The Dog Shelter

Where is the dog shelter?

The dog shelter is located at:

Domestic Animal Services
Mugga Lane
Symonston ACT 2609
Telephone (61 02) 6207 2424

When is the shelter open?

Business hours are:

9.00am to 5.15pm Monday to Friday
8.30am to 4.30pm Saturday
Sundays and Public Holidays CLOSED

How do dogs end up at the shelter?

A dog may end up at the shelter because it is stray or roaming, someone has found it and brought it to the shelter, or because it has been seized by Domestic Animal Services as it may have committed a serious offence, for example, if it is the subject of a dog attack complaint.

What happens if my dog is brought to the shelter?

If your dog has been impounded and is registered or otherwise identified, Domestic Animal Services will contact you to come and collect the animal. You will have to pay an impoundment fee before the animal can be released, and if your dog has committed an offence you may also have to pay a fine.

If your dog has been impounded and is not registered or identified, Domestic Animal Services will not be able to contact you. Dogs that have not been claimed by their owners are held for one week. After this time they can either be sold, re-housed or euthanised.

If your dog has been impounded because it has been seized by Domestic Animal Services, you will not be able to collect it from the shelter. Domestic Animal Services will hold the dog pending any necessary investigation of the events leading to the seizure, and will continue to hold the dog if prosecution is necessary.

What do I do if I lose my dog?

To check if your lost dog has been brought to the dog shelter, contact Domestic Animal Services, on (02) 6207 2424. As the description of your dog you provide Domestic Animals Services with might not match the description given to the dog at the shelter, you might wish to visit the shelter in person to make sure that your dog is not at the shelter.

If Domestic Animal Services does not have your dog, you might wish to contact the RSPCA, on telephone (02) 6287 8100 to check if it has been dropped off at their animal shelter.

In addition, local radio stations and local veterinary surgerys can be contacted in an effort to locate your dog.

What do I do if I find a stray dog?

If you do find a stray dog, you should contact Domestic Animal Services so that the dog can be collected by a Domestic Animal Services inspector and taken to the shelter.

What is the best way to ensure that I get my dog back from the shelter?

The best way to ensure that you get your dog back from the shelter is to keep it registered, so that Domestic Animal Services will be able to identify you as its owner by using its unique registration number.

You may also wish to use additional identification, such as a microchip implant. The advantage of microchipping is that unlike a registration tag, an inserted microchip cannot be lost.

In general, the more identification that your dog wears, the better the chance that Domestic Animal Services will be able to contact you if the dog is brought to the shelter.