Animal Registration and Renewal
All dogs and cats over three (3) months of age must be microchipped and registered with Council. It is a legal requirement in Victoria as per the Domestic Animals Act 1994.
All pet registration must be renewed before they expire on the 10 April each year. Current pet owners will receive their 2025-26 Renewal Notice in the coming weeks via eNotice or Post.
When completing your new animals' registration, please provide a copy of all relevant documents, including:
- proof of microchip
- sterilisation certificate, and
- pension concession card (if applicable)
(eligible pension cards: Services Australia Pension Concession Card, Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) Pension Concession Card & DVA Gold Card with War Widow or TPI entitlements)
Health Care Cards are not eligible for reduced fees.
Please note: if a copy of all relevant documents are not provided, this may prevent you from receiving a reduced fee or we may not be able to accept the registration.
Note: all cats being registered must be sterilised in accordance with section 10 A(1) of the Domestic Animals Act 1994 and confined to property as per Local Law, Part 6 Animal Keeping Section 83.2.
Register your animal online
Refer to Domestic Animals Act 1994 for valid exemptions.
If your animal is currently registered with another Victorian Council, please complete the Animal Transfer form.(PDF, 184KB)
It is a requirement that Council charge the State Government Levy of $4.51 per registration. This Levy is primarily used to fund responsible pet ownership educational programs and is included in the registration fee. Fees help pay for services such as collecting stray and feral animals, operating the pound and prosecuting dog attacks.
You can opt to receive your Animal Registration Renewal Notice via email, by registering at Council's eNotices portal.
If your pet has:
- passed away, or
- departed the area, i.e. no longer in the City of Melton,
you must notify Council by completing the deceased or departed animal online form.
Failure to do so may result in a fine. Please ensure you update the animals microchip details with the corresponding Microchip registry. to ensure lost pets are returned to the lawful owner in the event they become lost or injured.
If your animal is currently registered with another Victorian Council, please complete the Animal Transfer form.(PDF, 184KB) Animal transfers cannot be completed online.
Please visit one of our Customer Service Centres with proof of your current registration with another Victorian Council. To be eligible for a no fee transfer, proof of registration must be in the same owner name.
Note: If you are not able to provide proof of registration, please proceed with the new animal registration.
You can notify us online if your animal:
- is deceased
- has departed (no longer resides within the municipality)
- is sterilised
NOTE: to notify us online, you will need to register to access the Community Portal.
To notify us of the below changes, download the Change of Animal Registration Details form(DOC, 444KB)
- add your Pension Concession details (Blue Card)
- update your (owner) residing/postal address
- update animals kept at address
- change to animal ownership to another person over 18 years of age who also resides with the City of Melton
Please ensure you update the animals microchip details with the corresponding Microchip registry. to ensure lost pets are returned to the lawful owner in the event they become lost or injured.
All dogs and cats must be microchipped. You can get proof of microchipping from a vet or from the supplier of your pets microchip, and you must provide these details when registering your pet.
You can have your pet microchipped at any veterinary clinic.
What is a microchip?
- a microchip is a tiny computer chip placed under the skin of your pet
- it has a unique code consisting of 15 digits, which when scanned Rangers can identify and contact the owner
- once in place it cannot be lost, removed or altered for the life of your pet
- microchipping is not painful and does not cause harm to the animal
- a microchip is separate to Council Registration
Why microchip my pet?
- it is listed for life on the Australian Animal Register
- if your pet is ever lost or impounded it can be identified and reunited with its owner.
A dangerous or menacing dog is a dog which has been declared by Council, in accordance with the Domestic Animals Act 1994.
Please note that dangerous or menacing dogs cannot be registered online. Please visit one of our Customer Service Centres to register or renew the registration of your animal in person.
For more information regarding dangerous or menacing dogs please contact our Animal Management Unit on 9747 7200.
The Domestic Animals Act 1994 requires specific controls for the keeping of restricted breed dogs. The Victorian Government legislation restricts the following breeds:
- American Pit Bull Terrier (or Pit Bull Terrier)
- Fila Brasileiros
- Perro De Presa Canarios (or Presa Canario)
- Dogo Argentinos or
- Japanses Tosas
Failure to declare the breed of your dog, if its one of the restricted breeds above, may cause you to be liable to a fine under the Domestic Animals Act 1994, or prosecution in the Magistrates Court.
Registration tags must be attached to your animals' collar at all times so that Council can contact you if your animal is lost or injured.
Please note: it is an offence under the Domestic Animals Act 1994 for you animal to not be wearing the prescribed registration tag.
Replacement Tags
Lifetime tags are supplied with registration. If the tag is lost or damaged complete the application for a replacement tag, or visit one of our Customer Service Centres to order a new one.
Delay in issuance of Animal Lifetime Tags
Due to high volume of transactions around this time, Council is experiencing delay in issuing Animal Lifetime Tags.
While the Tag must be attached to your pet’s collar, owners are allowed to walk their pet as long as the animal is currently registered and they have adequate control. The registered owner would have received a separate email after their online application of their proof of animal registration with the Lifetime Tag awaiting to arrive.
Should you need the tag as required by an animal boarding house, for insurance purposes, or any other urgent reasons, please email Animals@melton.vic.gov.au
Thank you for your understanding and patience.
You can keep up to two dogs and two cats without a permit.
If you intend to house more than 2 dogs and/or 2 cats per property, a permit may be required.
For further information and to apply for a multiple animal permit visit our How many pets can I have webpage or contact us on 9747 7200.
Guide Dogs, Assistance Dogs or Federal / State Dogs can be registered free of charge.
These registrations cannot be completed online. Please visit one of our Customer Service Centres with required proof.
Guide Dogs
Section 7 of Domestic Animals Act 1994 exempts a visually - or hearing-impaired person who keeps and uses a guide dog from paying registration. Section 7 also exempts an organisation training guide dogs from the registration fee – this extends to dogs being trained by a person within the home on behalf of the organisation.
Assistance dogs
Assistance dogs, defined under the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 is “a dog that is trained to perform tasks or functions that assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effects of his or her disability”.
Provided that certain eligibility criteria are met, assistance dogs can be registered for free. To avail of the Assistance dog registration scheme and receive the zero-registration fee, the owner of an assistance dog must provide reasonable evidence that:
- they (or their client) have a disability (as per the Equal Opportunities Act 2010 definition) that necessitates an assistance dog
- the assistance dog is trained to alleviate the effect(s) of the disability
- the assistance dog has completed obedience training provided by a dog trainer*
Note: The obedience training can either be completed separately, or as part of the training undertaken to perform tasks or functions that assist the person with a disability to alleviate the effects of their disability.
Note: Dog trainer means a person who:
a) provides training at a dog obedience training organisation approved by the Minister under section 5B(1) of the Domestic Animals Act 1994; or
b) has a Certificate III in Dog Behaviour and Training; or
c) has a Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services
- the assistance dog is at least 12 months old
- the assistance dog is desexed.
Emotional Support Dogs are excluded from the free Assistance Dog Registration Scheme.
Government Dogs
Government dogs are exempt from registration fees under section 8 of the Domestic Animals Act 1994. Provide proof of status such as Foster Carer Certificate or Foster Care Agreement issued by the Australian Border Force.
Greyhounds registered with GRV with status Racing or Breeding are exempt from Council registration.
Greyhound classified as a pet greyhound are required to be registered and all dog ownership laws under the DA Act apply.
Standard fees apply if:
- Your greyhound is no longer racing or breeding
- Your greyhound is under the Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP)
Please refer to Animal Welfare Victoria for additional information.
A reduced registration fee applies if you and your animal are current members of any of the applicable organisations listed below:
Proof of membership must be provided at the time of registration as well as the applicable organisations registration certificate for the animal being registered.
Approved Obedience Training Organisations
To be eligible for the obedience trained reduced fee the animal must have successfully completed an obedience training program with one of the following organisations, who have been approved by the Minister for Agriculture as Approved Obedience Training Organisations:
- Australian Association of Professional Dog Trainers Inc
- The Kintala Dog Club Association Inc.
- The Delta Institute
An ‘Animal Welfare Victoria’ dog obedience certificate of successful completion must be provided.
Note that not all Dog Training Establishments are also 'Approved Obedience Training Organisations'.
For more information, contact Customer Service on 9747 7200 or email: animals@melton.vic.gov.au.