Animal Aid team member Chloe MacKinnon celebrates the centre’s lowest intake of pets over the New Year period, in a decade.
By Monique Ebrington
DESPITE it raining cats and dogs on New Year’s eve, the staff at Animal Aid in Coldstream toasted to the lowest number of pets bought into the shelter over the festive weekend.
Animal Aid spokesperson Debra Boland said staff members were braced for the regular deluge of cats and dogs pouring in through the pound gates.
She said annually many dogs and cats fled their homes in fright, due to fireworks or thunderstorms.
“This year we only had 22 dogs in over the entire New Year’s weekend,” said Ms Boland.
“And only 14 of these were during the 24 hours of the first of January – it’s unprecedented.”
She said the shelter usually prepares for around 70 to 80 animals over the New Year’s weekend.
And with the forecasted thunderstorm, they didn’t expect the last day of 2009 to be any different to other years.
She said staff members were shocked when they took in the lowest number of pets, over the first four days of the year, in 10 years.
Ms Boland said she was also impressed that 18 of the animals bought into the shelter had some form of identification, such as registration, a name tag or they had been micro-chipped.
She said that this New Year had highlighted the importance of having up-to-date identification on family pets.
“It just made the whole process so much easier,” she said.
“The dogs weren’t sitting there for a week while their owners were still on holidays.
“In many cases identification can also cut out the middle man.
“The ranger can scan the animal and contact the owner, removing the need for the owner to have to come and pick up their animal from us.”
She said shire rangers also worked diligently over New Year’s to return many identifiable dogs home, rather than being taken straight to the shelter.
Residents who have lost a pet or need more information on micro-chipping are encouraged to contact Animal Aid on 9739 0300.
