Lost, Stray or Noisy Animals
Whether your pet is a dog, cat, rooster, horse or anything with feathers, fur or scales it is your responsibility as a pet owner to keep pets secure and prevent them from causing a nuisance to others. Requests may be lodged for Ranger Services to assist with lost, stray, noisy or nuisance animals where other attempts have failed. It is recommended that if an animal is causing an issue that you speak with the animal's owner directly in the first instance so that they are aware of the problem and can take steps to reduce the problem without Council being involved.
LOST OR STRAY ANIMALS
DOGS AND CATS
If you have lost a dog or cat, please refer to the Dubbo City Animal Shelter page or Wellington Pound page for information about how to find out if it has been impounded by Council.
If you have found a dog or cat, you may make your own enquiries to find the owner such as asking neighbours, posting on Facebook pages including the Dubbo City Animal Shelter & Wellington Pound Facebook page, advising vets or local radio stations. If you fail to find the owner within 72 hours, the animal must be turned over to Council so that further attempts can be made to locate the owner.
STOCK
If you have lost stock or another animal, please contact Ranger Services on 6801 4000.
If you have found stock or if stock is causing a safety hazard such as being unattended on a road, please contact Ranger Services immediately on (02) 6801 4000.
If an animal has trespassed onto your property it is recommended that you contact your neighbours to identify the owner. The Local Land Services may also be able to assist if the animal is tagged. If you have not been able to identify the owner, Council may be able to assist you in finding the owner or you may privately impound the animal at your expense.
NATIVE ANIMALS
Contact WIRES on 1300 WIRES (1300 094 737) or Taronga Western Plains Zoo Wildlife Hospital.
NUISANCE ANIMALS
DOGS
Barking dogs are the most common nuisance behaviour that Council responds to.
Resolving a barking dog (PDF 206.2KB) issue can be a lengthy process and requires the cooperation of the complainant and the dog's owner. Council cannot remove a dog from a premises. We will work with both parties to improve the situation utilising regulatory tools available under the Companion Animals Act where required to improve the outcome.
What you can do:
- Identify the correct address of the offending dog.
- Speak with the owner and give them time to improve the behaviour.
- If the noise persists, lodge a complaint with Council. Rangers will contact the owner and request them to reduce the barking.
- If the offending dog is still causing a problem after 14 days, lodge a second complaint with Council. You will then be requested to keep a diary of the dog's barking habits and detail the effect it is having on you. This will assist Council with their investigation and can be used in court as evidence if required.
- Forward the completed diary to Council. If the diary indicates that the barking is unreasonable Rangers will then carry out a neighbourhood survey to determine if any other residents are affected by the dog to be confident of the validity and severity of the complaint.
- If Council's investigation reveals that the problem is significant a Nuisance Dog Order will be served. Failure to comply with the order may result in significant fines being issued to the dog owner.
- If there is a lack of evidence the complainant will be advised to seek their own mediation through the Community Justice Centre or seek a Noise Abatement Order from the local court.
CATS
Council have cat traps available for short term loan to capture feral or nuisance cats, for these traps to be successful community need to take active measures to avoid feeding feral or stray animals they come into contact with. Where the owner can be identified the cat will be returned to its owner and advice given to prevent the nuisance behaviour. Feral or unidentified cats will delivered to the Dubbo City Animal Shelter.
If you have a nuisance or feral cat, you can request a cat trap from Council by completing the form via DRC&ME
Traps are available for a period of 14 days.
ROOSTERS
Roosters are not recommended to be kept in residential areas due to the offensive noise they can create. Owners are encouraged to relocate or surrender them to prevent further action being taken.
BIRDS
Birds kept in a healthy and clean manner are not usually an issue for neighbours. Council's Keeping of Birds and Pigeons and Erection of Bird and Pigeon Lofts Policy provides guidance. There are also Standards that can be enforced under Schedule 2 of the Local Government Regulation.
HORSES AND PIGS
There are standards that can be enforced under Schedule 2 of the Local Government Regulation. Noise, Air, Land or Water Pollution can also be enforced under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act.
STOCK
Straying stock on roads should be reported to the owner and/or Council immediately.
Last Edited: 02 Apr 2024