Whyalla Council’s dog care facility almost full – owners urged to reclaim their dogs
March 26, 2020The Whyalla Council’s dog-care facility within its Animal Care Centre is almost at full capacity. Five of the 12 dogs currently in care are strays that have no identification (no tags and not microchipped).
RSPCA South Australia manages the Centre under contract with the council. The organisation is calling on anyone missing a dog to check whether one of these five stray dogs might be theirs.
None of the five dogs are registered or microchipped, despite it now being a legal requirement under the State’s Dog and Cat Management Act to microchip all dogs and cats by three months of age.
To ensure the prompt return of animals, RSPCA South Australia reminds pet owners to update microchip details if they change addresses or phone numbers.
Anyone who loses a dog is urged to report it missing with both their local council and RSPCA South Australia. This can be done online at rspcasa.org.au. They should also check with local vets in case someone has brought their animal in.
Due to the coronavirus outbreak, RSPCA South Australia is struggling with a reduced number of volunteers (down 50%) to help care for animals at its Whyalla shelter. The organisation is urging dog and cat owners to keep their animals contained to their properties for their safety and to avoid them ending up at already overloaded animal
shelters.
Unless it is an emergency, people are also encouraged to avoid surrendering animals to reduce strain on RSPCA South Australia staff and remaining volunteers.