As our population grows, so does the number of pets who inhabit our rural city. At the Benalla Rural City Council, our aim is to ensure all domestic animals have a safe place to live with their owners.
Victorian councils prepare a domestic animal management plan at four-yearly intervals – a document to ensure all municipalities provide a consistent service standard, in line with state regulations and relevant to individual community needs.
The Domestic Animal Management Plan (DAMP) focuses on cats and dogs specifically and outlines the key issues, objectives and priorities for how pets will be managed. Benalla Rural City Council's Domestic Animal Management Plan 2017-2021 covers issues such as registration and identification, nuisance, dog attacks, dangerous, menacing and restricted breed dogs, overpopulation and domestic animal businesses. The plan also aims to minimise the nuisance and possible danger created by some cats and dogs.
Benalla Rural City Council Mayor, Danny Claridge, said, "a new Domestic Animal Management Plan 2021-2025 is currently being developed and consultation with our wider rural city community is a vital part of the process – all feedback, suggestions and input is warmly welcomed."
