Working dogs

Kennel establishment licence fee

Where a person keeps more than 6 dogs, they must apply for the premises to be licensed as an approved kennel establishment. Local government local laws set out the requirements for applying for an approved kennel establishment licence, including the kennel licence fee.

Kennel establishment registration fee

In addition to paying a kennel establishment licence fee, an applicant must also pay a fee for registering the dogs kept in an approved kennel establishment.

Section 15(5) of the Dog Act provides that the registration fee payable in relation to a dog that is bona fide used in the droving or tending of stock must be one quarter of the fee that would otherwise be payable (working dog concession).

The above table also sets out the fee to renew an individual dog registration for 1 year or 3 years (but does not outline further pensioner discounts).

Applicants must submit a registration application to claim the working dog concession and satisfy the local government each dog being registered is a bona fide working dog. The working dog concession cannot be applied automatically or applied to potentially eligible livestock working dogs.

Application of working dog concession to the fee for registering dogs kept in an approved kennel establishment

The working dog concession also applies to the fee for registering the dogs kept in an approved kennel establishment (for example, where the dogs are bona fide working dogs).

The following table outlines the registration fee for a kennel establishment and the registration fee applicable to working dogs when the working dog concession under section 15(5) of the Dog Act is applied (but does not outline further pensioner discounts):

As noted in the table, the annual registration fee for dogs kept in an approved kennel establishment is $200. If working dogs are kept at the approved kennel establishment, the working dog concession is applied and, therefore, the discounted registration fee is $50.

The registration fee applies to the first working dog registered at the approved kennel establishment. For each subsequent dog registered that is kept at the approved kennel establishment, subject to compliance with any conditions imposed on the applicable licence, there would be no further registration fee payable.

This registration fee is subject to an annual renewal, in line with the duration of the approved kennel establishment licence.

Applicants must submit a registration application to claim the annual working dog concession and satisfy the local government at least one dog within the approved kennel establishment is a bona fide working dog.  The working dog concession cannot be applied automatically, or subsequently applied to dogs individually registered before the kennel licence was issued.

Application of working dog concession to approved kennel establishment licensing fee

The working dog concession does not apply to a fee for a kennel establishment licence.