LOCAL law officers have begun knocking on doors all over Cardinia to check whether residents have renewed their pet’s registration.

The council sent out thousands of pet registration renewal forms at the beginning of the year, but many owners are yet to return them long after the April 10 deadline.

Dogs and cats aged three months or more must be registered and wear an approved registration tag issued by the council under domestic animal law.

Owners of unregistered or unmicrochipped animals may be slapped with a $220 fine and associated costs such as pound fees can see pet owners fork out more than $500.

Cardinia manager of local laws Alan Giachin said about 15 per cent of pet owners still haven’t renewed their registration.

He said that although some owners may have moved to another municipality or some animals may have died, Cardinia Shire Council wants to ensure the remaining owners have renewed their registrations and that those pets which are new to the shire have been registered.

Registration renewal costs between $12 and $80 depending on the animal and whether it has been desexed and microchipped.

Dogs and cats that aren’t on the shire’s records must be microchipped before being registered.

Cardinia Shire Council holds a microchipping day once a year where pets can be implanted for $20.

Mr Giachin urged residents to consider microchipping their pets.

“Pet registration is an important part of being a responsible pet owner.

“The process of microchipping is relatively painless and involves a tiny chip being injected under the animal’s skin by a qualified veterinarian, which ensures lost or stolen pets can be identified quickly and returned to their owners,” he said.