Wellington Shire Council Domestic Animal Management Plan 2026 - 2029

Public Feedback Welcomed

Wellington Shire Council welcomes comments and feedback from members of the public and interested parties on its draft Domestic Animal Management (DAM) Plan 2026 – 2029.

All Councils in Victoria are required to prepare a DAM Plan every four years. The primary purpose of the DAM Plan is to provide a strategic guide to the community towards the goal of responsible pet ownership and to assist Council to achieve a professional, consistent and proactive approach to domestic animal management.

In developing the DAM Plan for 2026–2029, the following key factors were considered:

• Maintaining qualified and experienced staff;
• Encouraging responsible pet ownership and compliance with legislation
• Reducing the feral cat population and euthanasia rates of unwanted pets;
• Encouraging increased pet registration compliance, with an emphasis on cats;
• Responding to and investigating animal nuisance complaints in a timely and effective manner
• Reducing the number of dog attack incidents by encouraging responsible pet ownership, increasing safety awareness around dogs and enforcing legislation;
• Maintaining continued compliance relating to the keeping of declared menacing, dangerous and restricted breed dogs;
• Ensuring Domestic Animal Businesses are identified and regulated; and
• Responding to emergencies involving people and their pets, including natural disasters and personal upheaval.

A copy of the draft DAM Plan can be found at Your Wellington Your Say or Council’s Yarram and Sale service centres.

Public feedback is welcomed and can be submitted at Domestic Animal Management Plan Review or via enquiries@wellington.vic.gov.au.

Submissions will open Thursday 28 August and close Wednesday 24 September.

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