Dog Owners to be Brought to Heel

AT a meeting last night in Murrurundi Council circulated the dog control categories outlined in the Companion Animals Act to encourage the community to report all problem dogs in the Shire and outline the penalties for dog owners if they do not comply.

The general manager of Council, Steve McDonald, said Council were ramping up resources for dog control and we conducting more surveillance of problem animals to ensure their owners were compliant with controls, including using plain vehicles so that people were not aware they were being monitored.

See how to report a dog below.

The dog control categories under the Companion Animals Act of 1998 are as follows:

Nuisance Dog:

• Criteria: Habitually at large, runs at or chases people or animals, endangers health or any person or animal. A nuisance dog order may also be issued for: persistent barking, defecation on private property, causing substantial damage to private property.
• Controls: Nuisance dog order requiring owner to prevent specified behavior for 6 months. Any person may seize dog if necessary to prevent damaging property.
• Key Penalties: $880 fine for first offence, $1,650 for subsequent offence; $275 penalty notice.

Menacing Dog:

• Criteria: Has displayed unreasonable aggression towards a person or animal (other than vermin), or has without provocation, attacked a person or animal (other than vermin) but without causing serious injury or death, or is of a menacing breed (or cross) or kind of dog (none currently prescribed), or declared menacing in other state/territory.
• Controls: (When at home and not under effective control of person over 18yo) enclosed sufficiently to restrain the dog and prevent access by a child leashed and muzzled in public microchipped and registered (Council may seize dog to ensure this occurs). Desexed, wear distinctive collar, dangerous dog sign at property, sale and advertising prohibited.
• Key Penalties: Up to $16,000 fine for selling/acquiring; up to $77,000 fine and up to 5 years imprisonment if dog attacks; $1,3220 penalty notice; permanent disqualification of owner; seizure.

Dangerous Dog:

• Criteria: has without provocation, attacked or killed a person or animal (other than vermin) or has without provocation, repeatedly chased a person or animal (other than vermin), or is kept or used for hunting, or declared dangerous in other state/territory.
• Controls: Kept in prescribed enclosure at all times when at home. Leashed and muzzled in public. Desexed, microchipped and registered (Council may seize dog to ensure this occurs). Wear distinctive collar, dangerous dog sign at property; sale and advertising prohibited.
• Key Penalties: Same key penalties as for menacing dogs.

Restricted Dog:

• Criteria: A dog of a breed, kind or description listed in section 55: pitbull/American pitbull terriers, Japanese tosas, Argentinian and Brazilian fighting dogs, Presa Canarios (ie: dgs which are probhinted imports).
• Controls: Same controls as for dangerous dogs but breeding also probihibted.
• Penalties: Same key penalties as for menacing and dangerous dogs and $16,500 fine for breeding.

To Report a Dog:

• In the case of a dog attack or damage to property: Phone Police and record an event number: 02 6542 6999
• In the case of a nuisance or menacing dog: Phone Council and record a complaint number: 02 6540 1100
• Council has an after-hours number which can be used to report non-emergency events: 02 6540 1199
• NOTE: There is a 72 hour period in which a dog can be seized following an attack.

Related stories:

• By-Law for Hunting Dogs Considered – August 29, 2018.
• Residents Growl at Ongoing Dog Issues – August 29, 2018.
• Teenager Attacked by Dog in Scone – August 3, 2018.
• Map: Dodgy Dog Trails – August 3, 2018.
• Killer Dogs Slipping Bureaucratic Net – June 18, 2018.
• Lack of Control with Dog Control – July 28, 2016.