Register Your Pet

• 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 Ranger Services Officers. 

Dog Registration Fees 2023/24

**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 2024/25Fees and Charges here

• 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)

• 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. 

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.

• 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 but there are also numerous health benefits for you dog.
• 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.

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.

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

Transfers of registration or refunds are currently not offered. 

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.