Whittlesea council will explore introduction mandatory dog desexing as part of its latest Domestic Animal Management Plan (DAMP).
The plan was adopted by councillors on 18 November and is based on two phases of community consultation, with 1428 people providing feedback on the council’s draft DAMP.
The DAMP outlines how council will manage cat and dog issues in in the community.
According to the plan, council data suggests a potential link between desexing and better animal behaviour outcomes.
The DAMP notes that about 55 per cent of impounded dogs are not desexed, while 99 per cent of prosecuted dog attacks involved dogs that were not desexed.
According to the plan, 40 per cent of community respondents to the draft plan supported mandatory desexing for newly registered dogs, with some calling for council to provide subsidized desexing and education on the correct timing and benefits of desexing dogs.
Council said it would explore the feasibility of introducing a mandatory desexing requirement for new dog registrations before making a final decision on the topic.
The DAMP also includes enhanced guidelines around council’s response to dog attacks, including data-led initiatives to streamline reporting, improve transparency, and proactively identify any drivers, as well as exploring an education program on selecting the ‘right dog breed’.
Council will also run targeted adoption campaigns and an annual open day at its animal shelter, wat djerring, in a bid to address dog and cat overpopulation.
