As the City of Playford is home to around 18,000 dogs – that’s more than a quarter of all households in the area – we know a thing or two about taking care of your four legged friends. By providing information about responsible pet ownership and animal welfare, residents of the City of Playford can find out how to keep their dogs and cats healthy, happy, and safe.

You want your dogs to be as safe as possible, and in order to keep them safe it is required by law that each dog is registered with Council. In the case that your furry friend is found wandering, we make every effort to contact you based on the details on the registration tag on their collar.

Legislative changes that commenced in 1 July 2017 introduce new names for classes of registration:

• A Standard dog is a dog that has been both desexed and microchipped
• A Non-standard dog is any other dog aside from assistance dogs, working livestock dogs and dogs belonging to registered breeders

Dog owners are encouraged to desex and microchip their dogs to receive discounted registration and to comply with legislative requirements commencing 1 July 2018.

In South Australia, all cats must also be microchipped and desexed and registered in Dogs and Cats Online (DACO - link below), the statewide database for dogs, cats, microchip, desexing and breeder registrations. Some exemptions apply.

You must register your cat in DACO by its mandatory microchip number. This is easy and free, council does not charge a cat registration fee. Your cat’s microchip number should be provided to you by your vet, microchip implanter, shelter or breeder. There are easy reference guides on the Dog and Cat Management Board’s website if you need help - link below.

Cat owners who’ve registered their cat’s microchip number in DACO will receive a notice each July to remind them to log in and check their details are up-to-date. If you move, you’ll need to update your address. If your cat dies, is missing for more than 72 hours, is given to a new owner, or is surrendered to the RSPCA or Animal Welfare League, update your cat’s record in DACO. Choose ‘deceased’ or ‘lost’ from the ‘Animal Status’ drop down menu on your pet’s record.

If your cat goes to a new home, their registration must be transferred to the new owner. You’ll need to initiate a transfer in DACO and give the transfer number to the new owner, who then logs in to complete the transfer themselves. There are easy reference guides on the Dog and Cat Management Board’s website if you need help.

Mandatory desexing

All cats (and dogs) born after 1 July 2018 must be desexed by a registered veterinary surgeon before it is 6 months of age; or within 28 days after an owner takes possession of a puppy or kitten. Some exemptions can apply, visit the Dog and Cat Management Board website for details.

Mandatory microchipping

All cats (and dogs) must be microchipped by 12 weeks of age (unless exempted by a vet—see the Dog and Cat Management Board for details) and owners must register the microchip number in Dogs and Cats Online. Council supports local, low cost microchip events scheduled periodically by ChipBlitz. Visit www.chipblitz.com to find and book an upcoming session near you. Of course your local vet can microchip your pet.

There are laws which regulate breeding and selling dogs and cats in South Australia. The most significant are set out below. Visit the Dog and Cat Management Board website at the link below for further information.

· Breeders and sellers must adhere to the South Australian Standards and Guidelines for Breeding and Trading Companion Animals (available at the link below.)

· Breeders intending to sell dogs or cats they have bred must register in DACO.

· A dog or cat can’t be sold without a microchip.

· Dogs and cats must be desexed by six months of age.

· Any advertisement selling a dog or cat must include the seller and breeders’ contact details and breeder registration number.

· Sellers/breeders must provide specific information to purchasers, eg. seller and breeders’ details; breeders’ DACO number; vaccination details; desexing details; microchip details; known illnesses or medical conditions; control order information (dogs)

We encourage our residents to obtain a pet they can take care of and enjoy the company of, and we are best able to provide control and management of your pets by limiting the number of cats and dogs allowed on a single property.

You will need a permit if you want to:

• Keep more than 2 dogs*
• Keep more than 2 domestic cats

You must apply for a permit to keep additional dogs and cats.

A Community Inspector will be assigned to your application and will contact you following your application lodgement. Your Inspector will arrange for an inspection of the property to see where your pets will be kept – they will be looking at the level of cleanliness and ability to keep your pets contained.

For further information and advice on keeping animals on your property, or if you are ever unsure, please contact us on 8256 0333, or email playford@playford.sa.gov.au

The City of Playford’s Dog and Cat Management Plan brings forward strategies you can take to ensure your pet is well looked after under the guidelines of the wider Council planning architecture.

Prepared by the Health, Environment & Regulatory Services Department, the strategies within this plan have been designed by a broad range of stakeholders, fashioning an easy guide for dog and cat owners in the City of Playford.

If an unwelcome cat enters your property, we encourage you to approach its owner (if you can identify them) in a friendly manner to explain the impact their cat is having on you. If you treat the issue as a shared problem and work on a solution together, you’re likely to achieve a good result.

Complaints for nuisance cats can only be investigated if the address of the cat’s home is identified.

If there is no ID or 'M' tattooed in the ear of the cat (which is an indicator that it has been microchipped), contact the Animal Welfare League on 8256 0000.

It’s illegal to seize or detain an identified cat (wearing a collar with the owner’s contact details or microchipped). However, if you have an unidentified nuisance cat on your property, you can capture it and take it to the RSPCA, the Animal Welfare League or a willing veterinarian who will make a decision on whether the cat should be rehomed or euthanased humanely. If you trap a cat you must do this humanely.

Cats must not be kept in cages in inclement weather conditions, for any period of time without water and shelter. You can’t keep a cat contained longer than 12 hours, this constitutes an act of animal cruelty.

We understand barking dogs can be a nuisance to neighbours and the surrounding community – as investigations for barking and nuisance dogs can be difficult to resolve, the law allows dogs to bark but not persistently.

Tips on managing barking for dog owners can be found in the Responsible Ownership: Barking Dogs information flyer. Download the flyer below.

Dog parks are a wonderful addition to the City of Playford community for dogs and owners alike. Keeping our furry friends in a happy state of mind by letting them socialise and run to their heart’s desire, it also helps owners meet likeminded dog lovers. The City of Playford is home to three dog parks – all of which are fenced with water facilities, bins and seating. See the map below of Jo Gapper Park at Hillbank, Stebonheath Dog Park at Andrews Farm, and Pooch Park at Blakeview

Check the suitability of your local park before you leave the house - visit our Parks, Reserves and Playgrounds page.

You must report a dog attack as soon as you are safe by contacting City of Playford on 8256 0333. Like any serious occurrence, time is valuable, especially if the offending dog is on the loose and poses a risk to other humans or animals.