The Pound

What our Rangers do…

The Council Pound houses surrendered, seized and abandoned animals. These animals are primarily dogs and cats however, it has on occasion housed chickens, goats, sheep and other smaller non-companion animals.

Larger impounded animals, for example livestock, are housed in the saleyards next door.

After Hours Emergency

Outside of normal hours Council Rangers are available to attend to Emergency calls only relating to;

  • Dog Attacks, and
  • Straying Stock on Main Roads (ie the Highway's).

All other non-emergency related problems will be attended to the next business day.

Please call the Ranger's Mobile on 0417 890 889.

Note: Rangers are not always able to answer the phone straight away. Please leave a message and they will respond ASAP. If your call does not relate to an Emergency your call may not be returned.

Operating Hours

The operating hours of the Pound are:

  • Monday to Friday – 8.00am to 4.00pm
  • Closed Saturday, Sunday and public holidays

The Rangers will accept animals and release animals to their owners during business hours only. After-hours releases must be organised with the Rangers ahead of time and will incure a out-of-hours release fee (Refer to below fees).

Animal Release

If you are the owner of an impounded animal please be aware that you will need to contact Council's Rangers to organise a suitable time to collect your animal. Impounded animals are only able to be released during business hours. This means if your animal is seized over the weekend or after-hours you will need to wait until the following business day to contact the Rangers and organise release.

What do I have to pay to get my animal released from the Pound...

Before your animal can be released from the Pound, all fees must be paid and registration requirements completed where required.

Council Pound fees are set annually and can be found in Council's Operational Plan.

The current fees that may be payable when you collect your animal are:

Companion animals (cats and dogs)

  • Release fee - 1st impounding (animal not identified) - $55 plus microchipping costs (registration costs will also need to be paid if the animal is over 6 months of age)
  • Release fee - 1st impounding (animal identified) - $55 and registration costs if not already registered
  • Release fee - 2nd or subsequent impounding - $110
  • Sustenance per day - $25 (including day impounded and day released)
  • Out-of-Hours release fee - $117 plus any other appilcable release fees

Non-companion animals (stock - cattle, sheep, horses)

  • Cartage Cost to pound - $50 plus actual cost
  • Walk or transporting an impounded animal to pound - $38 plus (staff hourly rate x 1.5)
  • Mustering of Stray Stock - $146 per hour
  • Sustenance fee per day per head - $5 (sheep and goats) and $33 (cattle and horses)
  • Veterinary fees where necessary - $41 per call plus actual cost
  • Fee for Loss or Damage (applies to both Council and Private land) - $22 per head (horses, ass, mule, cattle, camel, goats, pigs) and $10 per head (Sheep)

Surrendering a cat or dog to the Pound

Surrendering your cat or dog to the Pound means that you are giving up the ownership of your animal to the Council, and that the animal will either be rehomed or (in certain circumstances) euthanized.

Before surrendering your animal to the Pound, the following must be understood:

  • the person surrendering the animal must be the legal owner and sign a form stating that they are surrendering the animal to the council.
  • surrendered animals are rehomed through a number of animal rescue groups outside Council's Local Government Area.
  • Council officers will not collect any animal from a person’s property for euthanasia.
  • an owner wishing to surrender an animal must contact Council's Rangers to arrange an appointment before hand.

The fees for surrendering an animal to the Pound are;

  • Surrender by owner of a cat/kittens: $Nil
  • Surrender by owner for a dog/puppies: $70.00 per animal (if over 3 months old) and $70 per litter (if under 3 months old)
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