Pet ownership

Once you register your pet, you need to make sure they are consistently cared for and looked after. You need to feed them and keep them safe and healthy. Depending on what sort of pet you have, this might involve walking them, keeping them inside on hot days, giving them enough room, keeping them inside at night, or training them.

Council Order for Cat Confinement

On 12th November, Merri-bek City Council adopted its new Domestic Animal Management Plan 2025-2029, including a cat curfew that will come into effect from 1 April 2027. 

The plan sets out how Council manages cats and dogs in our neighbourhoods. It includes actions that promote responsible pet ownership, support the welfare of cats and dogs and aim to reduce nuisance behaviours. 

Cat curfews aim to improve a cat’s health and lifespan and reduce negative effects on wildlife and the environment. Curfews can also help address community concerns about cat noise, cats digging in gardens and trespass.

Merri-bek's cat curfew will be applied in two ways to help cats and cat owners transition to this method of cat containment. An overnight cat curfew (from 7pm to 7am) will apply to all cats that are registered before 1 April 2027. This means that any cat already registered with Council or that is registered with Council before 1 April 2027, from 1 April 2027 will need to be confined within the boundaries of their owner’s property between 7pm and 7am every night. 

All cats that are registered after 1 April 2027 will need to be confined to within the boundaries of their owner’s property for 24 hours a day. Council will also run an education campaign to support cat owners through the transition to the curfew.

Cat owners who will be subject to the 24-hour curfew will need to keep their pets contained on their properties. This could be inside the home, within an enclosed outdoor space like a ‘catio’ or just within your fences. Cats may leave properties for a walk on a leash or in a carrier.

Cat curfews have been introduced in more than half of the 79 councils in Victoria, with 24-hour cat curfews in 10 of those councils. The ACT Government has also successfully introduced a 24-hour cat curfew for all cats born after 1 July 2022, with a grandfather clause for older cats.

View a copy of the Council Order regarding cat confinement (PDF 150Kb)

Does your animal need to be registered?

All cats and dogs over the age of 3 months in Merri-bek must be registered with us. This is required under the 'Domestic Animals Act 1994' which you can read on the Legislation Victoria website. If your dog or cat is over 3 months old and not registered, you may get a fine. You can find more information on how to register your animal on our Pet Registration page. 

Do you have multiple pets?

There is a limit to how many animals can be kept without a permit within Merri-bek. We want to make sure all pets have enough space and are cared for. It is important to familiarise yourself with how many animals you can keep by reading the information on our Keeping multiple pets page.

Walking your dog

You need to take your dog for a walk so that they stay happy and healthy. When you walk your dog, you must keep them on a leash or cord that you hold tightly when you are in any public place.

You must keep control of your dog and make sure they're kept on their leash or cord when they are within:

  • 1 metre of a shared pathway or footpath
  • 15 metres of any playground or children’s play equipment
  • an organised sporting or community event or festival
  • an organised public meeting, or
  • a permanent barbecue or picnic area when in use by people

Your dog is not allowed to be in a playground or in any creek or waterway.

You can take your dog's leash or cord off when in an off-leash park.

Under the Moreland City Council General Local Law 2018, a person exercising dogs must not have more than 4 dogs walked by a person at any one time.

You can find out more about off-leash dog areas by reading the Council Order regarding off-leash dog areas (PDF). (PDF 117Kb)

To apply for a commercial dog walking permit please email citysafety@merri-bek.vic.gov.au for an application form.

What is an off-leash park?

Off-leash parks are areas where dogs can exercise and play without a leash or cord.

An off-leash park will have a sign saying it is off-leash. If you go to one of these parks:

  • you must not let your dog threaten another dog or person
  • you must still carry your dog's leash or cord so that you can control your dog if they threaten any other dog or person
  • you must stay near your dog

Gilpin Park in Brunswick and Richards Reserve in Coburg North are Merri-bek's enclosed off-leash dog parks. You can find out more about these parks on our Find a park page.

You can also see a list of all of the dog parks in Merri-bek on our Park amenities and equipment page.

Picking up after your dog

You must always pick up after your dog and dispose of the waste in a rubbish bin. It is an offence if you do not. It is also an offence to not carry a dog waste bag. 

We do not give out plastic bags for the removal of dog waste in Merri-bek off-lead parks. There are some parks which have dispensers, however, you can not rely on these and must bring your own. 

You are responsible for carrying bags and getting rid of waste yourself.

You can be fined for failing to carry bags and disposing the waste from your animal.  The penalty for this breach is 3.5 penalty units which can mean a fine of $350.

Caring for your pets

Caring for your pet means looking after their health, making sure they are secure in your property and that they aren't distressed. You can find out more about how to care for your pet below.

  • Fireworks can be really scary for animals. The loud noises can upset a lot of pets and they may try to escape from your home or backyard so that they can get away from the noise. On New Year's Eve and any other fireworks nights, you can:

    • keep your pets inside all night and close the windows, doors, blinds and curtains
    • turn on the TV or radio for background noise
    • stay at home with your pet and try to distract them with treats and games

    If your cats and dogs are microchipped, registered and have a collar with your phone number, they can be returned to you if they run away during fireworks.

  • On really hot days, it's important to make sure your pet is safe and not distressed by the heat. Cats and dogs cannot cool themselves down in the same way we do, so can easily overheat. To keep your pet cool during hot days, make sure they always have cool, fresh water to drink and a shady, comfortable place to rest. Find more tips for keeping your pet safe in the heat visit the Agriculture Victoria website.

  • If you have a cat, you need to keep them inside at night. This is important to remember so that your cat doesn't:

    • attack birds and other wildlife
    • get hit by a car
    • transmit diseases
    • spray, scream or bother neighbours

    You need to lock your cat inside with a bed, water and a kitty-litter. See our flyer on keeping your cat safe and inside your property for more information.

  • If you have a bird, it is important to give them a cage that has enough room for them to spread their wings and move round. The cage needs to be somewhere where it is not too hot, sunny, cold or windy. You will need to feed your bird a healthy and appropriate diet. See the Agriculture Victoria website for more information.

    If you have more than a certain number of birds, you may need an excess animal permit. 

You can find out more information about dog and cat ownership in our Information for dog and cat owners flyer (PDF). (PDF 613Kb)

If you would like further information on responsible pet ownership and tools to help care for your pet, please visit the below websites:

 

Responsible pet ownership and children

Kids can learn a lot about responsibility and frienship when living with pets. It is important you educate your kids about safety around pets. 

There are some great resources from Animal Welfare Victoria about children and pets: 

 

Domestic Animal Businesses 

Under the Domestic Animals Act 1994, a Domestic Animal Business is considered to be:

  • An animal shelter
  • A pet shop 
  • A breeding establishment where the owner has between three and 10 fertile female dogs or cats, is not a member of an applicable organisation, and breeds to sell.
  • A dog training establishment 
  • An establishment boarding dogs or cats 

These businesses must register their premises as a Domestic Animal Business with Council before they can operate. Domestic Animal Business registration must be renewed annually. The annual registration fee for is $360.50 (includes government levy of $20).

To apply for a permit please fill out the application form (PDF 84Kb) and email it to citysafety@merri-bek.vic.gov.au. You must also get planning approval for starting a new business.

More information on Domestic Animal Businesses can be found on Animal Welfare Victoria's website.