Animal Holding Facility

1. What is an Expression of Interest (EOI)?

   An EOI registers the customer’s intent to purchase the animal once the holding period has expired.
   The Animal Holding Facility (AHF) impounds stray cats and dogs. In an effort to reunite them with their owners there are mandatory holding periods that the AHF has to hold animals for before the animal can be offered for sale. The mandatory holding times are 7 days for animals which are not identified to an owner and 14 days for animals identified to an owner.
   To enable Council to ensure the timely rehoming of unclaimed animals, during the mandatory holding period, customers are able to place an Expression of Interest (EOI) to purchase an animal should the animal not be reclaimed by its owner.

2. What happens after an EOI has been placed on an animal?

   All EOI’s are kept and filed in order of date and time received. The AHF will contact the successful customer after the mandatory holding period. Initially the successful customer is deemed to be the individual whose EOI is received first (refer to Question 3 for further explanation). Should the successful customer no longer want the animal and there are multiple EOI’s placed on an animal, AHF staff will work through the list of EOI’s based on when they were received and contact customers accordingly.

3. How is the successful customer determined?

   In most circumstances the first customer to lodge an EOI will be offered first chance to purchase. However, an expression of interest placed on an animal does not guarantee exclusive rights to that animal. Council reserves final say as to the rehoming of the animal or withdrawal from sale.

4. How can I place an EOI on a companion animal held at the AHF?

   There are a number of ways in which an EOI can be placed:
   Forms can be completed in person at the AHF
   b. Forms can be downloaded from Council’s Pets on Line website and sent to the AHF via mail, fax or email.
   Council strongly encourages prospective owners to go to the AHF to interact with any animal they may be considering purchasing and discuss with staff before submitting an EOI.

5. How will the date and time received be determined?
   

   The date and time received will be determined as follows:

   1. Date and time received over counter at AHF
   2. Date and time tag on online submissions, emails or faxes
   3. Date and time mail is received by Council’s Central Records section. 

6. Will there be a limit on the amount of EOI’s received on an animal?

   No.

7. Can I place an EOI on more than one animal at a time?

   Yes.

8. Will unsuccessful customers be advised?

   Customers are able to advise on the EOI application form if they would like to be contacted should their EOI be unsuccessful.

9. What about an animal that isn’t within its holding period?

   Animals that are held at the AHF after the mandatory holding period has expired are available for immediate sale.

10. If my EOI is successful will the animal be desexed through the AHF?

    As part of Blacktown City Councils commitment to responsible pet ownership, all animals sold from the AHF are microchipped, registered, desexed and vaccinated before leaving the AHF.

11. What fees are charged under the EOI system?

    You will be required to pay the prescribed fee as set out in Councils goods and services pricing schedule (as amended). As part of Blacktown City Councils commitment to responsible pet ownership the animal will be microchipped, registered, desexed and vaccinated before the animal leaves the AHF.
    In rare cases you may be expressing an interest in a dog that Council considers could possibly be of a restricted breed type. If this is the case you will be given a Notice of Intent to Declare the Dog as a Restricted Breed Type Dog when you purchase.
    This notice will require you to have the dogs breed assessed and if necessary also its temperament assessed. These costs are not Council or Government charges but are related to fees charged by private breed and temperament assessors who are listed by the NSW Government, Division of Local Government of the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

12. What happens if the original owner comes forward after the animal has been rehomed with a new owner?

    Animals that are not reclaimed by their owners during the mandatory holding period become the property of Blacktown City Council. Only these animals are offered for sale. Once sold to a new owner the previous owner has no claim to the animal.

There are mandatory holding periods for animals impounded at the Animal Holding Facility.

• When an animal is microchipped or identified by another means (e.g. collar and tag), Council must hold the animal for 14 days for the owner to collect. During this time Council will attempt to contact the owner by whatever contact details are available.

• Animals unable to be identified to an owner must be held for 7 days to allow the owner to collect them.

Thank you very much for trying to help us rehome as many animals as we can. There are two ways you can place your name on an animal.

• If you find an animal you wish to rehome should we be unable to, please contact the Animal Holding Facility and have a hold placed on the animal in your name. Be sure to have the impound number handy. Council staff will contact you if unable to gain any other interest for the animal. Should more than one organisation place an interest on an animal, AHF staff will contact organisations in chronological order of when the holds were placed.

• Should you wish to utilise the EOI process please be advised that you do so in the same way that a member of the public would and you will be charged the fixed sale price and any additional fees such as microchipping and lifetime registration may also be applicable.

Companion animal owners are able to voluntarily surrender their cat or dog to Council's Holding Facility upon the completion of a surrender form. Fees are applicable for the use of this service.

Blacktown residents may opt to voluntarily surrender their cat or dog at their place of residence. Cats must be securely contained in a box or basket that provides adequate ventilation. A surrender form must be completed at the time of removal. Fees are applicable for the use of this service.

Private rehoming

Council understands pet owner may sometimes experience a sad or drastic change in their life circumstances that forces them to consider having to surrender their animal. Whilst we will accept an animal for a prescribed fee and do our best to rehome the animal, we urge pet owners to exhaust all avenues of rehoming their pet privately, if time allows, before contacting us to surrender their animal.

Rehoming advice

• Your pet MUST be microchipped before being given away or sold and a change of owner form must be filled out, signed and returned to Council. Alternatively visit the NSW Pet Registry to update the change of owner information.

• Ensure all vet work is up to date including vaccinations, desexing and worming. Have the records ready to give to the new owner.

• Take some clear, bright recent photographs of the animal displaying its personality and cute quirks.

• Write up some information about the pet including temperament, whether socialised and friendly with children, cats and other animals, any health issues or medical history, toilet training, favourite foods.

• Promote heavily via social media and websites such as Gumtree and Trading Post.

• Ask your friends and family and ask them to share the information within their networks.

• Share a photo message to all of your phone contacts and ask them to share it along.

• Try advertising in local businesses, community boards, doggy day care groups, vet clinics and other local bulletin boards.

All companion animals sold from the Animal Holding Facility must be desexed prior to the sale being completed. For animals too young to desex, new owners will be provided with vouchers to enable desexing and registration at a later date.

Impounded livestock that are not claimed by their owner will be sold by public auction at the animal holding facility. All auctions are advertised on Council's Animal Holding Facility Facebook page the week prior to the auction.

Companion Animals held at the Animal Holidng Facility are in two categories

1. Animals that are being held for their mandatory holding period of 7 or 14 days, for these animals you will need to complete an Expression of Interest(EOI)
2. Animals that are being held after their mandatory holding period has expired (Due Out date).These animals, if assessed as suitable for rehoming, are available for immediate sale.

Council encourages customers who are considering to buy an animal to come in and interact with the animal that you are interested in before purchasing or placing an EOI.

For the purchase of cats and dogs that are within their mandatory holding period Council operates under an Expression of Interest (EOI) system. If you see a cat or dog you like, you are welcome to submit an EOI to purchase that animal.

The sale fees are set out in Councils goods and services pricing schedule (as amended), pages 144-146 Sale of companion animals. All cats and dogs are sold microchipped, lifetime registered, desexed, vaccinated and vet checked.

Expressions of Interest for purchasing animals (other than livestock)

If you would like to place an Expression of interest (EOI) for an animal, the application form will need to be completed. To complete the form you will need to be aware of the following information:

1. When looking to purchase an animal from the Animal Holding Facility (AHF) please refer to the animal's due out date. Only submit an expression of interest where the animals due out date has not expired. If the due out date has expired the animal is available for immediate sale.

2. To complete the EOI application, please ensure you have the animal's impound number and breed. This information is provided against each animal below.

3. Council strongly encourages prospective owners to visit the AHF to interact with any animal they may be considering purchasing and discuss any queries with staff before submitting an EOI.

Should you be the first to express an interest on an animal, the AHF will contact you after the mandatory holding period has expired and you will be offered the opportunity to purchase the animal.

In rare cases you may express an interest in a dog that Council considers could possibly be of a restricted breed type. If this is the case you will be given a Notice of Intent to Declare the Dog as a Restricted Breed Type Dog when you purchase.

This notice will require you to have the dogs breed assessed and if necessary also its temperament assessed. These fees are not Council or Government charges but are related to fees charged by private breed and temperament assessors who are listed by the NSW Government, Division of Local Government of the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Please note that Council, in all circumstances, reserves final say as to the rehoming of the animal or the withdrawal from sale.

Council also advises customers that animals purchased from the AHF may not have been inoculated against disease and Council is unable to guarantee that animals will be free from hidden disease or internal/external parasites. Animals are purchased at the customers own risk. Council recommends having the animal's health checked by a veterinarian within twenty four (24) hours of purchase. Should the animal die or be diagnosed with a life threatening illness/disease customers must contact the AHF within forty eight (48) hours of purchase. Purchase costs may be refunded upon provision of a veterinary certificate detailing the animal's condition. Council will not be held responsible for any veterinary fees incurred.