We support the free Responsible Pet Ownership program, which provides a range of helpful resources and fact sheets for pet owners.
The Victorian Government website also offers a wealth of information on dog and cat ownership, including tips on choosing the right pet, caring for your pet's wellbeing, and understanding 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 2025-29.
- 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.
- 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.