Finding homes for the ‘Gong’s lost & stray pets

We’re launching a new Council service for dogs, cats, and their owners.

From 29 March 2024, Council’s Animal Care and Impounding service will kick into gear, to help reunite lost pets with their owners, and find new homes for abandoned pets. This important community service has been developed as RSPCA NSW transitions to their primary mission, the prevention of animal cruelty.

Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said that starting from the long weekend, community members who have lost a pet, or found a stray animal, can contact Council for help.

“In the past, community members would often take stray animals directly to the RSPCA and pet owners could also go there to find their lost pet. With the RSPCA shifting their focus away from strays and lost animals, Council is offering an alternative returning and rehoming service,” Cr Bradbery said.

“Council won’t be operating traditional a bricks-and-mortar facility to provide animal welfare services. Instead, we will be working with local veterinary services and a network of regional kennelling facilities.”

While no one expects a pet to go missing, the best way to have your lost pet returned to you quickly is using a collar and tag with your address and phone number, as well as making sure your pet is microchipped and that their microchip details are up to date.

“Too often we find lost pets with no collar and incorrect microchip details. If you’ve changed your address or gotten a new phone number, it’s important to keep the microchip details updated so that if your pet goes missing it’s easy to find the correct details,” Cr Bradbery said.

“If you have a new pet, get them microchipped at your local vet as soon as possible. If you want to update the contact details for an existing pet, you can update them by contacting Council.”

How does the new Council service work?

If your dog or cat has gone missing, you should:

Start by visiting Council’s website to check to see if your lost pet has already been listed as found.

You can also call Council’s Animal Care & Impounding Services team on (02) 4227 7111 and we’ll do our best to reunite you with your pet.

If you find a stray or roaming animal, you should:

Start by contacting Council’s Animal Compliance team on (02) 4227 7111. They're available seven days, including public holidays and weekends, between 9am-5pm.

If it’s after 5pm, you may keep the animal in your care overnight. However, if the animal is displaying aggressive behaviour, call Council’s After-Hours phone on (02) 4227 7111.

What happens to abandoned pets that aren’t returned home straight away?

When a stray animal is found, and we can’t identify the owner to return the animal home, we will move them to a regional kennelling facility contracted by Council.

If the animal remains unclaimed, we will begin to advertise the dog or cat for adoption on Council’s website.

I want to surrender my pet. How do I do that?

It is the owner’s responsibility to find a new home for an unwanted pet. If you are unable to rehome your pet yourself, you can surrender your pet to Council. We charge a fee for this service and there is a waiting period.

Contact Council on (02) 4227 7111 for more information or visit wollongong.nsw.gov.au/pets