Keeping pets & animal management

Pets go missing everyday. A storm, a workman leaving a gate open or sheer persistence can mean that your pet escapes the safety of its yard and goes wandering. Often your pet will get picked up by a passer-by concerned that the animal will be harmed by traffic. Subsequently, they are usually taken to a nearby vet or picked up by council.

If you want your pet returned safely it is imperative and required by law that you microchip and lifetime register your pet.

I’ve lost my pet – what do I do?

There are a number of things you can do to try and find your lost pet;

Firstly contact Parramatta City Council on 9806-5700 and inform us that your pet is lost. This is particularly helpful when your pet is not microchipped.

View animals recently impounded by Parramatta City Council here.

If your pet is microchipped make sure your address and contact telephone numbers are up to date with the register. You can do this by contacting Parramatta City Council and quoting your pet’s microchip number.

Next contact all your local vets. Often pets are handed into a vet by a passer-by who is concerned with the animals’ welfare. Call as many vets as possible and be as informative as you can when describing your pet. Describe the look of your pet not the breed. It’s very hard to determine a breed of an animal when you do not know its origin.

Now get family and friends together and go for walk around your neighbour hood. Do a door-to-door knock and ask if your pet has been sited. Be prepared to travel a fair distance. Even a small dog can cover a large distance given the time. You may have to take the car. Remember to call out your dogs name while you look. Your pooch may be resting somewhere nearby!

Make sure you visit the Blacktown City Council Animal Holding Facility. Any unidentified animals are taken to the Animal Holding Facility and can be resold, re-homed or euthanased if unclaimed within 7 days (without a microchip) or 14 days (with a microchip). It’s important you visit regularly to identify your pet and claim him/her as soon as possible.

Check the web. We have included a number of links on our website to other rescue agencies in order to help you locate your pet. Also it is a good idea to check with Parramatta’s surrounding councils as your pet may have wandered into another council and picked up by them. Our surrounding councils are Fairfield City, Holroyd City, Baulkham Hills Shire, Blacktown City, Bankstown City and Ryde City.

Good Luck!

I’ve found a Pet – what do I do?

If you’ve come across a dog wandering without it’s owner or handler nearby you can do one of a number of things. If the dog has a collar and tag call the number provided and arrange for collection by the owner. If this is unsuccessful and you are able to, take the animal to your nearest vet and hand it in as a stray. Veterinary Clinics assist council by accepting and holding lost dogs. At the clinic they can scan the dog for a microchip to try and reunite the pet with it’s owner.

If you are unable to do this then take the animal home and secure it on your property. Offer the dog some water as it may have been wandering for some time and may be dehydrated. Call Parramatta City Council on 9806-5700 and report you have a stray dog for collection. Hours of collection of stray dogs are:

Monday to Friday 8.30am to 2.30pm Saturday 8.30am til 10.00am

If you see a roaming dog and do not want to or are unable to approach the dog then call Parramatta City Council and report a roaming dog giving it’s current location. Please leave a contact name and number for an officer to call if more information is needed. Never put yourself at risk if you are unsure of a dog. Even a small seemingly friendly dog can be dangerous when frightened.