Part of being a responsible pet owner is ensuring your animals are well taken care of, are being kept safe and are not causing harm to others. There are also laws you need to be aware of when it comes to keeping an animal.

Registration and microchipping is mandatory for dogs aged six months and over, in accordance with State legislation (Dog Control Act 2000). Microchipping provides a permanent means of identification, which can help return your animal to you if they get taken to a vet or become lost.

Dog registration is payable annually, due by 31 July each year. Penalties apply if payment is not received by this date. Reduced fees are available for desexed dogs and concession card holders.

Council’s Animal Control Officers check dog registrations in the Brighton municipality. An Authorised Officer has the right to enter and remain on private premises at any reasonable time to determine the number of dogs on those premises and to verify whether any dog on those premises is registered and microchipped.

An Authorised Officer may request that the occupier show all dogs owned by them, any other dogs kept on the premises, and evidence of the registration of these dogs. Under the Dog Control Act, an Authorised Officer may also search for and seize any dog on the premises if there’s reason to believe that the person in charge of the dog has committed an offence under the act.

Residents in a residential zone (e.g., Bridgewater, Gagebrook, Herdsmans Cove, Old Beach, Brighton) are not permitted to have more than two dogs. In other locations, if you want more than two dogs on premises in a non-residential area (or in the case of working dogs, more than four), you need to apply to the Chief Executive Officer for a licence. In certain cases, a Planning Permit from Council for a Dog Kennel establishment might also be required.

As a dog owner, you are legally responsible for your dog’s behaviour. By managing your dog appropriately, you can prevent it from attacking people and animals:

• Never allow your dog to wander unsupervised.
• Install secure fencing and regularly inspect it.
• Keep your dog on a leash when outside.
• In public places, your dog must be tethered or on a leash unless the area is designated as off-lead. You may exercise your dog off the leash in designated off-lead areas; however, as the owner, you are fully responsible for the control and behaviour of your dog.

Allowing your dog to wander puts its health at risk and can endanger others. Every year, pets are impounded for attacking people and livestock. There has been an increasing number of attacks on livestock, so it’s important to know where your dog is and ensure it is confined to your property.

Be a responsible dog owner. Dogs require more than just food and water: they need training, control, vaccination, registration and exercise.