Problem animals

For after-hours emergencies for serious dog attacks and straying stock, contact our after-hours service on 0408 210 196.

If the matter is urgent you'll be directed to contact the Griffith Police Station.

Please note: Compliance Officers or after-hours service will not collect straying dogs or cats, or accept animal surrenders after business hours.

Councils are not legally empowered to enforce animal welfare concerns. If you suspect or witness cruelty to an animal, you should directly contact one of the legally empowered authorised enforcement agencies.

The RSPCA or Police are the authority for animal cruelty matters and have powers to enforce the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 in NSW.

To report animal cruelty:

• Call the RSPCA on 1300 CRUELTY (1300 278 3589) or report online at www.rspca.org.au/report-cruelty

OR

• Contact Griffith police on 6969 4299

During business hours, lost or roaming dogs can be reported to Council Compliance Officers on 1300 176 077. Roaming dogs may also be taken to the Griffith Pound and Rehoming Centre, by appointment only.

If you've lost a dog or cat, visit our lost & missing animals page or contact 1300 176 077 during business hours to find out if it has been impounded by Council. 

If you've found a dog or cat, try to contact the owner if the animal is wearing a collar or identification tag. You may make your own enquiries to find the owner such as asking neighbours, posting on social media including our Pound and Rehoming Centre Facebook page, advising local vets or radio stations.

If you fail to find the owner within 72 hours, you must deliver the animal to our Pound & Animal Rehoming Centre.

Under the Companion Animals Act 1998 nuisance barking is defined as:
 A dog that makes a noise, by barking or otherwise, that persistently occurs or continues to such a degree or extent that it unreasonably interferes with the peace, comfort or convenience of any person in any other premises.

If the problem persists, some further ways to resolve the issue are:

• Contact the Community Justice Centre (CJC) to help mediate and settle the problem. Visit the CJC website https://www.cjc.justice.nsw.gov.au/ or call 1800 990 777 for more information.
• If mediation is unsuccessful and the noise problem persists, contact Council and you'll be provided with a Dog Nuisance Barking Diary which you'll need to fill out. Under the Companion Animals Act 1998, a Council officer can issue a nuisance order (which incurs a fine for non-compliance) to the dog's owner.
• Seek a noise abatement order from your local court.

If you're not able to resolve the matter by communication with the owner in the first instance and contacting the Community Justice Centre in the second instance, a complaint can be made to Council Customer Service Officers on 1300 176 077. You'll need to provide necessary information including details of the nuisance, address of nuisance animal, and your details. The matter will be referred to Compliance Officers for investigation and determination. 

Further information on how you can deal with Barking Dogs can be found on the NSW EPA website.

If you suspect the dog is being mistreated, please refer to our animal cruelty section.

Under the Companion Animals Act 1998 a cat is a nuisance cat if it:

• makes persistent, excessive noise that reasonably interferes with the peace, comfort or convenience of any person in any other premises; or
• repeatedly damages anything outside the property on which it is ordinarily kept.

If you have a complaint about a nuisance animal, you should talk to the owner and try to find a mutually acceptable solution. If this proves unsuccessful or you are not comfortable with this approach, contact Council during business hours on 1300 176 077.

Under the provisions of the Companion Animals Act 1998, cats within New South Wales are considered to have no boundaries and are free to roam except in prohibited places such as protected wildlife areas and where food is prepared or consumed.