Registration

In accordance to the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008, it is compulsory to register your dog with Council at 12 weeks of age.

Exceptions to this law apply to:

• a government entity dog (i.e. police or customs dogs)
• a working dog
• another class of dog prescribed under a regulation.

If you move to a different Council area, you have 14 days to re-register your dog.

Contact Council to register your dog and confirm the cost of registration. Failure to register your dog could result in an infringement notice or on-the-spot fine.

New Application

Within Somerset Regional Council you may keep a maximum of two dogs on your property, if they are registered.

New residents to the region are required to register their dog/s within 14 days of moving.

Registration forms are available online and at Council Service Centres in Lowood, Esk and Kilcoy.

Please attend one of Council’s Service Centres to lodge your registration form or . If your dog is de-sexed a de-sexing certificate must be provided to Council. Alternatively, statutory declarations are available to complete if a certificate is not available.

Microchipping is compulsory for all dogs born after 1 July 2009 or when animals have changed hands, whether it is sold or given away. The microchip number is required to be supplied at time of registration.

Things to remember when paying:

• Eftpos is available.
• You may post a cheque or money order with a copy of the registration notice to:

Somerset Regional Council

PO Box 117

Esk QLD 4312

Guide, hearing and assistance dogs

Council offers free registration for guide dogs, hearing dogs and assistance dogs. To be eligible, the dog owner must provide at least one of the following documents:

• A Handler's Identity Card issued by the Queensland Government and used to identify the handler and the dog.
• A letter from Guide Dogs Queensland (on letterhead) and a Guide Dogs Queensland issued identification card for the trainer.
• An official medallion issued to and worn by the dog (this is worn by the dog at all times).

Council does not accept a letter from a GP as proof of the dog being a guide, hearing or assistance dog.

A registration form  should be lodged with a copy of the Handler's Identity Card. A registration tag will be issued once the application has been processed. Registration fees are exempt if approved.

Working dogs

Working dogs as defined by the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008 are exempt from registration. Please contact Council on (07) 5424 4000 to discuss eligibility.

Applications must be returned to Council with the appropriate supporting documentation for approval. However, if the application is not approved, the dogs are required to be registered.

Renewals

Council has now introduced a 3-year dog registration period, beginning 1 July 2023.If you have changed your address or any other circumstances of your registration, please advise Council on (07) 5424 4000 or by email.

Transferring from another Council

Should you move into the region and you are able to show that your dog has current satisfactory proof of registration in another location, you may be eligible to transfer your registration at no further cost to the end of the current financial year. You will need to complete a registration form and provide microchipping and de-sexing certificate if applicable.

Updating details

Please contact Council on 5424 4000 or via email if your address or any other circumstances has changed, and complete a registration form.

Requirements

As a pet owner, you are required to comply with the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008 and possibly other local laws set by Council.

You can be a responsible pet owner by:

• registering your dog at 12 weeks of age
• microchipping your cat or dog
• keeping your cat or dog's microchip details up to date
• controlling your dog's barking
• keeping your cat or dog in your property
• walking your dog on a lead (unless in a designated off-leash area)
• carrying a bag or container for picking up droppings
• picking up your dog's droppings when in a public place.

If you are found to be in breach of the Act or local laws, you may be issued an infringement notice or on-the-spot fine.

The self-assessment checklists will help you decide if you would like to keep a cat or a dog as a pet:

• self-assessment checklist: Responsible dog ownership
• self-assessment checklist: Responsible cat ownership

As a pet owner you have a responsibility to provide for the welfare of your animals and to comply with:

• Prohibitions for keeping particular animals listed in Schedule 1 of Subordinate Local Law No. 2 (Animal Management) 2011.
• The minimum standards for keeping of animals listed under Schedule 4 and 5 of Subordinate Local Law No. 2 (Animal Management) 2011.
• Other relevant information.

Permits

You may require additional permits or planning approvals if you wish to:

• operate a pet shop
• operate a cattery
• keep a guard dog
• keep additional cats or dogs
• keep cats or dogs for breeding or show purposes
• operate a racing dog kennel.

Please contact Council to verify the permit conditions that may apply to you in these instances.

The self-assessment checklist will help you identify legislative requirements when breeding cats or dogs:

• keeping and breeding cats and dogs

Kennel and cattery approvals

If you want to operate a kennel or cattery within Somerset you require a development approval. Please contact Council’s planning and development department for more information. This requirement is for dogs and cats that are above numbers listed in subordinate Local Law No 2 (Animal Management) 2011, Schedule 1, Column 2.