Liam McNally
People supported by assistance animals in Moorabool will have the opportunity to have their animal registration fees refunded.
At a Moorabool council meeting on Wednesday, May 3 council moved to provide a full refund of a domestic animal registration fee for an assistance animal defined in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) to an owner under.
In Moorabool there are 2,353 people living with disability according to the 2021 census, and 381 one of those people own a dog, which is the most common form of assistance animal.
Council calculated that it would cost $25,146 to refund the $66 registration fees for those animals.
A council document said the “economic and social benefit of supporting people living with a disability far outweighs the cost to council”.
“An assistance animal is not simply a pet but rather a highly trained disability support service that enables a person with a disability to safely participate in personal and public life activities” it said.
“Supporting people with a disability who reside in the Shire and fully refunding a domestic animal registration fee is a positive step toward removing barriers and creating a more inclusive community which supports the independence of people living with disability.”
