Our Domestic Animal Management Plan 2021-25 details the City of Boroondara’s strategic approach to animal management services for cats and dogs in our community.

Under the Victorian Domestic Animals Act 1994 (Act) every Victorian Council is required to prepare and implement a domestic animal management plan every four years.

We recognise the value of pet ownership and the benefit to the community’s health and wellbeing, the importance of the welfare of pets, and the need to protect our community and environment.

As part of our review of the Domestic Animal Management Plan we wanted to understand the current issues facing our community and identify trends in relation to pet ownership.

To do this, we looked at Council complaint data.

We also consulted with experts from organisations such as:

• the RSPCA (our animal management services partner)
• other animal support agencies
• local veterinary clinics.

Fourteen feedback submissions were made to Council during the consultation period. Majority of the comments received were positive and in support of the updated Plan.

Four key themes were identified, and we have made further updates to the Plan to better address them.

Responsible cat ownership

Some feedback expressed concerns around cat containment. The Plan now includes greater details on Council’s approach to managing cats in the community, including our focus on a broader responsible cat ownership program and our partnership with the RSPCA to develop cat ownership enrichment programs.

Impact to wildlife

Our community cares about the safety and protection of wildlife and other sensitive environments in the municipality. The Plan acknowledges this and details multiple ongoing programs that will continue including the installation of infrastructure, and targeted cat trapping programs.

Lost and found pets

This remains a priority for Council, and the development of a ‘lost and found’ page on an appropriate platform is being considered to further support our ability to reunite animals with their owner.

Responsible dog ownership

Feedback included support for education and encouragement of dog owners to be responsible pet owners. The Plan details multiple activities and programs to support this, including helpful information on our website, partnering with the RSPCA to develop responsible pet ownership videos on a range of topics and engaging directly with our pet owners through a Pet Expo.

The Plan will continue to be reviewed regularly to allow us to respond to emerging issues and to ensure Boroondara’s animal management strategy continues to serve the community.

Following consultation with our community in November 2021, Council formally adopted the Domestic Animal Management Plan (Plan) for 2021-25 on 28 February 2022.

A copy of the adopted Domestic Animal Management Plan 2021-25 can be found in the document library on this page.

The Plan sets out our strategic approach for the delivery of domestic animal management services for cats and dogs in our community. It aims to strengthen our focus on supporting pet owners to take an active role in responsible pet ownership, and to keep the community and their pets safe through the provision of education, communication and engagement.

Key updates to the Domestic Animal Management Plan 2021-25 include:

• new and easier process to register pets online
• delivery of a targeted program to provide cat owners with resources and education on responsible cat ownership
• multilingual content and resources better support our community
• additional training of our Animal Management Officers
• enhanced resources on our website to make it easier for pet owners to find the information they need
• targeted safety patrols to address increased incidences of dog attacks or anti-social behaviour.

We want to hear your thoughts about the updated Plan. Provide your feedback below.

Alternatively, send your response to the Chief Executive Officer, Boroondara City Council, Private Bag 1, Camberwell, Victoria 3124.