Owners of puppies and kittens must microchip their pet by 12 weeks of age or when they are first sold (whichever comes first). They must register and pay the registration fee by the time their pet reaches six months of age. This is to ensure pets can be reunited with owners should they become lost.The registration fee is a once only payment that covers the cat or dog for its lifetime in NSW. Pet owners are encouraged to have their cat or dog desexed before registration.
You can process your application in person at any NSW Local Council. You can also register your pet online on the Pet Registry website. You will need to present/upload:
- a signed Lifetime Registration (R2) Form
- proof of desexing, if applicable
- a certificate of microchipping/identification or a letter from a vet
- any other document entitling you to a discount, for example, a pensioner concession card or recognised breeder identification.
Proof of desexing may be a Certificate of Sterilisation, a receipt containing a microchip number from a vet, or a statutory declaration from a previous owner stating that the cat or dog has been desexed and is permanently incapable of reproduction.
Microchipping
A microchip is a small 2 mm implant placed under the skin between the shoulder blades. It contains a unique fifteen digit number which is assigned to your pet.
Vets, animal welfare organisations, council pounds and other authorised people can microchip a cat or dog. Jerilderie Vet Clinic (servicing Jerilderie and Coleambally) provides microchipping services. You can telephone the clinic on (03) 5886 1436. Vet clinics are also available in Griffith.
Desexing your pet
The benefits of desexing your pet are:
- Registration is cheaper.
- Improved health and wellbeing, including reducing the risk of some cancers.
- Less of a burden on pounds and shelters and lower euthanasia rates.
- Less feral, stray and roaming and less effect on wildlife (for cats).
- Reduces aggression.
Exemptions are in place for cats that are registered by 1 July 2020, those kept for breeding purposes by members of recognised breeding bodies, and cats which cannot be de-sexed for medical reasons.
Pet owners can pay for annual permits using the NSW Pet Registry website
Pensioner concession
Pensioner concession is available when registering your pet if it is desexed and a valid and pension concession card is shown.
Recognised breeder
In accordance with the Companion Animals Act, a recognised breeder is a person who is a member of one of the three following organisations:
- Dogs NSW (formerly Royal NSW Canine Council)
- NSW Cat Fanciers Association
- Waratah State Cat Alliance
To get a discount as a recognised breeder, at the time of registration you must show all of the following:
- a current membership card from one of the listed recognised organisations
- evidence that the animal is a purebred
- a signed statement (from the owner) that the animal is kept for breeding purposes.
Fee exemption
Owners claiming a lifetime registration fee exemption for an assistance animal must show proof that the animal is a genuine assistance animal. This includes a signed statement or documentation from a recognised training body that the animal is (or is being) trained as an assistance animal, and a signed statement from the training body or the owner that the animal is being used for that purpose.
Other animals exempt from microchipping and lifetime registration requirements:
- cats born before 1 July 1999 that remain with their original owner,
- working dogs used for tending stock on rural properties. A working dog is defined in the Act as a dog used primarily for the purpose of droving, tending, working or protecting stock (or a dog being trained as a working dog). If the dog is declared to be a dangerous dog, it ceases to be a working dog whilst the declaration is in force,
- greyhounds registered under the Greyhound Racing Act,
- an animal that is ordinarily kept outside New South Wales, but not if the animal has been in New South Wales for a continuous period of at least 3 months,
- an animal in the custody of a council (including in a council pound), the Animal Welfare League NSW, The Cat Protection Society of NSW Inc. or RSPCA,
- an animal in the custody of an organisation approved by the Director-General, for the purposes of this clause, by order published in the Gazette,
- an animal kept at a pet shop for the purposes of sale,
- an animal kept for the purposes of sale in the course of a business conducted at a booth or stall in a market or at a fair,
- a dog that is ordinarily used by a police officer on official duty,
- a dog that is ordinarily used on official duty by a correctional officer (within the meaning of the Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999),
- a dog used by a Commonwealth officer on official duty,
- an animal in the custody of an accredited research establishment within the meaning of the Animal Research Act 1985, or the holder of an animal research authority or an animal supplier's licence within the meaning of that Act, for purposes in connection with animal research, as authorised under that Act,
- an animal kept at a licensed animal display establishment within the meaning of the Exhibited Animals Protection Act 1986 and lawfully exhibited in accordance with that Act,
- a working dog that is ordinarily kept in a part of the Western Division of the State that is not within a local government area.
Change of Owner/Details
It is the responsibility of the old owner (the person selling or giving away the animal) to notify the Council of the change. Failure to do so may result in a fine of up to $880 or up to $5,500 for a dangerous or restricted dog.
If your contact details change, you must fill in a Change of Owner/Details Form within 14 days of the change. If you don't do this, penalties may apply. Keeping your contact details up to date will also help for your dog or cat to be returned if it is lost.
You can also update your details, notify if your dog or cat is missing, register ownership changes and pay registration fees online on the NSW Pet Registry site.