Afraa Kori
Brimbank council has launched a campaign aimed at helping reunite stray pets and their owners.
The Register to Reunite campaign encourages pet owners to microchip and register their pets and ensure their details are kept up-to-date.
The council said all cats and dogs must be microchipped with a registry such as Central Animal Records (CAR) or Australasian Animal Registry (AAR), and registered with the council area in which they live.
All dogs and cats in Brimbank over three months old are also required to be registered, microchipped, and desexed.
Brimbank mayor Jasmine Nguyen says lost pets are taken to animal shelters because the owners haven’t had them microchipped, registered with council, or updated their contact details.
“Pet owners can maximize the chances of being reunited with their furry friends if they follow the advice of our Register to Reunite campaign.”
Council said that some people believe microchipping and council registration are similar while others choose to rehome lost pets instead of notifying council because they believe council will euthanase uncollected strays.
These misconceptions create more challenges for council’s animal management officers to rehome pets, council said.
“Council’s animal management officers work hard to reunite lost pets with their beloved owners and to educate the community about responsible pet ownership,” Cr Nguyen said.
