The NSW Office of Local Government is currently reviewing the Companion Animals Act 1998 (yes it is that old) and asking for feedback from the community on a discussion paper on possible amendments and the closing date is 4 May.
The key aim of the review is to ensure that the updated legislation improves responsible pet ownership, ensuring the well-being of pets and the safety of our communities.
It is not only the community that is affected by companion animals. This is an opportunity to act on the huge number of wildlife deaths caused by feral cats and domestic cats that are allowed to roam.
Every year about 66 million native mammals, frogs, reptiles and birds are killed by roaming pet cats just in Greater Sydney. We need a cultural change to stop this and that starts with empowering councils to bring in clear cat containment rules.
The current laws actually prevent local councils from mandating that cats are contained. Cat containment will make a huge difference to the protection of local wildlife. It will also be a win for cat owners. Wandering cats are at risk of injury. According to the Invasive Species Council there is evidence pet cats kept responsibly at home can live up to 10 years longer than if they are free roaming.
Outdated laws in NSW prevent councils from acting. This is a stark contrast to Victoria which has empowered councils to introduce containment rules, and over half have done so. The ACT has also mandated cat containment territory wide.
The changes to the Act that are needed include:
- allow councils to bring in and enforce cat containment rules that apply 24/7
- mandatory microchipping and desexing for all cats by 4 months or age with exceptions for licensed breeders
- assistance for pet cat owners that can’t afford desexing
- state-wide grant program to support councils in implementing these changes
- develop state-wide education programs
The Invasive Species Council is leading the campaign to amend the Act. Find out more about the problem of roaming cats and solutions.
They would like at least 20,000 submissions to convince the government that there is strong support for these changes.
Polling indicates that only a small proportion of people would like their cats to continue to roam. However there is a laissez-faire attitude as about 70% of owners allow their cats to roam although a smaller number allow them to roam at night.
Dog ownership
The review also covers management of pet dogs. Owners allowing their dogs to wander in bushland areas is a perennial problem. They are not allowed to be off-leash in the street. This also applies to other public areas like bushland. The smell of dogs deters animals like birds from entering areas where there may be a nest or is an important foraging area. They also attack native animals like water dragons and wallabies that are seen in our local bushland.
Councils fail to enforce dog regulations. There are simply not enough wardens to enforce them so that owners don’t perceive that there is a risk in allowing their dog to roam. The state government must provide more of a lead in this issue with funding for more council resources.