Pet Registration Fees Rise As Monash Council Takes Restricted Breed Do

[melzawelza]

Imagine what that money could have been spent on as far as owner support and other programs proven to reduce dog attacks. BSL affects the whole community in a negative way.

MONASH pet owners have copped the costs of Victoria’s restricted breed legislation, covering the council’s legal fees with a registration hike.

The Leader last week reported a 25 per cent hike in animal registration fees in 2013-14, up from $36.10 to $45 for each desexed dog and cat.

With 12,901 dogs and 5357 cats registered in Monash last year, the $8.90 an animal ­increase would yield the council an extra $162,496.

The council has so far spent more than $180,000 on legal fees in the cases of two alleged ­restricted breed dogs.

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Monash Mayor Geoff Lake said the council had budgeted to receive $757,954 in pet registration fees this year, with “pet-specific services” expected to cost $749,000.

These services included employing rangers, paying a state government levy, a contract with the RSPCA, administrative costs and legal costs.

Cr Lake acknowledged the $180,000 legal bill was a factor in the registration fee hike.

“This cost has been spread over several years so it is not the sole reason for the fee increase this year,” he said.

“However, it is a factor that has pushed up council’s costs, which in turn has forced us to raise fees.”

Cr Lake has previously criticised the State Government’s restricted breed dog laws as “sloppy and unworkable”.

“If the State Government wants its poorly drafted dog laws defended, it should do it themselves in future,” Cr Lake said in December.

“The residents of Monash and other councils should not have to keep paying for their lazy and half-baked law making.”

But Department of Environment and Primary Industries spokeswoman Gemma Gadd said the Government had responded to councils’ concerns by introducing a new standard for restricted breed dogs in January.

Ms Gadd said the new standard would make assessing dogs more straightforward, and would provide greater recognition for suitably trained council authorised officers.

Monash Ratepayers Asso­ciation president Des Olin said the legal costs to the council were unacceptable and the increase to pet registration fees were exorbitant.

But Mr Olin also said the council’s decision to increase pet registration fees by 25 per cent was “exorbitant”.

He said the council should have found another way to offset legal costs, such as parking fine revenue, and warned pet owners might opt not to re-register their animals.

Cr Lake said he would campaign for registration fees to remain static in the coming council budget “given the size of last year’s increase”.

But Cr Lake said pet registration fees should entirely pay for pet-specific services, instead of ratepayers subsidising those services as has been the case in recent years.

Link: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/east/pet-registration-fees-rise-as-monash-council-takes-restricted-breed-dog-cases-to-court/story-fngnvlxu-1226884311427

[kelpiecuddles]

I grew up in Monash council area, I can only imagine rates have increased a fair bit in recent years too.

[cavNrott]

I grew up in Monash council area, I can only imagine rates have increased a fair bit in recent years too.

I'm in the Monash Council and you're right, the rates are now very expensive in comparison to what they were a few years ago. We have huge increases every year.

I can't help but wonder what these very expensive 'Pet specific services' are that Mayer Geoff Lake is talking about. I haven't been aware of any such services in the past by Monash City Council. If there are these services I'd like to know what they are. Perhaps he's talking about the contract fees with the RSPCA.