Animal lovers urged to 'adopt not shop' this Christmas

With Christmas almost upon us, the NSW Government is encouraging Central Coast residents to welcome a new furry friend into their home by adopting, not shopping.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast and Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch visited the Central Coast Animal Care Facility at Erina today to spread the message.

“We know at Christmas time people often welcome a new pet into their families or give a cat or dog as a gift to a loved one,” Mr Crouch said.

“The Central Coast has one of NSW’s highest rates of pet ownership, so we’re asking people to ‘adopt not shop’ and provide a forever family to furry friends in need.

“As well as being fantastic new companions, rehoming abandoned or lost cats and dogs has the added benefit of reducing the burden on pounds and shelters.

“The Central Coast Animal Care Facility at Erina is very proud to have a no-kill policy and plays an incredibly important role in caring for and rehoming lost and surrendered animals.”

Mr Crouch said there are three important steps of responsible pet ownership – microchipping, desexing and registering.

“People adopting a rescue cat or dog can also benefit from a 50 per cent discount on lifetime pet registration fees, courtesy of the NSW Government,” Mr Crouch said.

“Since 2015, more than 54,000 pet owners in NSW have saved close to $1.5 million in discounted pet registration fees.”

Minister for Local Government Shelley Hancock said the ‘adopt not shop’ message was particularly relevant given the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in a large spike in new pets and additional pressure on pounds and shelters.

“It’s no surprise that people have turned to pets for comfort amid these challenging and uncertain times, as you cannot overstate the bond and companionship they bring to their owners,” Mrs Hancock said.

For more information, go to: www.olg.nsw.gov.au/public/dogs-cats/.