Council is seeking final comments from Greater Shepparton residents with or without pets on the initiatives in the draft plan.
The draft Plan was based on community consultation conducted in November 2021 to find out from residents what they consider important animal management issues. From the results of the community consultation and a review of Council data, the key major issues were identified and are addressed within the Action Plan.
Most of these were related to wandering cats, dog attacks, animal welfare and responsible pet ownership such as picking up after dogs.
Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor, Cr Shane Sali encouraged people to take this final opportunity to read the draft Domestic Animal Management Plan 2022–2025 before it goes to a Council meeting for endorsement.
“The survey and data reported that wandering cats and the impact on our wildlife is a major concern for the community, as is not picking up after your dog. I would hope with a dedicated education program that we can change people’s behaviour and encourage them to think of our environment and the enjoyment of parks for others.”
Council’s Animal Management department plays an important leadership role in supporting and promoting responsible pet ownership and best practice animal welfare standards. The team operates one of the largest regional Council-owned animal shelters in the state, with approximately 2,000 animals being cared for each year.
The adopted plan will identify what Council will focus on over the next four years. Feedback is open until 5pm Friday 19 August 2022 and can be found at Shaping Greater Shepparton
