HAVE YOU LOST A PET OR FOUND ONE?

This is always a very stressful and worrying time for owners.

Most pets are found not too far away from where they live, handed into Vets or shelters and returned home safely.

Below are a few simple steps to help in this situation.

1) Call your local council - this is important if you have lost a pet. You need to ensure that your pets microchip details are linked to you so that they can be reunited with you if they arrive to a Vet or Shelter and get scanned.                      There are still many pets that can't re reunited with owners as their details with local governement are not up to date. 

Local councils in this area with pound faciltiies are:-

Liverpool City Council Phone: 02 9821 9222 www.liverpool.nsw.gov.au

Campbelltown City Council Phone: 02 4645 4000 

Bankstown City Council Phone: 02 9707 9999

Link to other Sydney councils/pounds:- www.renbury.com.au

2) Phone local Vets - Call to leave details of your lost pet - it is good if you can leave their microchip number with the description of pet.

It is important if you find a lost pet to present it to a Vet/Shelter as soon as you find them to be scanned and returned home. If they are microchipped owners will be contacted, if they are not they will be forwared to local shelter.                                  Going to shelters is necessary as this is where owners are directed to search for lost pets.

3) Petsearch - this is a company that can place a paid ad for your lost pet. These fliers get sent to Sydney Vet Hospitals to aid in return of pets to rightful owners.  www.petsearch.com.au

4) Visit shelters - sometimes if you have no luck it is best to go to shelters and see if your pet is there. This is often for reasons as simple as descriptions don't match microchip registers and often owner contact details are out of date. 

Rarely, but it does happen, a microchip can stop working over time - this is why its important to have your pet scanned at annual vet visits to be sure it still works.

Thanks to compulsory microchipping reuniting lost pets with their owners is much easier these days.

To aid in the return of your pet in case they get lost are few simple steps below:

1) Register your pet with council as soon as microchipped - NSW law states all dogs and cats should be microchipped by 12 weeks of age and and registered by 6months of age. Keep a copy of each pets number somewhere handy in case you ever need it.

2) Make sure your pet is wearing a collar with a tag with current contact phone number on it.

3) Always ensure your contact details are to date on your pets microchip registration.                                                                                   It is especially important any time you move house or change phone numbers to update info.

4) Bring you pet in to be scanned at the hospital - we can give you a form from council with the details to help you ensure they have the correct details on register.

For more microchipping or pet registration information please call us or visit the Department Of Local Government webpage www.dlg.nsw.gov.au