Domestic Animals Act 1994

Subject to subsection (1A), each Council must, in consultation with the Secretary, prepare a domestic animal management plan on 4 December 2021 and at the end of each period of 4 years after that day.

A Council may apply to the Secretary for an extension of time within which to prepare a domestic animal management plan.

The Secretary may grant an extension of time under subsection (1A) if the Secretary believes that special circumstances exist that warrant the granting of an extension.

A domestic animal management plan prepared by a Council must—

set out a method for evaluating whether the animal control services provided by the Council in its municipal district are adequate to give effect to the requirements of this Act and the regulations; and

outline programs for the training of authorised officers to ensure that they can properly administer and enforce the requirements of this Act in the Council's municipal district; and

outline programs, services and strategies which the Council intends to pursue in its municipal district—

to promote and encourage the responsible ownership of dogs and cats; and

to ensure that people comply with this Act, the regulations and any related legislation; and

to minimise the risk of attacks by dogs on people and animals; and

to address any over-population and high euthanasia rates for dogs and cats; and

to encourage the registration and identification of dogs and cats; and

to minimise the potential for dogs and cats to create a nuisance; and

to effectively identify all dangerous dogs, menacing dogs and restricted breed dogs in that district and to ensure that those dogs are kept in compliance with this Act and the regulations; and

provide for the review of existing orders made under this Act and local laws that relate to the Council's municipal district with a view to determining whether further orders or local laws dealing with the management of dogs and cats in the municipal district are desirable; and

provide for the review of any other matters related to the management of dogs and cats in the Council's municipal district that it thinks necessary; and

provide for the periodic evaluation of any program, service, strategy or review outlined under the plan.

Every Council must—

review its domestic animal management plan annually and, if appropriate, amend the plan; and

provide the Secretary with a copy of the plan and any amendments to the plan; and

publish an evaluation of its implementation of the plan in its annual report.