Ipswich City Council

Dogs

Keeping Dogs in Ipswich

There is no doubt dogs make wonderful companions and are highly valued as family pets. Ipswich City Council has over 30,000 registered dogs; a figure which indicates the popularity of dog ownership within our city.

Ipswich City Council, through its permits, Local Laws and animal programs, assists owners to understand canine behaviour and protect and enjoy their animal, whilst minimising the possibility of disruption to community and the local environment by dogs that are not managed responsibly. Dog owners in Ipswich must comply with a number of Local Law and environmental health requirements, including the compulsory registration of all dogs with Ipswich City Council. See Permits and Local Laws for further information.

Council's Animal Management Officers operate under Local Law 7 (Dogs) and the Queensland Government legislation Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008. It is important to have laws & regulations in place to ensure public safety and that dogs do not create a nuisance to others.

Failure to comply with these laws and regulations could result in the issue of notices and fines by Council.

If you are experiencing problems with dogs in your neighbourhood, roaming, barking or creating a nuisance, please contact Council on (07) 3810 6666 and an Animal Management Officer will investigate your concerns.

Number of Dogs Allowed

You can keep up to two dogs on your property without the need for a permit or up to four dogs on land 2,000m² or more.

If you wish to keep more than four dogs you must apply to Ipswich City Council for a permit. If you wish to keep guard dogs on commercial property you must also apply for a permit.

It is important to note all dogs owners in Ipswich, regardless of whether they require a permit or not, must comply with Local Law standards.

Should you wish to make a request for Council to investigate the keeping of more than two dogs on a person's property on land that exceeds the above-listed requirements, please contact Council on (07) 3810 6666 with the necessary information including location and address of the property and estimation of the number of dogs being kept.

Visiting Dogs

Dogs that are visiting your property for a period of time may do so upon conditions and approval set by Council. Dogs staying at a property where they are not normally kept may be temporarily permitted if they are currently registered in another Council within Australia or not required to be registered (eg disability assistance) and for a period no more than than 60 days. Incidences where this may occur include visiting family and friends who bring their dog for the visit, or looking after a dog for a short period for a friend/family member.

To apply for Council's approval for a visiting dog, a letter must be sent to Council with the following details:

Name of the person who will be keeping the dog
Address of where the dog will be staying
Details of dog (name, breed, age, colour, etc)
Owner's name
Address where dog is coming from
Is the dog registered at this address, currently registered in another Council within Australia or not required to be registered (eg disability assistance)
Dates (when the dog is due to arrive and leave)

If Council grants permission to keep excess dogs for no more than 60 days, the property will be inspected after that time to ensure the excess dogs are no longer on the property.

Should you wish to keep excess dogs on a regular basis, you will need to apply for a Non-Standard Permit.

Permits & Local Laws

Local Laws

Local Laws are provided by Council to assist owners to look after their dog/s, and to promote ownership responsibility in the protection of our local environment. All dog owners in Ipswich must comply with the following minimum standards in accordance with Local Law 7 (Dogs), regardless of whether they require a permit or not:

All dogs over three months of age must be registered with Ipswich City Council
All dogs must be confined to the property by way of adequate fencing or an enclosure
All dogs must wear a current registration tag
Enclosures must provide adequate freedom for dog/s to exercise, taking into account the breed, size and nature of the dog/s and provide a sheltered area from the weather at all times
The owner of any dog/s must not allow the dog/s, either by itself or with any other dog/s, to become a nuisance, inconvenience or annoyance
A person must dispose of dog faeces on both private and public land in a manner as not to cause an odour or fly nuisance

Permits

Dog owners do not require a permit to keep up to 2 dogs or up to 4 dogs on land 2,000m². If you wish to keep more than 2 dogs on land less than 2,000m² or more than 4 dogs, you must apply to Ipswich City Council for a permit.

Council does not issue Standard Permits for keeping dogs.

Council issues Non-Standard Permits to residents in the following circumstances:

Non-Standard Permits
Name	Description	Conditions
Special Permit	Issued to keep more than two and up to four dogs on land less than 2,000m²	Have any dog/s been declared dangerous (If YES, please attach details) I have notified all my neighbours within 100 metres, 3 weeks prior to lodging my application (Permit can not be approved without notification) Food must be stored in vermin proof conditions Other conditions may apply upon assessment Note: If you wish to receive a map outlining the neighbours you need to notify, please contact Council on (07) 3810 6666.
Kennel Permit	Issued to keep more than four dogs on land 2,000m² or more	Have any dog/s been declared dangerous (If YES, please attach details) Kennel accommodation must be at least three metres from any property boundary and at least 12 metres from any residential building Kennel must be of sound construction and able to be easily cleaned Kennel must be of sufficient size and provide adequate light and fresh air for the number, size, breed and nature of the dogs to be kept Food must be stored in vermin proof conditions Other conditions may apply upon assessment
Guard Dog Permit	Issued to keep guard dogs on commercial property	Have any dog/s been declared dangerous (If YES, please attach details) The permit holder must take all reasonable measures to prevent the dog/s harming the public and/or animals Appropriate warning signs must be displayed adjacent to each entrance on the property and display a 24 hour contact number No more than two guard dogs must be kept on the premises at any one time The guard dog/s must wear a current registration tag at all times The guard dog/s must be kept behind a secure fence or enclosure which is adequate to prevent any part of the dog from leaving the confined area and prevent the dog from escaping The guard dog/s must be fitted with a microchip The guard dog/s must wear a suitable collar at all times Food must be stored in vermin proof conditions Other conditions may apply upon assessment

Note: All dogs must be registered. Registration fees are separate to permit fees. Permit application fees must be paid at time of lodgement. These fees are non-refundable.

Dogs - Permit Application Kit (PDF, 215 kb)

Note: A kennel is defined as ‘Intensive Animal Husbandry' under the Ipswich Planning Scheme 2006. Such uses may require planning approval from Council. It is recommended before you apply for a permit, you contact Council's Planning and Development Department on (07) 3810 6666 for further information.

If you require any further information about keeping dogs in Ipswich, please contact Council during business hours on (07) 3810 6666.

Dogs in Public Places

Responsible dog owners ensure their dogs are exercised well. Exercise can range from playing ball in the backyard, to walking and running in public. When in public, it's very important to keep your dog under control, including exercising your dog in a leash-free area.

Leash Control

When taking your dog for a walk anywhere in public, your dog must be on a leash
The leash should be in good condition, under two (2) metres in length and of a suitable strength
The leash must be held securely by a responsible person
When on the leash, you should be able to stop your dog from pulling the leash out of your hands and from rushing up to other people and other dogs
Obedience training will assist you and your dog to achieve this level of control

Leash-free Areas

Council currently operates the following leash-free areas for dogs:

Banjo Patterson Park - Corner of Lawrie and Duncan Street, Collingwood Park
Battye Park - 132B Pine Mountain Road, Brassall
Camira Recreation Reserve - 74 Moss Road, Camira
Conway Street Park - 10 Conway Street, Riverview
Cribb Park - 34-39 Pelican Street, North Ipswich
David W Coultas Park - 224 South Station Road, Raceview
Goodna Off Leash Area - 62 Brisbane Terrace, Goodna
Grande Park - 57 Grande Avenue, Springfield Lakes (Across the road from Grande Park)
Jack Barkley Park - 33 Gledson Street, North Booval
Marburg Community Oval - 85-89 Edmond Street, Marburg
Noel Street Reserve - 1-3 Noel Street, Dinmore
Rex Hawkes Park - Lot 600 Russell Drive, Redbank Plains
Wulkaraka Park - 98 Toongarra Road, Wulkuraka

Dogs must be on a leash until they are inside the boundary of the leash-free area. When in the leash-free area, the dog must still be under verbal control of the owner. This means that the dog will respond immediately to the owner's command. The owner should be able to stop the dog from rushing up to people and other dogs and must hold the leash in case it is required for control. Obedience training can help you and your dog achieve this level of control. If you know your dog may be aggressive toward other dogs and/or people, be responsible and do not take your dog into a leash-free area when in use by other dog owners and their dogs.

Dog Droppings

Council is happy for you to take your dog out in public for exercise, however other City residents should not have to deal with your dog's droppings on their front lawns, footpaths and in other public areas. Council's Local Laws state that you must dispose of your dog's droppings and you must carry with you a scoop and/or some plastic bags to ensure droppings are collected. Specific devices for this purpose can be purchased from pet shops.

Animal owners are required to clean up after their pets be they a dog or horse (or anything in between). It is a breach of the Local Laws to not clean up manure or faeces left by your animal in a public place with in-the-spot fines starting a $75 for this offence.

Nuisance Dogs

If you encounter a nuisance dog from a neighbouring property, the first step could be to discuss the issue with your neighbour. Sometimes the issue of nuisance dogs can be resolved by speaking to the dog owner first, without the need to involve Council. Once a person is made aware that an issue is causing a nuisance to their neighbours, most of the time, they will take steps to fix the problem. Council strongly encourages the community to discuss these issues with their neighbours.

The Queensland Government Department of Justice and Attorney-General have developed a Neighbourhood Mediation Kit which provides advice on how to approach your neighbour to discuss a concern and tips on setting up mediation.

If neighbourhood disputes can not be resolved you may wish to take advantage of the Governments free Mediation Services. If so please contact the Dispute Resolution Branch on 1800 017 288 (toll free), or by post to:

Dispute Resolution Branch
GPO Box 149
BRISBANE QLD 4001

For more information on this service please visit the Queensland Government Department of Justice and Attorney-General website.

Alternatively should you wish to make a request for a Council Officer to investigate a nuisance dog, please contact Council on (07) 3810 6666 with necessary information including details of the nuisance, (roaming, barking or aggressive dog), location, breed of dog (if known), etc.

Injured Dogs

If you encounter an injured dog, it is recommended you contact the RSPCA on (07) 3426 9955 or take it to a veterinarian. If the dog is deceased, contact Ipswich Waste on (07) 3810 6666 for collection.

Euthanasia

Council offers the service of euthanasia for dogs at an appropriate cost. Dogs are euthanised by lethal injection. It may be more cost effective to have your local veterinarian perform this service. An alternative to euthanasia is to have the dog rehoused. Dogs can be collected from the owner's property however a higher fee will be charged to cover travel and staffing costs. Council does not offer this service (euthanasia of dogs and cats) for any other animals.

Further Information

Last Updated 27 Jul 2011 |

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