Cat curfew and better investigation of barking dogs on the cards for Knox

A NIGHT time cat curfew could be introduced in Knox to resolve feline nuisance issues.

IMPROVING investigations into nuisance barking dogs and introducing a night time cat curfew are issues Knox Council is investigating.

The council has put its proposed four-year Domestic Animal Management Plan 2013-17 out for public consultation.

One aim of the draft plan includes ensuring the new tender for the pound reduces the number of animals euthanised there.

It also considers building an extra dog play park.

At last week's council meeting, Councillor Nicole Seymour said the report was "timely" and had included community concerns.

She said common complaints to the council were about barking dogs and the problems related to recording, measuring and keeping diaries of the noise.

"The current process is quite laborious and difficult and we've heard that loud and clear." she said.

The council will also consult with the community about whether a night time cat curfew would resolve cat nuisance issues.

Last year the council received almost 600 complaints about barking dogs, more than 800 calls about picking up stray dogs and 245 about stray cats.

For 2012-13 council data also shows that dog attacks and dog aggression in public places represented the highest animal management risk.

The council received 122 calls about dog attacks.

You can have your say on the plans on the council's website.