Moorabool council has clamped down on pet ownership responsibility after formally adopting its Domestic Animal Management Plan (DAMP) for 2026-29.
The plan aims to set the direction for how domestic animals will be managed across the shire over the next four years.
The plan outlines the council’s programs, services and policies in a bid to promote responsible pet ownership, improve animal welfare and ensure effective compliance and enforcement.
Key priorities included increased community education around microchipping, registration, desexing, and animal containment, continued training for authorised officers, and improved data collection and reporting to better evaluate animal management services.
Community consultation was undertaken via council’s Have Your Say platform during October , with more than 4000 registered pet owners contacted. Seventy submissions were received, with feedback largely supportive of the plan’s emphasis on responsible pet ownership.
Cr Rod Ward Ward highlighted the municipality’s reported step away from animal registration, despite an increase in population.
“I noticed that despite the increase in Moorabool’s population significantly over the last five years, the number of dogs and cats registered has actually decreased,” he said.
“Increasing registration education is a priority.”
With animal registration due by April, council will rely on a media campaign as well as community engagement forums in a bid to tackle registration education and lift the number of pets being registered across the shire.
