De-sex your pets for discount

COUNCIL is reminding residents new dog registration charges take effect this year with the new structure designed to reward pensioners with free registration if they de-sex their dogs.
According to Council, dog owners will generally pay less if their pet is de-sexed but Council will no longer offer a discount for dogs that are micro-chipped, to reflect changes in state law.This means that most dog owners will pay $30 a year.
Local laws manager Phil Amson said it is in all dog owner’s interest to microchip their pets to help reunite them if the dog gets lost.
“As it is now a legal requirement for dogs to be microchipped, Council will no longer offer a discount as an incentive to comply with a law,” he said.
“Registration for a de-sexed dog is $30, or free with a pensioner discount. That compares with $140 to register a dog that has not been de-sexed or $115 with the concession.”
Mr Amson praised Noosa residents for de-sexing their pets, with the Shire recording one of the highest de-sexing rates in Queensland.
Council will begin mailing out annual registration renewal forms from 1 September with the regulated dog registration to rise from $257 to $400 per year.
Mr Amson said the second highest number of calls received by Council from the public was about dogs and responding to them was both time consuming and costly.
“In July, for example, local laws officers spent more than 450 hours dealing with stray dogs, following up complaints about barking dogs, investigating dog attacks and other animal management activities,” he said.
Council believes the new fee structure is fair and will recoup most of the costs of the service that Council provides.
Under the Animal Management Act Council must spend all income from registration fees on animal management activities.