Hepburn Shire Council is asking the community to help shape the future of pet management, as it develops its new Domestic Animal Management Plan (DAMP) 2025–2029.
The plan will guide how dogs and cats are managed across the Shire over the next four years, covering issues such as pet registration, animal welfare, nuisance complaints, dog attacks and the cat curfew introduced in 2023.
Mayor Cr Don Henderson said the plan is about finding the right balance between supporting pet owners and protecting the wider community. “This is not just about enforcement,” Cr Henderson said. “Registration and easy identification can be a way of reuniting pets with their owners. We know how important pets are to our residents, which is why responsible pet ownership is a priority. If not managed properly, nuisance animals can negatively impact our community, environment, and farming sector.”
Since the last DAMP was introduced, Council has acted on community feedback by introducing a cat curfew and strengthening enforcement for dog attacks. Now it wants to know whether those measures are working – and what should be done next.
Residents are invited to share their views on topics such as:
- animal management services
- concerns about roaming dogs or cats
- experiences with dog aggression or attacks
- pet registration and microchipping
Community feedback will inform a draft DAMP, which will be released for public exhibition in October 2025.
Submissions close Friday 26 September. The survey can be completed online at participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/DAMP or in person at Council’s libraries and customer service centres.
This article is based on a media release from Hepburn Shire Council.
