As a dog owner, you have a responsibility within your local community. This includes cleaning up after your dog, making sure it is not a nuisance to other people or animals and ensuring your dog is not able to escape from its yard.

You are required to clean up your dog’s droppings in all public places, at home and where signs reinforce this regulation.

Cats and dogs can live together in the one household, however, it depends on the temperament of the cat and dog and how they are introduced to each other.

Dogs need to be confined to their yard when not on a leash or being supervised by their owners. If dogs become bored or are not exercised enough, they may try to escape. Loud noises like thunder and fireworks may also unsettle your dog and cause it to try and escape from your yard. You can stop your dog from escaping by:

• Keeping your fences in good condition, making them higher if needed and if necessary filling in the space between the fence and ground to stop your dog digging,
• Making sure family members keep the gates closed,
• Making sure your dog has adequate exercise, toys and training to reduce the desire to escape.

When you take your dog to a dog park, you should supervise it at all times. It is unacceptable for your dog to: charge at other dogs, bark excessively at other dogs, mount dogs or people and show aggression towards other dogs or people.