Animals and Pets

Head to our Online Customer Service Centre.

Council is required to act upon all complaints received for barking dogs. The owner will be advised that a complaint has been received and of their responsibilities in relation to this issue. The identity of the complainant will remain confidential in any correspondence from Council.

If you are aware that your dog's barking may be causing a nuisance in your neighbourhood, you must take steps to minimise the impact on others. If you have received notification that your dog's barking is an issue find out what your responsibilities are here.

Resources

• What Council will do(PDF, 505KB)
• What your responsibilities are(PDF, 390KB)
• Your Dog is Causing a Nuisance letter template(PDF, 127KB)

Council has provided a number of off leash areas where dogs can exercise freely, play with their owners and socialise with other dogs.

While in an off leash area it is the owner's responsibility to ensure the dog is under effective control at all times. It is important that you monitor your dog’s behaviour and ensure it does not cause a nuisance or become aggressive to other people or dogs.

• Olive Dorey Park, Clayton Road, Lammermoor
• All beaches before 8am and after 4pm daily unless otherwise signposted. At all other times your dog must be on a leash.
• Farnborough Beach, Yeppoon from Bangalee boat ramp south to Barwells Creek with access via Hinz Avenue excluding weekends and public holidays.
• Fisherman's Beach, Emu Park from the beach access 150 metres north of Bell Park to Tanby Point with access via Hill Street excluding weekends and public holidays.

Resources

• Dogs on Cap Coast Beaches Flyer(PDF, 2MB)
• Dogs on Great Keppel Island Flyer(PDF, 2MB)

Deciding whether to have your pet desexed is an important choice for every pet owner. Desexing not only offers numerous health benefits but also helps reduce the number of unwanted puppies and kittens that end up homeless or in shelters across Australia.

Benefits of Desexing

Financial Benefits:

• Reduced Council registration fees
• No extra costs for feeding or vet bills for offspring
• Fewer expenses from surgeries due to accidents or fights, as desexed pets are less likely to roam
• Lowers the burden on animal shelters and the pound

Health Benefits:

• Lowers the risk of reproductive organ cancers and diseases, including testicular and prostate cancer in males, and ovarian, uterine, and mammary cancers in females
• Prevents females from suffering physical and nutritional exhaustion from continuous breeding
• Pets generally live longer and healthier lives

Behavioural Benefits:

• Reduces roaming and aggression
• Decreases territorial behaviours such as spraying
• Pets become more affectionate and better companions
• Eliminates "heat" cycles in females and the urge to seek mates
• Prevents male dogs from exhibiting mounting behaviours

Financial Assistance in Having Your Pet Desexed

Council is committed to reducing the number of unwanted cats and dogs within the Livingstone Shire Council area.

Council has partnered with Four Paws Adoption and Education Inc. and participating vets to provide approved eligible persons with a voucher valued at $200 to contribute towards the cost of desexing procedures for registered dogs and cats.

For information about eligibility and to apply, visit Council's Get Involved platform.

The new dog breeder legislation commenced on Friday 26 May 2017 and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries has developed fact sheets to assist members of the public understand their responsibility in regards to breeding.

• Local Law No 2 Animal Management 2011(PDF, 459KB)
• Subordinate Local Law No 1.5 Keeping of Animals 2011(PDF, 46KB)
• Subordinate Local Law No 2 Animal Management 2011(PDF, 329KB)

When a cat becomes part of your family you become responsible for its health, welfare and the impact it has on your surrounding community.

Register your Cat

Local Law No. 2 (Animal Management) 2011 states that all cats over the age of 12 weeks and living anywhere in the Livingstone Shire must be registered with Livingstone Shire Council. Cat registration is required each year by 31 August. Registration makes it easier for lost cats to be identified and reunited with their owners. Registration also helps us provide animal management services and facilities that help keep your pets, the community and the environment safe.

If you do not register your cat you may receive a fine of $275.

You can register your pet online or at council’s Customer Service Centres in Yeppoon and Emu Park.

Desex your cat

Cats are prolific breeders and can have two or more litters per year. Desexing your cat will not only help reduce the unwanted pet population but also reduces your registration fee and helps keep your cat safe. Desexed cats can live a happier, healthier life. They are generally less likely to get diseases and desexing commonly reduces problem behaviours.

Desexing your pet:

• prevents uterine infections
• eliminates unwanted harassment from the opposite sex
• tends to make animals less aggressive and territorial and less likely to wander and mark their territory
• reduces registration fees.

Microchip your cat

By law, dogs and cats must be microchipped and registered by the age of 12 weeks

Cats can be escape artists when it comes to wearing a collar. Microchipping your cat is the surest way to ensure
it can be returned to you if it is found roaming.

In accordance with the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008 all cats and dogs born after 1 July, 2009 must be microchipped.

Microchipping is not the same as Council Registration.

A microchip registration means that your pet is essentially registered to a microchip database i.e. National Pet Register. By microchipping your pet, you are not registering them to your council.

Resources

• Your Cat, Your Responsibility(PDF, 433KB)
• Dear Neighbour - Wandering Cat Letter(PDF, 37KB)

If an incident involving a dog has occurred on yourself or your pet please contact Council on 1300 790 919 as soon as possible.

All persons involved in or witnessing an incident should also complete a Witness Statement(PDF, 307KB)

Magpies are territorial and protective of their young during the breeding season, but it’s usually only a few that will swoop and only for a few weeks each year.

The responsibility for the protection of native wildlife including magpies rests with the Department of Environment and Science and private landholders can seek advice from this agency. Concerns regarding Magpies nesting on Council land may be directed to Council in the first instance.

For further background information and safety tips, please go to the Department of Environment and Science website or contact Council on 4913 5000.