It wasn’t until Sunday morning that a stressed and scared Bronx was found under the carport after chewing through his rope.

It’s a common occurrence at Tamworth Regional Pound, especially at Christmas when puppies and kittens are given as pets and are not always wanted.

“With this dog it wasn’t the right fit for this family, but our suggestion is if you want to surrender an animal come into the pound during opening hours or ring after hours,” Tamworth council’s regulatory service manager Ross Briggs said.

“Pets are a commitment for life and you need to try before you buy, if there’s an animal at the pound, pet shop or privately that you’re interested in we suggest meeting with the animal and seeing how it gets along with your family.”

Luckily for Bronx a dog rescue group in Queensland has come to his aid and will pick him up to take him to a new family on Wednesday.

But there’s still plenty of dogs and cats at the shelter, and Mr Briggs hopes the pound is the first port of call for families wanting to bring a new pet home.

One of the issues that’s overlooked buying new pets is how it will get along with existing animals.

If possible, pet owners should take their pets to meet the possible new addition before it’s adopted and brought home.

”Just remember that it is a friend for life,” Mr Briggs said.

“You need to look at how active that animal is going to be, what kind of ongoing care it might need and how much exercise to give it.

“It’s a second lease on life for some animals, while it might not have been a good fit for one family doesn’t mean it’s not a good fit for another family.”

Rangers from the pound assess if dogs or cats are suitable for rehoming and will try to find the right match to prevent it needing to be placed elsewhere again.

And, with Christmas and New Years Eve coming up, animal control officers are reminding residents to keep their dogs indoors where they can’t escape during storms or loud noises like fireworks.

Northern Daily Leader