Laws and regulations about animals are there to protect them from neglect and cruelty as well as protecting the community from animals becoming a nuisance or danger.

The Domestic Animals Act 1994

The Domestic Animals Act 1994 specifies rules for Council and Council officers for pets in the areas of:

• Protecting the community and environment from nuisance pets
• Registration of pets and registration tags
• Microchipping pets
• Control of dogs including dangerous and menacing dogs as well as restricted breeds
• Registering domestic animal businesses and ensuring compliance with the codes of practice 
• Developing strategies for the future direction of animal management services.

Whitehorse Community Local Law 2024

The Whitehorse Community Local Law 2024 ( PDF 973.95KB) includes:

• Where you can exercise your dog off-lead
• Picking up after your dog and the removal of dog poo
• Shared use of open space, parks and reserves
• Areas where wildlife and their habitats are protected from dogs.

More Information

Legal Aid Victoria provides advice about dog-related offences.