Dog owner fined $309 after honest mistake
A dog owner has criticised the local government after he was given a huge fine that most people are unaware of.
Queensland resident Peter Morris was fined $309 by Noosa Council for forgetting to register his cavoodle annually.
While each state handles dog registration differently, Queensland allows individual councils to set their own registration fees.
Mr Morris described Noosa Council’s annual charge of $48.50 for sterilised pets and $193.50 for unsterilised dogs as a “money grab”.
He said his dog Rigby hardly leaves the house and claimed he had only been given a final warning to re-register him before being fined.
“It’s a brutal way to generate revenue,” he said. Yeah.
“What on earth do you get for that dog registration?”
Morris has since been warning other locals to abide by the “ridiculous” and “greedy” rule.
A resident of Noosa, in south-east Queensland, has criticised the local government after they fined him $309 for forgetting to renew his dog’s annual registration (stock image)
The Noosa resident said he only received one warning from the council before being issued with the fine (pictured, model)
The dog’s owner added that the cost would only mean that residents who buy a dog would go out of their way to avoid the expense.
“There are a lot of people who are having a hard time,” Morris said.
“People buy new dogs and don’t register them, so there’s no evidence.”
A Noosa City Council spokesman said they only issued fines to residents after reminding them ‘several’ times to renew their registration.
According to Rob Smith, the council’s Environment, Health and Local Laws Manager, more than 10,000 residents have paid the fee in the past year alone.
“Dog owners are legally obliged to notify the council of any changes that affect their dog ownership,” he said.
‘This also ensures that the Council has the most up-to-date information and can keep dog owners informed of their obligations.
‘The municipality recently issued 729 fines for unregistered dogs.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Noosa City Council for comment.
