Wodonga Council is asking the community about cat curfews, dog parks and Paws in the Park as part of a mid-cycle review of its Domestic Animal Management Plan.
These three topics were raised in the plan and the 2019-2020 budget has an allocation of $50,000 for a dog park.
This consultation will gather community input on the approach and location for a new or extended dog park.
Team Leader Compliance Craig McClanahan said the recognised companion animals play an important part in the lives of many people and the council had a role in creating an environment that meets the needs of pet owners and the community.
“The council has a cat curfew in place from 7pm to 7am but in response to feedback, we want to gauge the community’s opinion on whether we need a cat curfew or whether it should perhaps be extended to be a 24-hour curfew,” he said.
“An action of the plan was to explore a Paws in the Park type event on the Wodonga side which was a popular day and with a budget allocation for a dog park, we want to hear from the community about their thoughts on where it should be and what it might look like.”
There are 1812 cats and 6933 dogs registered in the municipality.
The Domestic Animal Management Plan, adopted in 2017, endeavours to cater for the needs of companion animals (dogs and cats), their owners and promotes and enhances the concept of “responsible pet ownership” across the city’s companion animal owners.
The aim of the plan is to support the council’s mission through effective management of domestic animals (dogs and cats) within the city of Wodonga while addressing the issues relating to animal management in our urban and rural areas.
The plan is in line with the Domestic Animals Act 1994 (DAA) which requires all Victorian councils to have a four-year plan in place for the management of dogs and cats within their area.
To provide feedback, the community can fill out a short survey online or provide an online submission on the Talking Cats and Dogs page on our website makewodonga.yours.com.au
Feedback closes on Monday, September 30, 2019 at 5pm.