This was announced by the Veterinary Office and Animal Shelter on Tuesday. Some of the newcomers were taken into care because their owners were either ill or had passed away. The others were found in the city. According to the announcement, the low return rate is particularly noticeable.

Of around 300 found dogs, only about half were picked up again, and for over 1,100 cats, only about a quarter. Many animals are chipped but not correctly registered. This significantly complicates a return, it was said.

"Every Found Dog Previously Had a Home"

"There are no stray dogs in Vienna, every found dog previously had a home. For many cats, we can also say based on their behavior and condition that they belonged to people," reported Ruth Jily, the head of the Veterinary Office. The found animal service is available around the clock, but it is often not contacted.

"We must therefore unfortunately assume that some animals are not being searched for or, in the worst case, were even abandoned," she explained. However, this is not a trivial offense, as emphasized. Abandoning animals can be punished with fines of up to 7,500 euros.

(APA/Red)

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