DO YOUR BIT T O KEEP PETS S AFE
PET owners are b beingi urged ed to regis register their furry friends with Townsville City Council by the end of the month.
Almost 37,000 dogs are registered with the council, but officials suspect there could be many more out there.
Dog registration numbers have only moved a few hundred either way of 37,000 in the past three years, which has led to concerns there are many more not accounted for.
The council’s Community Health and Environment Committee chair Cr Ann- Maree Greaney said Townsville was a city of dog and cat lovers.
“Most pet owners do the right thing for their pets and part of that is ensuring that their animals are registered,” she said. “By … registering your pet, you give council an idea of how many animals are in the city which means we can provide appropriate infrastructure like dog parks.”
Dave and Sue Rice of Mount Louisa own three dogs and said having their dogs registered gave them peace of mind, knowing that if they got out of the yard, they could be identified.
“An unregistered dog has a much greater risk of not making it back to its family,” Mr Rice said.
The penalty for having an unregistered dog is $ 252. Registrations are due by July 31 and can be made at a council office at townsville. qld. gov. au
DANNI SHAFIK