New South Wales Consolidated Acts

COMPANION ANIMALS ACT 1998 - SECT 63

63 Owner of seized or surrendered animal to be notified

(1) When a seized animal is delivered to a council pound or approved premises, the person in charge of the pound or premises is to give notice of the seizure of the animal to the person who appears (from the best endeavours of the person in charge to establish who the owner is) to be the owner of the animal. Notice of seizure need not be given if those best endeavours fail to establish the name and address of the owner of the animal.

(1A) When a surrendered animal (other than an animal surrendered by its owner) comes into the possession of a council pound, the person in charge of the pound is to give notice of the possession of the animal to the person who appears (from the best endeavours of the person in charge to establish who the owner is) to be the owner of the animal. Notice of possession need not be given if those best endeavours fail to establish the name and address of the owner of the animal.

(2) Without limiting the requirement that the person in charge of a pound or approved premises use his or her best endeavours to establish who the owner of an animal is, the person must make the following inquiries--

(a) inquiries to determine whether the animal is registered or identified as required by this Act and, if so, a search of the Register to find the name and address of the owner of the animal,

(b) inquiries based on any form of identification worn by the animal,

(c) such other inquiries as the regulations may require be made.

(3) The notice required by this section is to be in writing and is to be given--

(a) by being served personally on the person to whom it is required to be given, or

(b) by sending it by post to the person to whom it is required to be given at that person's address, being the address shown in the Register as the address of the owner or at such other address as appears to the person who gives the notice to be the owner's address, or

(c) by leaving it with some other person for the person to whom it is required to be given at that person's address.

(4) The regulations may impose requirements on the form and contents of the notice required by this section and may provide for other ways in which the notice can be served.