Have you Lost Your Dog?
Should your dog escape your property or become lost, please contact Council on 8983 0600 to make a lost dog report. Your details will be entered into the lost dog register, which will assist us in identifying you as the owner should your dog be found by Council Rangers.
The following Facebook pages may be helpful as many lost and found dogs are posted on these sites:
- Top End Lost and Found (TELAF)
- Northern Territory Lost Pet Register
- Humpty Doo and Rural Areas Community
Please also refer to our Lost Dogs at Council to see if your dog is in the Council pound.
Please note, the pound opening hours are Monday to Friday 8.30am - 4.00pm. Please contact Council to make an appointment if you are bringing a dog into Council or collecting a dog from Council to ensure the Rangers are available. If you are collecting a dog, proof of ownership is required.
Have You Found a Stray Dog?
If you have found a dog within our area, please contact our office on 8983 0600 as soon as possible and Council Rangers will collect the dog.
All dogs collected by Rangers will be scanned for a microchip and returned to their owner as soon as possible. If an owner cannot be identified or contacted, the dog will be impounded by Rangers and further attempts will be made to locate the dog’s owner. Photos of impounded dogs that have no microchip or other form of identification will be placed in the Impounded Dogs Gallery and posted on the Council Facebook page.
Lost Dogs at Council
Please see the lost dogs gallery for photos of unidentified dogs currently in the Litchfield Council Pound. Please contact Council Rangers on 8983 0600 if you are the owner of one or more of these dogs to arrange a suitable time for collection.
Pound Release Fees
Registered Dog
- First impound (Dog not impounded in the previous 12 months):
- No pound release fee if the dog is retrieved within 24 hours, (daily maintenance fees may apply)
- Second impound within a 12-month period:
- $206.00 (daily maintenance fees may apply)
- Third or subsequent impound within a 12-month period:
- $258.00 (daily maintenance fees may apply)
Unregistered Dog
- Pound Release Fee:
- $258.00 (daily maintenance fees may apply) and
- Registration fee
Daily Maintenance Fees
- $35.00 per day for the first 72 hours
- $70.00 per day for each day after 72 hours
Additional Information
For repeat offences against the Litchfield Council By-Laws, an Infringement Notice (fine) may also be issued.
If the owner of an impounded dog is identified and fails to collect the dog within 72 hours, an Infringement Notice (fine) may be issued for abandoning a dog, in accordance with Dog Management By-Law s31(1).
Unclaimed Lost Dogs
Council is dedicated to keeping dogs out of the pound and reducing euthanasia. Where possible, Council Rangers will reunite registered impounded dogs directly with their owners rather than holding them in the pound.
When a dog is unclaimed and suitable for re-homing, Council will work to give it the best chance of finding a new home. After the required minimum holding period of 72 hours, the dog may be transferred to a re-homing organisation.
Although Council does not arrange direct adoptions from the pound, interested community members are welcome to contact Council Rangers, who can forward their details to rehoming organisations.