Make adequate holiday arrangements for pets City urgesEnjoy your Christmas and New Year celebrations, but remember your pets too By Latrobe City Council - 18th December 2001 - Back to News Enjoy your Christmas and New Year celebrations, but remember your pets too, is the message to pet owners from Latrobe City for the festive season.
"With all the preparations and pre-Christmas build-up, it is easy to overlook making suitable holiday arrangements for your pets," said Latrobe City Mayor, Councillor Brendan Jenkins.
"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 Jenkins said.
"Most important of all, never give a pet as a Christmas gift on a whim. Puppies or kittens certainly look very cute when they are young, but it is easy to forget that they grow up. The cost implications of inoculations, registration fees and vet’s bills need to be considered too. Think very seriously about the consequences for both the pet and those looking after it. The festive season is over in a matter of weeks, but pet ownership is for life," Cr Jenkins said.
Local Laws Officer, Jill Hanley, said that families making an unexpected trip away needed to bear in mind that over the Christmas – 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," Ms Hanley 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. If your pet is to be left with a friend or neighbour, arrange for a trial stay," Ms Hanley suggested.
"It’s very important that all pets wear collars 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," Ms Hanley said.
"The best case scenario is to have your pet ‘microchipped’. All impounded animals are scanned for microchips, which have their own unique identification number. When this number is cross-referenced with registration records, the owner’s contact details can be quickly accessed, which makes reunification of the pet with its owner a much simpler process, even if the pet has somehow shed its collar," Ms Hanley added.
Cr Jenkins added that Latrobe’s Local Laws officers would be on call throughout the Christmas - New Year break. Our officers are on duty, not only to respond to any citizen’s complaints of straying animals, but also to ensure any animals held at the pound receive their Christmas dinner," Cr Jenkins said.
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: latrobecity@gippslander.com
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