Four councils in Queensland will participate in a new trial program to curb the number of unwanted cats and dogs being killed each year.

The two-year trial will allow councils to try a number of methods to reduce the increasing number of cats and dogs being dumped at animal collection centres around the state.

Queensland Local Government, Warren Pitt said the Northern Territory and Queensland were the only states to not have mandatory registration and identification of cats and dogs.

“This has created a situation where thousands of cats and dogs are being destroyed each year. As a government, we have to help our councils and other stakeholders to address this serious issue,” Mr Pitt said.

 “It’s needless and senseless, and we have got to do more to put a stop to it.”

Gold Coast City Council, Logan City Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council and Townsville City Council will participate in the trial program.

Mr Pitt said the Government would support the four councils in trialling new programs and has committed $380,000 to help councils do so.”

He said the new programs could include different methods of encouraging identification and de-sexing and that “they will also collect baseline data to monitor the numbers of levels of animals being euthanased”.