Proposed Animal Control Bylaw

As Selwyn’s population continues to grow, especially in our townships, so does the number of pets and animals we have in and around our homes.

Pets and animals make an important contribution to our community’s wellbeing. They can provide benefits as wide-ranging as companionship and fun, help on the farm, assistance for those with disabilities, educational experiences, economic value and a source of food.

With increasing numbers of pets and animals, we also need to have sensible regulations around how animals are managed and controlled in the district.

Dogs are already managed under separate legislation, and our District Plan (currently under review) will set out controls for larger scale and commercial activities like kennels and animal boarding facilities, Vet Clinics and small holdings.

We’re now starting to think about developing a bylaw that will help manage issues to do with the keeping of animals, other than dogs, in urban areas of Selwyn. This will particularly deal with public health, safety and nuisance problems that can arise with animals in urban areas. As part of this we’ll also be considering whether any specific controls on cats should be included in the bylaw.

To help us get a picture of the issues we’re seeking the community’s input on some of the areas to be included in the proposed bylaw.

Please complete the survey below and provide your comments.

Community feedback will be used to help us develop a draft bylaw, which will then be opened for formal consultation in mid-2020.

Feedback on the Proposed Animal Control Bylaw closes at 5pm on Friday 22 November 2019.