Steps to take if you have complaint
Talk to the owner
If you have a complaint about a dog or cat, the Office of Local Government suggests talking to the owner first.
Contact your local council
If you're not comfortable doing that or you cannot agree on a solution contact your local council.
Nuisance dog or cat orders
Owning a dog or cat in NSW
Nuisance animals are defined under the Companion Animals Act 1998. The act sets out the responsibilities of dog and cat owners.
For an overview of the laws that apply to owning a pet in NSW, visit Animals – Legal Aid NSW.
If the council has had multiple complaints or identifies a serious or ongoing problem, it may issue a nuisance dog or cat order. This requires the animal’s owner to prevent the behaviour specified in the order.
If you are a dog or cat owner and you receive a nuisance order, penalties may apply if you do not comply with the order.
What is a nuisance dog
A dog is a ‘nuisance dog’ if it does any of the following:
- consistently roams
- makes persistent, excessive noise
- endangers the health of a person or animal (other than vermin)
- repeatedly:
- defecates on private property
- runs at or chases a person, animal (other than vermin) or vehicle
- causes substantial damage to anything outside the property on which it is ordinarily kept.
What is a nuisance cat
A cat is a ‘nuisance cat’ if it does any of the following:
- makes persistent, excessive noise
- repeatedly damages anything outside the property on which it is ordinarily kept.