Pet registration
All dogs and cats over three months old that live in Surf Coast Shire must be registered.
Registration is due annually on 10 April.
Read about our Domestic Animal Management Plan, the over-arching document that guides how we manage dogs and cats in the shire.
2024-25 registration and fees
- Desexed dog or cat is $76 or $38. for pensioners.
- Unsterilised dog or cat is $229 or $114.50 for pensioners.
Have you rescued your pet?
If your animal is adopted from a rescue centre, we will waive its first year of registration.
Desexed price still applies to unsterilised dogs or cats that are:
- kept for working stock
- registered with a Victorian canine or prescribed feline association
- kept for breeding in a registered domestic business
- older than 10 years old
- trained in an obedience program which complies with regulations.
Apply to register your pet online (initial registration)
Pay your registration online (renewal of registration)
Notes on dog and cat registration:
- All dogs and cats over three months old that live in Surf Coast Shire must be registered.
- To be registered, state legislation states that all new or transfer registrations must include proof of microchipping.
- To register a sterilised dog or cat you must present a certificate of sterilisation from a vet, or bring the animal to the council office to be inspected.
- To be registered as a working dog, you must be able to demonstrate the dog's ability to work stock to an authorised officer. (Dogs kept for security purposes are not considered working dogs for the purposes of registration.)
- If your animal is adopted from a rescue centre its first 12 months of registration are provided free, in accordance with Council’s Domestic Animal Management Plan.
- Applicants must be over 18 to apply for an animal registration.
- Registration is due on 10 April annually, or penalties will apply.
- If you change address, or if your animal has relocated or died, please notify Council on 03 5261 0600.
Replacement tag
If your animal is registered, but you have lost the physical tag, please call council to arrange a replacement tag 5261 0600.
A replacement tag fee applies.
Get your animal renewal notices electronically
Get your animal renewal information (and property rates notices too if you like) by email rather than in the letterbox.
Simply hit the sign-up button below to create an account.
Once signed up, you'll receive:
- annual pet renewal notices, property rates (optional) or instalment emails with payment options (credit card, BPay, phone, direct debit)
- a reminder email if you miss a payment
- online access to print out your pet renewals, rates notices, (optional), view notices from previous years, change your email address or revert back to printed notices.
Sign up
What do my registration fees pay for?
Animal registration fees have been set to provide animal management services to our community.
Registration fees pay for services such as:
- ranger services, including staff, vehicles and equipment
- the operation of a dog pound
- after hours services
- payments to Geelong Animal Welfare Society and Animal Welfare Victoria
- purchase and operation of the all-terrain vehicle
- management and investigation of dog attacks, including prosecution
- pet owner education
We want to be transparent and show you what your registration fee contributes to, so we have put together a factsheet to show you exactly where your fees go.
Download Animal Registration Fees factsheet(PDF, 76KB)