Piccolo, the Maltese Shih Tzu, is one of 1628 animals recently added to the new online pet registration system at Shire of Mundaring, Western Australia.
Developed and built exclusively by Shire staff, the application went live last June, enabling a complete online registration process for the 9000 plus animals registered with the Shire.
Manager Information Technology, Melanie Ponnan, said the application integrates with internal systems that link the owner and the animal’s details.
“The online service ensures simplicity for customers and – for the first time – we can capture quality information, reducing the need for follow ups.”
Previously registrations of animals involved filling in and posting registration forms or completing them at the Shire.
“Residents can now transfer, renew or add new registrations while uploading documents to confirm microchip, sterilisation and even pensioner cards.”
This online service saw an immediate saving of over $8000 in postage and contributed to a reduction of the Shire’s carbon footprint.
“We sent 3571 emails with a personalised link to owner’s pet applications and received 542 responses advising of animals that were deceased or relocated.
“This significantly improved our record keeping and, due to the early uptake, we were able to bring the internal processing forward.”
Online lodgement is part of a new Shire application that encompasses several departments and integrates with the financial and animal registration system.
With cyber security a key concern for online services, Ms Ponnan said all information was fully encrypted and financial details immediately deleted once the registration was finalised.
“This application was built using internal resources with no additional licensing costs. It is part of a suite of products the Shire has built and complements the ongoing road map for online customer services and a digital presence for the Shire.”
