Submission Guide: Companion Animals Act Review

Nearly 70% of Australian households share their lives with a companion animal, and in NSW alone, at least 4.7 million animals are affected by the Companion Animals Act (1998) and Companion Animals Regulation (2018). These laws shape how companion animals are managed, protected, and supported in our communities, but they are now under review and this is your chance to push for stronger protections.

The NSW Government has opened public submissions on how these laws should be improved. The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure has released a Discussion Paper, while the Office of Local Government (Minister Ron Hoenig) is responsible for implementing most of the Act’s processes.

Learn More About the Inquiry

For more details on the inquiry and to make your submission, visit here

Read the Discussion Paper here

📆 Submissions close: Sunday 4th May 2025

How to Make Your Submission Count 📢

Your voice matters. It’s important to structure your submission around the government’s key focus areas and provide clear, actionable recommendations.

It's okay to share your concerns, but make sure to include practical solutions as that's what will help make the most impact and create real change.

⚠️ Please note: As many people will be using this guide and the suggested responses, it's best to treat it as a reference rather than copying it word-for-word. Submissions with identical wording may be grouped together and counted as a single submission, which could reduce their overall impact.

Focus Areas for Submission

The review covers three key focus areas, each with questions outlined in the Discussion Paper.

📝 You can read the full Discussion Paper here

1️⃣ Encouraging Responsible Ownership – How can we better educate and support pet owners?
2️⃣ Council Compliance & Enforcement – Are local councils properly enforcing companion animal laws?
3️⃣ Companion Animal Population & Rehoming – How can we reduce strays and increase rehoming rates?

⚠️ Please note: You’re welcome to respond to any or all of the focus areas in your submission – but this guide is designed to help you respond specifically to Focus Area 3: Companion Animal Population & Rehoming, so we can push for stronger desexing programs, better support for rescue groups and long-term solutions to reduce the number of animals in pounds and shelters.

Focus area 3️⃣ Companion animal population and rehoming

Q1: What more could be done to reduce stray and homeless cats and dogs in NSW?

✍️ Suggested Response: To reduce the number of stray and homeless animals, the NSW Government must fund mass desexing programs across the state, especially in areas with high abandonment rates. Desexing is the most effective long-term solution to prevent unwanted litters and reduce overpopulation.

👉 More points you can include:

Free desexing should be available in areas with high stray populations.
Outreach desexing programs for people on low incomes or in rural/remote areas are essential.
Councils should partner with rescues to offer free desexing for community cats.
Mass desexing saves lives and reduces pressure on pounds and shelters.

Q2: What changes can be made to NSW laws, regulations, codes or guidelines to reduce the number of companion animals entering the pound and rehoming system in the first place?

✍️ Suggested Response: More funding must be directed to rescue groups and community-based rehoming organisations, who are already doing the heavy lifting. These groups are overwhelmed, under-resourced and urgently need government support to keep animals out of pounds.

👉 More points you can include:

Funding must go to independent rescues, not just large organisations.
Surrender prevention programs should be supported (e.g. vet bill support, behaviour help).
Council pounds should work more closely with rescues to rehome animals.
Educating the public about adoption and ethical pet ownership is vital.

Q3: For companion animals needing to enter the ‘pound’ system, what could be done to increase rehoming?

✍️ Suggested Response: Mandatory cat containment must not be introduced. This kind of blanket law risks more cats being surrendered or abandoned, especially by people who can’t comply. The focus should be on desexing, education and making adoption more accessible.

👉 More points you can include:

Oppose mandatory cat containment — it leads to more surrenders and pet abandonment.
Support targeted desexing, not punishment.
Make adoption easier and more visible through public events and partnerships with pet stores.
Offer incentives (e.g. lower registration fees) for adopting rescue animals.