Register your pet

Registering your dog or cat helps us to reunite you quickly if they become lost.

  • All dogs and cats over the age of 3 months must be microchipped, desexed and registered
  • Registration must be renewed every year by 10 April (we will send you a reminder). If you don't receive a reminder, please contact us.
  • If you do not register your pet, we may fine you
  • With more than 2 dogs and/or 2 cats, you must also apply for a Keeping excess animals permit.

Renew your pet registration

To pay your pet registration renewal fee online you will need the animal reference number found on your pet registration renewal notice.

Renew your pet registration

If you are registering a pet for the first time, please follow the steps below.

Concessions and discounts

All registrations for cats and dogs have a full price and a reduced price.  

 Please check the Fees tab below for a detailed fee structure.  

You are eligible for a reduced fee if your dog or cat is:

• Desexed
• Over 10 years old
• Kept for breeding by the proprietor of a domestic animal business conducted on registered premises, or
• Registered with an approved Canine or Feline Association.

Additional reduced fee applies to dogs that are:

• Kept for working stock, or
• Have undergone obedience training (not puppy training) which complies with the regulations.

We also offer a 50% rebate for pension card holders - you can provide your pension card details in the registration form. 

Transfer of pet ownership

If you need to change the ownership details of an animal, please email us with the details and we will confirm the transfer. 

Replacement tags

  • Registration tags are replaced for free.
  • To receive a free replacement tag your pet must be currently registered with no outstanding payments.
  • It is an offence under the Domestic Animals Act 1994 for a pet to not wear its registration tag.
  • You can visit us at the Castlemaine Civic Centre to receive a replacement tag in person, or call us on 5471 1700 to request it be posted out to you. 

Register a guide dog

Guide dogs and seeing eye dogs are eligible for free registration with Council.

To be eligible you must:

  • be a visually or hearing impaired person who keeps and uses a dog as a guide dog
  • operate an organisation that trains guide dogs which is approved by the Minister. Any dog trained as a guide dog is not required to pay a fee for registration
  • supply a guide dog certificate
  • supply evidence of the dog being trained by a relevant organisation.

How to register your guide dog

If you are eligible, please complete the Animal Registration Application form.pdf(PDF, 224KB) and provide supporting evidence (as listed above) and return it to Council in person or email at:

Civic Centre
Corner Lyttleton Street and Lloyd Street,
Castlemaine VIC 3450

Email: info@mountalxander.vic.gov.au

Register an assistance dog

Please note, assistance dogs are now exempt from paying animal registration fees.

What is an assistance dog?

An assistance dog "is trained to perform tasks or functions that assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effects of his or her disability.”

This can include, but not limited to:

  • dogs trained to assist with individuals with mobility impairments
  • autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
  • post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • sudden medical alerts. 

Are you eligible to register?

To be eligible for a fee exemption, the following must apply: 

  • 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. Obedience training means a training program that trains an assistance dog and assesses its competency
  • the assistance dog is at least 12 months old
  • the assistance dog is microchipped 
  • the assistance dog is desexed.

Note: evidence must be a declaration from a health professional or written recommendation from and/or a declaration by the relevant treating medical practitioner. 

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.

How to register your assistance dog

If you are eligible, please complete the Animal Registration Application form.pdf(PDF, 224KB) and provide supporting evidence (as listed in the eligibility criteria) and return it to Council in person or email at:

Civic Centre
Corner Lyttleton Street and Lloyd Street,
Castlemaine VIC 3450

Email: info@mountalxander.vic.gov.au

Register your pet for the first time

In person

Step 1.Prepare your pet for registration

Your pet must be microchipped to be registered, and we strongly encourage desexing your pet. If your pet needs these procedures, call your local vet or visit our microchipping and desexing page to learn more.  

Step 2.Prepare your application

  • your pet's microchip number
  • proof of desexing (if your pet is desexed)
  • a copy of your concession card if you are eligible for a pension rate.

Step 3.Submit your application and pay

Download and complete the Animal Registration Application(PDF, 224KB) form, and visit our Civic Centre on Lyttleton Street in Castlemaine during opening hours.

We will guide you through the registration process and help submit your application. 

You can pay the relevant fee by cash, cheque, money order, EFTPOS or credit card.

Step 4.What happens next?

We will mail your pet registration tag to the address provided in your application.

 

By email

Step 1.Prepare your pet for registration

Your pet must be microchipped to be registered, and we strongly encourage desexing your pet. If your pet needs these procedures, call your local vet or visit our microchipping and desexing page to learn more.  

Step 2.Prepare your application

  • your pet's microchip number
  • proof of desexing (if your pet is desexed)
  • a copy of your concession card if you are eligible for a pension rate.

Step 3.Submit your application and pay

Download and complete the Animal Registration Application(PDF, 224KB) form and email the form to info@mountalexander.vic.gov.au.

We will contact you for payment once the registration has been completed. 

You can pay the relevant fee by cash, cheque, money order, EFTPOS or credit card.

Step 4.What happens next?

We will mail your pet registration tag to the address provided in your application.

Fees

Please see our fee structure below:

Dogs

Column A 

Column B 

 $157.00 or $79.75 Concession

 $53.20 or $27.00 Concession

Any dog not meeting one criterion in column B.

Desexed dogs

Dogs over ten years old

Dogs kept for breeding by the proprietor of a domestic animal business conducted on registered premises

Dogs that have undergone obedience training which complies with the regulations

Dogs registered with the Victorian Canine Association or any organisation approved by Council

Dogs kept for working stock

No charge for guide dogs and assistance dogs - see information above.
Full animal registration full fee applies to declared dangerous/menacing dogs and restricted breeds.

Cats

Column A  Column B 
$157.00 or $79.75 Concession $53.20 or $27.00 Concession
Any cats not meeting one criterion in column B Desexed cats
Cats over ten years old
Cats kept for breeding by the proprietor of a domestic animal business conducted on registered premises
Cats registered with the Feline Control Council, the governing Council of the Cat Fancy Australia, the Democratic Cat Council Inc or any organisation approved by Council
Cats that are permanently identified in the prescribed manner i.e. microchip
 

Working Dogs

Reduced fee (column B) is applicable to dogs currently in training or used for training to become working dogs.

Property Type Dog Breed Proof Documents Required
Farm Heelers, Kelpies/Coolies, Border Collies, Maremma No proof required
Farm Other Breeds - i.e. Corgi, terrier. The dog is kept, used or being trained to be farm working dog/s. Statutory Declaration required(PDF, 669KB)
Urban area Heelers, Kelpies/Coolies, Border Collies, Maremma Statutory Declaration required(PDF, 669KB)
Urban area Other Breeds - i.e. Corgi, terrier. The dog is kept, used or being trained to be farm working dog/s. Statutory Declaration required(PDF, 669KB)

 

Contact Us

Phone

03 5471 1700

Email

info@mountalexander.vic.gov.au

Location

Castlemaine Civic Centre
Lyttleton Street
Castlemaine
3450
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