Animal registration reminder

The City of Ballarat is reminding Ballarat residents to ensure they have renewed their pet registration in 2025.  

Pet registration is a great way to keep your pet’s safety, as it guarantees all contact details are up to date if they go missing. This allows officers to return animals home without having to impound them, reducing stress on both pets and owners.  

Pet registration also supports the important work of the City of Ballarat’s Animal Services team in finding loving homes for Ballarat’s stray and surrendered animals. Pet registration fees are used to fund the Ballarat Animal Shelter and the work of re-homing our animals to great success, with the City of Ballarat Animal Services team finding new homes for almost 1,000 animals in 2024.

Each registration fee also contributes to the City of Ballarat’s Animal Management Officers supporting the community by responding to:  

• Barking dog concerns
• Cat and dog roaming reports
• Welfare and cruelty complaints  
• Wandering and stray animals  
• Investigating dog attack incidents  
• Picking up stray cats and dogs.
• Responsible pet ownership education and community information.

Pet registration is also a legal requirement under the Domestic Animals Act 1994. The City of Ballarat routinely conducts audits including Ballarat animal breeders to ensure they are compliant, and registrations are current.  

Pet registration fees begin at $45 for desexed animals. Pensioners can register for $22.50.  

Guide dogs and assistance dogs are exempt from registration fee requirements.  

All cats and dogs which are registered for the first time must also be microchipped. Your vet can help with a microchip if your pet does not have one.

Lifetime tags are supplied with registration and should be placed on your pet's collar.

You can complete your pet’s registration with the City of Ballarat online, via the eServices portal, or in person at the Customer Service Centre, The Phoenix, 25 Armstrong St South Ballarat Central between 8.30am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.  

Renewals can be paid via BPAY, eServices or in person with options included on the renewal form sent annually.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves encouraged residents to register their pets.  

“Our pets bring a lot of joy to our lives, and it is important we take steps to ensure their safety, which includes pet registration and microchipping,” she said.

“Pet registration is an affordable way to ensure your pet is quickly returned home should they come into the care of the Animal Services team.”

For more information about pet registration, visit the City of Ballarat website.