More than 230 pets were impounded in Brimbank last month, most of them over the Christmas-New Year period, highlighting the need to microchip and desex cats and dogs.
Brimbank council’s animal management officers picked up 146 cats and 93 dogs in December, close to 10 per cent of the 2736 pets impounded for the whole of 2014.
This compares with the 2525 domestic animals impounded in 2012 and 2611 in 2013.
According to Brimbank council’s domestic animal management plan, just a small percentage of animals are reclaimed by their owners after being impounded.
RSPCA Victoria shelter manager Liz Walker said thunderstorms such as the one Melbourne had experienced recently and fireworks on occasions such as Australia Day and New Years Eve made it a very busy period for animal shelters.
Ms Walker said pets would do almost anything to escape the sound of fireworks. “They’ll dig, climb or jump over and they may injure themselves just to get away,” she said.
“We’ve seen many dogs that have scaled high fences to escape the noise of fireworks.”
The RSPCA advises pet owners to anticipate when fireworks are on and plan to be at home, bring pets indoors and provide a safe environment.
“Ensure your pet wears identification, particularly a microchip,” a spokesman said.
“If your pet should escape from your property, it will run blindly away without regard to where it is going. When it eventually calms down it will probably not know where it is or how to return.
“A microchip gives the greatest chance that you and your pet will be reunited.”
Brimbank council is one of just six municipalities that require all dogs and cats to be microchipped and desexed the first time they are registered.
There are about 16,500 registered dogs and 4000 registered cats in Brimbank.
Registration renewals fall due on April 10 each year. For more information, go to www.brimbank.vic.gov.au.
