Have your say on the Companion Animals Act 1998 review
The Office of Local Government (OLG) has published a discussion paper as the first step in a review of the Companion Animals Act 1998 (CA Act).
We are seeking input from councils, pet owners, and institutions who have pet care or management responsibilities to inform future amendments to the CA Act. A key aim of this consultation is to ensure that the updated legislation improves responsible pet ownership across NSW, ensuring the well-being of pets and the safety of our communities.
Why is the Companion Animals Act 1998 being reviewed?
Conducting a review of the CA Act is the first step in the NSW Government’s commitment to deliver a broader animal management and welfare plan to deal with the growing number of lost, abandoned, and neglected animals across the state.
The review aims to update the CA Act to address key issues such as:
- clarifying the roles of those involved in managing animals
- achieving consistency in animal management processes
- training for enforcement officers
- and implementing recommendations from the coronial inquest into dog attacks
Who can provide feedback on the Act?
Many households, communities, and institutions across NSW play a key role in animal management and ownership. If you are part of one of the following groups, we encourage you to make a submission:
- Councils
- Pet owners
- Veterinarians
- Authorised identifiers
- Rehoming organisations
- Key NSW State Government agencies
- Individuals of the public
Information of privacy and confidentiality
When you give us your feedback, OLG will be collecting some personal information about you, in particular:
- your name
- your email address
- any personal information you decide to put in the additional comments fields.
All feedback received through this consultation process may be made publicly available. Please let us know below if you do not want your name and personal details published.
As part of the consultation process, we may need to share your information with people outside OLG, including other public authorities and government agencies. We may also use your email to send you notifications about further feedback opportunities or the outcome of the consultation.
There may also be circumstances when OLG is required by law to release information (for example, in accordance with the requirements of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009). There is a privacy policy located on OLG’s website that explains how some data is automatically collected (such as your internet protocol (IP) address) whenever you visit OLG’s website. The link to that policy is /about-us/privacy-policy.
Where can you provide input, comments and feedback on the review?
We encourage you to provide input into the review by making a formal submission through the form below.
Alternatively, you may download an editable version of the submission form and email it to ca.review@olg.nsw.gov.au
The submission period ends on 4th May 2025.