Merryn Benham is the Environmental Health and Compliance Coordinator for the council, and says that pet owners need to be aware of their responsibility.

"If a dog escapes from its yard or runs off, any damage or harm it causes is the owner's responsibility," she said in a statement released by council.

"Dog owners are liable if their dog attacks a person or another animal ... Neglecting this basic responsibility as an owner could land dogs and owners in trouble as Council Officers and police have had to tend to 40 dog attack investigations since 1 July 2020."

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Michelle Noga from the Yoogali Veterinary Centre had some tips for owners to make sure they were acting in their four-legged friends best interests- keeping them and others safe.

She noted that the tips didn't help with stray animals, which are still a problem Griffith is contending with.

Top of the list was to microchip, and register the details with a local vet. Miss Noga said that they would often see animals come in with chips still registered to a breeder, even animals up to eight years old.

"Animals are microchipped as puppies, but it's up to the owners to get them registered," she said.

Ms Benham agreed on the importance of microchipping.

"It is a very safe and low-cost procedure that inserts a rice-sized microchip containing an identification number in between your pet's shoulders."

With an alarming number of lost and found dogs appearing on social media pages, collars can make the difference between getting your animal back directly and them spending some time in the pound.

"Collars are also really important. If your animal is collared, someone who picks them up can contact you directly rather than them going to the pound first," Miss Noga said.

She added that cats can be harder to collar than dogs. "It's trickier with cats, cats always seem to get collars off."

Miss Noga's third tip was that they always see an influx of escapees during storms or fireworks, and to be aware of your animals needs during these times.

"Storms and fireworks definitely really scare animals away, so we see an influx of animals escaping. Put them in a quiet and dark room, they're less likely to escape or hurt themselves," she said.

"If you go to a vet, we can also help with anti-anxiety medication or there are some great products that we can help with."

Her final tip was for the feline-oriented among us.

"There's a lot of Feline AIDS around Griffith, it's spread through fighting. When people's cats go out, they can fight with strays so we urge people to be aware," she said.

"You can vaccinate against it but it's not cheap. If a cat does get in a fight, we recommend testing for it and vaccinating if the test is negative."

It's also strongly encouraged to get your pets desexed early.

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