If your pet has strayed or gone missing it can be a very worrying time and also it can be very confusing what to do next so here are a number of important steps you should follow when trying to locate them..
Be aware that if your pet is collected and sent to the Pound you have only five working days in which to claim it after which time the animal may be put to sleep. Over 20,000 animals are put to sleep in the Pounds in Ireland every year and you don’t want your pet becoming another statistic of this sad fact. Also don’t forget your pet may wander over the Clare or Tipperary boundaries so its important to contact all organizations nearby.
Limerick Dog Wardens and Dog Pound at Mungret 061 301604 9.30am to 10.30am Mon- Friday.
Clare Dog Warden Frank Coote 065 6820393
Tipperary North Dog Pound – 067 – 33323
Tipperary South Dog Pound 052 33322
Other important numbers: Limerick Animal Welfare 061 91110 or 087 6371044 or the Limerick Society of prevention of cruelty to animals (061) 415618 – Cruelty inspector is Noel Shinnors on 087 6868145.
Limerick Animal Welfare are on call over the week-end and Bank Holidays when the Dog Wardens are not available. They take in accident cases every weekend and during the holiday periods. They also undertake never to leave an animal injured on the roadway as a result of an accident or emergency and they give priority to calls from Limerick City and County. they have accounts with four Vets in the city and a further four in the county as very often the owners do not come forward to claim responsibility for the injured animals.
Your local veterinary surgeries, kennels & rescue Centres
(Stray dogs are sometimes taken to the vets, if suffering injury,
Boarding kennels or rescue centres. Check with the golden pages
for a list of the ones in your locality and ask each one you ring
for the name of another (they may not all be listed in the book).
Other things that will help
Put up posters offering a reward (Don’t say how much) for the return of your pet, include a photo if at all possible. Don’t describe them by breed everyone has a different idea of what a ‘collie/pointer/setter’ looks like! – keep it simple. Place them in markets, take aways, vets & doctors surgeries, parish & community boards, bus stops and anywhere that people gather. Don’t put your address on flyer and a mobile number or two are preferable than land lines. Don’t go to possible found contact alone bring a friend as sadly it maybe a hoax. By all means offer a reward but don’t state the amount. If you are lucky and find your dog please remember to take the notices down, inform and thank those who helped in the search.
Go to places that you regularly walked your dog. He/she may have just decided to take himself for a walk (though you *should* have a secure garden to prevent this – and also having your dog stolen).
* Contact the city or county council in your area, they all have a service which collects dead animals hit by cars, etc. (sad to think, but better to know) * Contact vets in the area and leave details with them
* Garda Stations: Leave your name, phone number and a description of your dog with the Garda Stations nearest to you (in the surrounding region as well). Drop in a photo as Communication between shifts and other stations isn’t always reliable.
* Contact friends or neighbours who may have seen your pet.
* Post or email a photo and details to the “For Pets Sake” column with full details.
Of course you can be saved the heartache of losing your pet if you remember to have an ID disc on your pet 60% of the dogs which are taken in by shelters are strays and because they have no ID they have little or no chance of being reunited with their owners. You can also now have your pet microchipped a simple procedure which you can talk to your vet about.