Blue Mountains Council Information Regarding Dog Ownership.

The following information is from the Blue Mountains Council Website and copied here for your convenience.

Microchip and register

All pets must be microchipped and registered. This lifetime registration is a two step process:

STEP 1: Take you pet to a Vet to be microchipped by the time it is 12 weeks old. As part of the process, they will add details to the online NSW Pet Registry or complete and send a Permanent Identification Form.

STEP 2: Login and register your dog before they are 6 months old and cats before they are 4 months old. To register you will need to create an account on the NSW Pet Registry. This is a public portal to an online database of microchipped and registered cats and dogs that live in NSW.

To create an account you will need to have your driver's licence, passport or medicare card handy. Alternatively, you can lodge a Lifetime Registration Form with Council. If your Vet has marked your pet's records as desexed or you have a desexing certificate or pensioner card you'll receive a discount.

Transfer and claim ownership

Setup an account or login to NSW Pet Registry to transfer the ownership. The current owner of the pet must transfer ownership first. This is best done on the day that you pick up the new pet. The new owner must then login as soon possible to claim ownership.

Once you have an account you can log back in at any time to keep your contact details and profile up to date. Up to date details give your pet the best chance of being returned home if they are lost or injured.

If you do not have online access you can lodge a Change of Owner / Details Form with Council.

Responsible pet ownership

When you are out an about with your dog, make sure it is leashed and under control. Take your dog to dog friendly and leash free parks. Pick up your dog’s waste so nobody steps in it.

Dogs may be permitted in outdoor dining areas (the business owner decides). They are not allowed inside food consumption or preparation areas, the National Park, wildlife protection areas, school or children’s playgrounds or within 10 metres of children's play equipment. Look out for and observe dog prohibition areas. Fines may apply if your dog is found somewhere it shouldn’t be.

If you have lost a dog or cat

Check around your property and ask your neighbours to do the same. If cats are sick or injured they may lay low and are unlikely to call out. So, look and listen carefully.

If you cannot locate your pet then contact the RSPCA at Katoomba on 4782 2674 (the pound) or your local vet.

If your pet has not been reported contact us and talk to Ranger Services. They regularly patrol areas and will keep a look out. Refer also to the community groups on Facebook - Blue Mountains Lost & Found - Pets & Everything and Blue Mountains PETS Lost & Found.

If you have found a dog or cat

If you find a dog you don’t know wandering off leash, and if it feels comfortable to do so, contain the dog safely. Provide water. Call us and a Ranger will come and scan the dog for its microchip details. If these details are up to date, we will return the dog direct to its owner. If not, we will ensure it gets safely to the pound for later collection.

Ideally, cats should be kept indoors. Particularly at night, with access to outdoor cat enclosures / runs and shelters. If a cat is a pet, it should be microchipped and registered. You can take a lost cat to your local vet or to the RSPCA pound at Katoomba.

Sick or injured pets

If you find a sick or injured cat or dog that you don’t recognise, the best thing to do is to take it to your closest vet.

Collecting your pet from the pound

If your pet has a microchip and Council has your current details, then you can be easily reunited. If you are not contactable then your pet will be taken to the pound at Katoomba RSPCA.

If an impounded dog or cat is microchipped, Council will house the animal at the pound for 14 days while we try to contact you. If the animal is not microchipped, Council will house the animal for 7 days.

To collect your pet from the pound, bring identification or a letter of authority from the owner. All dogs and cats must be microchipped and registered before they will be reunited with you. You will have to pay pound fees. In some cases, owners may also be issued a fine.

Unclaimed pets will be transferred to the RSPCA or another animal welfare agency for re-homing, if suitable.

Other animals

If you find any other stray animals such as horses, cattle, sheep or goats, on or near a road call Ranger services immediately.

If you find a dead animal

If you find a dead animal on public property, report the dead animal to Council for removal. Domestic animals will be scanned for microchip identification and the owners notified. If you find a dead animal on your property, contact your local vet. Council does not remove dead animals from private property.