Ipswich Council Dog Permit

[dammit]

I am about to move away from Brisbane City Council precinct, to Ipswich City Council (ICC) and wondering what's involved in getting an ICC Special Dog Permit.

Previously I have lived in BCC with one dog being 'off the record', have had 2 registered but the 3rd hasn't. Now that we are moving I thought it would be a good time to come clean and get things above board and declare/register/get a permit for our 3rd dog.

Does anyone know the process with Ipswich City Council? I know BCC are pretty much just pay your fee and there you go, but Gold Coast I think come inspect, consult neighbours etc. havent heard what Ipswich do.

An inspection would be fine, its a fully fenced yard, brand new 1.8m high fencing and the dogs are relatively well behaved with strangers. Block is 310m2. The dogs are all toy breed as well, the 3rd dog which has never been registered is 5 y.o. fully grown 3kg in size. (hardly a "dog" in size!)

If Ipswich Council consult the neighbours, I am wondering if it is best that I apply for it straight up when we move, in which case the neighbours would not even know us etc, which could be good or bad, they could object or on other side may not have a bad thing to say as our dogs wouldnt have irritated them, or if we would then be better waiting a little while till we meet the neighbours, the dogs settle in, and know they wont have any problems.

Happy to pay all the $ fees but just want to give myself the best possible chance to get the permit.

Edited April 27, 2011 by dammit

[gsdog2]

I found this on the council website - I think should help you out

link

[gsdog2]

If Ipswich Council consult the neighbours, I am wondering if it is best that I apply for it straight up when we move, in which case the neighbours would not even know us etc, which could be good or bad, they could object or on other side may not have a bad thing to say as our dogs wouldnt have irritated them, or if we would then be better waiting a little while till we meet the neighbours, the dogs settle in, and know they wont have any problems.

I would be speaking to your neighbours as this is one of ICC requirements:-

I have notified all my neighbours within 100 metres YES NO

3 weeks prior to lodging my application (Special Permit Only)

Permit can not be approved without notification - See ‘Letter of Notification’

(If you wish to receive a map outlining the neighbours you need to notify, please contact Council

[Greytmate]

We have a permit. We waited until we moved in, and we were told we should have applied before we moved in. I think it meant we needed to have an interim permit until the special permit was issued. Anyway, we got our permit.

If your land is over 2000m square, you don't need a permit for up to 4 dogs. Ours was just under this.

We had to photocopy their letter, and put it in all letterboxes of properties up to 100metres away. This covered quite a large area. In with our immediate neighbours letters we included a more personal introductory letter inviting people to discuss any concerns with us before objecting. This was not compulsory, but we felt it would make the neighbours happier about having four large dogs live near them.

Every year we get an inspection, and there is an annual fee. We have high mesh fences, and we keep the yard clean.

We are supposed to have kennels built in a certain way to contain the dogs, but because our dogs are clearly house dogs, that is not enforced.

The permit will automatically lapse if your registered dog numbers go to below three, and so you need to be aware of this (and do something) if you want to keep the permit after one dog dies.

[dammit]

thanks for the replies, can't believe we have to do that letter, and deliver it to every house within 100m of our property - i counted and measured, and that is going to be 35+ houses. is it just me or does that seem over-kill by the council to require that?

If I try to do the right thing and get the permit, then someone objects..would they need to have evidence or some solid grounds to object against the 3 dogs and provide this to the council? surely the council can't deny a permit if there is one little old lady who hates dogs, or is worried about hearing a dog bark every now and then (i'm just speculating..I dont fully know any of the neighbourhood yet, they all may be very nice people!).

we will sort of be down to a situation where we either do the right thing by applying for a permit and hope for the best, and risk getting denied and have to either remove one of our 3 dogs (which is not an option- they are all members of the family for over 4 years), and then either be denied permit and have an illegal dog, or just not apply for the permit in the first place and continue living with a 3rd dog thats not registered or allowed to 'live' at the property. (which I know is wrong..and I know a lot of other people do this), and I am prepared to try and do the right thing even though it's going to cost an arm and a leg but its a big risk to have to take.

I cant believe the council charge $175 a year (and $290 in the first year) for the privilege of having a 3rd dog, when it does not cost them anything.

[Mystiqview]

Ipswich has some of the strictest dog laws.

When you move in, you can only register the first two dogs, apply (and pay for) the permit for the third dog. Yes you have to do the letter 100m from each corner of your block. If you get 3 or more objections, you do not get your permit. You lose your $290 and you have 14 days to remove the dog from your property.

If whom you talk to in council is good, they should print off a map of the surrounding houses and highlight which houses you need to doorknock. If you live in a high density area such as Springfield Lakes, you could be doorknocking quite a few houses.

Depends on where you are also moving to in Ipswich, there is currently an animal survey going on.. If they are in your suburb and you have three dogs and one without a permit, you can get a "Notice to Comply" and possibly fine if you don't.

[gsdog2]

You have my sympathy dammit.

I think it's a lot easier to simply move onto a larger block where you can have as many as four without a permit, which is what I've done (no extra fee's or council permits ).

Failing that, I think if it was me and my very small dogs (3kg - do they come that small :D ) were not yappy and disturbing my neighbours I think I'd take the risk and not worry about a permit

They've been to my place last year with their survey and the guy just stood at the front door and asked a couple of questions - he didn't ask to see my dogs or check if I had adequate fencing ;)

Edited April 28, 2011 by gsdog2

[Mystiqview]

I wouldn't risk it..

You will get caught out...

[gsdog2]

If whom you talk to in council is good, they should print off a map of the surrounding houses and highlight which houses you need to doorknock. If you live in a high density area such as Springfield Lakes, you could be doorknocking quite a few houses.

Council website gives a phone number to ring and map will be readily available

[Mystiqview]

By map, I mean one that lists individual properties. Not a google map or refidex.

When I send out permit application kits, I print a local map and highlight the individual properties the permit applicant has to door knock.

Edited April 28, 2011 by Mystiqview

[gsdog2]

By map, I mean one that lists individual properties. Not a google map or refidex.

When I send out permit application kits, I print a local map and highlight the individual properties the permit applicant has to door knock.

Just repeating what website says:-

I have notified all my neighbours within 100 metres YES NO

3 weeks prior to lodging my application (Special Permit Only)

Permit can not be approved without notifiction - See ‘Letter of Notification’

If you wish to receive a map outlining the neighbours you need to notify, please contact Council

[Mystiqview]

Smart ass :D

Tis late.. been long day.. missed that part of the first post..

To OP: good luck

[Greytmate]

The council helped me with the addresses of properties that I needed to send the letter to. I did not need to talk to the people, just put a photocopied form in their mail box.

I was told by council staff that the reason this was done was so that nobody could object later once the permit was granted. They only had a limited time to put their concerns in writing and send it off. The concerns had to be valid and reasonable, and not based on a dislike of dogs or an assumption that the dogs would not be kept according to the permit rules.

You have a clean history (hopefully) as a dog owner who has not allowed their three or four dogs to negatively impact your BCC neighbours in the past, and so there can be no reasonable grounds for objection based on your dog's current behaviour.

Good luck. I went in with the assumption that most people are too lazy or illiterate to object in writing to something like that, even if they aren't keen on the idea. We had no objections, and had to notify around 20 neighbours.

[gsdog2]

Smart ass :D

Tis late.. been long day.. missed that part of the first post..

To OP: good luck

:D