Four-year-old vizsla Sascha and her pal Rudi enjoy exploring their home paddocks on long walks together. But when she decided to bolt while still on the lead on a Saturday evening at the Bellbrae farm, her owners feared the worst.
“On this occasion, my husband was holding her on the lead and he lost grasp,” owner Glenys said. “The dogs saw their chance and off both dogs went.
“I drove around the farm looking. A couple of hours later Rudi showed up, but no Sascha. I drove around the farm again and still no sign of her. I called and called for her, hoping she was still nearby. I was very concerned that a snake had bitten her.”
When Glenys started to think that Sascha might be injured, Surf Coast Shire Council ranger Paul drove up to the property with Sascha in the back of his wagon.
“I was very relieved to see her,” Glenys said. “The story was that some people about 6km away had seen both dogs. Rudi ran off and returned home, but they caught Sascha and called the ranger.”
Council’s Ranger Services team was able to quickly reunite Sascha with her owners because she was registered and microchipped.
“The ranger was great. I was very pleased he brought Sascha straight home, and she was still wearing her lead and collar,” Glenys said.
“She gets good long walks three times per day around the farm. Outside of those, I’ve since been trying doubly hard to keep her inside the house or in our long-run pen.”
Council’s annual animal registration renewal notices will be distributed in March. All dogs and cats over three months old who live in the Surf Coast Shire must be registered.
“Glenys and Sascha’s story highlights why it’s important to register your pet, as it helps our rangers return lost pets to their owners,” Councillor Adrian Schonfelder said.
“Registration fees mean Council can deliver a range of animal management services, including patrols, running the dog pound, and purchasing equipment such as cat cages.
“The fees also contribute to the after-hours service, which is what enabled Paul to get Sascha home safely.”
Council’s recently-adopted Domestic Animal Management Plan encourages people to ‘take the lead’ and be responsible pet owners.
“While developing the plan, we heard that registration fees was one of the top five difficulties for pet owners,” Cr Schonfelder said.
“If you receive your registration bill and you’re experiencing hardship, please know that you can reach out for a confidential chat by phone (5261 0600) or email (info@surfcoast.vic.gov.au).”
Council will continue to provide a 12-month free registration to adopted animals.
Animal registration renewals are due annually on 10 April.
Learn more via surfcoast.vic.gov.au/PetRegistration.