A lawyer in Australia’s most populous state is urging pet owners to be aware of the various rules about keeping animals inside their homes.
Fines ranging from around $1,650 to over $44,000 can be issued to those who don’t know about these rules.
Many people don’t realize that a dog or cat can be considered a nuisance if it barks excessively, attacks other animals, or wanders away from its home.
According to Avinash Singh, who works for Astor Legal, many of his clients were shocked after receiving a fine for keeping a dog inside their home.
He noted that most people are not aware of the penalties involved. According to data from the NSW Judicial Commission, over the past couple of years, hundreds of fines have been issued to dog owners for various violations.
Many dog owners were shocked by the notices or fines they received from the council due to their pet’s behavior.
The maximum fine for a dog attack is usually around $44,000, but this rarely happens, Singh noted. Even though these types of fines are significant, it is not uncommon for people to be stung with over $5,000.
When owners challenge the fine or nuisance order issued by the local authority, they can ask the court to overturn it.
The council then collects the legal fees from the owner, and in some cases, the total amount can reach over $10,000.
In the past few years, there have been over a hundred cases where people have been stung with over $5,000 in penalties.
This appears to be a reflection of the general lack of awareness regarding minor infractions and the reporting of these as opposed to attacks by dogs.
The local authority can issue a notice to declare a dog as a nuisance. People have the opportunity to lodge a written objection to the proposal.
A lawyer in this area can draft a letter of objection opposing the proposed order. According to Singh, one of the main arguments that owners can make in their opposition to the declaration of a nuisance dog is that their pet has completed a training course.
One of the main reasons why people tend to lodge complaints against their neighbors is due to the lack of knowledge about the various violations related to keeping animals in their homes.
This is because their relationship with the owner has become strained, and they are motivated to make a complaint just to get the issue resolved.
“Complaints about a dog’s behavior are often the top of the list,” Singh said.