Plans to strengthen pet ownership laws across the region continue following the attack of a jogger in Clunes earlier this week and two serious attacks in Melbourne, including the death of a 61-year-old man.
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An escaped dog attacked Clunes resident Elisabeth Thevenet on Monday, jumping a fence and charging Ms Thevenet on her regular morning jog.
Hepburn Shire Council is set to propose changes to local laws after community consultation sessions held in April and new laws in the Macedon Ranges Shire will come into effect next year.
The proposed changes will bring the shires closer to Ballarat's strict pet ownership laws, with a crackdown on stray dogs, changes to off-leash policies, and the potential introduction of cat curfews.
Hepburn Shire mayor Don Henderson said the council was committed to meeting community expectations.
"The community have asked us to be stronger in this space," Cr Henderson said.
"When you see the same dog that's got out ten times, or you see the same dog that's been in someone's sheep paddock, or the same dog that's been bailing people up in their yard - that's what we want to target."
Cr Henderson said Hepburn Shire was considering changes to remove discretion afforded by current local laws.
"The Domestic Animals Act gives us a great deal of powers to deal with these things," Cr Henderson said.
"But our local laws have been a little bit - some might say - wishy-washy."
Macedon Ranges Shire Council approved changes to local laws in March, with dogs required to be on leashes in public places from January 1 next year and cats confined to indoor spaces every night from July 1.
The changes reflect the strict laws enforced across the City of Ballarat, with proactive "compliance activities" including social media monitoring to identify backyard breeders.
The City of Ballarat's cat curfew came into effect in 2009, with a law requiring dogs to be on leash in public places introduced in 2015.
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