Register Your Pet

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Overview

Council has an online dog registration portal, allowing owners of new dogs to register their dog from the comfort of their home. The portal is accessed through Council's eServices which also features a range of other online services. 

Dog registration provides animal management services and assists in returning lost or wandering dogs back to their owners so Council is excited to offer this new service to assist the community in keeping their dogs safe.

You will need to upload a copy of pensioner details and desexing certificates if this applies to you and your dog. You should also provide the microchip number for your dog as this also enables Council to return your pet to you. Registration is key to the essential animal management services Council provides

Please note that microchipping is mandatory under Queensland Law. 

Council has also moved to lifelong registration tags, meaning you keep your existing registration tag rather than be reissued a new tag each year. If you’ve lost your tag or it has become unreadable, please contact Council and you will be provided with a replacement. 

For any further questions regarding this, please contact our friendly staff on 1300 COUNCIL (1300 268 624).

Register your dog online

  

Registering your dog

How do I register my dog?

Register Online:

  • Visit Council's eSevices page to register your dog for the first time.  
  • Upload a copy of desexing certificates to claim the desexed registration rate. 
  • Upload a copy of your pensioner details to claim the pensioner registration rate. 
  • If the dog has been Declared Menacing, Dangerous or Restricted please phone Council's Environmental Health Team on 1300 268 624 to find out how to register. 

Register in Person:

  • Visit your nearest Customer Service Centre to complete the registration process. 

Why do I need to register my dog?

  • Registration for all dogs is compulsory, including on rural properties. There is an exemption from registration requirements for bona fide working dogs (as defined in the Act, see definition below). 
  • Puppies must be registered by 12 weeks of age. 
  • Desexed dogs are eligible for a substantial discount on registration costs. Proof of desexing is required prior to discount registration being granted. If you do not have a certificate that your dog is desexed, contact your local vet to see if they are able to provide a letter confirming it has previously been desexed. Bringing your animal to Council is not proof that it has been desexed, as officers will not look at animals which are brought in. 
  • Pensioners are eligible for a discount on desexed dogs. Proof of pensioner eligibility and dog desexing is required prior to discount registration being granted 
  • Owners of unregistered dogs can incur an on the spot fine. 
  • At registration you will be issued a lifelong registration tag that contains specific information about your dog. It must be attached to your dog's collar for identification, ensuring that should your pet get lost or wander it can be quickly reunited with you by Council's Local Laws Officers. 

How much does it cost to register my dog?

Dog Registration Fees 2023/24

Dog Registration

Category

1 Year Fee

All Areas Entire Dog $119.50
Desexed Dog $42.00
Pensioner Desexed Dog $28.50
Puppy (less than 6 months old) $42.00
Dangerous Dog, Restricted Dog $419.00
Dangerous/Restricted Dog - Compliant $209.50
Menacing Dog $209.50
Menacing Dog - Desexed $146.50
Menacing Dog - Compliant $156.50
Menacing Dog - Compliant & Desexed $119.50
Reciprocal Registration - Qld Dog Registration only N/A
Certified Assistance Dog (evidence required to meet legal definition) N/A

**if your dog is desexed, a Desexing Certificate must be presented upon registration

Proof of pensioner details required if claiming pensioner rate.

View the full list of Council's 2023/24 Fees and Charges here

How long is registration valid for ?

  • The dog registration period is from 1 August to 31 July with one (1) year registration periods. Dog registrations expire 31 July regardless of the month your dog is registered. 
  • Dog registration renewal notices are forwarded to registered dog owners in July of the year of expiry and must be renewed by 31 July. 
  • Dog Renewal Smart Notices are sent direct to your email providing all the information of paper notice plus extra online features. To nominate your preferred email contact number simply call 1300 COUNCIL or email info@wdrc.qld.gov.au.
  • Dog Renewal text messages will be sent to your mobile phone advising that your dog's registration renewal is due and a link will be provided to Smart Notices to access you Renewal electronically if you wish. You will still receive your renewal notice via post or email.
  • There is no discount period and no ‘pro rata’ offered on registration renewals. 
  • No refunds are payable on dog registrations
  • Please check all the details are correct on your dog's registration and advise Council of any changes through the Smart Notices link or by phoning 1300 COUNCIL (1300 268 624)

Is registration the same as microchipping?

  • No. All dogs must be microchipped by a veterinary surgeon and must also be registered with Council. Your microchip details must be registered and updated with your local veterinary surgeon or with the company your animal is microchipped with. 
  • You should provide your dog's microchip number to Council in the registration process. 
  • Microchipping and registration tags assist Council to return your dog to you if found wandering or lost. Dogs can slip their collars leaving their tags behind, so the microchip is their way of telling us who they belong to. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are my responsibilities as a dog owner under the Local Laws of the Western Downs Regional Council?

As a responsible pet owner it is your obligation to ensure your pets are identified, healthy, safely contained and do not create a nuisance in your neighbourhood.

For more specific information please read more about Responsible Pet Ownership here.

What if my dog is still a puppy?

  • For dogs under six months of age, Council offers a one (1) year Puppy Fee. Recognising that the recommended age for desexing dogs is from six months, the Puppy Fee is capped at the desexed dog rate. 
  • This incentivised rate is designed to encourage you to invest the savings toward the cost of desexing your dog. Not only will you make considerable registration savings over the life of your dog, a South Australian study has demonstrated a desexed dog is nine (9) times less likely to attack. 
  • Once you have desexed your puppy, forward a copy of the desexing certificate to Council via email, post or in person at one of our Customer Contact Centres. 
  • Animals not desexed within the one (1) year puppy registration period will move to the entire dog category in the next registration period.

What is a working dog?

Definition of a working dog

a) A dog usually kept or proposed to be kept:

     i) on rural land; and

     ii) by an owner who is a primary producer, or a person engaged or employed by a primary producer; and 

     iii) primarily for the purpose of – 

          1) droving, protecting, tending, or working, stock; or 

          2) being trained in droving, protecting, tending, or working, stock; and 

b) does not include a class of dog prescribed under a regulation.

What if I want to keep more than two dogs?

How many dogs can I keep without an approval?

Premise Type Number of Dogs

Multi-residential premises e.g. flat, unit = 1

Land area <2000m2 in a designated town area = 2

Land area ≥2000m2 in a designated town area = 3

Not in a designated town area = 4

An Approval is required to keep more than the prescribed number of dogs. Please fill in the Permit to Keep Additional Animals Application Form and return it to your nearest Customer Service Centre with payment of the application fee. A Local Laws Officer will assess your situation to determine if it is appropriate to approve a permit.  

Permitted Animal Fact Sheet

What if my dog passes away during the registration period?

Should your dog pass away during the valid registration period, and your dog was registered and the remaining current balance of the original registration can be transferred to a new dog, if registered within the same registration period. No refunds are available.

What happens to my dog registration money?

All revenue from dog registration is invested back into Council's animal management service that is responsible for the running of our pounds, Local Laws Officers who respond to lost or wandering dog requests, the administration of compliance programs and the provision of dog off-leash parks.

I'm moving to the Western Downs Region from another Local Authority, can I transfer my current dog registration?

No, Council does not accept registration from other Local Authorities. We do provide pro-rata rates for registration from January to June each year which lower the initial cost at the end of the registration period.

If I move out of the Western Downs region can I transfer my dog registration to another local authority?

Council does not have any reciprocal registration arrangements with other Local Authorities, however they may accept your current registration. Please check with the Local Authority you are moving to.

If I move out of the Western Downs within the registration period can I get a refund on the remainder of my dog registration?

No, Council does not offer refunds on dog registration should you move out of the region.

My dog is microchipped, does this mean that it is also registered?

No, microchipping is separate to registering your dog. Your dog must be microchipped and registered with Council.

I've lost my registration tag, how do I get a replacement?

Simply call your local Customer Contact Centre on 1300 COUNCIL to arrange for a replacement registration tag to be mailed to you, free of charge.

Animal Management Forms