Animal information

Pet registration

The Companion Animals Act came into effect on 1st July 1999. It is designed to provide protection for dogs and cats and to introduce controls over their behaviour. It also makes owners responsible for their animal's actions.

How do I register my pet ?

• All dogs and cats that are 6 months old or over need to be registered and microchipped.
• Microchipping can be done by your vet and is a safe way of ensuring that your pet will be returned to you if it is found wandering or stray.
• Microchipping and registration applies to all dogs. For cats, microchipping and registration only applies to cats purchased or owned after the 1st of July 1999. Registration covers the entire life of the animal.
• All pets are required to wear a collar and identification tag. This means of identification will assist in the return of your pet should it be impounded.

To register your dog or cat an application form must be completed and the appropriate fee paid. These forms are available from Council. You may be eligible for a reduced fee if you are a pensioner. For further information contact Kiama Municipal Council or the Companion Animal website.

If your dog is lost or found unleashed in a public place, it can be seized by Council Officers and taken to Council's pound.

Barking dogs

Barking dogs are the source of one of the most common complaints received by Council.

It is one of the most difficult issues for Council Rangers to deal with because:

• There are different perceptions as to what constitutes excessive barking.
• Gathering evidence can be time consuming and difficult.
• The Rangers often need to consult with neighbours to ascertain whether indeed the barking is causing a nuisance.
• The owners often are not aware that their dog is barking excessively.

Sometimes stopping a dog from barking can be as simple as taking care of their basic needs. If you are worried that your dog is barking too much:

• Make sure your dog has plenty of food, water and shelter from both the rain and the sun.
• Give your dog plenty of attention when you are at Home.
• Exercise your dog. Dogs who have worked off their excess energy are less likely to bark from boredom. Exercise is also a good way to socialise your pet and reduce the possibility of aggression against other people.
• Leave toys out for your dog to play with when you're not there make sure your dog is regularly wormed and receives veterinary advice when necessary.
• Discipline your pet. Your dog will accept kind but firm discipline. Take it to obedience school or puppy school or get advice from your vet.

One thing you should never do is leave your dog on a chain for long periods. This can be the cause of behavioural problems. If you must chain your dog make sure it is on a running wire to allow some free movement and ensure it gets plenty of exercise when you are at Home.

What to do if your dog barks.

If your dog continues to bark excessively despite the fact that you have tried all of the suggestions, there are a number of things you can try:

• Confine your dog to the backyard, away from interference or provocation by passing people or other animals.
• Restrict your dog's vision through the fence or gate - if they can't see passing traffic then they can't be provoked by it.
• Consider training. Talk to a specialist, reputable trainer or your local dog training club.
• Keep your dog inside or confined to the garage or a garden shed at night
• Try one of the Citronella collars available from leading pet shops. These collars send out a spray of citronella each time the dog barks. Dogs don't like the smell and they soon learn to associate the unpleasant effects with the barking. Citronella collars may not work in all situations.

If you are being annoyed by a barking dog

1. Contact the owner of the dog first - they may not be aware their dog is barking particularly if it is only doing it when they are away.
2. Be courteous - your neighbours may not know how to go about fixing the problem so you might be able to assist with some information or suggestions.
3. Be specific - advise your neighbour if the dog is barking at certain times and give them an opportunity to correct the problem.
4. Contact Council if you can't resolve the situation.

Barking is simply one way dogs communicate and can mean anything from playfulness to danger. Dogs that bark continuously can be annoying for both you and your neighbours.

Sometimes dogs bark because they are:

• not getting enough exercise
• neglected or are not getting enough attention
• lonely or bored
• sick or in need of veterinary attention
• chained to a fixed point or don't have enough room to move around
• being provoked deliberately or unintentionally by people or other roaming animals
• hungry or generally neglected
• lacking shelter or water
• suffering from separation anxiety.

Cleaning up after your dog

It is the responsibility of every dog owner to ensure that they clean up after their dog. The problem of dog faeces on public roads and footpaths and in parks is a constant source of complaint received by Council. Every time it rains, everything (including dog waste) on our roads, footpaths and parks, washes down the stormwater drains and into your local waterways. The high nutrients in dog faeces contribute to toxic algal blooms and aquatic weeds. These algal blooms and weeds can harm the marine organisms that keep our waterways healthy.

What you can do?

• When walking your dog, carry bags to collect your dog's droppings and then put it in a bin.
• Don't let your dog out unsupervised to defecate on your neighbour's lawn or in the street.
• Take responsibility for your pet.

Not only does it affect our waterways, dog droppings contain bacteria which can be harmful to humans. Dog faeces can contain infectious roundworm eggs that can cause serious illness for humans.

Council's rangers can fine owners who don't clean up after their dog. The Companion Animals Act provides for a $220 fine for failure to remove dog faeces.

Companion Animal Management Plan

Kiama Municipal Council has developed a Companion Animal Management Plan to address the issues which arise in our community as a result of companion animals. The plan not only provides for companion animal owners, it also takes into account the rights of people who don't own companion animals. The Kiama Companion Animal Plan is divided into 12 Action Plans:

1. Registration and Identification
2. Dogs in Public Places
3. Barking Dogs
4. Dangerous Dogs and Restricted Breeds
5. Cat Management
6. Animal Welfare and Safety
7. Benefits of Pet Ownership
8. Provision of Facilities
9. Education
10. Enforcement
11. Funding
12. Review

For more information, or to view the Management Plan, please contact Councils Help and Service Desk on (02) 4232 0444.

Dog Off-Leash Areas

Dog ownership can provide many health and social benefits for their owners. It also carries with it an obligation to care for the dog in a responsible fashion, and to ensure that the dog does not cause a nuisance to others. In recognition of the benefits of dog ownership, Council provides a number of areas throughout the parks and reserves system where dogs may be exercised off the leash. Some of these areas have access and time restrictions in respect of off-leash dog exercise so as to allow other park users to also enjoy the facilities.

In general, when using the parks you must always ensure that your dog is under control at all times, does not annoy or attack anybody or other animals, and is kept at least 10 metres away from children's play facilities, BBQs and picnic areas.

Importantly, for health and environmental reasons and out of consideration for other park users, you must always clean up after your dog.

An Off-Leash Area map and information (pdf 152Kb) is available for those who wish to enjoy some time with their dogs. This Dog Off-Leash Area has the following regulations:

• Dogs must remain under effective control at all times.
• Owners are responsible for their dog's actions.
• Dogs must be registered and identified by means of a collar and tag.
• Dogs must be leashed at all times when outside designated Off-Leash Areas.
• Dog faeces must be immediately removed and properly disposed of in the bins provided.
• Greyhounds, dogs declared dangerous and restricted breed dogs are prohibited in Off-Leash Areas.
• Dog owners must comply with all provisions of the Companion Animals Act 1998.
• Infringement notices will be issued for offenders.

General requirements for keeping of fowl

There is no specific policy adopted by Council at this time which prohibits or sets out conditions for the keeping of fowl on domestic premises. There are however, general statutory conditions included in the Local Government Act (1993) which cover the keeping of fowls, and enable Council to control to some degree the conditions under which they are kept, in order to prevent a nuisance or health hazard being caused to neighbours or other residents in the vicinity. A chicken fact sheet is available (pdf 111Kb).

Microchipping and registration

Microchipping and Lifetime Registration is now compulsory.

The Companion Animals Act 1998 introduced new procedures that pet owners must follow when registering their dog. Annual dog registrations with Council ceased on 1 October 2002.

The law now requires you to have your dog microchipped at a vet or animal welfare organisation, and then pay the lifetime registration fee. Council will still process your dog registration, and the information will be put onto a statewide register that can be accessed by all councils in NSW.

A Two Step Process

For millions of Australians, dogs and cats are part of the family. In NSW around 80,000 dogs and cats are lost, hurt or stolen each year. Most are impounded and are not able to be identified. Because they cannot be reunited with their owners, they might be destroyed.

The permanent identification and lifetime registration scheme greatly assists authorities in returning lost and injured animals to their owners. It provides NSW councils with a more effective means of keeping track of dogs and cats for the benefit of the wider community.

Under the Companion Animals Act all owners of puppies and kittens must take steps to provide lifetime protection for their pet. Together these two steps will help return your pet to you if it is lost, hurt or stolen. Once microchipped and registered, your pet is protected for life.

Get Your Pet Microchipped

Some vets and animal welfare organisations offer discount rates, so shop around for the best price on microchipping.

Once Only Lifetime Registration Fee

Registration fees help councils provide pound services, rangers, dog refuse bins, and other pet facilities. Lifetime registration can be done at your council. When you register your dog or cat you will need to bring:

• A certificate of microchipping or a letter from your vet.
• Proof of desexing from your vet or a statutory declaration.
• Any documents which entitle you to a discount.

Fees apply for lifetime registration

Responsible cat ownership

Responsible pet ownership includes not only proper housing but feeding, control, care and breeding.

• Cat owners should accept responsibility for their pet when it is roaming outside their property. One of the main reasons for introducing controls on cats is to prevent cats from straying and becoming feral. Feral cats cannot be effectively managed and their uncontrolled breeding and attacks on native wildlife is a threat to the environment.
• If cat owners confine their pets indoors at night, many of the problems and complaints Council receives about cats would be resolved.
• All pet owners are encouraged to desex their animals. Not only does a desexed animal reduce the cost of registration but it also reduces the risk of unwanted or uncontrolled breeding.

Protecting wildlife

From time to time Council conducts cat-trapping campaigns in bushland areas where there is evidence that native wildlife is being threatened by feral cats. For this reason it is important that domestic cats are microchipped and identified with a collar and tag so that if they are trapped they can be returned to their owners.

As many native animals feed from dusk till dawn, it is at this time that they are most vulnerable to attack from roaming cats. To prevent these attacks, all residents are asked to make arrangements to confine their cats inside at night.

Reducing cat threat

Cats that are well cared for and controlled by their owners seldom cause problems to the community. It is the stray and feral cats that we need to target and control. Residents can help by ensuring that their pets are kept separate from stray and feral cats to stop unwanted breeding and prevent the spread of disease.

Never feed stray cats unless you intend to care for it as a pet. Stray cats form a direct link between domestic and feral cats.

Responsible dog ownership

Controlling your dog

 

When in a public area your dog must be on a leash and under the effective control of a competent person.

 

 

Confine your dog

Confine your dog to your property and do not allow it to wander onto other people's land.

Dogs in public areas

The owner of a dog that allows the dog to defecate in a public place must immediately remove the faeces and properly dispose of them. Your dog must not enter:

• eating areas
• school or childcare grounds
• wildlife protection areas.
• within 10 metres of children's playground equipment.

Impounded dogs

If your dog is lost or found unleashed in a public place, it can be seized by council officers and taken to Council's pound at the Minnamurra Waste & Recycling Centre, Riverside Drive, Minnamurra/Dunmore.

Conditions of use of dog exercise areas:

• Dogs are permitted off-leash but they must be supervised by a competent person.
• Dogs can only be off-leash within the designated Off-Leash Area.
• Dog faeces must be removed by the dog's handler.
• Declared dangerous dogs are not permitted in Off-Leash Areas
• Dogs being exercised must be registered.
• Dogs travelling to and from Off-Leash Areas must be on a lead under the control of a competent person.

Help! I've lost my pet!

What to do if you lose your cat or dog:

• Ring Council and notify them the animal is missing - Phone (02) 4232 0444.
• Check the pound on a daily basis. (Minnamurra Waste & Recycling Centre - (02) 4237 5623.
• Ask around the neighbourhood and check with your neighbours.
• Check the local newspapers lost and found advertisements, and put your own advertisement in the paper.
• Check the local vet clinics for injured or stray animals.

What to do if you find a cat or dog:

• Check for an identification/registration tag. If the animal is wearing a name tag, phone the owner.
• Check the papers for lost cat and dog announcements.
• Ask around the neighbourhood to see if anyone has lost their cat or dog.
• Take the animal to the pound.
• If you can't find the owner within a reasonable amount of time, you are required by law to contact Council or take the animal to the pound.Failure to do so can incur a fine. People who have lost their animal should check the pound but they won't find it in your backyard.

Restricted breeds

The following dogs are restricted dogs for the purposes of the Companion Animals Act 1998:

• Pit Bull Terriers
• American Pit Bull Terriers
• Japanese Tosas
• Argentinian Fighting Dogs (dogo Argentino)
• Brazilian Fighting Dogs (fila Brasileiro)
• any other dog of a breed, kind or description prescribed by the regulations as restricted for the purposes of this Division.

NOTE: for example, dogs used as guard dogs by security personnel could be prescribed as restricted dogs. For further information, please refer to Companion Animals Act 1998.