Dog Ownership

Responsibilities as a dog owner

Each year, Community Ranger Services answers hundreds of calls regarding stray and nuisance dogs, and the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder has had to rehome or euthanise a large number of these dogs, mostly because they have been abandoned.

Owning and keeping a dog is a very rewarding experience, but in return you need to have a caring and responsible attitude towards the welfare of your pet and learn to care for its health and understand its behaviour.

The City encourages responsible dog ownership and seeks to increase the community knowledge and awareness through our school education and other programs.

Responsible dog ownership includes:

  • Registering your dog at 3 months of age and having proper collar tags at all times
  • Treating for life-threatening diseases (check with your local vet)
  • Feeding at least once a day, with freshwater available at all times
  • Providing adequate shade during the summer
  • Ensuring any chains used cannot entangle the animal or on any item within reach
  • Giving the animal at least half an hour of exercise daily, using a lead (unless in a gated dog exercise area)
  • Cleaning up any droppings the dog may excrete
  • Not mistreating it or training it to attack any person or animal
  • Having someone look after your dog when you go on holidays, and be responsible for any indiscretions of the animal
  • Assuring properties where dogs are housed has adequate and correct fencing to secure dogs

Any damages or injuries incurred are the responsibility of the owner or person-in-charge of the dog at the time—including veterinarian or doctor's fees—unless it can be proved that the dog was protecting a person, other animal or property.

Please download the Responsibilities as a dog owner fact sheet for more details.

Missing dogs

If your dog goes missing, you should:

  • Contact the Community Rangers to see if it has been impounded, and to report it as missing;
  • Check and place notices on social media;
  • Check with local veterinarians and local radio stations;
  • Place notices with the media and community organisations; and
  • Check the Animal Management Facility.

Community Rangers who locate the missing dog may contact the owner if proper identification is on the dog's collar.

Registering your dog

Every dog more than 3 months old must be registered with the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder by completing and returning a Dog Registration form. Owners who fail to do so may be prosecuted or fined a minimum $200.

It is a requirement that all dogs must be microchipped before they are registered.

Your dog is required to wear a collar with you name, address and a valid registration tag. If your dog escapes your property or becomes lost and is impounded by a Ranger, we have a better chance of finding the owner of the dog if it is registered and wearing its tag.

How many dogs can I have per property?

The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder allows residents to keep 2 registered dogs per property. To keep more dogs, a resident will need to apply for an exemption.

This involves obtaining an application form from the Animal Management Facility where you will be advised of the requirements of an exemption. You will need to obtain the signatures of your nearest neighbours giving or declining approval to keep more than 2 dogs. Once this is done, the Rangers will conduct a property inspection before approval is given.

The City reserves to right to withdraw permission if sufficient evidence is produced to show that the extra dog/s are creatinge problems in the district.

Dog Information

Stray dogs captured by the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder will be held in the Animal Management Facility for a minimum of:

  • 7 days (if the dog has a tag, microchip or other ID)
  • 96 hours (if the dog has no identification)

After this period, the dog will become the property of the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

To claim a dog from the animal management facility, owners must:

  • Identify the dog during opening hours
  • Complete the necessary paperwork
  • Pay the required fees
  • Register the dog if not already registered
  • Present the receipt of payment to the Community ranger to release the dog

Dog Rehousal Program

The Dog Rehousal program aims to rehouse dogs that have been:

  • Unclaimed by owners after the minimum period (stated above)
  • Signed over to the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder

If interested in homing a dog from the Animal Management Facility, you must attend the facility in person during viewing hours to inspect the dog. Should there be an animal you are interested in rehoming, you can record your name and contact number as an expression of interest on the Impound Sheet. If the dog becomes available for adoption, you will be contacted and advised when the dog is available for pick up. The following will need to be completed before the dog can be collected:

  • Pay the required rehousing fee.
  • Register the dog with the City.
  • Prepay for microchip at a Veterinary Clinic.

Restricted dog breeds

At present the following dog breeds are restricted:

  • Dogo Argentino
  • Fila Brasileiro
  • Japanese Tosa
  • American Pit Bull Terrier
  • Perro de Presa Carnario or Presa Canario
  • Pit Bull Terrier breeds/mixes

Owners of these breeds must ensure that the dog is:

  • Muzzled and kept on a leash at all times when in public
  • Wearing an approved dangerous dog collar
  • Be confined in a restricted access area, with adequate warning signs displayed

Nuisance dog complaints

The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder encourages residents to resolve any dog-related complaints directly with your neighbour.

If this does not work, then please lodge a Nuisance Dog Complaint Form with Community Ranger Services, who will then investigate the complaint. If a complaint is related to a dog barking, a Barking Log will need to be filled out for a period of a week.

Community Rangers are empowered to:

  • Issue infringements
  • Impound a dog
  • Prosecute dog owners

Barking Dogs - RSPCA

Dog attacks

The Dog Act 1976 allows the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder to investigate cases where a dog has attacked, or caused a person to fear being attacked, regardless if the dog has caused injury to a person or other animal or not, and to prosecute the dog owners if necessary.

A dog does not have to bite a person or animal to have attacked it—chasing a person or animal is still an offence.

If you or your dog has been injured in an attack, proceed immediately to the nearest medical or veterinarian clinic for treatment as required.

The owner or person in charge of the dog is liable for any damages or injuries caused by the attack—including veterinarian or doctor's fees—unless it can be proved that the dog was protecting a person, other animal or property. The affected party can recover these costs by lodging a civil claim in court.

The maximum penalty for a dog attack is $20,000 and/or imprisonment for 2 years.

To minimise the risk of a dog attack:

  • Keep your dog on a leash at all times
  • Socialise your dog from an early age
  • Attend training classes so it can interact with other dogs and people

If a dog has been involved in an attack it should be reported to Community Ranger Services as soon as possible, who will investigate the attack.

Dog infringements

Dog infringements can be paid by contacting the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder at the Main Administration Building or the Community Rangers Building.

Dog owners can appeal an infringement, but this must be done in writing.

Dog Exercise Areas

The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder has a number of gazetted areas where you may take your dogs and allow them to run free without leads.

Please respect the dog exercise area rules to help make it a fun and safe place for everyone.

  • If your dog displays aggressive behaviour it must be removed immediately
  • Dogs must always be supervised and under effective control
  • You may be liable for any injury or damage caused by your dog
  • Please clean up after your dog and use bins provided
  • Dogs must be leashed on arrival and on departure of the dog exercise area

City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Dog Exercise Areas:

  • Norkal Park - Vivian Street - Reserve R40625
  • Gribble Creek - Area between Johnston, Kingsmill & Wittenoom Street Boulder - Reserve R32961
  • Gribble Creek - Area between Kalgoorlie Racecourse, Maxwell Street, Speculation Drive and Meldrum Avenue - Reserve R32961
  • Gribble Creek - Vivian Street (Bushland between Boulder Discovery Caravan Park and Goldfields Regional Prison) - Reserve R42303
  • Arboretum - Hawkins Street - Reserve R23840
  • Edwards Park - Piccadilly Street - Reserve R29137
  • Shepherdson Park - Piccadilly Street - Reserve R4557
  • Wallace Park (only between 5am-8am) - Collins Street - Reserve R11126
  • Dwyer Street Dam - Dwyer Street - R8149
  • Bushland between Eastern Bypass Rd, Lane Street and Goldfields Hwy
  • Rasmussen Park (excluding Children's Playground) - Hart Kerspien Drive - Reserve R49596

Quick Links

Dogs

RSPCA Knowledge Base - Dogs

Parvo Virus - RSPCA WA

Dog Registration form

Barking Dogs - RSPCA

Animal Cruelty

If you see or know of someone who is being cruel to an animal, you need to contact the RSPCA on 1300 278 358.

An Animal Welfare Officer authorised under the Animal Welfare Act 2002 will act on the information received and investigate reports of sick, injured and neglected animals. If necessary, they will prosecute the offenders.

RSPCA Website

Animal Welfare Act 2002