A new plan aims to further support responsible dog and cat ownership in Knox and will guide Council's animal management focus areas over the next four years.
The Domestic Animal Management Plan 2026-2029 has been developed after reviewing feedback from more than 473 submissions from community members, including dog and cat owners, non-pet owners, park and reserve users and domestic animal businesses.
Knox is home to about 16,640 registered dogs and 6,482 registered cats.
Some of the main issues identified by community members and addressed by the plan include the need for:
- Increased community education about dog off-leash rules and areas
- Solutions to address the problem of dog waste not being collected and disposed of properly
- Potential solutions to cat management
- Education and communication campaigns to increase community awareness of responsible pet ownership, including registration, desexing, microchipping and having your dog under effective control
Over the next four years of the plan, Council will undertake a range of actions, including:
- Undertake an extensive review of Council's off-leash restrictions, which have not been reviewed since 2005
- Investigate ways to increase the number of desexed dogs
- Increase education about responsible pet ownership to encourage people to pick up after their dogs
- Implement programs to increase the number of pet registrations
- Review and update Council's barking dog process and the information provided to support the community
- Deliver free or low-cost dog training sessions for the community
- Review animal management rules and associated fines as part of the Knox Local Law Review
- Explore what a community cat program or cat desexing initiative could look like for Knox
Council will continue to provide the first year of registration free for any cat or dog purchased from a registered animal shelter.
Registrations for cats and dogs are due for renewal by 10 April. Up-to-date information is vital in helping Council reunite lost pets with their owners.
