There are strict rules and significant penalties to protect the community and other animals from aggressive dogs. It is an offence for an owner to allow a dog to rush at, chase, attack or bite.

Rushing and chasing

It is an offence to allow a dog to rush at or chase a person, with a maximum penalty of 5 penalty units. This applies even if there is no physical contact or injury.

Dog attacks and penalties

Maximum penalties vary according to the severity of the incident:

  • Non-serious injury to a person or animal: 10 penalty units.
  • Serious injury or death to another animal: 20 penalty units.
  • Serious injury to a person: 30 penalty units.

Attacks on sensitive wildlife

It is an offence for a dog to injure or kill sensitive wildlife within a designated sensitive area, with a maximum penalty of 30 penalty units. Wildlife species and locations protected under this rule are declared by the minister responsible for nature conservation.

Owner obligations and court orders

If a dog attacks a person, the owner must notify the local council within 24 hours. Failing to do so carries a maximum penalty of 5 penalty units.

If found guilty of an offence involving a dog attack, a court may also order:

  • payment of compensation for any damage or costs resulting from the attack
  • destruction of the dog.

A court may find no offence was committed if the dog was:

  • acting in reasonable defence of a person or property
  • being teased, abused or assaulted
  • a working or hunting dog engaged in its specific duties.

Understanding fines: Penalty units and infringement notices

Fines under the Dog Control Act and the Dog Control Regulations are calculated using penalty units. The penalty units listed are the maximum penalties that can be imposed by a court. For many offences, local councils may issue a lower, on-the-spot fine (infringement notice) instead of pursuing court action.

The value of a penalty unit is set annually by the Department of Justice. Example: 5 penalty units × (current dollar value) = total fine amount. Go to the Department of Justice website for the current value of a penalty unit.