Pets & Animals
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Pet Care

Encouraging responsible pet care

Essential steps pet owners must take in order to provide good care for their pet feature below. You should only own a cat or dog if you have the time and money to care for it properly.

  • Feed an adequate balanced diet to insure your pet grows and stays as healthy as possible.  Consult your vet for advice on what diet is best for your pet.

  • Always supply cool clean water for your pet.  Check your pets water bowl daily for top ups and provide extra water for those hot summer days.

  • Provide a cosy warm dry sleeping area for your pet.  It is important to provide a padded sleeping area for your pet as sleeping on a hard surface such as concrete can lead to sores particularly in young, growing or older pets.

  • Provide your dog with regular exercise and allow your pet to have regular family contact.  This is important for your dogs physical and mental health reducing boredom and stress and allowing them to develop a relationship with you and your family.

  • Protect the health of your pet through vaccinations and regular worm, flea and tick control.  Heart worm is also needed for dogs.  Consult your local vet for advice. 

  • Register your pet with your local council and ensure the registration tag and a tag with owner contact details is worn on the animals collar at all times.  These tags and also having your pet microchipped ensures a speedy return of your pet should it ever become lost.  See Animal Registration, Microchipping and Lost & Found pages for more details.

  • Confine your pet to your property at all times preferably in the back yard and especially at night.  Apart from being a legal requirement, pets that are allowed to roam have a high risk of injury from cars or fights.  Cats in particular can pick up diseases such as Feline AID's which can be fatal.

  • Train and socialise your dog to prevent problems such as barking or aggression. See Dog Obedience Training for locations.

  • Desex your dog or cat. Pets not used for breeding should be desexed, preferably before they are three months old.  See Pet Desexing page for more info.

  • When planning a holiday, consider arrangements that may need to be made to ensure adequate care for your pet.

Responsible Pet Ownership - www.pets.info.vic.gov.au
A state government site with useful information about your rights and responsibilities both to your pet and to your neighbours.

Use eServices to ask us a question, request information or give us feedback online. If you prefer call ASSIST on (03) 9209 6777 or TTy (03) 9209 6713 and ask for Animal Management.