Agriculture Minister Mary-Anne Thomas announced on Wednesday that $613,000 from the 2022/23 state budget would go towards this census, and the results will aim to provide up-to-date statewide information to better guide reform and policies as pet ownership increases.

Sanctuary owner Matthew Glascott would need a lot of fingers to count his hundreds of animals and while this census requires further consultation to determine whether sanctuary animals will be included in the count, he has still welcomed the move.

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Based in Sedgewick, Mr Glascott runs Matty's Sanctuary which currently takes care of around 200 animals including camels, buffalo, deer, ostriches, emus, sheep, goats and cows but that number has been as high as 500 with a massive weekly feed bill of $5000.

Mr Glascott said he hoped the process would make people more mindful of the responsibility involved in owning an animal.

"I think it will probably stop a lot of animals getting adopted that maybe people don't realise how much they're going to cost, the care they need and how long they're going to live for," Mr Glascott said.

"People might not just go out on a whim just because an animal is cute which we see a lot of, and then they'll bring it to us when it's no longer cute."

Mr Glascott said sheep and goats are quite frequently handed in, as are dogs and cats - although Matty's Sanctuary tends not to host the latter.

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"We occasionally help Bendigo Animal Relief Centre (BARC) when they're really full, we'll give them a hand," he said.

"It's very hard with cats and dogs because people don't get them desexed and they just breed like crazy.

"Every night we get calls about things like cats attacking chickens or dogs down the street."

Mr Glascott said some cats and dogs can live around 15 to 20 years, while camels can live up to 50 and ostriches up to 70.

With some longer-lived species, he said it is quite common for animals to be inherited by subsequent generations as they outlive their original owners.

These are all aspects of pet ownership, Mr Glascott hopes the community can fully appreciate through a census process.

Measured information will include the demographics of owners and pets, matters relating to pet health like diet or exercise, costs of services for furry or feathered friends, and the social and wellbeing benefits of companion animals.

This information can then inform projects such as the upcoming cat management strategy, restructuring the pet rehoming sector and replacing the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 to provide animals with greater protection.

As winter approaches, Mr Glascott expects his herd to rise in numbers yet again, as more animals need his help. His team are currently only able to take in emergency animal cases to prevent becoming overwhelmed, and he hopes this proposed census might lessen that load in the future.

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