy of microchipping certificate.

Copy of certificate of sterilisation.

Reduced fee - kept for breeding

$32.50

$16.25

Copy of microchipping certificate.
Evidence of domestic animal breeder's registration.

The breeding must be conducted at a registered premises.

Reduced fee - registered with an applicable organisation

$32.50

$16.25

Copy of microchipping certificate.
Evidence of registration and evidence of animal owner's

membership with an applicable organisation.

Reduced fee - aged 10 years or over

$32.50

$16.25

Copy of a certificate containing the date of birth.

Replacement tag

$7.40

$7.40

To request a replacement tag, please email citysafety@merri-bek.vic.gov.au with your pet registration details.

 

What happens after I register my pet?

Once you have registered your pet, you will receive a tag with an identification number that you should put on your pet's collar.

Updating your pets details

After you have registered your pet, if you or your pet's details have changed you will need to update us. Please see below how to update us about changes to your pet's registration. 

  • To notify us of your change of address please complete and submit the online Animal Registration Maintenance form

    Submit form online

    Alternatively please download, complete and submit the Animal Registration Maintenance form (DOC 66Kb) along with ant required documents to us

    • By post: Addressed to Merri-bek City Council, Locked Bag 10, Brunswick 3056
    • By email: info@merri-bek.vic.gov.au 
    • By phone: Call us on 9240 1111 with your animal reference number ready and we can register your change of address over the phone
    • In person: Bring the completed form and any required documents to one of our Customer Service Centres. You can find the details and locations for our Customer Service Centres on our Contact us page.

     

  • If there has been a change to the animal registration details you will need to provide proof of this. There are a number of reasons your animal registration details can change, and these are listed below.

    For all the reasons below please do the any of the following:

    Updates to pet desexing

    If you have had your pet desexed you need to provide us with a copy of the certificate of sterilisation.

    Updates to pensioner concession

    If you want to apply for pensioner concession you need to provide us with evidence that you currently hold a valid Pensioner Concession Card. Health Care cardholders are not eligible for the pensioner discount.

    Updates to obedience training

    If you need to update whether your dog has completed an approved obedience training course, you need to provide us with a copy of the obedience training certificate issued by an approved obedience training organisation. You can find out which organisation's courses are approved on the Agriculture Victoria website. Puppy training does not qualify for a reduced fee.

    Confirming a registered service animal

    If you need to confirm that your dog is a registered Service Animal, you need to provide us with a copy of the relevant service papers. For example, customs or visually impaired service papers.

    Updates for breeding animals

    If you need to update whether your dog is a breeding animal, you need to provide evidence that you have a Domestic Animal Breeder's Registration.

    Updates to registrations with applicable organisations

    If you need to update whether your pet is registered with an applicable organisation, you need to provide evidence that you have a registration and membership with an applicable organisation. You can find out what organisations are included as 'applicable organisations' on the Agriculture Victoria website.

    Updates to pet's name or colour

    If you have to update your pet's name or colour, you need to provide a statutory declaration that details these changes.

    Updates to pet's date of birth

    If you need to update us on your pet's date of birth, you need to provide us with a copy of microchipping certificate (containing the date of birth) or a statutory declaration that details this change.

  • To notify us of your pet's passing please let us know using any of the following methods -

  • If you are given a pet that is registered in Merri-bek, or you no longer own a pet that is registered in Merri-bek, you can transfer the registration to the new owner by filling in ourTransfer of Animal Ownership Statutory Declaration (DOC 33KB) form.

    Once the form is completed, you can either:

    • email us at info@merri-bek.vic.gov.au 
    • mail it to Merri-bek City Council, Locked Bag 10, Brunswick 3056
    • bring the completed form to one of our Customer Service Centres. You can find the details and locations of these centers on our Contact us page.

    If you move to Merri-bek with a pet registered in another state or with another council, you need to apply for a new pet registration in Merri-bek. You also need to inform your old council that you have moved.

  • You can email us at info@merri-bek.vic.gov.au if you require minor changes to your animal's details. Minor details are things like incorrect spelling, missing details, or a minor fix to the animal's description.

    Please complete the form online, Animal Registration Maintenance Form.

How to get your pet microchipped

What is microchipping? 

Microchipping is a quick and painless procedure where a vet, pound, or animal shelter implants a small computer chip under your pet's skin. Microchipping your pet does not mean they are registered with your council.

This microchip contains information about your pet and its owner. The microchip can be scanned by an animal ranger, a vet, or an animal shelter when your pet is found missing, and the information is used to reunite you with your missing pet.

Where can I get my pet microchipped?

You can find out where you can get your pets microchipped on the following websites:

You can also get your pet/s microchipped at any veterinary practice (vet clinic).

You must keep the details attached to your pet's microchip up to date. This way you can be contacted if your pet is found. You can find out more about microchipping on the Animal Welfare Victoria website.

Desexing your cat or dog

You must desex your cat in order for it to be registered. Desexing your dog is optional but it is strongly encouraged. You can find out more on our Desexing your cat or dog page. 

Keeping multiple pets

There is a limit to how many animals can be kept without a permit within Merri-bek. We want to make sure all pets have enough space and are cared for. It is important to familiarise yourself with how many animals you can keep, and you can find out more about this on our Keeping multiple pets page.

You will need an excess animal permit if you have more than two (2) dogs and two (2) cats in a house or more than one (1) dog and one (1) cat in a flat, unit, apartment or townhouse. More information about keeping multiple pets is on our Keeping multiple pets page.