Image: Image of dogs captured via Alvan Nee on Unsplash and image of cats captured via Jari Hytönen on Unsplash
The NSW Government has announced new updates to pet ownership rules, bringing changes to current and future pet owners across the state.
Effective Monday July 1, 2024, all cats and dogs in NSW must be microchipped by 12 weeks, or at the time of sale or transfer of ownership – whichever comes first.
The registration process requires a one-time lifetime payment per animal, which will transfer with the pet if ownership changes. Registration must be completed within 28 days to avoid late penalties.
The updated regulations also introduce additional fees for animals that are not desexed. Dog owners will incur an extra charge if their pet remains not desexed past six months of age. For cats, an annual permit fee will be imposed if the animal is not desexed by four months of age.
Changes to Pet Registration Deadline Explained
The NSW Government has updated the registration deadline for companion animals in line with Clause 14 of the Companion Animals Regulation.
Previously, registration was required by 6 months of age due to limitations with the NSW Pet Registry system. However, as the system now supports Clause 14, which mandates registration at 12 weeks of age or at the time of sale, the new deadline reflects these requirements.
Despite the change in registration timing, additional fees for non-desexed animals remain. Owners of dogs over 6 months and cats over 4 months that are not desexed will still be subject to extra charges.
NSW Pet Registry Faces Issues with Certain Pet Profiles
The NSW Pet Registry is currently unable to display profiles for pets categorised as dangerous, restricted, menacing, or a nuisance due to ongoing development.
Owners whose pets were not linked to the system before June 28, 2024, will not see their pets on the registry. However, these records remain accessible in the Companion Animals Register (CAR), and a new feature set for release in September will allow these owners to link their pets to the updated registry. This will facilitate online permit payments, notifications, and updates.
Additionally, NSW Pet Registry paper forms are being revised to minimise data entry errors and clarify user responsibilities.
Changes in the CAR include the ability for councils to update registration types for breeders, and the addition of fields for mothers’ microchip numbers and breeder identification numbers for tracking litters.
Vets will no longer have CAR access from July 1, 2024, and the CAR website will provide updated user guides for council staff during the registry’s upgrade. Changes in the CAR may take up to an hour to reflect in the digital registry.
Visit the NSW Pet Registry website for more information at https://petreg.nsw.gov.au.
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