Enquiries

Dog Owners

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Animal Control Pound

Prosser Street (PO Box 1704)
Port Augusta SA 5700

Phone: 08 8641 9164 (all hours)

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New laws relating to dogs and cats are contained in the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995. Under the Act a controlling body known as the Dog and Cat Management Board has been set up. The main functions of the Board are to assist and liaise with local government, and to achieve a high standard of quality and consistency in the management of dogs and cats includes:

Dog Registration
Dog Complaints
Lost Dogs
Cat Identification
Cat Curfews
Roaming Cats

For further information contact the Council Office, telephone (08) 8641 9100.

Dog Registration

Council keeps a register of dogs in the local area. To ensure that the register is kept up to date dog registrations are renewed every 12 months at the beginning of July. Persons registering a dog must be sixteen years of age or older. All dogs over the age of 3 months must be registered.

To register a dog you will need to:

Make an application to Council
Pay a processing fee (concessions are available)

Once a dog has been registered you will be issued with:

A certificate of registration
A registration disk (this must be worn by the dog at all times)

Failure to register a dog is an offence and the owner or person responsible for the dog may be fined. Further fines may also be issued for every fourteen days that the offence continues. Following the registration of a dog you are required to notify Council as soon as possible if the following events occur:

The dog is moved to another premises
The dog dies or is missing for more than seventy two hours
Ownership of the dog is transferred to another person

If changing the ownership of a dog, an Application to Change Registered Owner of Dog Application%20to%20Change%20Registered%20Owner%20of%20Dog (88 kb) (Form 7) form must be filled out and handed in at the Civic Centre. This form can be obtained from the Civic Centre or can be opened and printed here. The form must be signed by both the original and new owner of the dog.

For further information contact the Council, telephone (08) 8641 9100.

On and Off Leash Areas

State Government legislation states that a dog must be on a leash that does not exceed two metres in length whilst on public roads, footpaths, and in all public places, except for parks unless otherwise specified by Council by-laws. Accredited guide, hearing and disability dogs are excepted from all restrictions.

On and Off Leash Areas for Dogs(82 kb)

Dog Complaints

Complaints about animals must be made to Council in writing using an Animal Complaint Form. On receipt of a written complaint an inspector of Council will consult with neighbouring residents to verify the complaint. The inspector will then determine the severity of the disturbance and the appropriate course of action to remedy the situation.

Animal Complaint Form Animal%20Complaint%20Form (101 kb)

Council inspectors will respond to a complaint without written notice only if the nature of the offence can be confirmed by the inspector on the site. If an emergency situation arises, e.g. a dog attack, an inspector will attend immediately. Contact the Animal Control Office on (08) 8641 9164 for any enquiries or complaints. However, if the situation has been dissipated by the time the inspector arrives, a written complaint will then have to be made.

Lost Dogs

Reporting a Missing Dog

If your dog is missing contact Council as soon as possible to make a report. Council's Inspector will take your dog's details and provide advice on the steps you need to take to try to locate your dog.

Finding a Lost Dog

If you find a lost dog report it to Council immediately. A Council Inspector will come out to collect the dog.Under no circumstances should you remove the dog from the place where it was found. Dogs that are deemed to be lost are taken to the Council pound and the following course of action is taken:

The owner is contacted if they can be traced
If the owner cannot be traced they are kept at the pound for approximately three days
After that period, if the owner or another home for the dog hasn't been found, the dog will be destroyed.

Council has set up a Facebook page to assist with finding lost dogs and finding homes for surrendered or abandoned dogs: Lost and Found Animals – Port Augusta City Council.

Cat Identification

No person shall without the written permission of Council keep a cat in the Council's area, unless the cat is identified by a microchip. It is also advisable to identify your cat by using a collar with the owners name, address and telephone number legibly written on it or on a tag secured to the collar.

Under the Act any cat that cannot be identified can be seized, detained or removed by an individual from their property. A cat that has been seized must be released to the RSPCA or a vet for disposal within twelve hours of being seized. It is an offence to seize and remove an identified cat from another person's property. It is also an offence to interfere with a cat's collar or identification disk. This can occur a fine of up to $4,000.

Cat Curfews

Council has introduced a by-law regarding the ownership of cats in the Port Augusta Council Area. The person responsible for the control of a cat or entitled to the possession of a cat must ensure the cat is effectively confined to the premises occupied by that person between the hours of 10.30pm and 6.00am the next day following.

Roaming Cats

Cats roaming onto other people's property may be trapped and removed if they are not wearing any identification. Any cat regardless of whether it can be identified or not can be legally destroyed if found: