Project Update

Have your say on the draft Domestic Animal Management Plan

We would like your feedback on our draft plan to better manage dogs and cats in our community.

The draft Domestic Animal Management Plan 2021-2025 has been developed to balance the needs and expectations of pet owners and non-pet owners in Knox.

We are proposing to build and enhance existing Council initiatives and services to better manage dogs and cats in our municipality.

Some of the new initiatives in the draft plan include:

  • increasing public education about:
    • responsible pet ownership to improve pet registration rates
    • addressing dog waste in public spaces
    • reducing pet nuisances to neighbours
    • managing over-population of cats and dogs.
  • providing free and discounted cat and dog de-sexing to disadvantaged residents in 2022
  • exploring a pet companionship program for senior residents living alone to improve health and wellbeing.

The draft plan was developed after reviewing feedback from more than 3,300 participants in Phase 1 of community consultation.

The Engagement Report for Phase 1 is available in the below document library.

How to get involved

We want to hear from both pet owners and non-pet owners. So if you live, work or play in Knox, we want to hear from you.

Online: provide your feedback below.

Post: send your submission to Community Laws department, DAM Plan, Knox City Council, Reply Paid 70243, WANTIRNA SOUTH VIC 3152

Email: locallaw.administration@knox.vic.gov.au

Register for a DAM Plan consultation via the below link.

To receive updates on this project, click on ‘follow this project’ at the top of this page.

Consultation closes on Sunday 28 November 2021.

Timeline

  • Timeline item 1 - complete

    Phase 1 - Pre-draft community consultation

    Monday 5th July - Sunday 1 August 2021

  • Timeline item 2 - complete

    Development of the draft Plan

    August - October 2021

  • Timeline item 3 - complete

    Phase 2 - Community consultation on draft Plan

    28 October to 28 November 2021

  • Timeline item 4 - complete

    Final 2021-25 Plan approved

    February 2022

All Councils across Victoria are required to develop a Domestic Animal Management Plan (DAM Plan) once every four years under the Domestic Animals Act 1994.

The DAM Plan is the strategic approach to how Council will manages dogs and cats over the next four years, from 2021 to 2025.

The Domestic Animals Act 1994 only refers to dogs and cats, which is why the plan relates only to dogs and cats. The purpose of the Act is to ‘promote animal welfare, the responsible ownership of dogs and cats and the protection of the environment’.

The Domestic Animals Act 1994 requires that each DAM Plan outline the programs, services and strategies which the Council intends to pursue in its municipal district under the areas of:

  • training of authorised officers
  • pet registration and identification
  • nuisance animals
  • dog attacks
  • dangerous, menacing and restricted dog breeds
  • pet overpopulation and high euthanasia
  • domestic animal businesses; and
  • other domestic animal matters.

Knox Council has over 18,000 registered dogs and over 7,000 registered cats in the municipality. More detailed information of the number of animals by suburb will be included in the next Plan.

For more information about pet registration in Knox, visit knox.vic.gov.au/petrego

Contact Us

Have questions or want to learn more about a project, contact us below:

Name Community Laws
Phone 9298 8000
Email locallaw.administration@knox.vic.gov.au