Townsville City Council and Thuringowa City Council both require that all dogs be registered, with registration renewed annually. All dogs MUST wear their registration tags.

It helps if your name and address is on your new pet’s collar. Dogs and cats can also have microchips implanted. These small devices are invaluable in permanently linking your contact details to your animal – even if their collars come off, they can still be scanned and you can be contacted and advised of their whereabouts.

Your community is placing more and more emphasis on the need to safely confine pets. The council requires dogs to be kept in your yard al all times except when out on a leash. It is recommended that cats should be kept inside the house or garage at all times. This is standard practice for pet owners in many countries but as yet is not as common in Australia.

There are many compelling reasons to keep your cat as an indoor-only pet – it not only minimizes the likelihood of suffering from road accident trauma or dog attack but also protects them from cat fights with neighbourhood cats and the subsequent transmission of infectious and sometimes fatal diseases. For more ideas on keeping cats happy indoors, read our Cats Indoors article.