Q&A about stray pets in Orange

What is the change?

Previously the RSPCA accepted stray animals that were taken to the William St depot by rangers or member of the community.

The RSPCA advised council of a change in policy in April last year. From Monday 5 March strays can no longer be taken to the RSPCA, and the council has developed a new system for dealing with strays involving a local vet clinic.

Which vet clinic is involved?:

Canobolas Family Pet Hospital (6362 6991)

Opening Hours :

• Mon – Fri : 8.30 am – Fri 5.30pm
• Sat : 9 am – 4pm
• Sun : 11m – 3pm

I have found a stray dog/cat. What should I do now?

You should contact the vet and make arrangements to deliver the animal to the clinic during their normal opening hours.

If you are able to keep the stray dog/cat safely until you can deliver it, that would be best way forward. If you can’t take it to the vet clinic, you should ring the council during business hours and a ranger will collect it.

I have lost my dog/cat. How can I find out if it’s been found and taken to a local vet?

Staff at the vet clinic will check the animal’s micro-chip. If the owner’s name and contact details are up to date, they will make contact with the owner.

If the ranger collects the animal from a resident, the ranger will check its micro-chip details and make contact with the owner, if the animal’s details are up to date.

One of the new developments will be that images of all stray dogs/cats will be posted on a new Facebook page. Reuniting Orange's Pets Owners can then contact council and make arrangements to collect their pet. Depending on whether or not it has a micro-chip, there may be fees before the animal can be returned to the owner.

I have a dog /cat I want to surrender. What do I do?

Owning a pet is a serious responsibility. If you can no longer look after the pet, it is still your responsibility to find a solution to this dliemma, such as finding another owner.

If you own a pet which you are no longer able to take care of, contacting the RSPCA may be one way forward.

The RSPCA continues to have a role with animal cruelty issues and animal welfare issues.

If you want to report a case of animal cruelty, contact the RSPCA.

What will happen to stray dogs/cats which are taken to the vet or collected by rangers?

Once vet staff or rangers have checked an animal’s micro-chip details and made attempts to contact the owner, the dog/cat will be taken from the vet clinic by a ranger to a privately run boarding kennel in Orange where it will be kept until its future is determined. There is no public access to this facility.

Orange City Council complies with state government animal welfare regulations covering how long a stray animal will be kept. An animal without an ID chip will be kept for 7 days. An animal fitted with an ID micro-chip will be kept for 14 days.

Further attempts will be made before that deadline expires to contact the owner, including posting photographs on the new Facebook page, that’s aimed at re-uniting Orange’s lost pets.

If the owner has not collected the animal by that deadline, efforts can then be made to re-home the animal.

If those efforts are unsuccessful , the animal will be euthanased humanely by a vet.