Lost and found dogs and cats
Missing dogs and cats
If you have lost your dog or cat, please consider the following:
Ensure your pet's details are up to date on Dogs and Cats Online and all contact phone numbers are current. If you have failed to register you dog or cat, please ensure your animal's microchip details are updated on their relevant microchip database and:
- contact council to notify us of your missing dog or cat 8416 6333
- check our Facebook page for recently impounded animals
- contact the Animal Welfare League on 8348 1300
- contact the RSPCA on 1300 477 722
- notify local and nearby veterinary clinics
- notify neighbouring councils
- check social media Facebook 'lost pet' pages
- place an advertisement in the paper stating the breed, sex, colour, age, any identification, where and when your dog or cat was lost and your phone number
- put a notice in your local supermarket or deli
- ask at your local school and shopping centre.
How we help
We make every effort to reunite wandering dogs and owners as quickly as possible.
We check:
- registration discs and ID tags
- microchip number, and search all national microchip databases for owner contact information
- our lost dog register
- social media Facebook 'lost pet' pages.
We display impounded dog notices:
Dogs whose owners cannot be contacted will be held at our impound facility. Dogs must be claimed within 72 hours of being impounded or they become the property of the council.
Currently there is no legislative requirement for council to address stray or un-owned cats. If you have lost your cat, you can contact the Animal Welfare League on 8348 1300 or the RSPCA on 1300 477 722 during their opening hours to check whether it has been taken to the shelter.
If you find a stray dog
During office hours
Report it to us immediately on 8416 6333. An authorised officer will collect the dog and return it to their owner or impound it at an approved facility for suitable care until the owner can be located. Do not remove any identification.
Outside of office hours
If the dog can be securely confined within West Torrens (our council area), report it to us on 8416 6333. Council's afterhours service line will answer and direct your enquiry through to the appropriate channel. Dogs that are found outside of West Torrens should be reported to the relevant council it was found in.
Please note:
Officers are not able to respond to reports of dogs wandering at large (running loose) outside of business hours. If you see a dog wandering at large that has not been captured or contained (e.g. on a leash or in a secure yard) you can contact the afterhours service and notification will be provided to us the following business day.
Officers are rostered between 8am and 8pm, 7 days a week (including public holidays and weekends) and will only attend to if a dog has been securely confined during these hours. For other options, please consider:
- Confining the dog (i.e. in a secure yard) ensuring it has access to water and appropriate shelter.
- Checking Facebook 'lost pet' pages to see if someone has reported the dog you have as missing (i.e. Lost Pets of South Australia).
- Taking the dog to a 24/7 vet clinic to be microchip scanned and, possibly, reunited with its owner.
- Taking the dog to the RSPCA or AWL shelter to be microchip scanned.
Abandoned animals
It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 1985 (Formerly Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1985) to abandon a dog or cat. Severe penalties apply. View the Animal Welfare Act 1985. If you are unable or unwilling to care for your dog or cat, please contact your local animal shelter to discuss surrender options.
If you wish to report animals that have been abandoned or cruelty concerns relating to mistreatment, harming animals, not providing owned animals with adequate food, water or shelter, please report the matter to RSPCA SA on 1300 477 722 or SAPOL on 131 444. Council officers are not legally authorised to investigate or respond to abandoned or abused animals.
Deceased animals
If you find a deceased animal and it is located on council land (i.e. a council owned road, reserve, park) contact us on 8416 6333 to make a report. You can also report this online using the 'general request' section.
To help our staff locate the animal, please provide details of the street, suburb and a locator (i.e a landmark) so that we can more easily identify the location. Staff will attend the area to remove the animal, which will then be scanned for a microchip (all domestic cats and dogs are scanned). If the animal is microchipped, we will notify the owner.