The MidCoast Council Companion Animal Centre operates to temporarily house animals that have been abandoned or have strayed and owners cannot be identified, and also animals available for adoption. If you are missing an animal or are interested in adopting an animal, please visit the Lost Animal Register.
NSW legislation provides:
- specific powers and responsibilities to enable councils to undertake their role
- requirements that you, as a dog or cat owner, must comply with - including microchipping and registering your pet.
If your animal is identifiable (microchipped, or has a tag with contact details) then we will endeavour to contact you with notice that your animal has been impounded.
If the animal is microchipped, it is required to remain in Council custody for a period of 14 days, unless recovered by the owner.
If Council cannot find a microchip on the animal, it will remain impounded for a minimum of seven (7) days to give the owner an opportunity to collect it.
Prior to any animal leaving the Companion Animal Centre, the prescribed fees including impounding, microchipping and registration (if applicable) will need to be paid.
Unfortunately, the animal may have to be sold or destroyed if it is not claimed.
All enquiries regarding impounding should be directed to Council on 02 7955 7777.
We are committed to animal welfare and the futures of the animals that we have to impound. When the owners of an animal cannot be traced, or the animal cannot be returned to them, we try our best to find the pet a new loving home.
If you wish to adopt a dog or cat please contact us or one of the various rescue groups listed below:
Council rangers will pick up pets that are wandering around without an owner present.
If your pet is found by a ranger, it will be scanned for a microchip, and if found, the ranger will contact you and make arrangements for it to be returned home.
If the ranger can’t make contact with the owner, which can happen if your details aren’t updated, or the animal is not microchipped, it will be taken to the Companion Animal Centre. Our primary aim is to return animals to their owners. All animals that are microchipped with up-to-date details are returned to their owners as soon as possible, without needing to go to the Companion Animal Centre.
You can keep your best mate safe, by microchipping and registering.
All MidCoast Council Companion Animal Centres meet the requirements of the NSW Animal Welfare Code of Practice No 5 - Dogs and cats in animal boarding establishments. This code of practice sets out how animals should be housed – including the construction, size, drainage, temperature, lighting and ventilation.
All MidCoast Council rangers are well qualified, and have received the training required under the above Code of Practice and the Work Health Safety ACT 2011.
Companion Animal Centre fees
There is a charge to release an animal from the Companion Animal Centre. This is because there is a cost involved in housing an animal, including food and care. Fees are charged on a daily basis, so the sooner an animal is claimed, the less it costs.
If your pet is at our Companion Animal Centre, you will need to fill in a release form and pay this fee before it is released.
The NSW Companion Animals Act requires all impounded animals be microchipped and lifetime registered prior to release from a Companion Animal Centre (at the owner’s expense). We are unable to waiver these fees, however desexed animals are cheaper to register.
We've been questions about the operation of our Council Companion Animal Centre. Below you'll find the answers to most of the questions we've heard. Expand the accordions below to find out more information.
Can I adopt an animal from the Companion Animal Centre?
Yes, you can adopt an animal from our Companion Animal Centre, please visit our Lost Animal Register to see what animals are available for adoption.
We also work closely with several organisations to rehome suitable animals from our Companion Animal Centre. If you are interested in a rehomed animal, contact can be made directly with the following:
Under the Companion Animals Act 1998 all animals need to be microchipped and desexed before they can be adopted out.
How are animals cared for at the Companion Animal Centre?
All animals in the Companion Animal Centre are cared for by Council staff on a daily basis. We don’t have specific times or time limits on when our staff attend the Companion Animal Centre, a number of factors affect this: how many animals are in the centre, other demands on ranger time. However, all animals are adequately cared for, and checked on at least twice daily. The centre really is a place of last resort which keeps animals safe and cared for until their owners can be located. If animals are microchipped – our rangers return them to their home address first, so they don’t end up at the Companion Animal Centre.
We understand members of the community are concerned about the heat at the pound during the middle of summer, however both the inside and outside temperatures are constantly monitored.
Dogs have access to shaded areas and a continuous supply of water, while cats are housed in an air conditioned area.
Our Companion Animal Centre meet the requirements of the NSW Animal Welfare Code of Practice No 5 - Dogs and cats in animal boarding establishments. This code of practice sets out how animals should be housed – including the construction, size, drainage, temperature, lighting and ventilation.
Why can’t I volunteer at the Companion Animal Centre?
Q: Why can’t I volunteer at the Companion Animal Centre?
A: Unfortunately, our Companion Animal Centre facilities are not public places and do not operate in the same manner as animal shelters.
Our Companion Animal Centres are managed strictly in accordance with the Companion Animals Act 1998 and are operated in accordance with the ‘NSW Animal Welfare Code of Practice No 5 - Dogs and cats in animal boarding establishments’.
Because our facilities at times deal with dogs which have had to be removed from their owners because they are a threat, only well trained staff and our accredited rehoming partners are permitted within the pound.
This is both a requirement of the NSW Animal Welfare Code of Practice No 5 - Dogs and cats in animal boarding establishments and the Work Health Safety ACT 2011.
I’d like to make a donation to the Companion Animal Centre – what would help?
We understand members of the community would like to provide donations to support those animals in the Companion Animal Centre. While we appreciate this, we can only accept certain items.
The most useful thing to donate is blankets and towels to assist during the winter months.
The best thing all members of the community can do is to ensure their animals are microchipped and details are kept up to date – this will assist us in returning animals to their owners and not needing to take them to the Companion Animal Centre.
Why do animals end up at the Companion Animal Centre?
Our primary aim is to return animals to their owners. All animals that are microchipped with up-to-date details are returned to their owners as soon as possible, without needing to go to the Companion Animal Centre.
Our facilities deal with dogs which have been surrendered due to various circumstances, removed from their owners because they are a threat or dogs that are dumped, without any identification and are not microchipped.
If you don't update your address details on the register when you move, we can't return your pet, and it will go to the Companion Animal Centre.
Why do I have to pay to get my animal out of the Companion Animal Centre?
There is a charge to release an animal from the Companion Animal Centre. This is because there is a cost involved in housing an animal, including food and care.
Fees are charged on a daily basis, so the sooner an animal is claimed, the less it costs.
If your pet is at the Companion Animal Centre, you will need to fill in a release form and pay this fee before it is released.
The NSW Companion Animals Act requires all impounded animals be microchipped and lifetime registered prior to release from a pound (at the owner’s expense). Council is unable to waiver these fees, however desexed animals are cheaper to register.
What is the address for the Companion Animal Centre?
If you would like to arrange a visit to the Companion Animal Centre, please contact our Rangers for further information at rangers@midcoast.nsw.gov.au.
Click here to see the list of animals currently in our Companion Animal Centre.