Animals
Domestic Animal Registration
To assist Council in finding your pet, should it stray, dogs and cats over 3 months of age must be registered with Council by 10 April each year. To assist with identification, pets must wear their registration tag at all times.
Registration costs increase annually, but discounts apply for de-sexing, micro-chipping and dogs and cats over 10 years of age.
Contact Customer Service on 5220 7111 for current registration costs.
2009-2010 Registration Fees
Domestic Animal Registration Form 
(672 kb)
Cost of Registration is $75.00(per animal)
Discount registration is $25.00 (per animal) for the following:
- Dogs used for working stock
- Animal over 10 years of age
- Animal has been desexed (proof required)
- Animal has been microchipped (proof required)
- Any animal registered with an approved organisation (eg. VCA, FCC)
- Animals kept for commercial breeding
A further discount of 50% of the fee applies to Pensioner Concession Card holders only (prior approval must be obtained from Council).
Failure to register or renew the registration of a dog or cat over the age of 6 months is an offence with a fine of $234.
Animal Numbers
While it's great to have pets, too many animals can cause problems like noise. Golden Plains Shire has a limit of two dogs and two cats per property. You will need permission from Council if you wish to keep more than this, unless they are dogs in a rural area used exclusively for droving or drafting livestock. Application forms for obtaining a permit to keep more than two dogs or two cats can be obtained from either of Council's customer service centres or by clicking the link below.
Barking Dogs
Your neighbours can complain if your dog is often noisy or disturbs the peace unreasonably. It's a good idea to talk with your neighbours about any barking problems as the owners may not be aware of the problem. If noise persists, contact the Community Protection Officer to discuss the problem. The Community Protection Officer will provide the dog owner with advice on possible solutions. If the problem cannot be resolved, Council can prosecute and fine the dog owner.
Menacing dogs
Dogs that rush out at people or chase people can be declared as menacing under new legislation.
A dog may be declared as a menacing dog if:
(a) the dog has rushed at or chased a person more than 3 times; or
(b) the dog has been declared a menacing dog by another Council.
Please ensure dogs are confined to their property at all times and when walking, please ensure your dog is on a leash and adequately controlled.
Domestic Animal Ownership Information Sheets
Council has a series of domestic animal ownership information sheets available to download below. They include solutions on barking dogs, biting and aggression, desexing your pet, fencing and roaming, litter, registration and identification, fees and fines and responsible pet ownership.
