Georges River Council - Responsible pet ownership

Responsible Pet Ownership

Ownership of a dog or cat comes with responsibilities to ensure the safety of our community and the wellbeing and safety of your pet.

Having your pet microchipped, lifetime registered and contact details are kept up to date means they can be returned to you if they get lost and it is required by law.

Council encourages all pet owners to be 'Responsible Pet Owners' and recommends the following:

All cats and dogs are registered and microchipped
All cats and dogs are identified by a collar and a name tag
All cats and dogs are desexed
All cats and dogs are prevented from roaming from their premises.

Dogs
- A dog must wear a collar and there must be a name tag showing its owners details
- The owner must take all responsibility to prevent the dog from escaping from the property on which it is being kept
- A dog that is in a public place must be under effective control of a competent person
- Dogs are not allowed to rush at, chase, harass or attack any person or animal
- If your dog defecates in a public place, you must remove and dispose of it in a bin
Dogs are prohibited in the following areas:
- Any area set apart for the protection of wildlife
- Childcare centres
- Public bathing areas where dogs are prohibited by notice
- Recreation areas where dogs are prohibited
- Shopping arcades and complexes, including parking area
- School grounds
- Within 10 metres of playgrounds and play equipment
- Within 10 metres of food outlets, except if the place is in a public thoroughfare
Penalties and fines related to dogs
Failure to comply with the provisions of the Companion Animal Act 1998 can result in penalties and fines being issued to the dog owner.

Listed below are some examples of common offences and the penalties under the Companion Animal Act 1998 and Companion Animals Regulation 2008 as at 1 July 2020.
- Animal not registered - $305 minimum
- Dog not on a leash - $330 minimum
- Dog without a collar and name tag - $180 minimum
- Dog in prohibited place - $330 minimum
- Fail to remove dog faeces - $275 minimum
- Animal not Microchipped - $180 minimum
- Dog attack - $1,320 minimum
Cats
Owning a cat can bring lots of love into your home. However, as a cat owner, you must be aware of the following information:
- Ensure they wear a collar with a name tag
- They are kept indoors at night to protect wildlife
- Prevent unwanted breeding
- Cats are prohibited in the following places:
  - Food preparation/consumption areas
  - Wildlife protection areas
Recently the RSPCA released a document entitled Keeping Your Cat Safe and Happy At Home. This document provides sensible and positive strategies to help ensure the welfare of these animals while also helping to minimise the predation of native animals by roaming cats.

Council may only seize a cat if it is:
- In a wildlife protection area
- Reasonable and necessary for the protection of any person or animal (other than vermin) from injury or death
- Within 10 metres of a public food preparation or consumption area.

In 1998, the NSW State Government introduced the Companion Animals Act 1998 and in 2008 the Companion Animals Regulation 2008.

Under the Act, dogs and cats are defined as ‘companion animals’.

For more information on keeping of other animals, please contact Council's Rangers.

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