Animals FAQs
Registering your pet
If you own a cat or dog in Victoria, you are required by state law to register your pet. Once you have registered your pet, you will be provided with a lifetime identification tag that will help us reunite you with your pet if it becomes lost.
Every animal over the age of three months must be microchipped and registered with Council.
Animal registration due date
Registration is renewable each year and is due on 10 April. You can register new animals at a Baw Baw Shire Customer Service Centre throughout the year.
Cost of pet registration
Pet registration charges are set by the state government and are subject to change.
Pet registration discounts
If you have a Pension Concession Card, animal registration costs may be discounted.
Microchipping your pet
All dogs and cats over three months old and registered with Council for the first time must be microchipped. Microchipping involves inserting a small computer chip under a pets skin. It does not hurt your pet to have this inserted. The chip can be read by a scanner to retrieve the contact details of the pets owner. It gives owners confidence that they will find their pet if it is lost and ends up in a Council pound, or is found injured and is taken to a vet. Pets can be microchipped by a vet.
Registration tags
The initial tag you are given is a lifetime tag and will not be replaced each year. You can get a free replacement tag from any of Council’s Customer Service Centres.
Locating a missing pet
If your pet goes missing, contact Council to check if it has been found or impounded. If not, you can submit a lost animal report for it to be added to our lost animals register. You should also check with local vets who often receive found injured animals. Similarly, if you find a pet, please contact us as someone else might be looking for it.
Transferring animals from another Council to Baw Baw Shire
A new application will have to be made with Baw Baw Shire. If your registration has been paid for the current period we can organise a free transfer from your previous council (proof of payment will be needed with your application).
Number of animals allowed on a single property
The maximum number of dogs and cats allowed on a residential property is two dogs (dependant on land size, refer to table Permitted Pets in Residential Areas) and two cats and on a rural property, five dogs and five cats. If you wish to keep more than the maximum number, you must apply for a permit.