Responsible dog ownership
As a dog owner, you must provide accommodation, supervision and care for your pet at all times.
There are minimum standards of day-to-day care you must provide for your furry friend.
Dog registration
All dogs over three months of age must be registered with Council.
Pet registration is a State Government requirement under the Domestic Animal Act 1994.
Find out more about registering your dog.
Random door knocks
Council conducts random door knocks throughout Knox to check for unregistered animals.
You may be fined for if unregistered dogs and cats are found.
You need a permit to have more than two cats or two dogs on one property.
Dog desexing
In Knox, we promote the desexing of dogs. Desexing reduces aggressive tendencies and wandering at large.
Dogs do not have to be desexed to be registered with Knox City Council.
Desexing vouchers for concession card holders
If you have a concession card, you may be eligible for a desexing voucher worth up to $400. This Victorian Government grant supports disadvantaged and vulnerable community members.
Each property can receive a maximum of two vouchers, and availability is limited.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a voucher you must:
- be the owner of the dog
- be a valid concession card holder that lists an address in Knox, and the animal’s address must match the details listed on your concession card
- not have more that two dogs or cats at your address.
You must also submit evidence of at least one of the following concession cards:
- Centrelink Health Care Card
- Pensioner Concession Card - Department of Human Services or Centrelink
- Pensioner Concession Card - Department of Veterans' Affairs
- DVA Gold Repatriation Health Card – TPI
- DVA Gold Repatriation Health Card - War Widow.
How to apply
- Ask your preferred vet clinic if they are participating in the desexing voucher program
- Complete the online application form:
Apply for a voucher - Council will assess your application within 10 business days
- If eligible, Council will email you a voucher
- Contact your vet clinic to make a desexing appointment
- Take the desexing voucher and current vaccination certificate to the vet clinic
- After the procedure, the vet will reduce up to $400 off the cost of desexing your dog
- Council will reimburse the vet clinic directly - not pet owners.
Desexing voucher dog registration
If you have received a desexing voucher, you may also be eligible to receive your first pet registration period for free.
Once your dog has been desexed you can register your dog online and select the 'De-sexing voucher Scheme' option. Your desexing voucher and desexing certificate are both required to register for free as part of the desexing scheme.
You can register your dog online.
Information for vet clinics
Vet clinics can seek reimbursement from Council within 30 days of the desexing procedure by providing:
- Council voucher provided by the pet owner, and
- Tax invoice including:
- customer and animal details
- voucher number (must match the Council voucher)
- details of the procedure performed
- total cost of the procedure
- amount paid by the customer
- outstanding amount payable by Council
- payment details.
Please email these documents to [email protected], with the subject line 'Attention Community Laws'.
Dogs in public places
Knox is full of parks, bushland reserves, shared paths, bicycle paths and the footpaths. Many people enjoy sharing our public spaces with their dogs.
For everyone to enjoy these shared public places responsible dog ownership is needed.
Dog waste
You must pick up and remove any dog droppings every time you walk your dog.
The most common dog complaint to Council is about dog droppings or dog waste on footpaths and in parks.
Council’s Amenity Local Law 2020 requires dog owners to remove and dispose of their dog's waste in public places. It's an offence not to carry something (for example, a bag or scoop) to remove waste.
Dog parks in Knox
Knox City Council has two fully fenced, off-lead dog play parks:
- Knox Park Reserve in Knoxfield
- Emerson Place Reserve in Rowville
Dogs and leads
There are many reserves and parks in Knox where your dog can run and play off-lead.
Dogs may be taken off-lead in a Council reserve when they are under control of a person at all times. A dog is not under control if it:
- wanders into other peoples property
- strays away from the person in charge of it
- engages in activity likely to cause injury to another person, animal or property.
On-lead areas
Dogs must be on-lead on:
- footpaths
- bike tracks
- walking tracks
- children's playgrounds
- schools
- shopping centres
- car parks
- conservation bushlands.
There are 9 bushland reserves in Knox that need a dog to be on a lead at all times. These are:
- Egan Lee Reserve
- Flamingo Road Reserve
- Gilmore Park Retarding Basin
- J W Manson Reserve
- Koolunga Native Reserve (except the lawn areas)
- Lakewood Reserve
- Tim Neville Arboretum
- Wicks Reserve (east and west)
- W G Morris Reserve.
Off-lead areas
Dogs may be off-lead but under effective control in a public park or recreation reserve.
But at all times:
- dog owners must carry a chain, cord or leash to restrain the dog
- dog owners must remain within effective voice or hand control distance of the dog at all times
- a person in charge of the dog must not allow the dog to chase or threaten another person or animal.
Always be respectful in open spaces as they are used by dog lovers, sports lovers and nature lovers.
Barking dogs
Non-stop barking or howling is a nuisance as well as a sign that something may wrong.
Find out more about coping with barking dogs.
Need help?
Contact us and we will get back to you.
Or call our Community Laws department on 9298 8000.
