Regulated Dogs
New requirements for regulated dogs
From 1 January 2022, the Queensland Government will bring into effect new requirements for all regulated dogs to wear a specific type of distinctive red and yellow striped collar to keep the community safer.
On 2 December 2021, new laws under the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Regulation 2019 were passed that will make it mandatory for all regulated dogs, including declared dangerous, declared menacing and restricted dogs, to wear a distinctive collar at all times.
The laws will commence on 1 January 2022 to allow local governments to adjust to the new requirements and for dog owners and the general public to be informed of the new laws.
While current requirements require dogs to wear a distinctive collar, the appearance of the collar was not specified in the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008 leading to inconsistencies across different local government areas of the type of collars being worn by regulated dogs.
The new laws will provide state-wide consistency in the type of collar required to be worn by a regulated dog, allowing the public to better identify a dog that has been regulated and to be able to avoid approaching the dog. A person will also be able to confidently report to local councils a regulated dog that might be roaming.
The new laws will require that a regulated dog must wear a distinctive collar that meets the following requirements:
- yellow and red striped with a yellow identification tag
- each stripe must be 25 millimetres wide and set diagonal to the rim of the collar at an angle of 45 degrees
- at least one of the colours must be sufficiently reflective to be visible in low light
- be made of durable materials
- be able to be securely fastened to the dog
The Queensland Government consulted with local governments in partnership with the Local Government Association of Queensland on these changes. A survey of all local governments in September 2020 determined majority support for introducing a more consistent requirement for collars for regulated dogs.
For more information on the new requirements for regulated dog collars, please visit https://www.qld.gov.au/families/government/pets/re...
If your dog has been listed as a regulated dog and you have further questions about these new regulations, please contact council's Animal Management team on 1300 005 872.
