Complaints about animals

If you are affected by the noise from your neighbour’s dog or are the owner of a barking dog, go to our Barking Dog page.

If you have been involved in a dog attack or been threatened by a dog make a note of the:

• date, time and location of the attack
• description of the dog including colour, breed and size
• details of the dog's owner, if known
• statements from the victim(s) and/or witnesses

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Visit the NSW Office of Local Government for more information on reporting dog attacks.

After-hours dog attacks

Contact your local police station. Police have the same powers to act as Council Rangers.

If you find a stray, roaming or nuisance dog make a note of the:

• description of the dog including colour, breed and size
• details of the dog's owner, if known
• location of dog

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If there is no identification the animal will be taken to the Shoalhaven Animal Shelter.

OR

Take the animal to the Shoalhaven Animal Shelter.

It is an offence to keep an animal that does not belong to you (Companion Animals Act 1998)

We encourage cat owners to keep their cat indoors or in an enclosure outside to keep them safe and to protect wildlife.

Stray and roaming

There is no definition for a stray cat and no restrictions on cats roaming other than in prohibited wildlife areas and food preparation or food consumption areas.

If you would like more information, see Companion Animals Act 1998.

Nuisance and feral

You can hire a cat trap from the Shoalhaven Animal Shelter if a cat is:

• Attacking wildlife
• In a prohibited area
• Making excessive noise or damaging your property

Let us know if cat is causing a nuisance, has been trapped or if you have found a cat that looks lost or homeless.

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'Roaming cats in your neighbourhood' flyers are also available to encourage responsible cat ownership. If you would like to do a letterbox drop in your neighbourhood, contact us to arrange postage of flyers to you directly.

If the cat is microchipped, the owner can be contacted and education can be provided to the owner about the impacts of roaming cats.

Attacking

Refer to Section 32 of the Companion Animals Act 1998.

Nothing in Section 32 authorises any variation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1998.

Identification

A cat must wear a collar and tag with the cat owner's address and telephone number.

Chickens, birds, turkeys, ducks, and geese can be kept on private property, housed and kept properly to comply with regulations. Roosters should not be kept in residential areas.

Let us know if you are concerned about the way chickens or birds are being kept.

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For more details see our Keeping Animals page.

Residential Areas

Horses, cattle, roosters and pigs should not be kept in residential areas.

Let us know if you have a concern about the keeping of these animals at a residential address

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If your neighbour's livestock enters your property it is a civil matter between you and your neighbour. Refer to Sections 23 and 24 of Public Spaces (Unattended Property) Act 2021 for more information

Public Land

Let us know if you see horses, cows, sheep, pigs or goats roaming on public land.

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