Lost dogs and cats

How to make sure we can identify your pet if it goes missing

To help us reunite you with your pet in the event it becomes lost, make sure your pet:

• is always wearing its registration tag
• is microchipped, and that the microchip information is kept accurate and up-to-date at all times. To update microchip details go to the Central Animal Records website. 

It is also a good idea to put a tag on your pet’s collar with your phone number and/or address.

When your dog or cat may be taken to the pound

Dogs or cats may be taken to the Lost Dogs Home in Cranbourne if they are:

• found wandering
• are not securely confined to a property
• are not registered with us
• have out-of-date microchip details, or
• the owners cannot be contacted.  

Council officers consider a range of factors before impounding an animal, including:

• whether it is registered
• whether your pet has been out wandering before
• prior warnings issued for wandering or nuisance behaviour
• the time of day or night it is wandering.

What happens to animals taken to the pound?

Animals in the pound are held for about 8 days before being transferred to the Lost Dogs’ Home, where their health and character is assessed. Suitable animals will be put up for adoption; others will be put to sleep. 

What to do if your dog or cat is missing

Please follow these steps: 

1. Update your pet's microchip details.

If you have recently moved or changed your contact details, update the microchip details as soon as possible on the Central Animal Registry website

2. Contact the Lost Dogs' Home 

Call the Lost Dogs' Home in Cranbourne on 9702 8055 to ask if your pet is there. You can also do an online search on their website using the button link below. Keep checking in regularly, as this is where our officers take lost animals.

Search for a missing dog or cat on the Lost Dogs’ Home website 

3. Contact Council 

Call us on 1300 787 624 to report your missing pet. 

Report a wandering dog or cat

If you have found a dog or cat that is lost, call us on 1300 787 624 to report it or complete our online request form.