Animal Ranger Service and After Hours Animal Management Service

Council's Animal Rangers offer a wide variety of services to the community, including an after-hours service for emergency animal situations.

Please note: The Shepparton Animal Shelter closes 12 noon on Wednesday 24 December 2025 and will reopen at 10am on Monday 5 January 2026. See operating hours and changed conditions for Council services during this time.

The Shepparton Animal Shelter is currently at capacity with a large number of cats and kittens and will be unable to accept stray or trapped cats from Thursday 4 December 2025 until Tuesday 6 January 2026. Please do not trap stray cats during this time. If you have a sick or injured stray cat at your property, please contact Councils After Hours emergency service via telephone 5832 9700 for advice.

For any animal emergency, please contact Council's After Hours Animal Management service on 03 5832 9700.

During this period, staff will be working to care for the animals and where possible, reunite lost animals with their owners via appointments. If you wish to report your lost animal or believe your animal may be at the shelter, please contact Council via the phone number above and follow the prompts to Council's After Hours Animal Management service.

If you wish to apply to adopt an animal, please submit your Adoption Application online and staff will review applications after 5 January 2026.

Animal Management Service

Council's Animal Rangers are able to investigate and commence legal action on a variety of domestic animal related issues during Council business hours.

Issues include (but are not limited to):

  • wandering livestock;
  • wandering dogs;
  • dog attacks;
  • dangerous dogs;
  • animal cruelty;
  • animal welfare;
  • nuisance animals; and/or
  • excess animals.

To register a request or complaint, please contact Council on (03) 5832 9700 or visit the Council office, 90 Welsford Street Shepparton during office hours.

Requests can also be submitted online. Please do not submit requests regarding emergency situations or urgent requests via the website or email as these may not be received in a timely manner. Urgent requests include dog attacks, dogs wandering, livestock wandering, and animal welfare concerns.

After Hours Animal Management Service

Council offers an emergency after hours ranger service from 5pm to 8.15am Monday to Friday and all hours of the weekend, to deal with Animal Management emergencies, including:

  • livestock on Council-controlled roads
  • dog attacks
  • injured animals
  • other situations deemed by an authorised officer to be an emergency.

For an emergency please contact Council on (03) 5832 9700, and to report an animal emergency, please press 1. If you wish to report a local laws emergency, please press 2.

Non-emergency situations including enquiries for the Animal Shelter and reports of uncontained dogs are dealt with during business hours and will not be attended to by our after hours service.

Please report non emergencies by calling (03) 5832 9700 during business hours.