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Keeping of Animals

As a responsible pet owner, you have an obligation to care for the health and wellbeing of your pet, as well as a duty to ensure your animal’s activities don’t interfere with your neighbours or the environment.

Animals must be kept in accordance with the requirements of:

This includes, but is not limited to:

Identification and registration

  • Dogs must be registered and wear the registration tag supplied by Council.
  • Cats and dogs must be microchipped if they are born after 1 April 2009 (or when sold or given away)
  • Stock must have a distinguishing brand, bolus, ear tag and or be microchipped. They must be registered on the Biosecurity Queensland National Livestock Identification System 
  • Birds excluding poultry must have an identifying leg band or be microchipped
  • Exemption from animal identification may be granted in accordance with Local Law 2.

Enclosures and Fencing

All animal owners have a duty to provide proper fencing and enclosures to prevent animals (including cats) from wandering.

Fencing is sufficient if it contains your animals on your property.

If an animal can fit any part of itself over, under or through the fence, it may not be considered as properly contained to the property and a suitable enclosure may be required to house your animal.

  • Enclosures built specifically for the keeping of animals are to be appropriately sized so that the animal can be effectively and comfortably kept & maintained to an acceptable structural condition.
  • Uneaten food scraps, manure and an other material likely to become offensive (i.e. faeces, soiled bedding, litter) and create a nuisance must be collected at least daily and if not immediately removed from the premises, must be kept in a suitable vermin proof container prior to disposal.
  • Vermin and pests including fleas, flies, ticks, lice, and rodents, must be controlled in and around the enclosure
  • Run off from animal enclosure(s) must not be allowed to discharge to any adjoining property.
  • Roofed or fully enclosed (caged) structure for the housing of animals must be a minimum of 1.5 metres from any property boundary.

Some enclosures and fences may require building approval.

Picking up after your pet

Animal waste (faeces) must not to be left in parks, gardens, foreshores, footpaths or streets.

It is your responsibility to clean up and dispose of your animal's waste in a sanitary way (fines may apply).

When your animal (including cats, dogs & horses) is in a public place, be prepared by carrying plastic bags or commercially available "pooper scoopers".

Council provides a number of doggy doo bag dispensers in major parks and dog off-leash areas.

Biting and Aggression

All animal owners are responsible and legally liable for the actions of their animals.

Animals may be declared dangerous for displaying aggressive behaviour causing fear, attacking a person or another animal or damaging property. See dangerous, menacing and restricted dogs for further information including how to report a dangerous animal or dog attack.

Prohibited Animals

Council’s Subordinate Local Law No. 2 prohibits the keeping of certain animals within the Defined Town Area. See Animals allowed by property size and location for more details.

Minimum standards for keeping animals and codes of practice

Council defines certain minimum standards for the health and welfare of particular animals, including;

  • Horses, cows, goats, sheep, pigs and similar livestock.
  • Greyhounds.
  • Budgerigars, canaries, cockatiels and other similar birds
  • Pigeons
  • Poultry, including turkey’s, geese, peacocks, emus and
  • Bees

Refer to Schedule 5 in Subordinate Local Law No. 2 for details.

The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries has defined codes of practice to give members of the public additional standards that are required for the keeping of certain species:

  • Poultry (eg. chickens)
  • Pigs or miniature pigs
  • Cattle (eg. cows, steers, bulls, stallions)
  • Sheep or goats
  • Bees

Native and Exotic Animals

The Queensland Government issues recreational wildlife licences for the keeping of specified animals, see Department of Environment and Heritage Protection.