Rawesome Vets · Internal Staff Protocol
Stray Animals Protocol
All Staff
Reception
Administrative
Boarding
Version 1.0 · April 2026 · For internal staff use
Privacy rule: Never reveal an owner's contact details to the finder unless the owner has explicitly authorised it.
Stray Cats
We accept any stray cat brought to the clinic.
- Find out the suburb where the cat was found.
- Scan the cat for a microchip. If chipped, search NSW Pet Registry for owner details. Also check our system — they may already be a client.
- If owner is found: call the numbers on file. Leave a message if no answer.
- If no owner found: complete the Stray Animal form and attach it to the kennel the cat is housed in.
- Contact Hawkesbury City Council on 02 4560 4444 to request a pick-up.
| Situation | What to do |
|---|
| Cat is chipped — owner found on registry | Call owner. Leave message if no answer. Note time of call on Stray Animal form. |
| Cat is chipped — owner not on registry | Complete Stray Animal form. Contact council for pick-up. |
| Cat is not chipped | Complete Stray Animal form. Contact council for pick-up. |
| Owner found but cannot be reached after multiple attempts | Contact council for pick-up. Document all attempts on the form. |
Done looks like this
- Microchip scan completed and result documented
- NSW Pet Registry checked and outcome noted
- Stray Animal form completed and attached to kennel
- Owner contacted (if found) or council contacted (if not) — both documented with time
Stray Dogs
If a caller reports finding a stray dog, advise them to contact the Hawkesbury Companion Animal Shelter on 02 4560 4644 (Mon–Fri 9am–12:30pm and 2pm–4:30pm) — they can take the dog there or request a ranger to collect it.
If the finder is unable or unwilling to do this, advise them to bring the dog to us for scanning.
- Find out the suburb where the dog was found.
- Scan the dog for a microchip. If chipped, search NSW Pet Registry. Also check our system.
- If owner found: contact them to advise the dog is here. Leave a message if no answer. Inform them that if not collected by the following day, a boarding fee will be charged — and if no contact is made, the dog will go to the Animal Shelter.
- If dog is not collected by the following day: contact council for collection.
- If no owner found: complete the Stray Animal form, attach to kennel, and contact council for pick-up.
| Situation | What to do |
|---|
| Dog is showing aggression | Do not attempt to handle. Advise finder to contact council for a ranger immediately. Do not admit the dog. |
| Owner says "I no longer own this dog" | Accept dog into kennel. Complete Stray Animal form. Contact council for collection as soon as possible. |
| Owner found but does not collect by following day | Contact council for collection. A boarding fee applies — charge via OTC in Workflow. |
| Need to charge boarding fee | In Workflow → OTC → search "boarding" for correct pricing. No need to create a new client file. |
Done looks like this
- Microchip scan completed and result documented
- NSW Pet Registry checked and outcome noted
- Owner contacted or council notified — documented with time and date
- Stray Animal form completed and attached to kennel
- If aggressive dog: not admitted, council ranger arranged
Never reveal owner contact details to the finder under any circumstances unless the owner has explicitly said it is OK to do so.
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