Pet Ownership

Animals and Pets

Pets are a much treasured part of the family in many homes, however owning a pet is also a responsibility that should not be taken lightly.

Responsible Dog Owners

• Registration – Dogs must be registered with the Quilpie Shire Council before they are 12 weeks old or within 14 days of moving to a new local council area
• Barking– All dogs bark, but some barking dogs become a real neighbourhood nuisance – greatly reducing the quality of life for their neighbours and increasing neighbourhood tensions. Barking dogs is the most common animal behaviour problem Council is asked to deal with. Quilpie Shire Council has baking dog collars available for hire, please contact customer service on 4656 0500.
• Fences and confinement– A straying dog causes distress to neighbours and the community. Dogs that are not kept safely behind a fence can risk being injured or cause injury to others. As a responsible pet owner, it is important that your fence or dog enclosures is:
  • High enough so your dog can’t jump over it
  • Low enough so your dog can’t dig under it
  • Strong enough so your dog can’t push it over, and
  • Hole proof so your dog can’t escape through it.
• Pet litter– Leaving pet litter in a public place is unpleasant and unhealthy, it is the responsibility of pet owners to remove and dispose of pet litter.
• Leashes and Exercise– Dogs must be leashed at all times in public places to help control them more easily and to increase the safety of other animals and people. Remember that many people are frightened or annoyed by dogs that are not leashed; you should always be considerate of other people.

Responsible cat owners

• Identification – ensure your cat wears a collar and identification tag bearing your address or telephone number or by having your cat permanently identified by microchip implant could save you a lot of heartache.
• De-sexing – cats confined to their property are less likely to be hurt in fights and pick up diseases from other cats. They are also less likely to be hit by cars and annoy neighbours.
• Vaccinations – When you purchase a cat ensure you obtain a vaccination certificate to ensure its vaccinations are up to date. Cats should also have a check up with a vet once a year to ensure they are healthy and worming and vaccinations are current.
• Confinement – Cats are instinctive hunters. You can protect wildlife in your neighbourhood by confining your cat to your property and placing a bell on your cat’s collar.
• Strays – Unowned cats are a significant source of nuisance in the community. Council strongly encourages people to either be a responsible owner and take the cat in or take it to the animal care and adoption centre. If your neighbour has a roaming cat, you can notify them and if no action is taken you can notify council

With the hot weather upon us,  it is very important you are aware how to care for your pets in the heat:

• Always provide plenty of cool, clean water. Fill two bowls in case one is knocked over. If outside, ensure they are in the shade.
• Ensure pets have access to cool, shady and well ventilated areas during all parts of the day.
• It is best to leave pets at home during heat-waves, they will be much more comfortable in a cool home than riding in a hot car.
• If pets must be taken along for the ride, don’t leave them alone in a parked vehicle. Even with the windows open, a parked car can quickly become a furnace, and pets can get heat stroke, brain damage or die in as little as 4-6 minutes. Never, under any circumstances, leave pets unattended in a car, even on a mild day when the car is in the shade and has the windows down.
• If you and your pet must travel, carry an extra thermos, filled with fresh, cool water, just for them. Put the air conditioning on and if possible, use a window shield (the type used for babies and small children) on the rear windows.
• Add ice blocks to your pet’s water bowl throughout the day.
• Fill an empty container or drink bottle with water, freeze it, and place in your pet’s bed. Alternatively, place wet towels in the freezer for a few hours, remove and place in your pet’s bed.
• Where possible, leaving the air-conditioning or fans on in the house will help to keep pets cool.
• If you know it is going to be a hot day and you will be at work, close the blinds in one or two rooms to keep the sun out. This will help the rooms to stay cooler.
• Animals can get sunburned too! Protect hairless and light-coated dogs and white cats with sunscreen when your animal will be outside in the sun for an extended period of time. Put sunscreen or zinc on exposed areas of pink skin (e.g. ear tips and noses).
• Animals with long coats can be clipped to increase comfort in hot weather.
• Be aware of the signs of heat stroke in animals – this can be potentially fatal. Signs include rapid panting, lethargy, drooling, weakness, muscle tremors, or collapse.
• Pets with signs of heat stroke should be put in a cool shady area, wetted down with cool (not icy) water and fanned. If the animal is conscious, offer cool (not cold) drinking water, but don’t allow it to gulp large amounts. Contact the nearest vet immediately, but don’t transport animals in a hot car.

Nuisance (Barking) Dogs

All dogs bark, but some barking dogs become a real neighbourhood nuisance. A dog is considered a nuisance if it barks for more than six minutes in any hour between 7am and 10pm on any day or if it barks for more than three minutes in any 30 minute period between 10pm and 7am on any day.

Council’s Barking Dog Complaint form can be used to record the date, time and length of nuisance barking.

The RSPCA has useful fact sheets that can be downloaded from their website www.rspca.org.au to assist you to identify why your dog is barking and steps you can take to ensure others in the community are not disrupted by barking nuisance dogs.

Council are now offering training collars on loan to residents who have a problem with nuisance barking from their dog. If you believe you have exhausted all other options to prevent your dog from barking, such as walking them frequently, feeding/watering them properly, extensive training and showing them enough attention and affection then this option may be best for you. Please complete and return the below hire form.

For further information please contact Council’s Customer Service Centre on (07) 4656 0500.