‘Lead The Way’ – or Risk a Ruff Time

Published on 11 September 2025

Gympie Regional Council has launched a new three-month community education campaign, ‘Lead The Way’, to promote responsible dog ownership across the region.

The campaign commenced on 1 September 2025 and is designed to educate and empower dog owners with practical tips, accessible resources and key reminders about their responsibilities as part of the community.

With dog-related issues such as attacks and wandering dogs continuing to impact Gympie, this campaign is a timely initiative to help create a safer, more connected community for both people and pets.

To support the goals of the campaign, Council has announced that its Regulatory Services Officers have begun an Approved Inspection Program, conducting dog inspections across the region.

Running alongside the campaign, the program aims to support responsible pet ownership by identifying unregistered dogs. Earlier this year, dog registrations were sitting at just 45 percent. The high number of unregistered animals were found to be the main cause of ongoing issues, many of which go unaddressed due to lack of owner identification.

As well as being a valuable monitoring tool, the program also ensures the region is complying with the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008 and relevant local laws.

Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig said the educational campaign is an important step in creating a more harmonious community.

“Responsible dog ownership is more than just registration, it’s about ensuring our pets are safe, our neighbours feel secure, and our community thrives.

“Launching ‘Lead The Way’ is the positive step this Council has taken to support pet owners by providing the tools and information they need to do the right thing.” Cr Hartwig said.

Cr Hartwig also addressed the broader purpose of the inspection program and informs that registering dogs in Gympie is both simple and affordable.

“The Approved Inspection Program isn’t just about catching unregistered dogs, it’s about reducing the growing number of dog attacks in our region, most of which involve unregistered animals.

“We want to lower the risks to public safety, protect our local wildlife and support a culture of responsible pet ownership across the region.

“Gympie Regional Council dog registration fees are amongst the lowest in Queensland. We’re encouraging all dog owners to take advantage of this and ensure their dogs are registered and secure,” said Cr Hartwig.

For more information on Responsible Dog Ownership in the Gympie region, visit gympie.qld.gov.au/dogownership