This section provides information on registration of cats and dogs, dealing with dangerous dogs and nuisance animals and advice on controlling pests.
Please click here for Animal FAQs.
Strathfield Council encourages all pet owners to be responsible for their pet’s actions. All dogs and cats in NSW must comply with rules for ownership, including lifetime registration, outlined in the Companion Animals Act 1998.
This section provides information on registering your pet, places to walk your dog without a leash, how to complain about barking dogs, finding lost dogs or cats and dealing with dangerous dogs.
As of 1 July 1999, the State Government introduced a new microchipping and lifetime registration procedure for dogs and cats as part of the Companion Animals Act 1998. Microchipping involves the injection of a tiny rice grain sized pellet under the skin of the animal. The chip contains an encoded ID number that can be read using a scanner by any vet or pound. Vets or authorised identifiers can assist pet owners with microchipping requirements of the Companion Animals Act.
All dogs born after 1st July 1999, or where the ownership of the dog changes after 1st July 1999, must be microchipped then registered for life at six months of age. Puppies must be microchipped by 12 weeks of age or before change of ownership. They must be registered for life by six months of age.
Cats owned prior to 1st July 1999 do not have to be registered for life, however all cats must by law be identifiable by a collar, tag or microchip.
Cats sold or given away after 1st July 1999 must be microchipped and registered for life. Kitten born after 1st July 1999 should be microchipped by 12 weeks or before change of ownership. They must be registerd for life by 6 months of age. All cats that are impounded must be microchipped and registered for life prior to release.
If you are an owner with a new cat or dog that you have bought or that has been given to you, you must ensure the animal is microchipped and registered when it is six months of age.
Once your animal is microchipped you are then able to apply for lifetime registration. Lifetime registration is compulsory for all cats and dogs, which are bought, sold, given as gifts or have transferred ownership on or after 1 July 1999. This can be done at Council’s Customer Service Centre. For further information on the Companion Animals legislation visit the NSW Office of Local Government’s Companion Animals website.
Please visit the Office of Local Government NSW Companion Animals Registration Fees webpage for a comprehensive list of fees associated with registering your pet.
If you fail to register your cat or dog when required to do so you may be issued with a fixed penalty notice of $275, or a court may award a maximum penalty of up to $5500 or up to $6,500 if your dog is a restricted dog or a declared dangerous or menacing dog.
If you have lost your dog, please contact either Council’s Customer Service Centre on 9748 9999 or Council’s Pound on 9747 3999 to lodge a report. Council’s after hours, weekend and emergency number is 9748 9999.
You will be asked to provide a detailed description of your dogs colour, breed, gender, whether he/she is wearing a collar? is he/she microchipped? etc.
Please ensure your details on your dog’s microchip are correct and up to date. The microchip records the last known address and if this has not been updated, the chances of recovering your lost dog are greatly reduced. A fine can also be imposed for not updating microchip information, if you change address.
When you report your dog missing, Council will update your dog’s record on the Companion Animals Register to show your dog is missing and verify that your contact details are correct. That way, when your dog is found Council and/or the Pound can return your dog to its home.
All dogs found or seized by Strathfield Council will be taken to Council’s Pound at:
Enfield Veterinary Hospital
94 Coronation Parade
Enfield
Phone: 9747 3999 (contactable 24 hours per day)
Email: enfieldvet@bigpond.com.au
Website: http://www.enfieldvet.com.au
Opening hours:
| Day | Time |
|---|---|
| Monday | 8am - 7.30pm |
| Saturday | 9am – 4pm |
| Sunday and Public Holidays | 8.30am - 2pm |
Dogs will not generally bark excessively and disturb neighbours, if they are well cared for. Dogs tend to bark for a reason – if they are chained up, hungry, thirsty, bored, sick, lonely, neglected or being provoked by a roaming dog or the cat next door.
If a neighbour’s dog is barking excessively, talk to the owner first. Your neighbour may not realise their dog is bothering you, especially if it barks when they aren’t home. In many cases, the owner will be happy to find a solution to the problem. If the problem persists, contact a Community Justice Centre (CJC) for advice . CJCs organise free and independent mediation for neighbourhood disputes to help people avoid expensive and complicated legal action.
If you feel that a dog is well cared for, but continues to bark excessively, there are several things that can be tried:
Council can also follow up complaints about barking dogs. You should keep a record of when the dog barks, the duration, frequency as well as the behaviour of the dog. Council’s rangers investigate complaints and can issue a nuisance order to the dog’s owner. Heavy fines apply if the owner fails to act on the order and stop the barking.
To report a barking dog, please contact Council’s Customer Service Centre on 9748 9999.
The following information provided by Office of Local Government outlines those responsibilities under the Companion Animals Act 1998 and the Companion Animals Regulation 2008.
Along with greater responsibilities for owners of restricted and dangerous dogs, local councils have a general duty under the Act to take such steps as are necessary to ensure they are aware of the existence of all dangerous and restricted dogs that are kept in their areas.
Officers authorised under the Act have increased powers to seize a restricted or dangerous dog if the officer is satisfied that any of the control requirements have not been complied with in relation to the dog. Council law enforcement officers and police apply these requirements.
The registered owner of a dog in New South Wales must be over 18 years of age. Owners of restricted and dangerous dogs must notify the council in the area where the dog is ordinarily kept within 24 hours if:
It is an offence in New South Wales to sell, acquire or breed dogs on the restricted dog list. Restricted dogs in NSW are the same as those currently on the prohibited list of importations into Australia. However changes to the legislation now include offspring of restricted dogs on that list, as follows:
This means any dog where the council is of the opinion that a dog is of a breed or kind of dog on the restricted dog list or a cross-breed of any such breed or kind of dog.
If Council issues a dog owner with a ‘Notice of Intention to Declare a Dog to be a Restricted Dog’ under Division 6, the owner has 28 days in which to complete the process where they may elect to have the dog’s breed and temperament assessed. If you receive such a notice you can contact Council for further information.
A dog is “dangerous” if it has, without provocation, attacked or killed a person or animal, or, repeatedly threatened to attack or repeatedly chased a person or animal. “Dangerous dogs” in NSW are dogs that are the subject of a declaration under the Act by a council or a court that the dog is considered dangerous. Council must have given notice to the owner of a dog of the council’s intention to declare the dog to be dangerous.
The owner of a restricted or declared dangerous dog must ensure that each of the control requirements listed under section 51 of the Act is complied with.
One or more signs must be clearly displayed on the property showing the words “Warning Dangerous Dog” in letters clearly visible from the boundaries of the property. Whenever the dog is outside its prescribed enclosure, the dog:
Dangerous and restricted dogs must at all times wear a distinctive collar required by the Regulations.
An owner can be issued with a penalty notice of $1320 for failure to comply with any of the above control requirements and a court can impose a maximum $16,500 fine if a dangerous or restricted dog attacks or bites another person or if an incident is the result of the owner’s failure to comply with any one of the requirements of sections 51 or 56 of the Act.
Enclosure requirements for restricted and dangerous dogs as prescribed by the regulations
The Companion Animals Act requires the enclosure:
Owners of restricted dogs and those dogs declared dangerous are to comply with the prescribed enclosure requirements within 3 months from the relevant date or the date of the declaration.
For further explanation of these requirements see Sections 51 and 56 of the Companion Animals Act.
Failure to comply can result in heavy fines to the owner of the dog.
To promote healthy lifestyles, there are two dog leash free areas in the Strathfield Council area. Council recognises that the owning of pets (companion animals) including dogs, increases quality of life and has many health and social benefits.
Council’s Leash Free Parks are located at:
Dog litter is one of the major causes of pollution to our waterways. After rain, 50% of bacteria in the stormwater system that concern public health are from dog faeces (poo). The nutrients also contained in the dog faeces affect aquatic plants and wildlife in our creeks, rivers & harbour where they also encourage algal blooms (including poisonous blue green algae). Nutrients from dog litter also threaten bushland encouraging weed growth and killing native vegetation.
Dog litter bacteria is also a health concern where dog litter is stepped in and is then walked through your house, shopping centres, cars and public facilities posing the greatest health threat to children and the elderly.
Council has provided dog litter bags at these leash free areas, please use them and dispose of them thoughtfully. Remember to help keep our environment beautiful and healthy by taking a pooper-scooper or plastic bag (ordinary shopping bag) to dispose of your dog’s litter in a bin.
For the NSW Companion Animals Register to work effectively, the contact information it contains must be as current as possible.
In the event that you change your contact details or sell or give away your cat or dog to a new owner, you must advise Strathfield Council within 14 days and we will update this information on the register. There is no payment required for changing details.
It is the responsibility of the ‘old’ owner – the person selling or giving away the animal – to notify the change. Failure to do so may result in a fine.
Please contact Council’s Customer Service Centre for further information or complete the relevant form and send it to Council.
Foxes can be found throughout metropolitan Sydney including the Strathfield Council area. Fox sightings usually occur at night and in the early morning. Do not feed foxes, intentionally or otherwise, as this will encourage them to continually visit. Foxes may come into backyards to eat food left out for pets or food scraps. Uneaten pet food should be removed and domestic food scraps placed in compost bins or similar. Any other potential food sources for foxes should be properly disposed of to discourage their presence in urban areas, particularly around pets.
Foxes are not indigenous Australian animals and they pose a risk to native animals. The European Red Fox is medium-sized and was introduced to Australia in the 1855 for recreational hunting. It is now widely distributed across most of Australia and in 2012, there were an estimated 7.2 million foxes in Australia. Foxes are persecuted for their impact on native species, though like any animal they should not be treated cruelly (they are sentient animals with remarkable intelligence and sensitivity).
To report a stray dog please contact Council’s Customer Service Centre on 9748 9999.
Fines can apply to people who do not control their animals.
To report a lost pet please contact Council’s Customer Service Centre on 9748 999 with all the particulars regarding your pet. When Council rangers locate a lost dog, it is checked for a microchip. If the dog is microchipped, wherever practicable, the dog will be returned to the owner. Unchipped dogs will be sent to Council’s pound.
Council does not catch stray or feral cats. For further information please contact the Cat Protection Society of NSW on 9557 1011 or 9519 7201 or visit their website at www.catprotection.org.au.
Any person wishing to keep bees must be registered with the NSW Department of Primary Industries. The Department investigates complaints about nuisance bees and wasps.
As the bee numbers worldwide are in decline, Strathfield Council is committed to maintaining a bee friendly environment in the Strathfield LGA.
There are many benefits bees provide including pollinating our parks and gardens, especially fruit and vegetable gardens.
The removal of bees on private property is the responsibility of the landowner.
If residents require assistance with removal of bee swarms on private property, they can contact the Amateur Beekeepers Association of NSW Inc . The Association provides advice on bee swarm problems and may assist in collection of bees from properties. Bees removed by a bee-keeper are relocated and not killed, which is a better outcome for all concerned. Collectors may charge a fee for removal, which is less than typically charged by a pest controller.
Residents may also contact a pest control company to organise eradication.
Bee hives in tree hollows will generally not be removed. Council will only remove a bee swarm when it is a hazard to the public and when it is unlikely to move on to a more suitable location naturally.
To report swarms on Council owned property please contact Council’s Customer Service Centre on 9748 9999. Details about the exact location of the swarm should be provided along with an approximate length of time the bees have been there. Council will seek to have the bees removed and/or relocated.
To remove wasps, contact a local pest control company or pest control association.
In their natural environment, possums usually live in tree hollows but with the loss of native bushland in the Sydney region many of these natural homes have been destroyed. Possums are a protected species by law in NSW.
It is an offence to trap or use poison to control possums. If you have a problem with a possum seeking shelter in your roof, please contact the National Parks and Wildlife Service for further information.
If you find an injured native animal, handle it as little as possible and call WIRES on 1300 094 737 or Sydney Wildlife on 9413 4300 for further advice.
Trapping and poisoning will kill rats on your premises, but this is only one part of the solution, as rats will return if favourable conditions for existence persist. For complete extermination and protection against reinfestation, rats must be deprived of food and shelter.
Rats eat practically all food. They also eat excreta, thus becoming a carrier of dysentery, diarrhoea and gastro-enteritis. Rats forage mostly at night, but if seen during daylight hours, the rat is very hungry possibly because of over population or because food is readily available.
The average number of rats per litter is 10 and under varying conditions, three to 12 litters may be produced by one female in a year. The young develop rapidly and at three or four months old commence to breed. Rats live for about four years, with a reproductive potential so great that almost 250,000 rats can be produced from one pair and their progeny in three years!
Clear house and land of all rubbish and timber, or stack it at least 300mm above the ground.
If you do need to eradicate rodents from your property, bait is available from most supermarkets and hardware stores.
Dead animals found on the road or in a public place should be reported to Council’s Customer Service Centre on 9748 9999 or council@strathfield.nsw.gov.au. On weekends, a faster response will occur through calling Council on 9748 9999.
Please report the location of the animal and the dead animal will be removed as soon as possible.
Council will attempt to ascertain the ownership of the animal and contact the owner of the animal.
Please note that Council does not remove dead animals from roads managed by the Roads and Maritime Services and requests should be referred to that authority by telephoning 9831 0911.
For further information please contact Council’s Customer Service Centre on 9748 9999.
Ibis are a unique wetland bird species that are becoming more common within urban areas along the east coast of Australia due to loss of natural wetland habitat and drier weather conditions. The most common species within urban areas is the White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca). The natural diet of the white Ibis includes insects and aquatic invertebrates however Ibis have adapted to life in urban areas discovering the bountiful supply of waste and litter.
There are a few simple precautions that we can all take to ensure that Ibis do not become a problem in Strathfield, these include:
Further measures to control Ibis problems may be undertaken by property owners under license from the National Parks and Wildlife Service by qualified professionals, for more information property owners should contact National Parks and Wildlife on 1300 072 757.
