Dog ownership

• Responsible Dog Ownership
• Registration Fees
• Registration Concessions
• Dog Exercise Areas
• Animal Management Facility
• Further Information

Responsible Dog Ownership

Everyone who owns a dog has a responsibility to ensure that their dog is well cared for and does not cause a nuisance to others.

All dogs over the age of three months that are kept within the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River are required to be microchipped and registered. Apart from being a legal requirement, registration also assists Rangers in quickly reuniting dogs with their owners should they stray from home. In addition, all dogs must wear a collar with a valid registration tag, be adequately confined on their properties, held on a leash in public places that are not designated dog exercise areas, and nuisance behaviours such as excessive barking and aggression be managed appropriately.

Residents may keep only two dogs per property in a residential area and four dogs per property in rural areas, unless permission is granted by the Shire to keep additional dogs.

Registration Fees

Registration fees can  be paid at the Margaret River or Augusta Shire offices from Monday to Friday between the hours of 9am to 4pm (please note, the Augusta office is closed between 12pm and 1pm). Proof of sterilisation must be provided at the time of registration.

Registration Concessions

• The Pensioner concession can only be applied on presentation of a current Pensioner Concession Card, Veteran's Card or a Senior's Card together with a Commonwealth Senior's Health Card.
• New dog registrations processed after 31 May and before 1 November in the year of the first registration will receive a 50% reduction off the 1 year registration fee. This reduction is not applicable for 3 year or lifetime registrations.
• A working dog concession is applicable for farmers who are using their dog(s) to tend to livestock.  A 'Working Dog Concession Form' is required to be completed in addition to the application for dog registration.
• Authorised Guide dogs and special needs dogs are exempt from registration fees, but they must still be registered with the Shire.

Dog Exercise Areas

The following sites are designated as dog exercise areas.  These exercise areas can be used at all times except where the public place is being used for a function, sports training or a recreational activity approved by the Shire. When using these areas dogs can be off lead but they must be under effective control at all times.

• Augusta map
  • Civic Park, Hillview Road north to the Civic Centre.
• Augusta south map
  • Leeuwin Road Park, bounded by Leeuwin Road, Osnaburg and York Streets.
  • Flinders Bay, south west incorporating beach area and to most southern pathway to beach directly in front of Flinders Bay Caravan Park.
• East Augusta map
  • Pericles Street, bounded by Davies and Pericles Streets.
• Cowaramup map
  • Recreation Ground*, bounded by Bussell Highway, Waverley Road and Cowaramup Primary School. 

• Gnarabup map​
  • Gnarabup Beach, from Narda Avenue approximately 300m south-west.
  • Gnarabup public open space, Reidle Avenue to Marmaduke Point Drive. 

• Gracetown map
  • Cowaramup Bay Road, from Cowaramup Brook  to Salter Street.
  • Recreation Hall Reserve, west of the hall.
• Margaret River map
  • Georgette, bounded by Georgette Drive and McKeown Place.
  • Hillier Park, bounded by Tingle Avenue, Spinebill Ramble and Hillier Drive.
  • Gloucester Park Nippers Oval, Mon - Fri before 3:00pm, Sat & Sun between 5:00pm - 7:00am (depending on scheduled sports).
• Prevelly map​
  • Rifle Butts Reserve excluding the children’s playground area. 
• Rosa Brook map
  • Reserve 1956, Rosa Brook Road
• Witchcliffe map
  • Mammoth Street, west of Mammoth Street bounded by Redgate Road (south), Railway Reserve (west) and May Street (north).

Animal Management Facility 

Information regarding the Shire Animal Management Facility, including collection hours and details of currently impounded animals, can be found on the Animal Management Facility page.

Further information

• Dog Registration Form
• Change to Animal Registration Details
• Transfer of Animal Ownership Form
• Working Dog Concession Form