Under the provisions of the Domestic Animals Act 1994, all councils in Victoria must have a Domestic Animal Management Plan which is renewed every 4 years.

Bayside’s Domestic Animal Management Plan (DAMP) outlines Council’s policies, practices and programs for domestic animals (primarily dogs and cats). It covers responsible pet ownership, complaint handling, lost animals, registration, off-leash areas and compliance with relevant State and local laws.

The DAMP sets actions to be delivered over four years. These can include new or improved programs and services or changes to existing Local Laws and Council orders (restrictions) for domestic animals.

Read Bayside's current Domestic Animal Management Plan 2017-2021.

You can view the Domestic Animal Management Plan 2017-21 here.

Part of the fees set by the state government go towards animal welfare programs within the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR). They also provide funding for research into animal welfare. These research programs provide everyone with valid and reliable information about maximising the welfare of our animal companions.

Your registration fees also contribute to many other services including:

• Promote responsible pet ownership
• Dog poo bags (1.9 million+ each year) in 86 dispensers
• Pounds and shelter facilities
• Free information booklets and fact sheets
• Registration and desexing discounts for pensioners
• Pet events, such as the Pet Expo
• Investigate approximately 2,000 complaints annually
• Animal management staff to support the collection and return of stray animals to owners.

Bayside has one of the highest rates of pet ownership in Victoria – with pets residing in more than one in three households. Owning a pet has many benefits, including an improved sense of wellbeing, safety and social connectedness. However, not everyone shares the same views about pets.

Council is seeking feedback on pets and public spaces to ensure its Domestic Plan Animal Management Plan 2022-26 meets the broad and diverse needs of the Bayside community.

Under the Domestic Animal Management Act (1994), Council must review its Domestic Animal Management Plan (DAMP) every 4 years. The next Plan must be adopted by Council before 30 June 2022.

Our interactive places to walk your dog map makes it easy to explore and understand where and when doggos can be off leash in Bayside.

To help protect animals in our community, Bayside regulations require the confinement of cats between 8pm and 6am or between 9pm and 6am during daylight savings. Find out more

Visit our pets and animals webpage to find out more about registration, microchipping and other ways to keep your pet safe.

The Domestic Animal Management Plan (DAMP) covers leash restrictions and timings in existing shared open space areas. Secure, exclusive, or new dog off-leash areas are strategic Open Space considerations and would form part of a local master planning process – which is outside of the scope and role of the DAMP. Bayside’s Open Space Strategy is expected to be reviewed in 2022-23.

Feedback gathered through this engagement program that is outside of the scope of the Domestic Animal Management Plan will be shared with our Open Space and Recreation team to inform future plans and strategies.

If you haven’t already, join Have Your Say as a member to hear first when new projects and plans are open for consultation. Select the ‘join’ button at the top of this page to become a member.

There are a few opportunities to have your say in the first phase of consultation:

• A paper or email survey sent to 5,600 randomly selected households from 25 October 2021
• Online open access survey between 1 and 28 November 2021
• Drop a marker on an interactive map to share location specific feedback and ideas
• In-depth interviews with community members and groups during November 2021. Register your interest by 7 November 2021.
• Pop-up and drop-in sessions throughout Bayside. More details when Covid restrictions permit.
• Ask a question via our Q&A forum

Feedback from the first phase of engagement will be used to set actions in the Domestic Animal Management Plan 2022-26.

There will be a second phase of consultation on the draft Domestic Animal Management Plan 2022-26 in February/March 2022. Press the blue subscribe button at the top of the page to receive updates on this project.

Following revisions from community feedback received in the second phase of consultation, a proposed new Domestic Animal Management Plan 2022-26 is expected to be considered by Council for adoption in May 2022. Bayside must adopt its new Domestic Animal Management Plan by 30 June 2022.

All feedback will be considered, but not everyone shares the same views about pets, so we won’t be able to include all ideas in the Domestic Animal Management Plan 2022-26. The consultation process aims to include a broad range of community members to ensure a representative cross section of views and interests.

It is vital that we hear from a broad section of the community – including people who don’t have pets – to ensure our Domestic Animal Management Plan meets the diverse needs of our community. You can find out more about stakeholders we’re consulting with here (link to engagement plan overview)

Feedback gathered through the engagement process which is outside of the scope of the Domestic Animal Management Plan will be shared with our Open Space and Recreation team to inform future plans and strategies.

The draft Domestic Animal Management Plan 2022-26 is expected to open for consultation in February/March 2022. Press the blue subscribe button at the top of the page to receive updates on this project, including when this phase of consultation opens.

Bayside’s Domestic Animal Management Plan 2022-2026 is being informed by:

• Requirements from within the Domestic Animal Management Act 1994
• Community feedback across two phases of engagement
• Consultation with Bayside City Council departments
• Legal advice
• Benchmarking with other Local Government areas

Council will consider a draft Domestic Animal Management Plan 2022-26 at its February 2022 meeting, followed by community consultation on the draft Plan.