Animal business registrations
You must register any domestic animal business in Knox with Council.
A domestic business is:
- an animal shelter
- Council pound
- Council pet shop
- a for-profit business that looks after, trains or boards cats or dogs
- a for-profit business that breeds cats or dogs and has more than 10 fertile female animals
- a for-profit business that breeds cats or dogs and has less than 10 fertile female animals, but the owner is not a member of an applicable organisation.
How to register
To apply for a permit to register a domestic animal business, you will need to:
- provide a copy of your Public Liability Insurance
- pay the permit fee.
Renew your registration
Your domestic animal business registration is valid until 10 April of each year or until the business changes ownership.
You will receive a renewal letter before your registration is due to expire.
To renew, follow the instructions on the letter to pay the renewal fee.
You will need:
- Your payment reference number, which can be found under the 'How to Pay' section of your permit renewal notice.
- A valid debit or credit card.
Other considerations
Under Local Law, your business must also hold a current permit to keep extra animals.
You may also need to request planning permission before you can register your business. Please check with us first.
Fees and charges
| Type of fee | When | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Animal Business Registration Application Fee | On application | $188 |
| Animal Business Registration | Annually | $370 |
| Domestic Animal Business Additional Inspection Fee | Per additional inspection | $150 |
These fees are current from 1 July 2025 until 30 June 2026.
Inspections
We will conduct an inspection of your animal business as part of your registration application.
A fee may occur if continuous inspections are required due to non-compliance, i.e.: from the 3rd inspection onwards.
We will also conduct annual inspections to make sure businesses follow all legal requirements.
Non-compliance
We investigate all reports of suspected backyard breeders.
We also follow up on all cats and dogs sold to Knox residents to ensure they have been microchipped and registered. Owners of any unregistered dogs and cats will receive an infringement notice.
When we discover non-compliance, we prefer to work with the business to achieve compliance.
If this approach fails, we will take enforcement action.
Need help?
Contact us and we will get back to you.
Or call our Customer Services team on 9298 8000.
