Lost or Stray Dogs
What to do when you lose your dog:
Don’t just wait for your dog to come back. It may be in the pound; it may be injured or it may be in someone’s backyard.
Check around your neighbourhood. Go to places that the dog regularly visits, such as the park. Check local shopping centres and schools.
Contact The Local Council and neighbouring Councils, as soon as possible to see if the dog has been impounded.
Check animal shelters and local veterinarians.
Advertise in the paper or on the radio. Put up notices on shopping centre notice boards or put slips of paper in letter boxes. Leave a description of the dog plus your name, address and phone number. Offer a reward!
Sunrise is a good time to look for your dog, as this is when he or she is more likely to be on the move.
Dogs may wander a long way. Notify neighbouring councils and veterinarians. If you have moved recently, you dog may try and return to your old house.
Keep looking for several weeks. Some times people find a dog and don’t report it to the council straight away as they are worried that the dog may be destroyed.
If your dog is impounded:
Councils are required to keep a dog for at least 72 hours before rehoming or humanly disposing of it.
If your dog is in the pound, you must collect it and pay a fee, plus any fines that may be outstanding relating to your dog.
What to do if you find a stray dog:
Notify the nearest council. If the owner of the dog is looking for it, they will call the pound. If you keep the dog and don’t report it to the council dog dog’s owner may not be able to find it.
Neighbouring councils should also be contacted as the dog may have wandered a long way.
Some councils may allow you to keep the dog if it is unclaimed after a certain period of time. Some councils may require the dog to be sterilised before it goes to a new owner.
Check with people in your neighbourhood to see if they have a lost dog.
The dog’s owner may have contacted local veterinarians and animal shelters. These places often keep lists of lost pets and may be able to help find the owners.
Advertise in the newspaper, or put up notices at the local shopping centre, post office, etc.
Identification:
Many lost dogs never find their homes simply because they have no identification tags.
Your dog must have a current registration tag and must also have identification giving your name and address.
If your dog is injured and taken to a veterinarian, the vet can contact you immediately if your dog carries your telephone number.
Microchips
Microchips can be implanted under the dog’s skin. This is a permanent way of identifying your dog. Contact your Vet for further information.
Wandering Dogs
How to stop your dog wandering:
As a dog owner, you MUST make sure that your dog is not able to wander off your property. This means that you must use one of the methods described below to keep your dog at home!
If you allow your dog to wander, it might be impounded and you will have to pay a fee to collect your dog. It also runs the risk of being poisoned, injured or killed on the road.
If your dog causes damage or injures a person or another animal whilst it is wandering, you can be made liable for this damage.
Ways to confine your dog:
Fences
The type of fence that you need will depend on the size and activity level of your dog. The dog must not be able to jump or climb over, dig under or push through the fence.
If your dog is climbing or jumping over the fence, you can add an inward sloping extension to the top of the fence. This works better than just trying to make the fence higher.
Alternatively, you can put up a low internal fence, about a metre in from your boundary fence. This stops the dog getting a “run up” at the fence, or getting into position to jump up at the fence.
If the dog is digging out, you may need to dig a trench around the bottom of the fence and fill it with concrete, or attach a strip of chicken wire to the bottom of the fence and bury it.
Self Latching Gates
Self latching gates should be installed to prevent the gates being left open accidentally.
Pen or Compound
When fencing the whole yard is difficult, dogs may be kept in a pen or compound. These need to be big enough for the size of your dog, and should be built in a quiet, sheltered area. Do not build the pen or compound near your neighbour’s fence or a public footpath.
A concrete base is better than dirt as it is easier to keep clean and prevents digging out.
Dogs kept in a pen or compound MUST be exercised regularly.
Running Wire
This is a wire run between two supports. The dog is attached to the wire by a chain lead which slides along the wire, allowing the dog to walk up and down. DO NOT attach the wire to the fence, or close to the fence, as the dog may jump over the fence and strangle itself.
If the dog gets tangled around the supports, place a block near each end of the wire to prevent the dog from getting too close to the supports.
If you use a running wire, you must still have proper fences to keep your dog in. You are not allowed to use a running wire as your only means to restrain the dog.
Tethering
Tethering your dog on a rope or chain is not recommended, as the dog can easily get tangled and can result in a barking problem. You must still have a proper fence even if your dog is tethered on a rope or chain.
Problems with confinement:
Dogs which are not used to being confined, or which are confined too long, may cause problems. They may begin to bark too much, or may damage property or injure themselves trying to escape.
To avoid these problems:
Gradually get the dog used to confinement by keeping it in for short periods of time to begin with, first with the owner still at home and later when the owner goes out. Slowly increase the length of time in which the dog is confined.
Play with the dog and feed it in its enclosure, so that it doesn’t think the enclosure is a punishment.
Make sure the enclosure is safe and secure.
Place the enclosure in a quiet area of the property.
Ensure that the dog has shelter, water, toys and is comfortable.
If the dog barks or tries to get out, give a firm command such as ‘No’. Praise the dog if it is quiet. Only let the dog out again when it is not barking. If your dog does not respond to your commands, it may require further obedience training.