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Don’T Forget Your Pets This Holiday Season

Latrobe City Council is reminding residents during the busy festive season not to forget man’s best friend, and to ensure that proper arrangements have been put into place for pets over the holiday period.

By Latrobe City Council - 20th December 2006 - Back to News

Latrobe City local laws acting manager, Steve Wright, said too many pets are overlooked during the frantic lead up to the holidays.

"While most pet owners have their hearts in the right place, by the time they start looking into kennels and catteries, they realise that it is too late and there are no vacant spots available. This doesn’t mean that pets have to be left home alone with a bowl of food and water, or worse yet – dumped or handed into the pound," Mr Wright said.

"Where pets are staying at another premises, such as at a neighbour’s place, pet owners should check that the property is adequately fenced, and that the animal will feel comfortable in their temporary environment. Nobody wants a dog wandering around the neighbourhood, or barking constantly if it is upset at being in different surroundings.

"It’s wise to have a ‘trial run’ when a pet is going to be looked after elsewhere or by someone else. It’s also important to leave very clear instructions on who to contact should there be a problem looking after the pet, or what to do if the pet goes missing. This sort of planning not only ensures that there is no confusion about what your pet’s needs are, but it also takes some of the stress off the minders," Mr Wright explained.

Pamela Weaver, president of the Save-A-Dog Scheme Inc, said that on a weekly basis, Save-A-Dog helps the Latrobe City community rehouse many dogs saving some from euthanasia.

"The familiar adage ‘A Dog is for Life, Not Just for Christmas’ may be often quoted, but is still true. People need to consider carefully before buying pets as Christmas presents. Many people do not take into consideration that a pet can be a 15-year plus commitment and that the cute, fluffy baby animal, grows up all too quickly.

"Before adopting or buying an animal this season, consider the size of your home and yard; the amount of time you have to devote to exercising the pet; the cost of feeding and caring for the animal; your lifestyle – do you plan to take long holidays in the future? All these factors need to be considered before a purchase of such importance.

"Pets require an ongoing commitment form their owners for exercise, training, and veterinary care and not to forget that all dogs and cats over the age of 3 months need to be registered," Ms Weaver said.

Mr Wright reminded pet owners that the Local Laws team can be contacted for urgent animal related matters via their after hours telephone number 0408 512 953.

"Now is definitely the time to ensure that your pet is wearing a suitable identification tag and is microchipped to allow us to reunite pet and owner sooner rather than later. The impound register on Council’s website will not be updated between Christmas and New Year, but Local Laws officers will be available on the after hours number should an animal become lost during this period," Mr Wright concluded.


Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com



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