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Domestic Animals Legislation
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Note: As of 1 September 2009 the name of the Domestic (Feral & Nuisance) Animals Act and Regulations was changed to the Domestic Animals Act and Domestic Animals Regulations.
Act & Regulations
Domestic Animals Act 1994
Version incorporating amendments as at 1 September 2009 - DA Act V38 Sep 09 (PDF 1.1MB)
Domestic Animals Regulations
Version incorporating amendments as at 1 September 2009 - DA Regs V5 Sep 09 (PDF 1.4KB)
Governing Orders
The Governor in Council may make Orders by publishing in the Government Gazette exemptions of any animal or class of animal to be exempt from any or all of the provisions of the Act.
The following are the published Orders currently in place:
Exemption Order for owners of racing greyhounds exempting these dogs from the requirement to register racing Greyhounds with Council - Greyhound - Exemption Order 4-4-96 (PDF 117KB)
Exemption Order for Greyhound Adoption Dogs exempting these dogs from the requirement to wear muzzles in public places - Greyhound - GAP Exemption Order 16-12-99 (PDF 145KB)
Exemption Order for 'Lost Dogs Home' from the operation of Section 63A of Domestic Animals Act exempting the Lost Dogs home from the operation of Section 63A of Domestic Animals Act in relation to compliance with the provision under clause 2.3.6 of the Code of Practice for the Management of Dogs and Cats in Shelters and Pounds - Lost Dogs Home -Exemption Order 01-02-02 (PDF 66KB)
Exemption Order for Imported Schutzhund trained dogs exempting imported schutzhund trained German Shepherds from section 10A(4)(a), section 40, and section 41(1) of the Domestic Animals Act - Imported Schutzhund trained German Shepherds Order 31-3-09 (PDF 300KB)
Notice of approval of Guide Dog Training Organsations - Notice of approval of Guide Dog Training Organisations 14-03-96 (PDF 247 KB)
Notice of Declaration of Applicable Organisations - Notice of Declaration of Applicable Organisations (PDF 142KB)
The Secretary of the Department of Primary Industries has the power to require certain experience or qualifications to provide services under the Act.
The following are the published prescribed requirements currently in place:
Notice of prescribed qualifications for non-Council employees to be Authorised Officers - Prescribed Qualifications for Non-Council Employees to be Authorised (PDF 62KB)
Approved qualifications for people to become Authorised Impanters to implant microchips into dogs and cats - Microchip Authorised Implanter Approved Qualifications (PDF 45KB)
Applicable Organisations
The Minister for Agriculture may declare certain organisations to be 'applicable organisations'. Such organisations produce an annual report and have a code of ethics that requires responsible pet ownership in compliance with the Act and its related codes of practice. It is expected that the organisation will take disciplinary action against members who do not comply with the organisation's code. This recognition also means that they are an organisation with high standards of responsible pet ownership to whom the community can look to when buying a pet or when seeking advice on care of a pet.
Applicable Organisations are:
Members of applicable organisations may receive a reduced council registration fee for their pet's annual registration.
Approved Obedience Training Organisations
The following organisations have been approved by the Minister for Agriculture as Approved Obedience Training Organisations in accordance with the requirements of Regulation 49 of the Domestic Animals Regulations 2005:
The above organisations are approved on an annual basis by the Minister and are required to produce an annual report and have a code of ethics that promotes responsible pet ownership in compliance with the Act and its related codes of practice. It is expected that the organisation will take disciplinary action against members who do not comply with the organisation's code.
As an approved obedience training organisation the Minister may approve an assessment program if the organisation provides assesses a dog in the following skills:
- heeling or walking with handler
- sociability with other dogs
- staying on command (known as the stay test)
- coming to handler on command (known as a recall test)
- absence of aggression
For the purpose of the Schedule of the Act, dogs that have undergone obedience training which comply with the Regulations will receive a reduced registration fee with their Council.
Qualified Obedience Trainer
A qualified trainer is a person who is a current member of one of the organisation approved by the Minister (listed above). The trainer must have completed, to the satisfaction of that organisation, a training course that has been approved by the Minister that is administered by that organisation.
The Minister may approve a training course if it provides for:
- training in appropriate equipment used to train dogs
- practical obedience training of dogs
- a written or oral examination on the theory of dog training
- a practical examination of a person’s dog training skills
- a probationary or learning period of at least 25 hours in which the trainee is under the supervision of a qualified dog trainer
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