Bringing a fur-ever friend into your family is a big deal, so it’s only natural that you want to choose the right kind. However, thousands of healthy and treatable pets are being abandoned and killed in pounds, shelters and vet clinics each year in Australia.

Our rangers deal with hundreds of lost pets each year, with many having wandered away from home. “The biggest challenge is trying to return home a lost cat or dog and finding it isn’t microchipped or registered,” says Leon, Council’s Coordinator of Ranger Services.

“We’d like to see pets reunited with their family but not knowing who or where that family is makes the task very difficult.”

That’s why Randwick City Council works with not-for-profit pound, Sydney Dogs and Cats Home who take care of lost, abandoned and neglected pets. Their organisation is part of the Getting 2 Zero movement whose mission is to achieve zero euthanasia of all healthy and treatable cats and dogs.

Re-homing these animals comes with its fair share of challenges. Welcoming roughly 2,800 animals each year, there is plenty that people can do on an individual level to fight animal homelessness. “It’s important that pets are chipped, registered and the information on the chip is up-to-date. Nothing makes us sadder than seeing beautiful lost family members never getting reclaimed,” says Dr Jackson who works at the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home.

Fortunately, there are many heartwarming success stories at Sydney Dogs and Cats Home, one of them happening right here in Randwick City.

Blue and white staffy Caitlin was brought to the Home by Council rangers. Playful and loving, Caitlin was not microchipped and ended up in the shelter for 176 days.

Then along came Coogee electrician Craig. It was love at first sight. Like many rescue dogs, Caitlin suffered from anxiety, but Craig grew up around dogs and knew he could take on the responsibility.

“I always knew I would eventually adopt a dog. You just have to understand them – watch their body language, their emotions and take it slow. Don’t expect things to happen overnight.”

Caitlin is now a confident, obedient young lady who is enjoying the best of the eastern suburbs life: walks around Centennial Park, weekends away camping and even giving a hand on-site.

“I’m lucky that I can bring her to work with me. She knows all the lads and has a great time on-site with them.”

If you’re thinking of adding a furry addition to your family, hop onto the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home website to find some loving animals who need a home or contact their team and arrange a visit. It’s their mission to find loving – and permanent – homes for the animals in their care.

There are many benefits to adopting or fostering a pet. Not only are you guaranteed to bring home a healthy pet who has been microchipped and vaccinated, but you will be saving a life and creating a kinder future for our four-legged friends.

Here’s what happens when a lost pet turns up at Randwick City Council:

1. Check for a chip

The first thing our Rangers will do is check the pet for a microchip. If the animal is microchipped, we will try and contact the owner and reunite the pair. When microchipping your pet, it’s important that you put a secondary contact on the chip in case you are away on holidays or you have moved address and haven’t since updated your contact details.

2. Sydney Dogs and Cats Home

If we cannot contact the owner or the pet is not microchipped, one of our rangers will take the pet to Sydney Dogs and Cats Home in Carlton.

3. Uploaded to website

Upon arrival, pets will have their photo taken. If the pet is up for adoption, staff will make a profile for them on the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home website. If the pet isn’t microchipped the team will give the pet a name and include some information such as the location of where the pet was found.

4. Call around

The team will try to contact any numbers on the microchip or vets nearby where the animal was found.

5. Vet check

Lucky for our furry friends, there are a team of vets on site at Sydney Dogs and Cats Home who run a series of medical tests on every animal in their care. Vets will be on the look out for any injuries the animal might have sustained and will check and treat for fleas, worms and any other vaccinations needed.

6. Walkies and community work

While the team work hard to reunite the animal with their original owner, the pet will hang out with some amazing volunteers, with dogs going on up to four walks per day!

They also participate in some important community programs such as aged care visits and reading and learning sessions with schools.

7. Foster Care

If an owner is not found, nonmicrochipped cats and kittens will go into foster care after seven days and microchipped cats and kittens after 14 days.

8. Furever home

If the original owner cannot be found, pets will be available for adoption on their website. Last financial year they rehomed/adopted over 1200 pets!

How you can help In New South Wales

150,000 cats and dogs are lost or stolen each year. It’s fast becoming a problem in Australia, however there’s many ways you can help on an individual level.

1. Adopt don’t shop
2. Make sure your pet is microchipped and that the details are current
3. Volunteer/donate at Sydney Dogs and Cats Home
4. Always walk your dog on a leash
5. Attend a puppy school

Rehoming Organisation: R251000137