Photo credit: Alesha Bennett
Animals & Pets
Pets are a popular addition to many households and there are plenty of good reasons to own a pet, including the related social and health benefits as well as the companionship they provide.
Pet ownership also comes with many responsibilities and it is important that you understand how to care for your pet correctly to ensure it stays safe, healthy and does not become a nuisance to other residents.
Further information:
Local Companion Animals Management Plan
Microchipping & Registration
Pound & Ranger
Stray Animals
Animal Complaints
Barking Dogs
Keeping of Horses
Local Companion Animals Management Plan
The Companion Animals Act 1998 introduced changes to the way dogs were managed by local authorities and, for the first time, introduced controls over domestic cats.
A Local Companion Animals Management Plan (LCAMP) is a document, which provides a means to assist Council to fulfil its responsibilities under the Companion Animals Act 1998 by determining relevant objectives and priorities along with a clear program of implementation.
Council’s plan can be found on the Publications & Other Documents Page.
Microchipping & Registration
Microchipping and registering your pets are two important things you can do to help provide lifetime protection for your pet. Microchipping and registration help Council to identify animals that are lost and reunite them with their owners. Registrations also help us to understand animal populations in the Shire and provide necessary programs for owners.
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In NSW, all cats and dogs, other than exempt dogs, must be microchipped by 12 weeks of age or before being sold or given away, whichever happens first.
A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and contains a unique number that corresponds with the owners details on a central register. An electronic scanner can pick up the microchip and the details can be used to reunite a pet with its owner.
Microchipping is a standard procedure and can be performed by a vet, animal welfare organisation or any other authorised person.
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All cats and dogs, other than exempt cats and dogs, must be registered by six months of age. The registration fee is a once-only payment, which covers the cat or dog for its lifetime in NSW, regardless of any changes in ownership.
Assistance animals do not incur registration fees, however still must be registered.
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Registration Fees and Annual Permits are set by the NSW State Government and can be found in Council’s Fees & Charges.
Annual permit fees will go directly to the Companion Animals Fund which pays for companion animal management by local councils including pounds/shelters, ranger services, dog recreation areas, and education and awareness programs. The fund is also used to operate the NSW Pet Registry and carry out responsible pet ownership initiatives. If you require any further information or assistance, please contact the NSW Pet Registry at pets@olg.nsw.gov.au and 1300 134 460.
You can read more about the importance of microchipping and registering your pets below.
Further Information
Pound & Ranger
Pound
The Council operates an animal pound within the Shire. If a domestic animal (including stock) is found wandering, Council’s Ranger can impound the animal. All impounded animals are scanned for a microchip, and if identified, owners will be contacted to collect their animal. A release fee of $70.00 per animal per day is payable by the owner upon collection.
If you have a lost animal, please contact the Council on 02 6930 1800 to see whether it has been impounded. Access to the pound is by appointment only.
Ranger
As well as carrying out the duties listed above at the Pound, Council's Ranger is responsible for carrying out registration checks and responding to animal complaints.
Our Ranger only deals with domestic animals. If you have an issue with wildlife, or for snake removals, please contact WIRES on 6921 5135.
Stray Animals
If Council's Ranger is informed of a domestic animal at large, or finds a wandering domestic animal, it will be collected and taken to the Coolamon Shire Pound. The Ranger does not collect feral animals, such as cats, or wildlife.
Animal Traps
Council has an animal trap program to assist residents who have problems with feral animals. Feral animal traps can be hired from Council for a maximum of one week, for use on private land. A $50 deposit is held and refunded upon the return of the trap, a late fee of $5 a day will be charged if the trap is not returned by the agreed date.
Traps can only be used for feral cats (and other similar animals), which are cats living in the wild by their own means. Traps will not be hired to capture nuisance, domestic or neighbouring properties' cats.
**Important**
All hiring of traps is done so for the purpose of trapping feral animals ONLY. Many animals, such as possums are protected within NSW and cannot be trapped or captured without a licence issued by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. If you are unable to obtain a licence a pest control company licensed by the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water to trap the animal for you.
You can find out more about the program by reading Council's Feral Animal Trap Policy or by contacting Council on 02 6930 1800.
Animal Complaints
Owners who do not take their pet ownership responsibilities seriously may find that their animals become a nuisance to neighbours and other residents. Below is some information on some of the more common complaints, namely excessive barking, dangerous dogs and animal mistreatment.
Excessive Barking
Noisy dogs and dogs that bark excessively can become a nuisance to other residents.
Council has brochures available which outline procedures you can follow to prevent excessive barking. You can also find information on the RSPCA website.
If you have a complaint regarding excessive barking, please contact the Council on 02 6930 1800
Dangerous Dogs
Owners of restricted or dangerous dogs have greater responsibilities when it comes to pet ownership.
Restricted dogs in NSW include:
American pitbull terrier or Pitbull terrier;
Japanese tosa;
Dogo Argentino (Argentinean fighting dog);
Fila Brasiliero (Brazilian fighting dog);
Any other dog of a breed, kind or description whose importation into Australia is prohibited by or under the Customs Act 1901 of the Commonwealth;
Any dog declared by a council under Division 6 of the Act to be a restricted dog*
Any other dog of a breed, kind or description prescribed by
the Regulations for the purposes of this section.
*Council declared restricted dog refers to any dog where the council is
of the opinion that a dog is of a breed or kind of dog on the restricted
dog list or a cross-breed of any such breed or kind of dog.
You can discuss your responsibilities or concerns about restricted and dangerous dogs with Council staff by calling 02 6930 1800.
View the Restricted and Dangerous Dogs in NSW brochure here.
Mistreatment
If you suspect a dog or any other animal is being mistreated, contact RSPCA inspectors on 02 9709 5433 or visit the RSPCA website here.
Barking Dogs
Pet ownership can be rewarding but it also has its responsibilities.
As an owner you have the responsibility to keep your pet fit, healthy and abide by the legislation, this includes registering your animals and ensuring they do not create a nuisance.
As a neighbour or resident of any community, individuals have the right to enjoy their amenity and not be annoyed by other people’s pets.
When animals cause nuisance by way of barking or wandering unrestrained there are several options:
The individual may contact the owner to discuss the concerns directly, this has the benefit of maintaining neighbourly relations, the owner may not realise their pet is bothering others in the area and take steps to rectify the situation.
Should you be reluctant or uncomfortable in approaching your neighbour, you are free to contact Council to explain your concerns and Council will investigate the matter. Council have our own policies and procedures that include letters, investigations or visiting the neighbourhood. This may mean action taken against the owner.
On some occasions after the investigation is carried out and Council can find no supporting evidence that justifies the concerns raised as a broad community concern, the individual may wish to pursue the matter civilly. To do this, the individual may contact the Community Justice Centre and work through that process. The details are below.
Community Justice Centre. The CJC provides free mediation to help people solve disputes without going to court and has a high success rate. The CJC can be contacted on 1800 990 777. If you have no success in mediation, the CJC will provide you with documentation that can then be delivered to Council Rangers for investigation.
Request a Noise Abatement Order
Alternatively, you can apply to the local court for a Noise Abatement Order. If the court is satisfied that the dog is causing offensive noise, or that the noise is likely to recur, it may order the owner to stop the noise within a specified time or prevent a recurrence.
We understand that barking is a natural behaviour for dogs and just one way by which they communicate. However, we understand in some cases barking dogs may become a neighbourhood nuisance, impacting on the amenity of the area.
If you are the owner of a barking dog, the RSPCA has training tips that may help.
Keeping of Horses
If you live on property that is zoned RU5 Village or RU4 Rural Residential and wish to keep horses, there are a number of responsibilities that you need to be aware of.
All properties that house or keep horses must be kept to a satisfactory standard at all times. The cleanliness and condition of the land in which horses are kept must meet Council's standards and any proposed stable constructions must be advertised to surrounding properties and approved by Council prior to works commencing.
Council has also developed specific requirements for horses kept on land that is zoned RU5 Village or RU4 Rural Residential.
Read Council's Keeping of Horses within Coolamon Shire Policy to ensure you are aware of your responsibilities as an owner and that you comply with the local regulations.