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 daily holding and feed charges also apply. Fines 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.
Cats wandering in the neighbourhood at night can become a problem to you and are also a threat to our native wildlife. If you have a problem cat that is often on your property, we offer cat traps for hire for $10 per week, with a $50 deposit. For each extra week that the cage is kept, $10 will be deducted from the deposit that will be refunded when the cage is returned.
Council collect trapped cats between 8.30am and 5pm on weekdays. Any calls made after-hours to council to collect cats, are dealt with the following day. Calls made to council on weekends will be dealt with on the following Monday. Domestic cats that are microchipped will be reunited with their owners. Cats that are not microchipped will be impounded.
To hire a cat trap, contact council on (03) 5422 0333.
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.