Council & Business
19 September, 2025
Hepburn to develop animal plan
The Hepburn Shire Council is currently developing its new Domestic Animal Management Plan (DAMP) and is inviting community feedback to help shape how dogs and cats will be managed over the next four years.
Mayor Don Henderson said there are many benefits of pet ownership for community health and wellbeing.
“This is not just about enforcement, but registration and easy identification can be a way of reuniting pets with their owners,” he said.
“We know how important pets are to our residents, which is why responsible pet ownership is a priority. If not managed properly, nuisance animals can negatively impact our community, environment, and farming sector.”
The new plan will outline a range of actions and initiatives to support responsible pet ownership, including pet welfare, registration, dog attacks, cat curfew, and nuisance complaints.
“We’re particularly interested in your views on animal management services, concerns about dogs or cats, experiences with dog aggression or attacks, and pet registration,” Cr Henderson said.
“Since the last DAMP, and in response to community feedback, we’ve introduced measures like a cat curfew and stronger enforcement for dog attacks.”
Following the feedback period, the draft Domestic Animal Management Plan 2025–2029 will be released for public exhibition in October 2025.
Submissions close on Friday, September 26. Community members can complete the survey online at https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/DAMP or visit one of council’s libraries or customer service centres.