Pet registration helps Maggie reunite with her owners

Published on 04 October 2017

Maggie the kelpie has been reunited with her owners just hours after she was discovered missing, highlighting the value of registering pets.

The valuable and loved family sheep dog was delivered back to her owners Colin and Dot Silke after they discovered she was missing recently.

Loddon Shire Local Laws/Planning Compliance Officer David Price said he noticed Maggie on the side of the Calder Highway near Bridgewater early on a Wednesday morning.

“With no houses close by, the dog was obviously lost and didn’t seem sure as to which way she should head home,” Mr Price said.

“Later that morning Maggie’s owner phoned Council on the off chance that someone may have handed her in. She had wandered off the previous night and despite a thorough search, was nowhere to be found.

“The description of Maggie and the general area where she was last sighted matched where we had found her. Thankfully, because Maggie was registered, we were able to reunite her with her family within a few hours of being picked up, with no cost to the owners.”

“We were very grateful to get her back,” Mr Silke said. “She’s a very valuable sheep dog and part of the family. She’s pretty clever – a bit too clever at times.

“The fact that Council picked her up and we were able to get her back so quickly shows the value of the role of Local Laws in the Shire. It also shows the value of having your dog registered.”

Council’s Acting Director Operations Peter Cownley said the return of Maggie to her owners showed the value of registering pets.

“As can be seen by the story of Maggie, registering your pet ensures that if it becomes lost, we can reunite your pet with you and your family as quickly as possible,” he said.

Existing pet registrations are due for renewal on the 10 April each year. For more information on registering your pet, visit www.loddon.vic.gov.au or phone Council’s Local Laws department on 5494 1200.