Keeping animals

The Companion Animals Act sets out the rules for pet ownership in NSW. This includes the requirement for dogs and cats to be microchipped and registered.

• Your dog or cat must be microchipped and registered by 12 weeks of age.  Late fees apply.
• By four months of age your cat should be desexed. Until desexed, an annual permit is required for cats who are not desexed after this age.
• There are additional fees for dogs not desexed by 6 months of age.  Annual permits are also required for declared restricted and dangerous dogs.
• Desexing and microchipping can be done by your vet. 

Register your pet

Registering your pet can be done online or in person. Our step-by-step guide will provide you with the necessary information for registering and microchipping your pet.

As a dog owner, it is your responsibility to ensure:

• Dogs are safely contained in their yard
• Dogs are always kept on a leash outside of their yard (unless in a designated off-leash area)
• Your dog has adequate access to food, water, shelter and play toys
• Your dog doesn't persistently bark, which would unreasonably interfere with the peace, comfort, or convenience of another person
• You always carry a poop disposal bag when exercising your dog to pick up your dog droppings on public property 
• Your dog doesn't chase or hurt another person or animal
• Your dog doesn't damage other people's property

Dog attacks

If a dog attack occurs:

1. Seek medical attention urgently for any injured people.
2. Take any injured animal to a vet – even minor wounds can become infected.
3. Report the dog attack to us. The complaint will be investigated, and witnesses may be asked to give a statement.

If there are medical or vet bills after a dog attack:

• The law states that the owner of an attacking dog is liable for costs relating to the injury of a person, injury of an animal, or damage to property.
• You’ll need to seek legal advice for assistance with claiming costs.

Lost dogs

If you’ve lost a dog:

1. Report your pet as lost on the NSW Pet Registry.
2. Contact our animal shelter to see if your pet has been picked up by one of our rangers.
3. Call local vets in the area, as lost animals are often handed in to vets.

Greyhounds as pets

There’s no longer a requirement for greyhounds to be muzzled in public, but there are still some requirements for keeping greyhounds as pets. These include:

• A greyhound must be muzzled in an off-leash area if the animal hasn’t undergone an approved retraining program.
• A greyhound that has completed an approved retraining program must wear a green collar, or the owner must carry a ‘proof of completion’ card.
• A greyhound that has been declared menacing or dangerous must be muzzled.

Greyhound owners may still muzzle their dog at their discretion if they feel it is needed.

Further information about greyhound ownership can be found on the Office of Local Government website.

Reporting dog issues

You can report a barking dog or other dog issues to us and we will investigate the issue. 

Statistics show that it’s safer for cats to be kept indoors. Keeping a cat indoors:

• leads to a longer and healthier life
• protects native wildlife
• can prevent neighbourhood conflict caused by noisy or roaming cats
• protects your cat from other animals

Outdoor enclosures are an alternative to keeping a cat indoors.

Roaming cats

There’s no law prohibiting cats from roaming, but there may be consequences if your cat roams beyond your property or is considered a nuisance. The Companion Animals Act outlines what constitutes a nuisance cat and what you’re responsible for as a cat owner.

For cat owners:

• all cats must be identified by a form of identification that enables a local authority to ascertain the name of the cat and the address or telephone number of the owner
• cats are prohibited in wildlife protection areas and food preparation/consumption areas
• you must ensure your cat does not interfere with the peace, comfort or convenience of any person in any other premises
• your cat must not repeatedly damage anything outside the property on which it is ordinarily kept. 

What to do if you find a stray cat

If you find a cat, we suggest you:

• leave it alone - if the cat is a domestic cat, it is allowed to roam and will likely find its own way home
• speak with your neighbours to determine whether it’s owned by anyone nearby
• you can take it to a local vet to see if the cat is microchipped
• if the cat is causing a nuisance lodge a complaint with our rangers
• only contact our animal shelter if the cat does not leave on its own and its owner cannot be identified.

Report cat issues

If you would like to make a report regarding an issue with a cat, use our reporting cat issues form. 

You can keep up to five hens but no roosters on residential areas zoned R1, R2, R3, R4, and RU5. 

Up to 10 chickens, including roosters, may be kept on residential areas zoned R5, and larger non-residential properties. There are NSW government regulations regarding the type of enclosure you can have on your property for housing poultry.

Keeping chickens in residential areas

You need to ensure your chickens:

• Are kept in your backyard.
• Have an adequately sized pen for the number of chickens you keep.
• Have their pen swept at least twice a week.
• Don’t roam outside the property in which they are kept. 

Enclosure requirements for chickens

NSW Environment Planning laws set out the requirements for chicken pens or hen houses. Some of these requirements include:

• Pens must be in the backyard.
• Pens are to be positioned a minimum of 4.5 metres from any dwelling.
• Pens need to be located at least 3 metres from the property boundary.
• Pens should include a solid floor under the roosts or perches.
• Pens should be enclosed to prevent animals escaping.
• Roof water should be disposed of without causing nuisance to adjoining neighbours.

Requirements can vary depending on the residential zone or bushfire rating of the property, so be sure to refer to the legislation. 

If your dog or cat has passed away, you’ll need to notify us within 28 days or within 24 hours (for restricted breeds or dogs declared dangerous) so that we can update our registration records. We’ll need documentary evidence from a vet, indicating that your animal has died. 

Disposing of a deceased pet

There are several options for disposing of a deceased pet but please don’t place the animal in your domestic bin. These are: 

• You can choose to bury your animal in your backyard
• You can take your pet to our Cairncross Waste Facility (disposal fees apply)
• If the animal died at the vets, or was euthanised, ask your vet about disposal options
• You may like to contact a pet cremation service

If you find a deceased animal

If you find dead wildlife on a Council road or reserve please contact J R Richards on 1300 787 223. If it is found on the Oxley or Pacific Highway you need to contact Transport for NSW (link below). If it is found on private land you will need to dispose of it yourself or take it to Cairncross Waste Facility to be disposed of. https://www.nsw.gov.au/transport-for-nsw/contact-roads-waterways/online