Proposed By-law No 8 - Cats

Due to reforms undertaken by the Dog and Cat Management Board (DCMB) and subsequent changes in legislation, there is a requirement for Council to implement a By-law No 8 - Cats prior to 1 July 2018 in order to provide Council’s Authorised Persons authority to manage cats within our District.

The aims of the proposed changes were to improve dog and cat management and welfare in South Australia and improve the consistency of legislation across a number of Local Government Acts which include the following:

• Mandatory microchipping of certain dogs and cats.
• A requirement for anyone who breeds dogs and cats for sale to be registered.
• Extended powers for council Authorised Persons to manage cats
• Increased penalties for people who allow their dog to wander or attack.

In response to the comments from the public consultation on the Bill, the Government established a to explore ways to reduce the 10,000 unwanted dogs and cats being euthanized each year in South Australia and to investigate if mandatory desexing would provide a solution.

Steps taken so far by Council

In July 2017, Council introduced the free non-mandatory registration of cats with over 80 already registered.

Council’s Fees and Charges were adjusted to reflect new dog categories for registration purposes, as per new legislation. Standard Dogs are now those who are both microchipped AND desexed.

In August 2017, Council scheduled a fully funded microchipping day, offering free microchipping for dogs and cats registered (or about to be registered) in the District. Over 180 animal owners registered to be a part of this day.

In July 2017, Council engaged lawyers to draft a new By-law No 8 - Cats which Council administration consider aligns with the DCMB reforms and updated legislation.

This proposed By-law will provide Council’s Authorised Persons with authority required to manage Cats within the District.

Note: The draft By-law will require all cats to be desexed and microchipped (with exceptions) and be registered with the District Council of Yankalilla. A limit of 2 cats per household is proposed, which aligns with the same number of dogs permitted per property. It should be noted that any household with more than 2 cats will need to contact Council and obtain a permit. The cost for cat registration will be part of the fees and charges set during the annual business plan and budget process, which includes public consultation.

At the Council meeting on 12 December 2017, Council resolved the draft by-law be available for public consultation.

EXTRA NOTE: THERE IS ANOTHER CONSULTATION CURRENTLY AVAILABLE REGARDING CLAUSE 9 OF THE DRAFT BY-LAW REGARDING CATS WANDERING WITHIN THE DISTRICT. YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO ALSO RESPOND TO THAT CONSULTATION ALSO