COUNCIL will again launch a door-to-door crackdown on unregistered cats and dogs, with owners facing fines of up to $266 if their four-legged friends are not registered.
Redland City Council last undertook door-to-door canvassing in December 2016.
At the time council was getting 4000 complaints a year about domestic pets and impounding 1300 animals annually.
Since then problems appear to have increased, with myriad complaints about people walking dogs off-leash and animals being taken to so-called conservation reserves and allowed to run.
Council inspectors will embark on a door knocking program to check if cats and dogs in the Redlands are registered and felines are kept indoors.
Deputy mayor Julie Talty said the program was intrusive and voted against the move at council last week.
"Council officers should not be knocking on doors when we have other work we could do," she said.
This comes after councillors voted to approve a systematic inspection program by council's animal management team to start in January next year.
Annual pet registration fees range in price depending on age and if animals have been microchipped or desexed. A standard annual fee for an adult dog is $151 and a cat aged over six months $107.
Cr Adelia Berridge questioned the honesty of some pet owners and the authority of inspection officers.
"People who own a cat and get a knock on the door, and tell officers they don't have a cat, but there's the cat sleeping on the bed - do officers have any power to check?" she said.
Acting group manager for environment and regulation Donna Wilson said officers had no authority to enter homes or businesses and inspections were based on what officers saw and what residents told them.
Complaints regarding roaming cats could be reported to the animal management team.
The inspection program is aimed at updating council's records, obtaining new registrations for unregistered animals and following up on overdue registrations.
It will also help in educating owners on the requirements of animal registration, the benefits and provide information on how fees will be used.
Cr Tracey Huges said: "I know that this can be somewhat controversial so I want to reiterate that our officers are out there looking after our community".
As the population grows, Redlands has recorded substantial domestic animal issues, with wildlife killed on places like North Stradbroke Island and regular dog attacks from uncontrolled animals.
Raby Bay residents have called for better policing and tighter laws due to the number of dog attacks and abusive owners.
Meantime council is proposing to ease dog laws in some areas and is asking for public feedback on its website.
