Dogs

Services A-Z

You're at Homepage > Services A-Z > Rangers > Dogs

DOG REGISTRATION

All dogs over three months of age must be registered and wear a registration tag and a disc showing the owners name and address. Dog registration fees are set by the State Government and are currently:

	1 YEAR	3 YEARS
Sterilised	$10.00	$18.00
Unsterilised	$30.00	$75.00
Pensioner concession	50% of above fees

Proof of sterilisation is required at the time of registration. Registrations can be completed at the Administration Centre, 61 Broun Avenue, Morley or the Max Tulley Information Office, situated in the Galleria Shopping Centre.

DOGS IN PUBLIC PLACES

Dogs must be kept on a leash in all public places, except dog exercise areas. However, in a dog exercise area, dog/s must be accompanied by a person capable of controlling the dog/s. A leash not longer than 2 metres in length also needs to be carried by the dog controller and used if the need arises.

DOGS PROHIBITED

Dogs are prohibited absolutely from entering or being in any of the following places –

where so indicated by a sign, a public building;
a shopping centre, and or shopping mall
or a shop not being a shop where dogs are sold or treated for illness or injury;
a theatre or picture gardens;
all premises or vehicles classified as food premises or food vehicles under the Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations 1993;
a public swimming pool;
building construction site; and

the following beaches, reserves and freehold land –
5 metre perimeter around lake at Lake Bungana, Lot 362 Swan Bank Road, Maylands;
5 metre perimeter around lake at Lake Brearley, Lot 363 Swan Bank Road, Maylands;
the wetland side of the path around Eric Singleton Bird Sanctuary, Lot 8,9,12 & 13 King William Street, Bayswater.

DOG EXCRETA

Dog excreta needs to be cleaned up and disposed of in a proper manner by the dog controller. Yellow ‘pooch bags’ are provided at dog exercise areas, however their availability cannot always be guaranteed. People walking their dog should ensure they have an alternative available, such as a plastic bag, before leaving home for their walk. Fines apply to irresponsible dog controllers who do not clean up after their dogs.

MAXIMUM NUMBER OF DOGS ALLOWED

Each household is permitted to keep two dogs and the puppies of these dogs under three months of age.

An application to keep more than two dogs can be made to Council.

People living in flats and units should check with their body corporate, as there may be restrictions or rules applying to those premises regarding the keeping of dogs on the premises.

LOST AND FOUND DOGS

If your dog wanders, it may be picked up by a Community Ranger and taken to the City’s Animal Control Facility. This facility is situated on the corner of Raymond Avenue and Wright Street, Bayswater. Impounded dogs may be claimed Monday to Friday between 1.00pm and 1:30pm. Poundage fees are applicable and dog owners are required to register their dog or provide proof of registration before the dog/s will be released.

Should you find a dog please do not to hesitate to call the Community Ranger section on 9272 0972. Chances are the owner has already contacted the Rangers looking for their dog. Many people do not wish to hand over a found dog on the mistaken belief that the ranger will automatically put the dog down. This is not true. Every effort is made to find the dog owner and if this proves unsuccessful the Community rangers attempt to rehome the dog.

If you have lost or found a dog, you can inform the Council on 9272 0972 or by email on mail@bayswater.wa.gov.au Please include details such as breed, sex, colour, whether the dog has a collar, registration number, or identification tag, and contact details of the owner/finder. These details will be listed on the City’s lost and found register.

DOG NUISANCE COMPLAINTS

Dogs causing a nuisance by continual barking can be a real disturbance. If you are having a problem with a dog continually barking in your area, try speaking to the dog owner. Many dog owners are unaware of the problem and are grateful to you for bringing it to their attention. If this does not solve the problem, contact Council on 9272 0972 for a package to be forwarded to you. On receipt of the completed package Community Rangers will speak to the dog owner and refer them on to the Perth Animal Behavioural Centre (telephone 9258 3898) for further advice.

DOG ATTACKS AND DANGEROUS DOGS

Dog attacks are a very serious matter. Many dog attacks are reported to Council every year, some resulting in horrific injuries. If your dog is involved in an attack, you can be prosecuted with fines of up to $10,000, even if you were not present at the time of the attack.

In addition, Council may declare your dog dangerous. This means that your dog will be required to wear a special collar, be muzzled whenever in public and your house will need to display ‘DANGEROUS DOG’ signs, together with other conditions as determined by Council. Any breed of dog can be declared Dangerous if it is proven to be repetitively aggressive or involved in attacks.

RESTRICTED BREEDS

A ‘Restricted breed dog’ means a dog of any of the following breeds

Perro de Pres Canario (Canary Dog);

Dogo Argentino (Argentinian fighting dog);

Fila Brasileiro (Brazilian fighting dog);

Japanese Tosa;

American Pit Bull terrier; and

Pit Bull terrier breeds.

or any other breed of dog the importation of which is prohibited absolutely by the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulation 1956 of the Commonwealth, and includes any dog of a mixed breed which visibly contains any of the above breeds.

New laws requiring Pit Bulls and other restricted breeds to be sterilised have been introduced in Western Australia by the State Government.

The new laws require an owner to prove to an authorised person that their dog meets one of the following requirements:

the dog has an ear tattoo showing that it has already been sterilised;

or within a 24-hour period –

the owner produces a certificate from a veterinary surgeon showing that the dog has been previously sterilised (or is recovering from treatment and would suffer if sterilised at that time, or has a condition which would cause the dog to die); or
that the dog is under the age of 6 months.

These updated regulations come into effect on Friday, 10th March 2006.

Community Rangers will be conducting routine property inspections after this date and it is important that you are aware that un-sterilised restricted breed dogs may be seized and destroyed.

All restricted breed dogs must comply with the regulations, for further details please contact Ranger Services on 9272 0972. Penalties apply if not complied with.