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Care for all creatures, great and small, at Christmas time

Latrobe City Council is urging pet owners to remember the needs and safety of their pets during the hustle and bustle of the Christmas and New Year period.

By Latrobe City Council - 12th December 2003 - Back to News

"With all the preparations and pre-Christmas build-up, it is easy to overlook making sure suitable arrangements have been made for pets and that their needs are catered for," said Latrobe City Mayor, Councillor Graeme Middlemiss.

"Every year, Latrobe City’s Local Laws officers respond to complaints from citizens about dogs continuously barking, showing signs of neglect, or wandering the streets unaccompanied. All too often, it becomes apparent that the owners have gone away, often at short notice, and have failed to address their pet’s needs during their absence," Cr Middlemiss said.

Latrobe City’s Manager Local Laws, Peter Fraser, said that families making an unexpected trip away needed to bear in mind that over the Christmas and New Year break it’s unlikely they will be able to place their pet in boarding kennels, as these are usually booked out well in advance. "It therefore means pet owners must make proper arrangements for temporary care with a friend or neighbour," Mr Fraser said.

"Even if friends or neighbours have offered to look after your pet, it is possible that the animal may become stressed with the change of routine, so you need to assess whether fences will be adequate. It’s a good idea if your pet is to be left with a friend or neighbour, to arrange for a trial stay before you go away," Mr Fraser suggested.

"It’s also very important that all pets wear a collar with their registration tag, and preferably a tag clearly stating the owner’s contact details. It would be wise to consider including a temporary contact number if you go away over the festive period.

"Give clear instructions to whoever is looking after your animal to contact Council immediately, should your pet somehow go missing. We have cases where people temporarily in charge of an animal when an owner is away, fail to contact Council, hoping the animal will return. If we know an animal is missing, we can keep a special look out for it," Mr Fraser said.

"The best protection for any pet is a microchip, a tiny device the size of a grain of rice inserted under the pet’s skin by a vet. Every microchip has its own unique number, which is cross-referenced with registration records. All impounded pets are scanned for a microchip so that even if the pet has shed its collar and lost its registration tag, the owner can still be identified and contacted.

Cr Middlemiss added that Latrobe’s Local Laws officers would be on call throughout the Christmas and New Year break.

"Our officers are on duty, not only to respond to any citizen’s information about stray animals, but also to ensure that any animals held at the pound are able to receive their Christmas dinner."


Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com



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