Annual pet fee gets collared PET owners would pay up to $150 to register each cat or dog every year under a radical proposal aimed at driving down pound euthanasia rates. But within hours of releasing the report, the state government sent the recommendation to the dog house. Local Government Minister Don Page said he "did not favour" the annual charge, despite it being a key element of the paper he commissioned. Under proposals before the state government, the one-off $150 for lifetime registration of an undesexed pet, or $40 for a desexed animal would become a yearly bill for pet owners. Pet owners would fork out up to $3000 to register a cat which reaches 20 years of age or $1950 for a dog's average lifespan of 13 years. Under the proposals, the fees would also be linked to CPI, which could lead to even higher costs. A report by the Companion Animals Taskforce recommends increasing the cost of registration in NSW, and forcing owners to pay it every year in a bid to stop more than 30,000 animals being killed in pounds across the state. "Annual registration would make it more attractive for owners to desex their cat or dog due to the cumulative cost of paying a significantly higher annual registration fee for an undesexed animal over its lifetime," the report said. The taskforce found the existing lifetime registration fee acted as an incentive for owners to desex their pet when it was registered because of the heavy discount - but the "once-off nature" meant there was no financial advantage to desex an animal after it was registered. It found annual registration "reinforces the message that owning an animal is a life-long commitment" and could slash "impulse buying of pets by (an) unsuitable owner." It would also give councils a cash windfall to fund cat and dog management - with current revenue failing to recover the full cost. "Cat and dog registration fees should be reviewed and set at such a level to provide an additional incentive for owners to desex their animals," it said. In order to maintain consistency, registration fees could be increased across all categories (desexed, undesexed, breeder, pensioner). However, any increase in fees should aim to encourage greater desexing of animals by owners. This could be achieved by increasing the undesexed animal registration fee significantly (by at least 25 per cent), while other registration categories could be increased in line with inflation. Registration would be indexed to CPI, and discounted registration would be offered for desexed animals bought from a pound or shelter. "While the contentious nature of this recommendation is acknowledged, the taskforce considers it to be essential," the paper said. Annual registration would make it easier to return lost animals to their owners.