An Adelaide pet owner says he was shocked to discover he needs a permit to own a second dog, due to the size of his property.
Key points:
- A ratepayer is frustrated he needs to seek an exemption to have a second dog
- Under The City of West Torrens by-laws, a permit is needed to have two dogs on a small property
- Other SA councils have similar rules, but the definition of a “small” property can vary
Simon Frazer told ABC Radio Adelaide that he bought a groodle puppy late last year, as his 10-year-old Staffy was diagnosed with cancer and is “getting older”.
Mr Frazer said he registered the puppy, named Ruby, with the West Torrens Council earlier this month.
“There wasn’t any questions about the other dog at my property, or any questions about my property at all,” he told presenter Jules Schiller.
But he said a week later he was informed by letter that he had breached the council’s regulations around dog ownership, because his property was under 400 square metres.
“I was quite surprised … And I’d never heard of that regulation before,” he said.
The City of West Torrens’ by-laws requires residents to apply for a permit if they want to have more than one dog in a “small dwelling”, or more than two dogs in all other premises.
A “small dwelling” is defined by the council as one that is under 400 square metres, or a property without a secure yard of at least 100 square metres.
Mr Frazer said he now has to pay $100 and let a council inspector come into his home to conduct an assessment in order to secure a permit.
“I just think it’s completely inappropriate for the council to be demanding to enter my home,” he said.
“And the other issue is, they can revoke the exemption at any time, so there’s no security in the ownership of my dogs.
“I just don’t think it’s fair.”
Mr Frazer said he owns the Torrens Title two-bedroom property, which has a garden, outright and has received “no complaints” about his Staffy, named Lucy.
He said he would comply with all requirements for seeking a permit, but was frustrated by the council’s rules.
“I just think it’s complete overreach,” he said.
Mr Frazer said he was also concerned about the lack of consistency around dog ownership rules in different councils.
“So if I was to move with the two dogs, you’d have to look up all the regulations to be aware whether or not you could keep the dogs,” he said.
While other South Australian councils have a similar one-dog limit for “small” properties, the definition of “small” can vary.
For example, in the nearby City of Marion, a “small property” is defined as one with a yard of less than 100 square metres.
In the City of Adelaide, “small” refers to apartments, flats or units.
Mr Frazer also pointed out the council’s policy does not apply to cats.
West Torrens Council’s general manager of corporate and regulatory services, Paul Della, said this was the first complaint about the by-law he was aware of.
“Restricting the number of dogs on a property based on the size of the property is for the benefit of both the dogs’ welfare and the neighbours’,” he said.
“And so by doing an inspection of a property we can see if the existing dog is being treated well, if it’s being picked up after.
“We can check the size of the yards and available space, we can check that the fencing is appropriate, and we can liaise with the neighbours and see if there’s any issues that we need to discuss with the owner.”
