LGA pushes to close dog and cat reporting loophole affecting councils
LGA South Australia is urging the Dog and Cat Management Board to close a loophole that undermines the accuracy of pet data in Dogs and Cats Online, hindering councils’ ability to manage pets effectively.
Since 2018, veterinarians have been able to bypass their obligation to record microchipping and desexing procedures in the online system by handing the responsibility to pet owners via a form. However, many owners either forget or choose not to upload this information, leaving the dog and cat database incomplete and reducing councils' access to critical data for local pet management, enforcement and the returning of lost pets.
Ensuring vets and microchip implanters directly enter this data into the state’s online database is essential for councils to:
- track unregistered animals
- recover registration fees
- reunite lost pets with owners
- make informed decisions about local animal management.
Microchipping and desexing laws introduced in 2016
South Australian laws introduced in 2016 made microchipping and desexing of most cats and dogs mandatory. The laws also established obligations for pet owners, vets and other microchip implanters to ensure that pet records were entered into Dogs and Cats Online.
A loophole introduced by the Dog and Cat Management Board in 2018 weakened this system, by allowing vets to shift this responsibility entirely onto pet owners. Research from Animal Medicines Australia (2024) shows a significant discrepancy between the number of pets in the community and those recorded in Dog and Cats Online.
Importantly, Parliament has made it clear that microchipping and desexing information must be entered into the online database, and pet owners cannot opt out. Therefore, veterinarians cannot claim client confidentiality as a reason not to share this data.
Submission
LGA’s submission to the Dog and Cat Management Board outlines our call to strengthen compliance and restore the effectiveness of Dogs and Cats Online as a vital tool for councils in animal management.
Read LGA’s submission to the Dog and Cat Management Board.
More information
For information about our submission, contact: andrew.lamb@lga.sa.gov.au
For media enquiries: media@lga.sa.gov.au