Hi all, title explains the gist of it. What I'd like to find out are peoples' experiences with such fines and how to go about it; know my options.. because obviously I'm not here on ozb for shits n gigs. I'm here because money is a tight issue for me.
Thanks in advance!
Edit: here are some photos of Liara
http://imgur.com/qqdmlOY
http://imgur.com/95CGaYb
http://imgur.com/SGbmHgK
here is a vid too
https://www.facebook.com/100005836920639/videos/772198916317…
I hope you got a the PET insurance, VET bills are more expensive than fine you just got :)
thank you for your input
@Shepard:
A cat wont cost you much other than food. Aside from the vaccines you may want to get, they rarely need medical attention if you look after them :) And lost dogs would have done the hard work like desexing.
@scbrother: There's always the unexpected though. Sure it rarely happens, but if your cat falls victim to a genetic issue, develops an injury or illness that needs treatment or surgery that's a fat bill right there.
Even if you choose to just have it put down because you can't afford the fix, euthanasia isn't free.
i can attest to this statement… my dog just got knee surgery, and it cost me nearly $3k. Sh*t thing is that i gave up his pet insurance about 15 months ago!!!!!
Most vets have payment plans and reduced fees for people that are a bit tight money wise.
I'd advise against pet insurance, or at least look at it very carefully as I've had vets tell me they insurers don't cover everything. My oldest cat developed asthma when he was about 3 and I'd say it has easily cost me $3000 in tests, puffers (off medicare) and regular vet visits. Acident and illness cover is about $400 per year (https://www.petsecure.com.au/compare/) and he is 14 this year so I would have paid about $4000 insurance by now (I got him when he was 2). I know accidents are a different matter, by not so relevant for indoor cats. I am not getting insurance for my new cat either.
My vet at the RSPCA in Canberra said you can vaccinate every 2 years, but that vaccinations are definitely a good idea, especially for cats that go outside.
Shop around for a good vet - preferably by asking neighbours in the area. According to people who live near me the vet near my house in Seddon is a vet that goes nuts with the tests, swabs, surgeries etc.
Wait, who is the authority that fined you?
I was unaware there was a regulatory body for the registration of cats.
Most councils enforce it in their local area. If you live in a city or a town like most of the population there will be numerous by laws you are expected to follow.
In Victoria, dog and cat registration is administered by local governments, but it's required by State government legislation
You learn something new everyday.
I'll head down to the RMS and get my cats some photo ID.
Tell local council to puss off
Contact council and ask if number of cats on fine can be reduced by one.
Similar to this post Speeding Fine - Requesting The Alleged Speed Be Reduced by 1KM/H
LOL
MVP
HAHA bloody epic
slow clap
Why would you keep a cat if you can't afford it? Registration fee is typically <$100, a drop in the bucket compared to food, vaccinations, worming, vet care, etc.
they feed themselves on birds and rodents
To register my dogs, who are desexed, its $45 a year. Op learnt an expensive lesson
OP will learn more lesons if a $311 fine is giving them pause. What if they need emergency care? If people neglect things like this, or can't afford a pet, they shouldn't have them.
Its a cat living in a shelter… If it needs unaffordable medical care it can be put down…
Not ideal maybe, but still a HELL of a lot more ethical than the food industry supported by the vast majority in this country - presumably you included?
I'd also remind you that their finances are absolutely none of your business. I'm constantly being told by people like you that I cant/shouldnt do X on my miniscule income yet I do it regardless and im always fine. Your lack of ingenuity isnt necessarily shared by all! (That reads a little harsher than I meant it!)
I'd also remind you that their finances are absolutely none of your business.
The OP is asking about getting out of a fine relating to their pet. If you cannot pay registration or a fine, I question your financial commitment to keeping a cat. Furthermore, if you've overlooked or ignorant of things like registration, how about annual check-ups or vaccinations? Dental? I don't care how well people think they're feeding a cat, they'll inevitably require scaling, and it's going to cost a hell of a lot more than $311.
I'm constantly being told by people like you that I cant/shouldnt do X on my miniscule income yet I do it regardless and im always fine.
You're allowed to to be as irresponsible with your money as you like, except where it relates to dependents. If you can't afford a pet, you shouldn't have a pet, just as you shouldn't have children. 'But it's my money!' won't keep the state from seizing your kids.
@Strand0410: What an utterly moronic statement. If you aren't aware that you have to register a cat with the council - something that is incredibly bizarre in the vast majority of countries - you're therefore likely to be unaware that cats sometimes need medical care!?
Jesus Christ, it's a cat not a child… You've conveniently ignored my irrefutably correct point that the Australian meat/dairy industry treats animals in a far more immoral way than someone who doesn't register a cat or possibly can't afford to treat a hypothetical future illness. Unless you're vegan, your point is incredibly hypocritical and therefore redundant.
something that is incredibly bizarre in the vast majority of countries
It's not. Cat and dog licenses are quite common in many developed countries, and often mandatory along with ID, microchip, and up-to-date rabies shot. The Lost Dogs Home absolutely provides National Pet Register paperwork to would-be carers, it's also included in their online resources. You're suggesting that the OP never looked at this before committing to pet ownership? was never told? never asked? never read the little booklet? never bothered investigating? Sorry, but ignorance is not an excuse, and this is beyond the pale.
Jesus Christ, it's a cat not a child… You've conveniently ignored my irrefutably correct point that the Australian meat/dairy industry treats animals in a far more immoral way than someone who doesn't register a cat or possibly can't afford to treat a hypothetical future illness. Unless you're vegan, your point is incredibly hypocritical and therefore redundant.
A companion animal is not a farm animal. A pet cat or dog is more analogous to a child than a chook, because it's a lifetime of emotional and financial investment, with the expectation that their owners are responsible for their care. This is a distinction seemingly everyone but you can make. You also seem to be labouring under the notion that there are only two states of human-animal contact, and that pet ownership is incompatible with animal production. However, while you might not be able to hold two disparate thoughts in your brain, there are people who can both love their dog and eat eggs.
@Strand0410: Define "common" - I refuse to believe that (and yes, I've tried to look for this "common" license but can't say I was overly successful).
Huh? Is it not blatantly obvious that the OP did not research this beforehand? I wasn't specifically stating that but it's irrefutably true.
What complete and utter tripe. You can't SERIOUSLY be telling me that if you care about a certain species of animal more than another, that therefore gives that species a greater right to life!? Can you not see how utterly moronic such a view is? There is no human-cat treaty that commits humans to treating them nicer than a cow.
I am not labouring under the view that "only two types of human-animal contact exist", nor have I even hinted that pet ownership is incompatible with animal production. Are you illiterate or are you being deliberately deceitful?
I love my dog and I eat eggs. Perhaps you can explain how ANYTHING I've said prevents me from doing so?
I refuse to believe that (and yes, I've tried to look for this "common" license but can't say I was overly successful).
USA, Canada, and China already have dog licenses and many of those local governments already have, or are introducing cat licenses like Germany.
Huh? Is it not blatantly obvious that the OP did not research this beforehand? I wasn't specifically stating that but it's irrefutably true.
Whether they don't have the money, or the inclination to look up the most basic information before adoption, is itself, a problem. Ignorance is not an excuse. A cat owner who doesn't know the law, is just as liable for registration as a car owner.
What complete and utter tripe. You can't SERIOUSLY be telling me that if you care about a certain species of animal more than another, that therefore gives that species a greater right to life!? Can you not see how utterly moronic such a view is?
We as a society already make those value judgements. The state can't harass you for killing and eating your chicken or cow, but try it with a cat or dog, and see how sympathetic the law is. The value of life is not uniform between species, so let's not pretend that it's hypocritical that people value responsible pet ownership of companion animals differently from production animals. I fail to see how veganism is relevant to this discussion at all.
I love my dog and I eat eggs. Perhaps you can explain how ANYTHING I've said prevents me from doing so?
What the hell are you talking about? Let's go over this slowly to clear up any confusion you think is going on.
OP gets hit with fine > maybe they're too negligent or cash-strapped to own pets > their finances are none of your business > actually, if they can't afford $311, they can't afford pet ownership > even if a cat is put down, it's no worse than meat and dairy, so you're a hypocrite! > companion and production animals are held to different standards of care, stop attempting to equate them.
There is no human-cat treaty that commits humans to treating them nicer than a cow.
Actually, there is. Animal welfare law varies wildly between species. Production animals like cows tend to fall under jurisdiction of primary industries or fisheries, which defines differing minimum standards than cats which fall under domestic animal law. There is no moral hypocrisy about considering the welfare of a cat before a cow, and calling out the OP for it. Capiche?
It should be a one off fee.
I'd wager they weren't avoiding registration, they simply didn't realise they had to register.
And that's another can of worms
The council will ensure that you pay.
Apart from the usual Rate Roads & Rubbish, they are good for nothing apart from clawing money imo.
The Government should get rid of them all.
I should get the Councilor to mow my front nature-strip considering I don't own it
Edit: All the Councillor/workers/pro council supporters are welcome to give me a neg!
Enjoy your next Rate Hike!
I am more for abolishing State Governments rather than local councils. Push the responsibilities from State to Local or Federal as required. Unfortunately then you have a massive unemployment problem with all the useless state government workers who can't get jobs in the real world.
I 100% agree that councils are useless. They have plenty of time to try to change Australia Day but they can't patch the roads.
I think that if he refuses to pay they'll be too lazy to pursue him. He won't need to lie to a magistrate. He can just ask to have the charge thrown out based on lack of evidence.
I know fines up here go to fines recovery and they can suspend your licence and registration for failing to pay.
I should get the Councilor to mow my front nature-strip
But the full bush is back in vogue, you know. It drives some men wild.
Hahaha!
Possibly! However in this context, leaving a permanent un-trimmed bush at the front will arouse the local council of fining you!
I am assuming you let it roam and that's how it was discovered? if so you should really keep it locked up as they destroy native wildlife.
On a side note, had a friend of a friend get some quite rare and expensive birds and kept them in an aviary. The birds really weren't doing well and some research uncovered that they were being kept awake all night and were totally stressed out by a cat trying to get in and get them. So the bird's owner set up an electric fence around the cage to give the cat a zap and deter it from going after the birds. Next morning the bird's owner goes outside to discover 8 dead cats around the cage, I don't' know what sort of electric fence it was but apparently, it was a bit too much for the cats to handle. The cats were all promptly disposed of to remove any evidence. I have 0% sympathy for the cans owners
i never let her out once. she's an inside cat. cats live longer if theyre kept inside. they have no real need to be outside.
that's good too hear, but how did you get caught?
i don't really know. either the lost dog's home reported the adoption or some person came on a 'random' inspection when i first adopted her and i didn't know of the incident bc im out of home most of the time during the day
@Shepard: Or my best guess is that somebody dobbed you in, the lost dogs home reporting it also sounds feasible, however.
A random inspection? By looking through your window?
You're entitled to be told of any evidence against you. I'd tell them that you don't have a cat and d ask them on what basis they think you do.
@SteveOh: By looking through your window?
She could explain that until they look in her window the cat could be thought of as both dead and alive at the same time.. so they should fine her and not fine her at the same time. ??? :)
@Shepard: i adopted my cat from the lost dogs home also. I received a warning notice in the mail about 3 month's later telling me i had to register him. I think it was the microchip ownership register thing that alerted the council about him. Glen eira council sent 2 warnings to register him otherwise I'd be fined. I was also unaware when i adopted him cats had to be registered.
@Shepard:Lost Dogs Home (Almost all adoption places) notify your local council to inform them that you have recently adopted a new pet. Its a requirement for them to notify your council. I adopted my cat from the LDH about 3 years ago and received a letter form my council which said the stuff about any pet over 3 months must be registered. The letter even came with an application form for animal registration which had to be completed within 14 days. I'd definitely call your council and talk to them and ask if they usually send out an application form for animal registration. Having received no letter or notice about needing to register and then fining you is a bit weird. Hope it all works out!
@Jake17:
Did you eventually register him? I'm skimming through this whole discussion, received a text message from my council about 2 months ago for I assume one of our cats, my partner has received 2 texts over the past 8-9 months for what we assume is the other cat (one registered in each of our names).
Still haven't paid anything. Haven't received a formal letter/email/warning etc.
If my cats don't spend the day outside, they go crazy. They have things to do like laying in the sun,climbing trees, stalking birds and visiting the various neighbors they've made friends with.
Cats (like humans) may not need to go outside, but it sure would be a dull life being cooped up inside all day.
Same here. But only during daylight and I'm also keeping an eye out that they don't chase birds.
I have 0% sympathy for the cans owners
That's a very sexist statement to make.
TBH, I love cans owners.
By the time I realised the typo it was too late to fix. I have nothing against owners of those cans.
Haha. Amen Brother.
Hey OP,
While ignorance is not a valid excuse, I'd still try calling the council and pleading. Tell them it's your first pet and have your CC ready to suggest you can pay the registration fee.
They might waive it (although knowing what they are like with parking fines, possibly not).
"They might waive it (although knowing what they are like with parking fines, possibly not)."
No chance!
They might give you an extension to pay.
OP can only hope pet infringements are handled by a different dept than parking infringements, ie. hope they get another cat person and talk about how awesome cats are (hopefully they don't get a dog person).
Hahaha!
Cat, Dog or Bird person …. they want his money!
There is no compassion when it comes to payment of fines … only an empathetic generosity (yawn!)of providing extensions and payment terms.
Do this but register the cat then write to them instead of calling… calling will get you nowhere but there's a chance of the fee being waived if you write a letter saying you're sorry, you didn't know but you registered kitty as soon as you became aware of the rules. No guarantees it will work but I did write a letter for someone once and their non-rego fine was waived.
+1 this, $311 is a lots of money
If money is a tight issue, why do you have a cat?
rather than spending 180 on weekly therapy sessions i opted for a pet
thank you for your input.
Have you not gotten a mental health care plan from your GP? Allows you to have 12 free sessions every year
that's 12 of 52 weeks i get to see a therapist and half of it was used trying to sus out which was suitable for my needs. for someone who has trouble leaving the house unnecessarily (ie not for buying food or going to work) it made sense to me to get a cat at that point and i don't regret any of it. she has helped me cope if not give me a reason not to just jump in front of a train bc someone still has to feed and care for her every day.
@Shepard: Do you mean trying to sus out which therapist would be suitable for your needs? Don't get me wrong, I wasn't trying to say not to get a pet! I know that having a pet can help reduce stress and anxiety among other things. Just wanted to make sure you were aware of the mental health care plan as I know it can be a big help financially.
What a dumb question - OP likes p u s s i e s. haha
Registration for cats? What is going on down there?
im not sure if you're asking legitimately or not. can clarify if so
Wait - what cat? You don't even have a cat!
Remember how it ran away the day after you adopted it?
Yeah that dang neighbour's cat is always in here - thinks it lives here!
We're talking about an indoor cat here so there's no justification for council bludgers to help themselves to extra fees.
Also, microchiping a cat in case it gets out and gets lost is completely separate from council Registration which is a pure money grab.
We still live in a democracy and you can't be fined without evidence. I would contact them and tell them you do not have a cat and direct them to cancel the infringement notice. Do not sign any thing. You do not have to talk to them. You do not have to cooperate. They have to prove that you've done something.
I would like to see them get a warrant to search your house for a cat. If they do please share it with all the news papers and online so the council can become a laughing stock and so cat lovers everywhere can post letters full of cat shit to the mayor's home lol.
"pure money grab" = council.
"We still live in a democracy and you can't be fined without evidence" = Obviously it doesn't seem the be the case in this circumstance.
The poor OP (& others) will be contributing to the ridiculous salaries of the CEO of councils which can go up to $400K PA.
That's all good. Ensure that your car gets a wheel alignment/new rims every time you run over pot-holes on the road within your shire due to lack of maintenance. It is not their problem.
You ring them up and it's like speaking to a call center overseas. Empty without substance.
For some reason, regardless of rain, hail and shine, your Rates notice always arrive in your mail promptly …. and the fees exponentially increase with their paltry leaflet explaining of where your money goes. Just to justify their cash grab!
Back in October last year, during the council elections via postal vote (who cares about members) many received a fine as for some reason their letter was not received.
Considering that rate payers are paying escalating and exorbitant rates, then why didn't they mandate a Registered only post?
Cash Grab???? Hmmmmm
You ring them up and it's like speaking to a call center overseas.
Now that you say that…
The other day when driving to work, I found a dog running around semi-busy back roads in the rain. It seemed like it just wanted to get out of the rain as it literally was running at cars.
I got out to stop it getting run over. Tried calling the council. Now (don't know if it's still the case), but the council I live in/found the dog has/had the highest average rates bill in Melbourne. Plus as we know, we have to pay pet registration (I have two indoor cats to which I receive no benefit for this cost).
So anyway, called the out of hours number, it sounded like someone in this country, but had absolutely no empathy for the situation. Ran through his script and just told me that I have to call the council at 8:30. Well that wasn't much use, if I waited with the dog till 8:30, I'd be one hour late to work.
While he sounded Aussie, it very much felt like an experience with an overseas call center.
Thats when an email to the local alderman might be worth while. If they expect animal owners to pay rego then they should be providing a service to the community that includes picking up those registered animals.
He adopted the cat through a shelter, it will have been directly reported by the shelter as they are required to do by law. Also by law he must register within 30 days after adoption. This isn't a council requirement this is a state government legal requirement
Either register online and say you never recieved the fine.
Deny you have a cat. What can they do? Come round and inspect?
Classic case of punishing the many due to the few who dont look after their pets.
Are you sure it's your cat the council fined you for?
Couldn't have been a friend from another council area that owns a cat that was visiting?
This is the most likely way to get around it.
What if a cat just enters a home and stays there, a person feels sorry and feeds it and this lasts 3 months, does he have to register it?
Our by laws here in Darwin cover that eventuality and yes, you would be deemed the owner. Proving it would be another matter.
What's the cats name?
liara
OP try to post your PayPal link and you may as well get a new TV because your mental health is a concern to a lot of ppl here.
new tv? what do you mean?
He's making a reference to an old but controversial ozb post.
Ignore the idiots. They have no compassion and little understanding of life.
OP has mental issue, financial issue, same case like the poor kid who likes TV so much. Didn't I offer OP a solution that's proved to help?
It's kind of hard to understand how you got caught. I would work this out first. If the place you adopted it from informed the council of your purchase and sent the council your info I would be asking why they didn;t explain to you that you needed register the animal.
Registering a cat is (profanity) mental. A dog I get because if they escape they can attack people.
Oh and you have to register it every year. Why not just a one off or renew every 3/5/7 years?
It is a one off rego, isn't it?
Not in my council. You have to pay by the 10th April yearly.
That sounds absolutely scummy of them. What services does the council provide in return for registering the cat/dog?
Your registration fees help Council provide many pet-related services, including:
- help to find your pet, if it is lost
- closing puppy farms and prosecuting operators
- more pet-friendly parks and other facilities throughout Casey.
By registering your cat or dog you help Council provide services, such as:
- Daily updates to the City of Casey Lost Pets Register.
- Collecting lost and wandering pets.
-Investigating and prosecuting alleged puppy farms and animal cruelty cases.- Regulating pet shops and breeders to ensure pets sold in Casey are healthy and well looked after.
-Investigating and prosecuting dog attacks.
http://www.casey.vic.gov.au/health-safety/local-laws/animals…
All of that stuff seems like it should be covered by existing rates or by having your animal microchipped.
Why is this comment so negged? As an avid cat enthusiast, I can assure you that food is very much not the only expense.