A huge thank you to everyone that submitted feedback and their views on domestic animal management in Hume.

The 2023-2026 Domestic Animal Management Plan was adopted by Council on 28 August 2023.

See the Hume City Council website for more information on responsible pet ownership and to the read the 2023-2026 Domestic Animal Management Plan.

Background

Under the Domestic Animals Act 1994 (Vic), every Victorian local government must develop and implement a Domestic Animal Management Plan (DAMP).

A DAMP outlines how a Council will manage dogs, cats and other domestic animals within its community and aims to promote responsible pet ownership, the welfare of animals, and the protection of the community and environment from cats and dogs.

Previous consultation

The Draft DAMP was developed through extensive community and stakeholder engagement.

The main consultation method was an online survey, available in English, Turkish and Arabic. Eight key stakeholder interviews were also undertaken and an additional sixty-nine comments were received via Councils' social media campaign. Approximately 1,136 people provided feedback.

The three top rated concerns in regard to animal management were:

• Impact of cats on fauna and flora.
• Cats wandering at night.
• Owners not picking up after their dog’s droppings.

The highest priorities identified by community members that Council should focus on in relation to domestic animal programs were:

• More enforcement action for residents who do not care for their pets.
• 24/7 emergency service to report dog attacks and stray animals.
• Discount cat desexing program.

Development of the Draft DAMP

The results of the previous consultation have informed the development of the draft DAMP, including the following areas of action:

• Reducing the number of nuisance complaints by:
  • increasing the number of patrols in dog off-leash areas and on the spot fines
  • auditing the availability of dog waste bins in public parks
• Making it easier to report animal management issues
• Undertaking research to understand areas and times where dog attacks are frequent to help allocate resources
• Decreasing the number of stray, abandoned and unwanted pets by:
  • researching and considering ways to incentivise desexing
  • providing community information around stray cat management and responsible pet breeding requirements.

Consideration of a Cat curfew

As part of the previous consultation, community views were sought on the introduction of a cat curfew in Hume – with 74% of survey respondents being supportive.

Before a decision is made, further research is required. This includes further engagement with community members, consideration of enforcement options, resourcing and exploration of possible financial/housing implications for cat owners.

This further research has been included as a key action within the draft DAMP.

How to participate

Feedback has now closed. Feedback could be shared with us by:

		Providing feedback through the form below
		Emailing the City Laws team
		Phoning the City Laws team on 9205 2200.
		Posting to Hume City Council, PO Box 119, Dallas Vic 3047

Draft DAMP Feedback

CLOSED: This survey has concluded.