Dog and cat registrations help ensure that lost pets can be quickly reunited with your family, giving you peace of mind should your pet ever go missing.

When your puppy or kitten reaches 12 weeks of age, they need to be microchipped and registered with us. Registrations are renewable every year by 10 April.

Once your pet is registered, we will send you a tag for your pet that will help us return them to you if they ever go missing.

Discounts apply for pensioners and approved organisations. There are also discounts for desexed pets. When you renew your registration, simply show us a vet certificate as proof of desexing.

Find out more and register your pet at our website.

Manningham Council is urging pet owners to ensure that their animals are safe and secure during the festive season.

Celebrations and fireworks displays can disturb some domestic pets and Council is asking owners to secure their pets.

Dogs, especially, have extremely sensitive hearing and the noise from fireworks and thunderstorms can cause them to panic and become distressed.

Many dogs do abnormal things when stressed, like jumping over, chewing through or digging under fences. This can create a very unsafe situation for everyone, causing traffic hazards and sometimes fear aggression in dogs.

Fireworks are planned for the evenings of Manningham Carols (around 10.00 pm Friday 16 December, 2016), on New Year’s Eve and during Australia Day celebrations (January 26, 2017). Throughout summer there can also be severe thunderstorms.

If owners are concerned that fireworks and thunderstorms may affect their dog, they are urged to have someone stay with their animal or alternatively secure their animal(s) in the house or garage and ensure their dog is wearing a collar and tag, with relevant contact details attached.

Generally, Council has been able to recover and re-house the majority of pets without impounding the animals, highlighting the advantages of ensuring your pet is registered.

Dogs distressed by fireworks or thunderstorms that escape their premises can travel large distances.

If your pet escapes, check with neighbours, check Council’s lost animals page at www.manningham.vic.gov.au/lost-animals or call the Manningham Pound on 9840 9333. Other places to check are local vet practices, neighbouring Council Pounds and animal shelters.

Manningham Council is urging pet owners to ensure that their animals are safe and secure across the festive season.

Celebrations and fireworks displays can disturb some domestic pets and Council is asking owners to secure their pets.

Dogs, especially, have extremely sensitive hearing and the noise from fireworks and thunderstorms can cause them to panic and become distressed.

Many dogs do abnormal things when stressed, like jumping over, chewing through or digging under fences. This can create a very unsafe situation for everyone, causing traffic hazards and sometimes fear aggression in dogs.

Fireworks are planned for the evenings of Manningham Carols (Friday 11 Dec), on New Year’s Eve and during Australia Day celebrations (Jan 26, 2016) and throughout summer there are often severe thunderstorms.

If owners are concerned that fireworks and thunderstorms affect their dog, they are urged to have someone stay with their animal or alternatively securing your animal in the house or garage and ensure their dog is wearing a collar and tag, with relevant contact details attached.

Generally, Council has been able to recover and re-house the majority of these pets without impounding the animals, highlighting the advantages of ensuring your pet is registered.

Dogs distressed by fireworks or thunderstorms that escape their premises can travel large distances.

If your pet escapes check with your neighbours, the Manningham Pound on 9840 9333, local vet practices and neighbouring Council Pounds and Animal shelters.

It takes just six minutes or less for an animal to suffer severe heat exhaustion in a car and die, so pet owners are urged to be aware of the dangers of leaving animals in cars in the coming hotter months.

Manningham Mayor Cr Jim Grivokostopoulos said temperatures inside a car can reach over 40C on a 23C day and in that sort of heat an animal can die in less than six minutes.

“Melbourne’s Metropolitan Ambulance Service undertook tests on a 29 degree day that showed how quickly temperatures inside a car can rise.”

“Even with the car’s air conditioning having initially cooled the interior to a comfortable 20 degrees, showed it took just 10 minutes for the temperature to more than double to 44 degrees.”

“In a further 10 minutes it had tripled to a deadly 60.2 degrees. In animals, as with humans, exposure to these types of temperatures can be extremely dangerous.”

Cr Grivokostopoulos said Council is urging owners to reconsider whether they should take a pet out in the heat as it is often kinder and more responsible to leave the dog at home with water and shade.

“Dogs are particularly at risk as they cool themselves by panting. If the air around a dog is too hot, particularly if they don’t have access to water, they are physically unable to regulate their body temperature.”

“Even if the car is parked in the shade or windows are left down, the temperature inside a car on a hot day can reach hazardous levels.”

“In the time it takes to pick up a few things for dinner at the supermarket and get through the supermarket check out, a dog left in a hot car could have already died an agonising death,” he said.

If you find a pet left in a hot car, please call Victoria Police on 000. Police are equipped to dispatch officers quickly from the nearest police station, which is critical under these circumstances.

We have adopted a new plan for the management of domestic animals in Manningham.

The plan incorporates feedback from the community concerning the protection of cat and dog welfare. It also seeks to improve the amenity and safety of our community.

Key priorities of the plan that address issues and suggestions identified by the community included in the plan include:

• Dogs off lead/not under owner control.
• Dog waste.
• Dogs barking.
• Wandering cats.

The plan will include a trial of a cat confinement program. Cat owners will be required to keep their cat/s within their property boundaries 24 hours each day.

The trial cat confinement program will provide benefits to cats, cat owners and the community.

Benefits include:

• Protecting cats from the risk of injury from other animals, people and vehicles.
• Reducing disputes between neighbours caused by wandering cats.
• Protecting our wildlife from attacks and damage by cats. Manningham’s unique natural environment provides a sanctuary to 56 threatened animal species.

Manningham Mayor, Cr Michelle Kleinert said that pets are a valued part of life for many people in the community.

"There are over 13,000 registered pet dogs and cats in Manningham. This plan focuses on responsible pet ownership and will help to keep pets in our community happier and healthier.”

All Councils across Victoria need to develop a Domestic Animal Management Plan every four years. This is a requirement under the Domestic Animals Act 1994.

Download the DAMP

Wild deer are a growing problem in suburban areas such as Templestowe, East Doncaster and Bulleen and other parts of the Yarra River Catchment.

Deer cause significant damage to native vegetation, farmland and gardens, carry disease and have the potential to harm people.

A forum organised by Manningham Council has bought attention to the issue and sought a collaborative approach to its solution.

“Managing the impact of wild deer populations on residents is a problem across all of government. We need to find appropriate solutions,” says Manningham Council Director of Environment and Planning, Teresa Dominic.

“Safety around Manningham is a big concern. Fully grown Sambar deer are as big as a cow and all males have antlers. Deer have been spotted in residential areas and caused car accidents. With growing deer populations, getting on top of this issue now is important.”

The forum discussed the environmental and safety impacts of wild deer populations, as well as management issues, including the roles and responsibilities of various agencies.

The State Government has commenced planning for a Deer Management Strategy for Victoria, to be completed in June 2018. The findings of the parliamentary enquiry into deer hunting on Crown Land are to be released in June 2017.

Attendees at the Yarra Catchment Deer Forum agreed to meet again to develop a plan of action towards a proactive Integrated Deer Management Program in the Yarra Catchment.

Event details: Yarra Catchment Deer Forum, March 23rd 2017

Attendees included: DEWLP, Parks Vic, Port Phillip Catchment Management Authority, Victorian National Parks Association, Melbourne Water, Landcare, Yarra Ranges Council, Nillumbik Council, Maroondah Council, Knox Council, researchers, Game Management Authority and Vic Police.

- ENDS –

Media enquiries contact Juanita Haisman on 9840 9402.

Manningham Council is seeking feedback on its Draft Domestic Animal Management Plan 2017-2021 which is now on public exhibition until Monday 21 August.

The draft plan has been developed following community consultation and outlines Council’s key actions for the management of dogs and cats over the next four years.

The Draft Domestic Animal Management Plan 2017-2021 includes a range of new and ongoing actions across a variety of areas such as registration and identification of dogs and cats, nuisance complaints, dog attacks, domestic animal businesses and more.

Community members are encouraged to view the draft plan and provide feedback online at www.yoursaymanningham.com.au/domestic-animals

Hard copies of the draft plan are available for viewing at the Bulleen, Doncaster, The Pines and Warrandyte libraries and the Manningham Civic Centre.

Feedback can be provided in writing online or by post to the Manager Health and Local Laws, Manningham City Council, PO Box 1, Doncaster 3108.

The Domestic Animal Management Plan is a legislative requirement under the Domestic Animals Act 1994. For the purpose of this plan, domestic animals refer to dogs and cats only.

Manningham Council has made changes to dog controls in the Warrandyte River Reserve to ensure dogs remain on lead near the Warrandyte Bridge including the recently upgraded Lions Park area.

The change has been introduced to support safety for residents and visitors to this area and those enjoying the newly upgraded community facilities within the reserve.

Dogs must be on lead within the newly designated on lead area, which is a 260 metre section of the Warrandyte River Reserve, between 183 Yarra Street and the Warrandyte Bridge.

The new on lead area is in accordance with Council’s resolution in September 2020, which introduced

across Manningham. This order was introduced in line with the Domestic Animals Act 1994.

There are still sections within the Warrandyte River Reserve that are designated as off lead areas.

In Manningham, dogs are only permitted off lead in designated areas providing the dog is kept under control at all times. Dogs must be on lead within 15 metres of:

• public barbecue facilities
• children's play equipment
• organised sporting events
• approved community functions or public outdoor meetings.

There can be penalties for owners who let their dog off their lead in areas where it is not permitted.

It is important to note that dogs are not permitted within the Federation Playspace area of this reserve.

For more information, call 9840 9333.

Warrandyte River Reserve - dog on and off lead areas