The joys and responsibilities of pet ownership

Ask any owner of a beloved dog, and they’ll tell you it’s one of the best relationships of their lives.

But owning a dog comes with responsibilities, to ensure dogs, owners, and the community are protected. Knowing your dog’s triggers and temperament, and ensuring they are trained and socialised, is important. It helps to make the most of the dog-human relationship and avoid potentially tragic outcomes.

Long-term dog owners Linda and John Morgan of Kingston, know the joy and rewards that come with responsible pet ownership. They’ve recently adopted 8-month-old Chester, a Sharpei cross, from Logan City Council’s Animal Management Centre in Kingston.

Their previous dog, a staffy named Alfie, was also from the Animal Management Centre.

Chester has the run of a large yard and is already learning to sit and stay. Linda and John will also use the training vouchers provided by Council and take Chester to obedience lessons.

‘A dog is a lifetime commitment, you need to change your lifestyle around the dog. Staff from Council’s Animal Management team really helped – we had all the paperwork, fact sheets about dog behaviour, vouchers for training sessions, and everything we needed,’ Linda says.

‘We’ve always had bigger dogs and never any problems with behaviour.’

Recent events showed what can happen when dogs aren’t socialised and are poorly restrained – and the importance of owners knowing their dog and their responsibilities as pet owners. 80 per cent of dog attacks occur by a family dog or a dog known to the victim.

5 crucial responsibilities for pet owners
1. Ensure your animal is microchipped and registered before it is 12 weeks old and has a collar with registration tag and contact number.

2. Keep up to date with annual vaccinations and regular parasite control. Desexing reduces unwanted litters, behaviours like straying and aggression, and health problems.

3. Control behaviours like barking, aggression and other anti-social behaviours in and out of the home.

4. Only take your dog off-leash when in a designated area. Consider your dog’s temperament and whether they get along with other dogs.

5. Ensure your pet enclosure or fencing is secure and your pet can’t push any part of its body over, under or through your fence. Your dog must be kept in a way that allows safe access to your front door.

Penalties apply for not observing these responsibilities.

If you identify an animal not being kept responsibly, or who poses a risk to public safety, report it: 07 3412 3412.

The Animal Management Centre is at 213 Queens Road, Kingston, and has a variety of pets available for adoption.