Lost and Found Pets
The Rural City of Wangaratta works with the Albury Animal Care Centre, in delivering pound services. The Rural City of Wangaratta's objective is to ensure the safety of domestic animals within our municipality and reunite them with their owners swiftly, safely and in a cost-effective way, with the primary aim of Council's provision of pound services for our community, being the safe return of as many animals as possible to their owners within 24 hours.
Rural City of Wangaratta also encourages pet owners within the municipality ensure their pets are microchipped and both their microchip their pet registration details are up to date. This is the fastest and easiest way to reunite pets with their owners within the first 24 hours of an animal coming into our care. If animals are registered and microchipped, we will in fact often return them to owners without them being impounded at all, either in Wangaratta or Albury, this did not occur under the previous arrangement.
Rural City of Wangaratta Council will care for lost domestic animals for the first 24 hours in a holding facility in Wangaratta that meets Animal Welfare Victoria Standards, while efforts are made to return the pets to their rightful owners.
Community members whose animals are taken to Albury after this period, are encouraged to contact Council and can arrange for the return of their animals through the animal transport service that will run on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays each week.
Pet owners wishing to collect their animals outside of these delivery days, may go directly to the Albury Animal Care Centre should they choose.
Pets picked up by Council Rangers will be posted to the Facebook page Lost and Found Pets of Wangaratta. Make sure you check here to see if your pet has been found.
Some interesting stats about the lost and found pets picked up by the Council Rangers.
Total: July to November 2023
| Total Impounded Animals |
113 |
Collected by Rangers |
100% |
| Returned within 24hrs by Rangers |
56 |
|
49.56% |
| Albury Animal Care Centre |
40 |
(includes 16 Surrended) |
35.40% |
| Feral |
4 |
|
3.54% |
| Euthanised |
13 |
Surrended by owner- Behavioural/Medical |
11.50% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is providing Council’s Pound Services from July 2023 and why?
- Albury Animal Care Centre, Albury Council, was the successful tenderer for the Council contract to provide domestic animals pound services from July 2023.
- The contract was awarded to Albury Animal Care Centre, Albury Council following a fair and rigorous tender process.
- Albury’s tender submission was the only one within Council’s budget for this service and they have the facilities to provide the level of service and care Council requires.
What's happening during this period?
- Council will be assessing the viability of establishing its own pound facility in Wangaratta beyond the 2-year contract period.
- If found to be viable and subject to funding, the aim would be to establish the pound facility on a suitable site in Wangaratta.
- If found not to be viable, council will go through a future tendering process.
What service can the community expect from this contract?
- Council maintains our ongoing commitment to the welfare of domestic animals and support of responsible pet ownership.
- The objective is to ensure the safety of domestic animals within our municipality and reunite them with their owners swiftly, safely and in a cost-effective way.
- Council will care for lost domestic animals for the first 24 hours in a holding facility in Wangaratta that meets Animal Welfare Victoria Standards, while efforts are made to return the pets to their rightful owners.
- Community members whose animals are taken to Albury after this period, are encouraged to contact Council and can arrange for the return of their animals through the animal transport service that will run on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays each week.
- Community member can also choose to collect their animals from Albury.
How exactly will this process work?
Can Albury Animal Care Centre provide this service to another State?
- Albury Animal Care Shelter has been providing pound services to Wodonga, Indigo and Towong Shire Councils and they meet all Victorian Animal Welfare Standards.