According to the Dog Control Act 2000, every dog over the age of 6 months must be registered and microchipped. This is a legal requirement and a punishable offence. The only exception to microchipping a dog is if it is an approved working dog or you have received a certificate from a vet advising the dog should receive a medical exemption from microchipping.

In the Break O’Day area the annual registration fee is due by June 30 of each year, or as soon as your dog reaches six months of age during the year.

Under the Act (Sec. 50), you will also need a Kennel Licence to have more than 2 dogs (over 6 months old) on a premises, or for working dogs more than 4 dogs.

Registration forms are available from the Council office in St Helens, or fill, one out online here Application for Dog Registration. Once a registration form is completed and the appropriate fee is paid, a registration tag will be issued.  If you want to keep more than 2 dogs (over 6 months old) on a premises (or for working dogs more than 4), please contact Council about a getting a Kennel Licence.

What information is kept about registered dogs?

The following information is held in the council’s dog register:

• the dog’s name, age, sex
• whether your dog is desexed or not
• microchip number
• current tag number
• the dog breed if identifiable
• any identifiable feature/s of the dog
• whether the dog is a declared dangerous dog
• the owner’s name, address and contact details
• any other information about the dog the council considers relevant.

If you are moving house permanently, or moving temporarily for more than 60 days with your dog, you will need to notify us. This needs to be done within 14 days of moving. If you are transferring to a different municipal area, both your old and new councils will need to be notified in writing.

If this unfortunate situation arises, you must notify us in writing within 14 days of the dog’s death. This also applies if your dog is lost, or permanently removed from your premises.

Once notified, the Council will cancel your dog’s registration.

What happens if I don’t obey the Act and Regulations?

If you do not comply with the requirements of the Dog Control Act 2000 or the Dog Control Regulations, you could be liable for an infringement or penalty.

The new owner of your dog will need to notify the council of the change of ownership, in writing, within 14 days of taking possession of the dog.

As the previous owner, you must notify the General Manager in writing that you no longer own the dog. This must occur within 14 days of change of ownership.

Once we have a dog in our pound, every effort is made to find the owner. First we will check the dog for a microchip (this is why it is so important to microchip your dog) or collar with contact details. If we are unable to find the owner this way, we then advertise the lost dog on our website, Facebook page and through our community radio station StarFM.

Technically, after three days the dog legally becomes the property of Council, although we do wait as long as possible to reunite the dog with its owners.

After this we will try and re-home the dog by advertising it again through our website, Facebook page and StarFM. We have even surrendered dogs that we have been unable to rehome to the RSPCA and other smaller animal sanctuaries just to give the dog a chance at finding a good home. The very last resort for us is to have the dog euthanised.

Please see our list of Lost and Impounded Dogs below or check our Facebook page.

There are currently no dogs in the Council pound.

Some of the best times with your dog are getting out for exercise and fun together and socialising with other dogs, owners and people.  We want to proivide as many opportunities for dogs and their owners as possible.

Unfortunately not everyone can have somewhere near home or on their favourite beach to take their dog off-lead.  Dogs are not always appreciated in public places, or cared for the same, and there are significant public health and safety and wildlife issues to consider.

The St Helens Dog Yard is a popular dog park and more are planned at St Marys.

Dog Freindly Beaches

Our Dog Management Zones balance opportunities for dogs and their owners with the public health and safety and wildlife concerns.  We also want to have one set of dog zones with Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) for everyone and to keep them as simple as possible.

Under the Dog Control Act Council maintains a Dog Management Policy with a Code of Responsibilities and Dog Management Zones (Declared areas).  To share access to public places Council considers input it recieves during five-yearly reviews of its Dog Managament Policy, including from the PWS.

The PWS manages many of the Reserves people and dogs like to go to, particularly Break O’Day’s beaches which are the habitat of shore and sea birds of conservation significance. Under their own legislation PWS must authorise access for dogs to nature conservation Reserves.  In some of their Reserves, such as National Park, regulations prevent the PWS from authorising dog access.

Read the Dog Management Policy and view the online map of Dog Management Zones to see where you can take your dog for off-lead or on-lead exercise, where other restrictions apply and where dogs can’t go anytime. Other dog access rules may apply under the Dog Control Act and on public land not covered and managed by different agencies.

Break O’Day Council dog zones online map

Break O’Day Council Dog Management Policy 2024