Lost and found dogs

Found a stray dog?

If you have found a stray dog please contact us on 0800 WAIPADC (0800 924 723). Remember that it could be someone's pet and have a loving home, so we want to reunite them with their family asap.

Remember, not everyone will see a post on Facebook, and while taking the dog to a veterinary centre or pet shop may seem appropriate, an owner will not know to check there. Most people will contact Council immediately if they lose their dog, so it just makes sense to let us know asap if you find a dog. In fact, the law requires it, if the dog can’t be returned to its owner.

Only Council has access to the National Dog Database (NDD) to check for a dog’s chip or tag number. All dogs, once registered with Council, are automatically entered on to the NDD, which is then accessible to all Councils nation-wide.

We understand that people often want to avoid sending a dog to the pound, however, the pound is clean and comfortable, with individual housing for every dog, and most importantly it is secure so that any dog impounded will be totally safe. What’s more, if a dog is currently registered and hasn’t wandered before, it will often be returned to the owner free of charge. If it is regularly out wandering though, then there really is a need for Council to be involved as this places the dog, and potentially the public, at risk. Be aware too that after 72 hours (3 days), anyone holding a dog for the purpose of trying to find an owner is legally responsible for the dog’s behaviour, so if does something naughty, you will be responsible for any damage caused, or fines.

Don’t dilly-dally, as soon as you find a lost dog, phone Council so we can work together to get a happy ending.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If your dog has gone missing, please contact us to see if it is being cared for in one of our dog pounds phone 0800 924 723.

If your dog is microchipped and is registered with Council, we will contact you the next working day (sooner if we can), but feel free to contact our after-hours team in the meantime.

You can also check our online list of currently impounded dogs, but please note this is only updated during business hours Monday to Friday – click here

Fees

There is an impounding fee as well as a charge for each day a dog is kept at the pound:

• Sustenance charge per day: $10
• Initial impounding fee: $75
• Each subsequent impounding within the same registration year: $100

If your dog is not currently registered or microchipped, a registration and microchip fee will also apply.

Collection

Please contact our customer support staff to arrange collection of your dog. They will notify you of any fees that are required to be paid at the office, prior to picking up your dog from the pound. Office hours are:

• 9.00am - 5.00pm Monday - Friday

Once all fees have been paid, impounded dogs are generally released on weekdays at the following times:

• 9.00am - 5.00pm Monday - Friday

If you cannot collect your dog during these times, we are able to meet owners outside these hours by appointment.