Pets can certainly provide wonderful companionship, but with that comes responsibilities for the animal owner.
Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council (CGRC) continues to work with its pet owners to assist them in their responsibilities, so that both humans and their animal companions can share in our communities’ lifestyles.
It is important that all pet owners know what their responsibilities are when it comes to registration, and penalties for any breach of animal regulations.
Keeping of Animals Policy 2024
Keeping of Animals – Application for variation
Responsible pet owners must ensure their dog or cat is microchipped, registered and that their contact details remain up to date.
Pet owners can manage their pet’s information online by creating an account through the NSW Pet Registry. Once registered, you can update your address, contact details, and certain animal information directly through your account.
If you are unable to access the NSW Pet Registry online, changes to ownership or owner details can also be made by completing the relevant Companion Animals forms and submitting them to Council by email, post or in person.
Please note that if you have sold, given away or otherwise transferred ownership of your animal, you must ensure the change of ownership is recorded on the NSW Pet Registry.
Local councils are the authority responsible for implementing the Companion Animals Act, which sets out the legal responsibilities of dog and cat owners in New South Wales. Under this legislation, councils have a range of functions including planning, service delivery, compliance, community education, and enforcement.
Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council Rangers are authorised compliance officers under the Act. Their powers include the ability to seize animals, issue on-the-spot penalty notices, serve nuisance orders, and declare dogs as dangerous or menacing, as well as impose related control requirements and restrictions where necessary.
Companion Animals Act 1998 No 87 – NSW Legislation
KEEPING YOUR DOG SAFE
Have you checked your property fence lately?
Can your dog or dogs get out of your yard?
Did you know that a high percentage of dog attacks and dog incidents that occur in a public place, happen in front or near the attacking dog’s home?
Dog attacks can be scary and traumatic for everyone involved, including our pets, they can also end up being a very expensive process for the dog owners. Owners of dogs that are involved in dog attacks may be fined $1,320 and may have orders placed on their dog.
There are a few things that you can do to help minimise your dog being involved in a dog incident:
- Socialising your dog from an early age so that your dog learns how to mix with dogs and people in a public place.
- Training your dog – ‘obedience classes’ help you learn about your dog, its body language and how you can communicate with your dog.
- Regularly checking your boundary fencing to ensure your yard is secure and fixing anything that may be a way for your dog to escape. This includes checking latches on gates to ensure they close properly and moving items away from fences that your dog may use to assist them in escaping your yard.
- When you are out walking your dog, they must always be on a lead unless you are in an off-leash area. Owners can be fined $330 for not having dogs on a lead or under effective control in a public place.
If you have any questions or you would like to discuss dog attacks, please call the CGRC Ranger on 1300 459 689.
Keeping Pets
It is well documented that keeping companion animals can provide significant benefits to human wellbeing. However, Council may from time to time receive complaints where inappropriate species or excessive numbers of animals are being kept.
Where animals are not being adequately cared for, any welfare or cruelty concerns should be referred to the RSPCA NSW or the Animal Welfare League NSW for appropriate investigation and response.
Keeping of Animals Policy 2024
Keeping of Animals – Application for variation
Barking Dogs
This information is about ways in which you can look after your dog to prevent excessive barking. It explains the law applying to noise from dogs and provides information that is intended to make life better for dogs, dog owners and their neighbours.