The Plan to keep our household pets safe

Published on 30 November 2021

At the November Council Meeting, the Domestic Animal Management (DAM) Plan 2021-2025 – the document that supports pet ownership – was endorsed.

The DAM Plan guides the way Council performs its duties to ensure safe and responsible pet ownership in our municipality. It also outlines how Council supports pet owners and non-pet owners when it comes to domestic and stray animals.

Council received 250 comments from members of the community on the draft document, which centred around more enforcement and patrolling, promotion of responsible pet ownership by Council, requests for additional signage and dog off-leash areas, and better management of roaming cats and barking dogs.

Some of these comments were already addressed in an internal review, which identified improvements that would better promote animal management services by focusing on public safety, animal welfare, resident service, community harmony, education, prevention and enforcement.

Additional community feedback will be further integrated into the document over the next 12 months, and reported on in its annual review in November 2022.

Key objectives in the endorsed Plan include:

• more patrolling of public open spaces and the enforcement rules by Council
• developing new internal guidelines and work processes to support and enhance best-practice service delivery
• developing educational services and resources on safe and responsible animal management to share with our community to support their understanding
• investigating ways to better manage animal nuisances, such as cat curfews.

The DAM Plan provides guidelines around the registration and ownership of cats and dogs, and the registration of animal businesses within the municipality. It also supports operational matters such as service delivery and responding to animal nuisances and complaints, promoting responsible pet ownership and planned programs and development.

Council is required to have a four-yearly Domestic Animal Management Plan that outlines the programs, services and strategies that Council intends to pursue in relation to domestic animal issues, which is reviewed annually.

For more information and to download a copy of the Plan, visit www.maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/DAMPlan

Message from the Mayor, Cr Anthony Tran

We know pets are important members of many families in Maribyrnong, with 6350 dogs and 3262 cats currently registered in our municipality.

Both owners and Council have responsibilities in ensuring these animals are well cared for and do not cause a nuisance for neighbours or other residents.

The Domestic Animal Management Plan is the document that ensures Council is doing its bit, and it was great to see so many residents taking the time to also help shape the direction of pet ownership here in Maribyrnong.

Maribyrnong News

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