Warning to Aussie pet owners after woman hit with surprise $395 fine

A NSW woman is urging pet owners across the country to check their furry friends are registered, after she was delivered a huge shock in the mail.

Joe Attanasio
·Senior Reporter
Updated ·4-min read
A golden retriever and a spotted cat are seen lying in a yard, as a woman declares she wasn't aware her cat was not registered.
A NSW said she had no idea her cat, Nala (pictured), was not registered until she received a steep fine in the mail. Source: Facebook/Revenue NSW

An Aussie pet owner is sounding the alarm over a little-known council rule that can result in hefty fines, with the woman issuing a public warning so others "don’t have to deal with this too".

The NSW woman, from Sydney's Inner West, said she bought her beloved cat from a breeder many years ago. The breeder at the time assured her the animal was registered, but five years after purchasing the animal, she received a notice in the mail informing her the cat was in fact not registered with local authorities — and she'd now have to pay a fine to the tune of $395.

"I believed my cat Nala was registered — who is five years old — and is not," the woman explained.

"I found this out through a final overdue notice from Revenue NSW. The previous fine letters were sent to my old house from Inner West Council (from an audit) that I lived at four years ago — as that’s her microchip registration address."

A cat is seen being treated by a medic, as a NSW woman urges pet owners to register their pets.
In NSW, Companion Animal laws require that the animal is microchipped and a one-off (lifetime) registration fee must be paid to local councils. Source: RSPCA

According to the woman, the dodgy breeder's act meant she was now being chased by the council.

"I purchased her from the breeder who informed me she was registered, but now I have a $395 fine that I’m asking to be reviewed."

The woman urged others living in the area to "please check that your cat or dog is registered" with the council and "your microchip address is up-to-date".

Some Aussies responding to her warning online appeared to be confused. Some pet owners argued the "system needs to change", saying registration "should just be paid at the time of the microchip implant" so "it’s all done at once".

In NSW, Companion Animal laws state that pets must be microchipped and a one-off registration fee must be paid to local councils, which lasts the animal's lifespan.

"It’s common for people not to realise it’s a two-step process, there’s a lot of misunderstanding around how it all works. Then unsuspecting pet owners cop crazy fines," one woman said.

Others warned they'd experienced the same situation.

"This happened to me, too. All bar one of my three dogs were registered and I got a fine a few years back. Appears the ranger saw me put three dogs in my car at a cafe," said one local.

"Wow! So after rescuing an animal and paying for the animal as part of that process and being named as registered owner I still have to register my rescues and pay for that as well?" another questioned.

Yahoo News Australia asked the Inner West Council whether the woman was likely to have her case overturned, due to the fact she said she never actually received any warnings. A spokesperson said council is aware of the matter, and a review is being carried out by Revenue NSW.

"Council is aware...that the owner has advised she has requested a review, which are undertaken by Revenue NSW," the spokesperson told Yahoo. "At this stage Inner West Council has not been requested to provide any information regarding this fine. Council cannot speculate on the likelihood without knowing all the information.

"Keeping your pets details up to date is important to ensure that Councils have the opportunity to reunite missing pets or contact owners if there are registration concerns such as in this situation.

"Council routinely audits the Office of Local Governments database (Pet Registry) to ensure that the animal’s/owner’s registration is up to date. Where inaccuracies or registration requirements haven't been addressed, Council make several attempts to notify the owner so they can update accordingly.

"Council would strongly encourage all owners to verify their details. Council's staff run information stands and we find that approximately 70 per cent of attendee's pets have issues with either microchips or registration fees."

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