Owning a companion animal can be a rewarding experience, however it is also a big responsibility. Owners should ensure that their animal is healthy, well nourished, groomed, vaccinated, properly exercised and socialised.
Owners have responsibilities towards other members of the community as well as towards their pet. The Companion Animals Act sets our some of these responsibilities and gives Councils the power to assist and where necessary enforce the law to ensure that owners meet these responsibilities. Under the Act the owner of a Companion Animal must be a person 18 years or over.
We provide recommendations on how man
y animals may be kept on a property in a residential area. For example we recommends no more than 2 dogs and 2 cats per residence, however residents may keep any amount of animals as pets, provided they do not cause a nuisance through containment, noise or hygiene issues. Search for the Keeping Animal on Private Property policy to learn more.