Wandering livestock and pets can pose a danger to public safety and native wildlife. Protect your animals and avoid impound fees by keeping them secured on your property.
If you see any animals at large or at risk of wandering from a property, report it to council on (03) 5422 0333.
Livestock on roads pose a great danger to motorists. If you own or provide agistment for livestock, you must set up and maintain adequate fencing so that the animals you keep on your land cannot escape.
Your stock is likely to be impounded if they have escaped from your property. Council can also impound livestock from within your property if there is a risk of them wandering and endangering public safety.
Impounded livestock will incur impound charges per head plus transport costs. Additional fines, daily holding and feed charges may also apply.
For more information about confining your livestock, see Clause 44 (page 23) of Council's Local Law No. 10.
If your pet dog or cat becomes lost, you have a greater chance of them being returned to you if they have been microchipped and registered . They are also less likely to be impounded, saving you impound fees and boarding fees. Fines may also apply.
Contact council on (03) 5422 0333 if you see roaming pets, or pets chasing wildlife.
Containing wandering cats for Council collection
We understand that cats wandering in the neighbourhood can become a problem to you, and, are also a threat to our native wildlife. Council Rangers will attend to collect a contained cat so long as it is contained in a way that the Ranger can safely collect it. If you are unable to pick up the cat and place into a pet carrier, then it is best to use a professionally built ‘box trap’ designed specifically for cats. This will ensure the safety and welfare of the cat and the Ranger. Council Rangers are unable to impound a cat that is not safely contained, and may release the cat if it is unsafe to collect it.
If you are aware of an injured or sick cat wandering in your neighbourhood, please contact the Council on (03) 5422 0333 for more advice.
Cat trap hire
Council offers a Cat Trap Hire service to assist residents with containing cats for collection. The cost to hire a trap from us is $10 per week, with a $50 bond deposit. For each extra week that the cage is kept, an additional $10 will be deducted from the initial bond deposit, with the balance refunded when the cage is returned. Refund of the bond deposit can be made to your rates or bank account.
Council has introduced COVID safe trap hire practices where traps must be collected by appointment from the Gisborne customer service centre. Please contact Council to be placed on a waiting list for the next available trap. You will be contacted to confirm an appointment time to collect the next available trap.
If you frequently require a cat trap to control wandering and feral cats on your property, it may be a more cost effective and reliable option to purchase your own trap. Our Local laws team can provide further information about sourcing humane cat traps.
Contained cat collection
Council rangers collect contained and trapped cats between 8.30am and 4pm on weekdays. Any calls made after-hours to council to collect cats, are dealt with the following day. Calls made to council on weekends or public holidays will be dealt with on the next business day. For this reason we ask that traps are not set between Friday night and Sunday afternoon, or from midday prior to a public holiday.
Domestic cats that are wearing current identification or can be traced through a microchip will be reunited with their owners. Cats that are not microchipped or identifiable will be impounded.
If you have contained a cat that frequently trespasses on your property, an objection to trespassing notice can be issued to the cat’s owner. Speak to the ranger who collects the cat about this option.
Dogs can also have a significant impact on native wildlife, particularly koalas who have reduced in numbers throughout the shire. Dogs can kill or injure koalas as they move on the ground from tree to tree. They can also scare native animals which can result in them moving into the path of traffic or becoming tangled in barbed wire fences.
Prevent your dog from wandering and put it on a leash when you are in nature reserves or the bush.