Pets must be confined to the owner's property at all times and are not allowed to roam. When outside of your property, your pet may be stolen, injured, or killed. It could also injure another person or animal. Roaming animals are a nuisance and it is the responsibility of the owner to ensure their pets do not roam off their property.

Roaming Cats

If you have an issue with a neighbouring cat on your property, try to discuss with the cat owner first. Council has developed a letterbox drop style of form which you may wish to use to communicate the issue of the nuisance cat to your neighbour.

Simply print out the Roaming Cats Neighbour Handout fill in your details (this is optional) and place in your neighbour's letterbox.

If you  are not sure how to find the owner, you can follow the steps in the Found a Cat in Ipswich brochure.

The Animal Welfare League of Queensland (AWLQ) has established a Cat Assistance Team to provide information and support to both cat owners and residents experiencing a cat nuisance.

This service is currently available in the suburbs of Goodna, Redbank Plains, Rosewood, West Ipswich, Leichhardt and One Mile initially and may be expanded to other suburbs when sufficient resources are available.

Residents of these suburbs listed above can complete the Stray Cat Information Form and a member of the Animal Welfare League of Queensland (AWLQ) Cat Assistance Team will be in contact.

Reporting a roaming cat

To make a request for a Council Officer to investigate cats roaming from an identified property, report it online via MyIpswich or contact Council on (07) 3810 6666 with the necessary information including location, address and a description of the roaming cat/s.  A photograph is very helpful in identifying roaming cats.

Cat traps

If you have been unsuccessful in finding the owner of the nuisance cat, or the cat cannot be handled and put in a carrier or suitable cardboard box, you can hire a cat trap.

Council provides cat traps free-of-charge to residents of Ipswich, for the purpose of assisting with cats that may be roaming onto their property. Traps are available for a period of 7 working days - fees will apply if the trap is not returned by the due date. Order online via MyIpswich or contact Council on (07) 3810 6666. A Council Officer will contact you when a trap becomes available. Council officers will provide you with advice on your obligations if you trap a cat.

If your cat is lost

See Lost and Injured Animals for more information.


Roaming Dogs

Dogs must be confined to the owner's property at all times - dogs are not allowed to roam. it is your responsibility to ensure your dog is adequately contained and supervised at all times. Remember, your dog may behave differently when roaming. Roaming dogs can be a nuisance and present a threat to community safety, for example most dog attacks reported to Council involve a roaming incident.

Reporting a roaming dog

If you see a roaming dog, check if it has a red Council registration tag or any other identification that may help identify the owner.

If you are unable to locate the owner, you can report the roaming online via MyIpswich or contact Council on (07) 3810 6666 with the necessary information including location, address, breed (if known) and colour of the roaming dog/s. If the address is unknown, patrols will be carried
out to try and locate the dog.

Council has developed a letterbox form which you can use to communicate the issue of the nuisance dog to your neighbour. Simply print out the Roaming Dogs Neighbour Handout, fill in your details (this is optional) and place in your neighbour's letterbox.

If a dog has roamed onto your property

Secure the dog to the property if it is possible and safe to do so. You can also check for a red Council registration tag or other identification to see if an owner can be contacted.

If an owner can't be contacted within a day or two, call Council on (07) 3810 6666 to arrange an Animal Management Officer to collect the animal. Please note, an adult must be present on the property for the Animal Management Officer's visit so that they can give authority for the removal of the animal from their property.

If your dog is lost

See Lost and Injured Animals for more information.

More Information