Welcome to the first newsletter for 2014.2013 was a busy year for the Board with the launch of the successful Living Safely with Pets education program and the release of the Lost and Life Worth Living public campaigns focusing on dog registration, desexing and micro-chipping. During the year the Board also launched a new look website.

The “Living Safely with Pets” program continues to expand in the South Australian primary school system with over 18,600 children from 173 schools in 42 local council areas receiving the program from trained Pet Educators. A further 32 sessions to over 3,290 children are booked for term one in 2014.

Cat management has emerged as a key issue for some communities and councils. The Board, in collaboration with the LGA, has finalised a cat by-law template and guideline for local councils, which will be available through the LGA and the Board.

SUMMER 2014

A Message from the Chair

A Message from the Chair Continued next page

Pet Town supports the Board’s Living Safely with Pets Primary School Education Program. As well as having lots of fun things for kids, Pet Town includes information for teachers and parents.

Pet Town is based on a local community where the participants may visit a number of activities collecting rewards along the way.

The activities include• Dog behaviour• Do nots for dogs• Leave dogs alone when…• No Owner, No Leash, No Touch!• The meet and greet• Safety steps for angry dogs• Choosing the right pet• Looking after our pets• The law says we have to…• Dogs declared dangerous

Once all the stations are successfully completed the participants become fully fledged members of Victor and Victoria’s Pet Club accessing games, songs, videos and stickers

Pet Town focuses on children aged between four and twelve years of age. It reinforces the knowledge and understandings taught by the program’s Pet Educators during school visits. It also supports key teaching points and curriculum outcomes outlined in curriculum and resource kits, which were provide free of charge to all South Australian primary schools in 2013.

It has been designed to encourage children to re visit the site on a regular basis to further reinforce the program’s key safety messages. The website includes tablet applications (Apple and Android) which are available free of charge through their respective outlets.

Visit Pet Town at dogandcatboard.com

NEWSLETTER

Victor and Victoria’s Pet Town has been developed by the Dog and Cat Management Board to help young children learn about responsible pet ownership and living safely with dogs.

Victor and Victoria’s Pet Town

Board visits Berri-Barmera CouncilThe Board held its November meeting at the council offices of the Berri-Barmera Council. Prior to the meeting the Board, elected members and council representatives enjoyed a dinner together which provided the opportunity to network and discuss regional dog and cat issues.

Whilst in Berri the Board took the opportunity to visit the dog park and pound facilities and Gary Brinkworth, Manager Environmental Services/Major Projects gave a presentation on the Council’s work in improving responsible dog management with the Gerard Community Council.

Gerard Community Council – Improving Responsible Dog Management

Recently representatives from SA Health contacted the Berri-Barmera Council about their desire to undertake a program of desexing, micro-chipping and education amongst the community at Gerard. Gerard is an Aboriginal Community Council which relies on external funding for services, including that of animal management.

SA Health had an objective to undertake the program to improve the health and wellbeing of the animals, as well as to reduce the potential for spread of disease. This aligned with Berri-Barmera Council who have had a goal of improving responsible dog ownership in the region which

includes a greater emphasis on education amongst the community.

Given the mutual benefit that this program offered for the Gerard and surrounding communities, SA Health and the Berri-Barmera Council worked together in the first instance to fund the de-sexing and micro-chipping of 37 dogs, as well as talking to community members about how to be a more responsible dog owner.

This program is envisaged to continue given the positive response by the community and the improvements in dog management now observed.

Gary Brinkworth, Manager Environmental Services/Major Projects

DOG AND CAT MANAGEMENT BOARD NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2014

A Message from the Chair Continued from front cover

As part of the Board’s safe and sociable dog strategy, the Board has researched dog parks across Australia and internationally. The resulting publication, Unleashed: A Guide to Successful Dog Parks, will be launched next month. With the rising popularity and demand for safe and well designed off-leash areas, the guide provides useful tools for local councils, planners and those involved in the design of dog parks.

The Board is preparing a number of strategic documents, highlighting the Board’s recommendations on the improvement to State dog and cat management legislation. These will be provided to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation upon their appointment. In March, the Board will also undergo its annual strategic planning process to develop its objectives for the coming year.

On behalf of the Dog and Cat Management Board I wish all of our stakeholders and partners a successful new year and I look forward to working closely with you to improve dog and cat management in 2014.

The Maltese is SA’s top dogThe Maltese Terrier, Australian Kelpie, Labrador Retriever and Jack Russell Terrier have continued to be the most popular breeds in SA. The 2012-13 top 10 breeds in SA were:

01 Maltese02 Labrador Retriever03 Australian Kelpie04 Jack Russell Terrier05 Staffordshire Bull Terrier06 Border Collie07 Australian Cattle Dog08 German Shepherd Dog09 Chihuahua10 Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Board members visit Berri-Barmera Dog Friendly Park

The New South Wales, Tasmanian, Western Australian, Queensland and Victorian Governments have all either amended or implemented new dog or cat management legislation in the 2013/14 financial year.

New South Wales

The New South Wales Parliament passed the Companion Animal Amendment Bill 2013 on 30 October 2013. The amendments introduced the category of ‘menacing dog’ to New South Wales which will allow animal management officers to place restrictions on dogs found to be behaving menacingly. Unique to the New South Wales legislation, a dog can be found to be menacing if it is considered to be a ‘menacing breed or kind of dog’ (e.g. hunting dogs). If the owner of a menacing dog is found to be non-compliant with a menacing dog control order two times in a twelve month period, the dog can be seized by council.

Tasmania

On 26 September 2013 the Tasmanian Parliament passed amendments to the Dog Control Act 2000 to increase penalties for owners whose dogs attack and are declared dangerous or are a restricted breed. If a declared dangerous or restricted dog attacks causing grievous bodily harm or death, the owner can be imprisoned for a maximum term of 21 years. This is the highest penalty for dog attack that has been legislated in Australia.

Western Australia

Western Australia’s Cat Act 2011 was introduced in two phases. The first, starting in 2012, introduced the requirements to register, desex and microchip cats however there was no charge for registration and no penalty for non-compliance. The second phase, which brings all aspects of the legislation into force including expiations and registration fees, was introduced on 1 November 2013. From 1 November 2013, the maximum penalty for a breach of the legislation is $5,000.

Queensland

The Queensland Government has made the decision to repeal cat management requirements under the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 1998 citing them as ineffective and costly for local governments. This will defer the responsibility for cat management back to local government. Councils in Queensland had until 21 October 2013 to decide if they would remove mandatory cat registration from their jurisdiction. Some Queensland councils have, in response to community sentiment, elected to retain cat management in their jurisdiction although the legislation was repealed.

Victoria

The Victorian Government has finalised their ‘Code of Practice for the Operation of Breeding and Rearing Businesses’. It has been legislated under the Domestic Animals Act 1994 and comes into force on 1 April 2014. Penalties for breeding establishments that commit acts of cruelty start from $20,000. Breeding establishments operating illegally and those who are operating below the standards of the code have penalties from $30,000 for acts of cruelty.

DOG AND CAT MANAGEMENT BOARD NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2014

Dog and Cat legislative changes around Australia

The code applies to:

• all breeders with three or more fertile dogs and cats;

• all breeders that are members of a applicable organisation (e.g. Cats Victoria/Dogs Victoria) with 10 or more fertile dogs and;

• all rearers who raise animals for sale/future breeding.

Greyhound boarding/training/breeding establishments are exempt as they are regulated under a separate code.

DOG AND CAT MANAGEMENT BOARDGPO Box 1047 Adelaide SA 5001 Phone: (08) 8124 4962 Email: dcmb@sa.gov.au www.dogandcatboard.com.au

CatsMoving in to the Pet Centre at the 2013 Royal Show increased the number of cat owners completing the survey from 838 in 2012 to 1,092 in 2013, at the Dog and Cat Management Boards exhibit.

The survey showed that half of respondents owned only one cat and the most common method of acquiring a cat was through an animal shelter or as a give-away, this has been consistent over the last few years.

Two thirds of cats were recorded as desexed and micro-chipped. This result was higher than in previous years from 65% in 2013 compared to 42% in 2012 and 55% in 2011.

Desexing is still more common than micro-chipping with 9 in 10 cats desexed and approximately 7 out of 10 cats micro-chipped. Desexing was recorded as slightly higher in 2013, from 88% in 2012 to 91% in 2013. The main reasons why owners had not desexed their cats were related to the cat being too young and the cost of the desexing procedure.

Encouragingly micro-chipping results were significantly higher in 2013, from 49% in 2012 to 66% in 2013, and 1 in 10 cats carried some sort of identification (collar with a name or address tag).

Only 1 in 10 owners stated that their cats were kept outside at all times with half of the cats kept inside the house at all times, this was consistent with the findings in 2012.

Although this was a large sample of dog and cat owners, the location of data collection means that people who took the time to participate are likely to be more interested and knowledgeable about cats and dogs and cat and dog ownership. The results may not be representative of all South Australian cat and dog owners. To view the full reports visit www.dogandcatboard.com

DogsIn 2013, 1,234 dog owners completed the survey. 6 in 10 respondents owned only one dog and 4 in 10 owned mixed breeds. The most common pedigree groups were working dogs (14%) and gun dogs (12%).

The proportion of dogs desexed and micro-chipped has steadily grown in the past 5 years; from an initial 52% in 2009 to 70% in 2013.

However, this increase is counter-balanced by a decrease in dogs that are only desexed (so these people are adding a microchip), rather than drastically reducing dogs that are neither desexed nor micro-chipped.

7 in 10 owners of desexed dogs had their dog desexed after they acquired it (rather than having the decision made for them by acquiring a desexed dog). The most common reasons for not desexing a dog were “breeding” (31%), “age of dog” (22%) and “associated costs” (14%).

Most (85%) dog owners were aware that they could receive a discount on their registration if their dog was desexed. Owners of desexed dogs were more likely to be aware of the discount than owners of entire dogs.

The most common source of information about the desexing discount was from Local Councils.

About half of the respondents indicated that their dog had attended obedience training classes.

Royal Show reveals...

Permanent, unique identification The most effective form of permanent identification is

to micro-chip your dog. A bit like product barcodes, the

micro-chip carries a code unique to each dog. This code

is recorded on a national database and appears on the

certificate of identification given to the owner. Sometimes, a micro-chip symbol is tattooed in your dog’s

ear by the veterinarian at the time of implanting to tell

others it carries this identification. To reveal the unique

code once a dog is micro-chipped, a scanner is passed

over the dog. The code displayed on the scanner can be

referred to the national database to confirm the dog’s

description and determine the owner’s contact details.

DOGS AND MICRO-CHIPS A GOOD CARE GUIDE FOR DOGS

Why micro-chip my dog?

GOOD CARE GUIDE FOR DOGS INFORMATION SHEET #13 DOGS AND MICRO-CHIPS AUGUST 2013

We understand... … another benefit of micro-chipping is enjoying a reduced council registration fee, along with extra safety for your dog.

Micro-chipping: the Fast Facts• Micro-chipping is a permanent identification system

enabling you and your dog to be quickly re-united if it

becomes lost.• Micro-chips are tiny, the size of a grain of rice. • They are inserted with a needle under the

skin between the shoulder blades.• The procedure is similar to a vaccination although

the needle is slightly larger.• There’s no ongoing discomfort once in place.• Micro-chipped dogs are eligible for a

registration rebate.• Councils may identify the rebate percentage at their own discretion.• The micro-chip scanners are harmless to your dog

and are routinely used by councils, vets and animal welfare organisations such as the RSPCA

and Animal Welfare League Australia.• The value of the micro-chip depends on the accuracy of

the information linked to it on the microchip database.

Latest ReleaseInfosheets

When barking becomes an issue

Barking is one way your dog communicates. It can

signify anything from playfulness to anxiety.

Reasonable barking, such as when the family returns

home or to protect their property, is acceptable. However,

owners sometimes overlook that their dog can also

adversely affect other peoples’ lives. Excessive barking

(as defined by the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995)

is when a dog creates a noise, by barking or otherwise,

which persistently occurs or continues to such a degree

or extent that it unreasonably interferes with the peace,

comfort or convenience of a person.Excessive noise is

one of the most frequent concerns raised with councils.

EXCESSIVE BARKING

A GOOD BEHAVIOUR GUIDE FOR DOGS

Does my dog bark excessively?

GOOD BEHAVIOUR GUIDE FOR DOGS INFORMATION SHEET #06 EXCESSIVE BARKING AUGUST 2013

We understand...

…most owners are willing to work with

the council to find ways to stop their

dog from barking excessively.

Excessive Barking: the Fast Facts

Many factors can cause a dog to bark excessively:

• Boredom, loneliness or a lack of entertainment

• Discomfort from fleas, worms or other irritations

• Unsuitable yards, enclosures or kennel location

• Lack of adequate food, water, exercise or training

• Guarding or protecting territory or feeling threatened

• Protecting their owner or their family

• Strange or new noises or fireworks

• Thunderstorms, high altitude planes or wailing sirens

• People passing or children playing nearby.

If your dog barks excessively, and it becomes an issue for

others or for council, it is reviewed and resolved through:

• Working with the owner informally with education,

monitoring the situation and/or mediation

• Issuing the dog’s owner with an expiation notice for

excessive barking

• Issuing the owner with ‘Control Orders” (barking)

under the Dog and Cat Management Act 1995.

Dog Registration and the rebates available

All dogs must be registered with your local council.

‘Individual Registration’ is for family pets while

‘Business Registration’ allows a business or person

with numerous dogs to register the number of dogs

rather than each dog.

Desexed, micro-chipped and trained dogs are eligible

for rebates on their individual registration. Working

Dogs and Therapy Dogs do not have mandatory rebates

but some councils offer reduced fees. Similarly, while

there is no mandated pensioner discount, most councils

provide a rebate to old age pensioners and Health Card

holders. No rebates apply under ‘Business Registration’.

DOG REGISTRATION REBATES A GOOD CARE GUIDE FOR DOGS

What rebates apply to dog registration?

GOOD CARE GUIDE FOR DOGS INFORMATION SHEET #04 DOG REGISTRATION REBATES AUGUST 2013

We understand... …one of the other benefits of desexing,

micro-chipping and training, is enjoying

reduced council registration fees.

Registration Rebates: the Fast Facts

• Desexing, micro-chipping and training

earns rebates on dog registration.

• A dog can receive all three rebates if eligible.

• Councils, at their own discretion, may

identify the rebate percentage.

• Accredited Disability Dogs are free to register.

Dog registration fees provide:

• A ‘proof of ownership’ identification system for

all registered dogs allowing lost or injured dogs

to be quickly re-united with their owners

• Maintenance of council dog pounds and staff

• Equipment, fencing, bag dispensers and other

materials for council maintained dog parks

• Funding of the Dog and Cat Management Board,

who provide free education materials and

media communications to raise awareness

of responsible pet ownership.

A Good Behaviour Guide For Dogs:• Aggression• Wandering• Excessive Barking• Children and Dogs• Benefits of Training

A Good Care Guide For Dogs:• Registration• Registration Rebates• Loud Noises• Dogs and Microchips• Disability Dogs

A Good Health Guide For Dogs:• Desexing

Copies can be ordered through the Dog and Cat Management Board at dcmb@sa.gov.au or on 8124 4962.