Living Here
Why register your cat or dog?
It is a Queensland Government requirement that dogs and cats aged 12 weeks and over must be registered and microchipped. A dog or cat owner must also pay the renewal registration before the period of registration for the dog or cat expires, whether or not a renewal notice is received. Additionally, all dogs and cats born after April 2009 are required to be microchipped and their microchip details updated with Council.
Registering your dog and cat and ensuring their contact details are kept up to date improves their chances of being safely returned to you if they are lost.
Two dogs and/or two cats can be kept on an allotment in a designated town area. Approval is required for the keeping of more than two dogs or cats in a designated town area. Approval will not be given for more than 4 dogs or more than 4 cats (over the age of 3 months) in a designated town area.
Premises which are multi-residential (ie Units) may only be permitted to have one dog per premise/unit. If you wish to have more than one dog, please contact Council to determine if a Keeping More Than Allowable application is required.
Guide dogs and working dogs by assessment ONLY may qualify for free registration and be exempt from mandatory microchipping. You may also be exempt from microchipping if you are able to supply Council with a Veterinary Certificate indicating that your pet’s health may be compromised if microchipped.
Legislation and Local Laws
Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008
Local Law no. 2 (Animal Management) 2011 Subordinate Local Law no. 2 (Animal Management) 2011
Animal inspection program
Council undertakes an annual six calendar month animal inspection program beginning February and ending in July. During the program, Authorised Officers will conduct house to house property inspections to identify if dogs are being kept and registered in accordance with requirements of the Act and Councils Local Law No. 2 (Animal Management) 2011.
Authorised Officers will conduct enquiries with registered animal owners who had dogs registered in the previous registration period but have not renewed their animal’s registration for the current registration period, and those registrations that have an amount owing. This is conducted by the officers visiting, and if necessary, entering yards of premises. These Authorised Officers have the authority to enter properties to conduct those inspections under the Animal Management Act (cats and dogs) 2008 provisions, General Powers to Enter Places, Sec 111 1 (h)(i).
For each cat and dog currently registered with Council, the nominated registered owner of the animal will be issued an annual registration renewal notice and if there is any amount outstanding, an overdue registration reminder notice. An additional attempt is also made to the registered owner if the full amount of their animal’s registration renewal was not paid and there is an outstanding amount. This allows the registered owner another opportunity to pay the outstanding amount, so they are not included in the Animal Inspection Program.
All Council officers are required to display identification and advise the property owner of the reason for the visit/inspection. If you are not home at the time that the inspection was conducted you will receive a “Calling Card” see below, that will explain why Council has attended and entered your property.
The program operates in the first half of the calendar year from February for a period of six calendar months ending in July. Council issues annual renewal notices and an overdue reminder notices to the registered owner of the animal and an attempt is also made to the registered owner if the full amount of their animal’s registration renewal was not paid and there is an outstanding amount, on their animal’s current registration. This is to allow them the opportunity to pay the outstanding amount so they are not included in the Animal Inspection Program.
The Animal Inspection Program promotes responsible pet ownership by relaying it is the animal owner’s responsibility to notify Council of any change of address or animal details and to ensure their registration renewal is paid before the registration period for their animal has expired, whether or not a renewal notice was received. The program also assists in the collection of statistical data to provide an accurate record of the number of dogs in the Gladstone Region and is a method of identifying lost dogs so they can be reunited with their owners.
The program is designed to meet Council’s obligation to monitor compliance with Part 2 - Registration; and Part 4 - Renewal of Registration requirements of the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008 and will extend to all areas of the Gladstone Region. Properties within these urban and rural areas will be inspected - Agnes Water, Aldoga, Ambrose, Baffle Creek, Bangalee, Barney Point, Beecher, Benaraby, Berajondo, Bororen, Boyne Island, Boyne Valley, Boynedale, Burua, Callemondah, Calliope, Captain Creek, Clinton, Colosseum, Darts Creek, Deepwater, Gladstone, Glen Eden, Iveragh, Kin Kora, Kirkwood, Lowmead, Miriam Vale, Mount Larcom, New Auckland, Raglan, River Ranch, Rodds Bay, Rosedale, Round Hill, Rules Beach, Seventeen Seventy, South Gladstone, South Trees, Sun Valley, Tablelands, Tannum Sands, Taragoola, Targinnie, Telina, The Narrows, Toolooa, Turkey beach, West Gladstone, Wooderson, Wurdong Heights, Yarwun.
Council has the authority to fine pet owners for an unregistered animal (dog) and/or failing to ensure an animal is implanted with a PPID (microchip), as per our Code of Offences.
Further failure to register after this will result in an increased fine and an officer will enter the property under a Warrant signed by a Magistrate to seize and impound the animal/s at the owner’s expense until the animal is registered. Please be aware that payment of the fine does not cover the animal’s registration – this is a separate charge.
The animal inspection program assists in the collection of statistical data to provide an accurate record of the number of dogs in the Gladstone Region and is a method of identifying lost dogs so they can be reunited with their owners.
Animal registration fees
The animal registration fee structure includes incentives for responsible pet owners that have desexed or microchipped their pet. A discounted fee applies to pet owners that hold a current pension concession card or Veterans' Affairs Repatriation Health card. Proof is required to ensure you are entitled to the discounted fee. For ongoing Pensioner discount, please complete a Pensioner Remission Application Form and return together with copies of the front and back of your pension card by email, post or in person at any Council office. Please note, that if Council does not receive a completed Pensioner Remission Application Form, your Annual Animal Renewal Registration will revert to the full fee until the Pension Concession card is sighted by Council. For assistance please contact us on (07) 4970 0700.
Registration refunds
A refund of fifty percent of the registration fee can be requested if your cat or dog is deceased or if you leave the Gladstone Regional Council area within the first six months of the registration period (Prior to May 01). Please complete the Request for refund fee form and submit to Council. If the reason for the refund is due to your pet being deceased, proof by way of a Vet Certificate or Statutory Declaration is required.
No refund applications will be reviewed following May 1 of each calendar year. Refunded monies will only be paid direct to your bank account. No cheques will be issued for refunds. Council does not refund for animal registration fees paid in past registration years.
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