Gympie council plans to increase annual dog registration fees

The council is expected to adopt a raft of new fees and charges next week ahead of this year’s budget

Dog registration in the Gympie region will go up almost $5 to $149, next financial year, while registering a desexed dog will rise from $42.30 to $44. Picture: Richard Dobson

Dog registration in the Gympie region will go up almost $5 to $149, next financial year, while registering a desexed dog will rise from $42.30 to $44.

Registering a desexed and microchipped dog will remain unchanged at $15.

The proposed new fees are part of a package of fees and charges expected to be adopted at the Gympie Regional Council’s general meeting on Wednesday, May 26, ahead of this year’s council budget.

The council copped a social media backlash in 2020, when it brought in the $15 registration fee for desexed and microchipped dogs. Prior to that there was a one-off fee, but no annual fee.

It was introduced to help cover the growing processing and operating costs for the region’s 7000+ desexed and microchipped dogs.

“The dog registration fees contribute to a variety of dog-related services throughout the region,” a council spokesman said at the time.

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“These include:

• ranger services that, among other things, protect public safety by securing roaming dogs, as well as promoting responsible pet ownership
• pound services that keep dogs safe until they can be returned home to their owners or rehomed by the RSPCA
• the maintenance of two dog off-leash parks (with additional parks being considered).

“Any new desexed and microchipped dog registrations will not incur a charge for their first registration period only,” the council said.

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