Being a Responsible Dog Owner
Owning a dog comes with important responsibilities. Each year, our Community Ranger Services responds to hundreds of calls about stray or nuisance dogs, many of which have been abandoned and later rehomed. To help create a safe, happy, and healthy community for both people and pets, it’s vital that all dog owners understand their obligations.
🐾 Your Responsibilities as a Dog Owner
Being a responsible dog owner means caring for your pet’s health and wellbeing while ensuring they don’t cause harm or nuisance to others. This includes:
-
Registering your dog with the Shire once it reaches 6 months of age.
-
Microchipping your dog and ensuring it always wears a collar with up-to-date tags.
-
Feeding and hydrating your dog daily, with access to fresh water and shade.
-
Providing exercise and enrichment — at least 30 minutes a day, always on a lead unless in a designated dog area.
-
Maintaining secure fencing to prevent escapes.
-
Cleaning up after your dog in public spaces.
-
Keeping your dog healthy by visiting a vet and staying up to date with vaccinations.
-
Arranging care for your pet when you go away.
-
Treating your dog with kindness and never training it to attack people or animals.
If your dog causes damage or injury, you, as the owner, are legally responsible for any associated costs, including veterinary or medical bills.
🐕 Dog Registration
All dogs over six months of age must be registered and microchipped with the Shire of Dundas under the Dog Act 1976.
Failure to register may result in a minimum $200 fine.
Registration helps ensure lost dogs are returned quickly and keeps our community safe. Your dog’s collar must display your name, address, and registration tag at all times.
Registration runs from 1 November to 31 October each year.
🏠 Number of Dogs Per Property
Residents may keep up to two registered dogs per property.
If you wish to keep more, you must apply to Council for approval. The Shire may revoke approval if complaints or problems arise.
🔎 Lost or Stray Dogs
If your dog goes missing, please contact the Shire Administration Office on (08) 9039 1205 to report it.
If Rangers locate your pet, they can contact you directly if your dog has proper identification.
Stray dogs impounded by the Shire are held for:
Unclaimed dogs become the property of the Shire and are rehomed through SAFE Esperance after being vet-checked, immunised, and sterilised by Swans Veterinary Services.
❤️ Animal Welfare and Cruelty
The Shire of Dundas is committed to ensuring all animals are treated humanely.
If you witness animal cruelty or neglect, please contact:
An authorised Animal Welfare Officer will investigate and, if necessary, take legal action under the Animal Welfare Act 2002.
🐶 A Caring Community
By following these simple steps, you help make Norseman and the wider Dundas community a safer, friendlier place for everyone — both two-legged and four-legged residents alike.