Published on Monday, 17 January 2022 at 4:00:00 PM

Pets bring such joy (and sometimes adorable mischief) to your home. It’s important that when you own a pet that you do your due diligence in complying with the Dog and Cat Acts of Western Australia. Please keep in mind that this applies for the sweet pup or kitten you’ve recently adopted as well as ol’ Fido that’s been around for a while.

Legal Requirements for Owning a Dog or Cat Under the Dog Act 1976 and Cat Act 2011

The Ranger would like to remind you that all cat and dogs must be microchipped and registered with the Shire.

Please see below for more information:

• Microchip Implantation & Registration –
  1. Owners must ensure a veterinarian or an authorised implanter implants an encoded microchip, which is about the size of a grain of rice and is injected into the animal’s shoulder area. This traces the owner to the animal.
  2. Important Note: Once you move, you MUST update your address encoded in the microchip. To do this, you can enter the microchip number in http://petaddress.com.au/ to find which microchip company the animal is registered to. You then go to the company and notify them of your move.
  3. If you don’t know your pet’s microchip number, contact your veterinarian, council or animal welfare shelter who can scan your pet and supply you with the microchip number.
• Shire Registration –
  1. Owners must come to the Shire to complete and sign pet registration forms, which register their animal to their home address. This in addition to the microchip, also assists us in locating your animal.

If your animal is found noncompliant, modified penalties may apply. If, for whatever reason, your pet is neither microchipped or registered by the Shire, please book an appointment at your local vet for microchip implantation and then you can register the animal at the Shire front counter.

Have a question regarding your pet? Submit a Customer Service Request today!

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