On 1 July 2018 several amendments to the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995 (SA) will commence.
These changes will have an impact on your work and role in the primary healthcare of companion dogs and cats.
The legislative changes include:
Dogs and Cats Online
Dogs and Cats Online is a new database combining all 68 Local Council dog and cat registration databases
Dogs and Cats Online will include information about microchips, desexing, assistance dogs, racing greyhounds and dogs with control orders
Veterinary surgeons have new legal obligations to enter information onto Dogs and Cats Online
Working instructions for veterinary user log ins will be available in May/June 2018
Owners will have continuing obligations to keep their details, plus the details of their dogs and cats, up to date on this new system
Owners will be sent a renewal notice in July with a unique code and instructions on how to log on to Dogs and Cats Online
Owners can add their cat microchip details to their animals in Dogs and Cats Online
Owners will be able to log in at any time to update their address, contact details, dog or cat location or ownership changes, etc
Changes inform their council registration and microchip contact details for all animals in their name simultaneously
There is no fee for owners to update Dogs and Cats Online
Veterinary Surgeons’ obligations through Dogs and Cats Online
Veterinary surgeons in SA will have an obligation to upload, into Dogs and Cats Online, information about desexing procedures which they conduct
Veterinary surgeons and other microchip implanters in SA will have an obligation to upload, into Dogs and Cats Online, information about microchipping procedures which they conduct
Dogs and Cats Online will become the official record of microchipping and desexing procedures in SA and will largely replace the need for veterinary surgeons to issue certificates
Mandatory microchipping
Mandatory microchipping for all dogs and cats (unless exempted by a veterinary surgeon)
Microchipping will only be able to be performed by:
a veterinary surgeon
a person working under the supervision of a Veterinary Surgeon
a person who has completed a course approved by the Dog and Cat Management Board
a person approved by the Dog and Cat Management Board
Microchip details must be stored on Dogs and Cats Online. Storing the details on an national registry is optional
Microchip details stored on national registries will not be transferred onto Dogs and Cats Online; owners will need to ensure their animal records are up to date and accurate on Dogs and Cats Online
There is no fee to enter microchip details onto Dogs and Cats Online
Mandatory desexing
Mandatory desexing for dogs and cats born after 1 July 2018 (a range of exemptions apply)
A veterinary surgeon may exempt an owner of a dog or cat on grounds specified in the Dog and Cat Management Regulations 2017 (i.e. unacceptable anaesthesia risk)
While the Dog and Cat Management Regulations 2017 stipulate desexing must be carried out for dogs and cats by six months of age, a veterinary surgeon can also defer a desexing procedure to allow larger breeds to fully develop
There is no fee to enter desexing details onto Dogs and Cats Online
Exemptions
From 1 July 2018, registered veterinary surgeons will be able to exempt a dog or cat from microchipping and desexing if satisfied the procedure would:
pose an undue risk to the health of the dog or cat
adversely affect the growth, development or wellbeing of the dog or cat
Penalties may apply to a registered veterinary surgeon who exempts a dog or cat outside of these parameters.
Exemptions are to be recorded directly into Dogs and Cats Online in the animal’s record from 1 July 2018
Breeder registration
From 1 July 2018, breeders of dogs and cats in SA will be required to register with the Dog and Cat Management Board on Dogs and Cats Online, which will link owners, pets and the breeders of the pets
Breeders that own dogs will need to follow the instructions included in their dog registration renewal notice
Breeders that don’t own any dogs will be able to create a new owner log in on Dogs and Cats Online and add their cat microchip details and select the breeder option
Owners must enter cat microchip details into Dogs and Cats Online – more information will be provided to the public following the dog registration renewal period
Councils with cat by-laws that prescribe cat registration may assign a fee in Dogs and Cats Online to be charged annually
Councils without a cat by-law that prescribes cat registration will not be able to charge an annual cat registration fee
Resources available
To order new publications, posters, or arrange for TV screen/LED graphics, newsletter content and images, please contact dcmb@sa.gov.au.
For more information on these changes, visit the Dog and Cat Management Board website at www.dogandcatboard.com.au or phone the Dog and Cat Management Board on (08) 8124 4962
