‍Residential areas:

2 cats

2 dogs

No guinea fowl or roosters

4 poultry hens

4 domestic birds

4 domestic mice

2 guinea pigs

2 domestic rabbits

No other livestock is allowed.

Puppies or kittens of registered dogs and cats are not included in these numbers for the first 12 weeks after their birth.

Farming areas:

6 cats

6 dogs

20 guinea fowl and roosters

20 poultry including 2 roosters

100 domestic birds

10 domestic mice

10 guinea pigs

2 domestic rabbits

Puppies or kittens of registered dogs and cats are not counted in these numbers for the first 12 weeks after their birth.

If you want to keep more than the number of animals allowed, you need to fill in an Application to Keep More Than Allowed Animals.

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‍Animal registration fees and classifications

- Unsterilised animal - $207

- Working dog - $35.50

- Animals kept for breeding (DABs registered with Council) - $70

- Pensioner unsterilised male/female animal - $103

- Pensioner sterilised animal and registered before 10 April 2013 - $19

- Dog or cat over 10 years age - $70

- Sterilised male/female animal - $35.50

- Registered with an applicable organisation - $35.50

- Dog obedience certificate - $70

- Dog or cat which is microchipped and registered before 10 April 2013 - $70

- Microchipped and sterilised (pensioner) - $19

- Microchipped and sterilised - $35.50

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Note: some fees based on meeting requirements as determined by the Domestic Animals Act and Domestic Animals Regulations 2015. Please contact Council for more information.

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Animal Aid manages the animal shelter on our behalf.

Opening Hours

Monday to Friday 11.00 am to 3.00 pm

Weekends and Public Holidays 10.30 am to 12.30 pm

Closed Christmas Day and Good Friday.

40 Giles Street, Bairnsdale

Tel. 03 5152 1389

If you've lost a pet, check the Animal Aid Lost pets website.

‍What should you do if your pet is missing?

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If you would like to adopt a pet, please visit Adopt an Animal at Victorian Animal Aid at animalaid.org.au/pet-adoptions.

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We support the free Responsible Pet Ownership program which has a number of fact sheets to assist.

The Victorian Government website also has a wealth of information around dog and cat ownership, from tips on choosing the right pet, to looking after the welfare of your pet and your legal responsibilities as a pet owner.

In summary, some of your responsibilities include:

• Microchip and register all of your dogs and cats over 3 months of age. Registration is complete when the form has been filled in and submitted, supporting documents have been provided and the relevant fee has been paid.
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• Make sure your fences are secure, and your doors and gates are kept closed. This is important not only when you're away from home, but also when you are home and go through them to ensure that your dog is safe at home where they should be. Many times, when we contact dog owners to say we've found them, they assume their dog is in their yard. Not only that, over 80% of dog attacks occur just outside the dog's property because they can escape and wander the streets. Backyard is best.
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• Don't let your dog approach, chase or attack people or other animals. Not everyone loves your dog as you do and some people, especially children, are scared of any dog that approaches.
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• Have effective control of your dog in public. When out and about, make sure your dog is with someone capable of restraining them at all times. If you can't be sure of that, leave them at home. Plan ahead and don't take them out if you have to tie them up somewhere - its not fun for them to be left alone.
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• Contain cats to your property at all times. Provisions, pursuant to Section 25 of the Domestic (Feral and Nuisance) Animals Act 1994, make it an offence for cats to be found at large outside the premises of the owner or not securely confined to the owner's premises at anytime of the day or night. For more on the 24-hour containment rule, see our Domestic Animal Management Plan 2021-25.
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• Look after your dog's needs. A happy dog is one whose needs are met, like food, water, comfortable sleeping space, plenty of interaction and socialising - dogs are pack animals. If your dog is not content it may start to display nuisance behaviours, such as barking, digging and being destructive. If barking becomes and issue, take your dog for a health check to make sure there's no underlying medical reason for the barking. Obedience training can also benefit nuisance behaviours.
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• Clean up after your animal and dispose of the litter appropriately.

Download these handy PDFs for more tips on caring for your cat or dog.

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Under the Domestic Animals Act 1994 you may be responsible for any damage or injury caused by your dog if it attacks a person or animal. Help prevent dog attacks by always supervising your dog around children or other animals.

If Council receives a complaint about your dog attacking it may be declared 'dangerous' or ‘menacing’, depending on the nature of the attack.

Council will notify you if this happens. If Council intends to declare your dog dangerous or menacing we will send you a proposal and give you an opportunity to comment within 14 days.

If your dog is declared dangerous or menacing, strict controls apply. You must:

• Restrain the dog on your own land by keeping it indoors at all times or in an approved enclosure (specified in the Act).
• Erect approved signs on the property saying 'Warning Dangerous Dog' which are clearly visible from outside the property.
• Dog must be on leash at all times, wearing a prescribed collar and muzzled when outside your property (no exceptions).
• Owner must advise Council within 24 hours of where a change to where the dog is being kept, or if the ownership changes.
• Notify Council of prescribed events.

The leaflet Dangerous Dogs has more information.

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Noisy dogs

The Domestic Animals Act 1994 defines a nuisance being when a dog creates a noise, by barking or otherwise, which persistently occurs or continues to such a degree or extent that it unreasonably interferes with the peace, comfort or convenience of any person.

Barking dog problems are rarely solved by enforcement action and can take some time to resolve. In extreme cases the matter could be heard in front of a magistrate.

If you are annoyed by the noise from your neighbour’s dog, try to solve the problem first by talking it over with your neighbours. They may not realise their dog is causing a problem and in many cases they will be happy to do what they can to help.

If this fails, you can make a complaint to us.

Assistant dogs

As set by the Domestic Animals Act 1994 if you are applying to register an Assistance Dog then different criteria apply and a separate, specific, assistance dog registration application can be downloaded here:  

Assistance Dog Application Form

What is an assistance dog?

An assistance dog is trained to perform tasks or functions that assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effects of his or her disability.

This can include but not limited to:

• dogs trained to assist with individuals with mobility impairments.
• autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• sudden medical alerts.

Eligibility

As per the Animal Welfare Victoria Guidelines You must provide evidence on the application form that includes:

• a declaration from a health professional that the applicant owner/handler has a disability as defined under the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the dog is required to assist them in alleviating the effect(s) of that disability.
• a declaration from dog trainer that the dog has completed appropriate and adequate dog training in both assistance skills and obedience.
• veterinarian advice confirming the assistance dog's birth date and desexing status (over 12 months of age and desexed)
• That the assistance dog is not declared dangerous, menacing or a restricted dog breed.

How to apply for a fee exemption

• a declaration from a health professional that the applicant owner/handler has a disability as defined under the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the dog is required to assist them in alleviating the effect(s) of that disability.
• a declaration from a dog trainer that the dog has completed appropriate and adequate dog training in both assistance skills and obedience.
• veterinary advice confirming the assistance dog’s birth date and desexing status.