Townsville City Council is urging residents to practice responsible pet ownership following its Animal Care and Adoption Centre receiving more than 220 lost pets since the start of the month. Council makes all efforts to reunite lost pets with their families. If owners do not reclaim their pets from the centre, they will be assessed to ensure they are safe and healthy to be rehomed back into the community which includes desexing, microchipping, vaccinating, and worming. Mayor Troy Thompson said every pet owner in Townsville needed to be a responsible pet owner.
“Our Animal Care and Adoption Centre has been overwhelmed with lost pets, with 144 cats and 80 dogs coming through the doors since the start of May,” Cr Thompson said. “This huge number of lost pets being brought into the Animal Care and Adoption Centre all have homes and owners, so it’s extremely disappointing. “While owning a pet is fun, it’s important to be a responsible pet owner. Checking your fencing, microchipping, registration and having an engraved tag with your phone number are great ways to get your pet back home if they do go missing.”
Anyone who finds a lost pet should bring the animal directly into the Animal Care and Adoption Centre during business hours. Anyone missing a pet should visit Council’s missing pets page or call the Animal Care and Adoption Centre on 0457 769 362 to see if their pet has been handed in.
For more information on being a responsible pet owner, head to Council’s website.