Chappy and Prince, two fine-looking Kelpie crosses, gaze out at the camera.

Prince has a pleading look in his eyes. He wants a home, with some lovely human companions to play with him, to love and be loved by.

They both do, because it’s getting a bit boring in the Lismore Pound, now that all the other dogs have been adopted out.

Two weeks ago the Pound was at capacity – nine dogs in all, an unusual state of affairs, according to Lismore City Council’s senior law enforcement officer Jody Hinds.

“It might happen once or twice a year, if that,” he says, and only when a range of circumstances come together.

That might include February’s heavy rains, which could have knocked down fences and let dogs run off. That wouldn’t matter if the dog’s microchip was current, Jody says, but when people change address, or get a new phone, they can forget to update the details on their pet’s microchip, extending the time before they can be re-united.

In the rare cases of dogs not being micro-chipped at all, they are kept for seven days before efforts are made to re-house them; owners of micro-chipped dogs have 14 days to locate their four-legged friends.

The two kelpies have the Pound to themselves now because following a Facebook call-out about the facility’s full-house, two of their mates were re-homed and the remaining five and were fostered out through an animal rescue group.

It put the Pound rangers in the slightly awkward position of having just Chappy and Prince left for their Open Day at the end of February.

It was a nice problem to have though, says Jody, because the most satisfying part of the rangers’ job is seeing dogs leave the Pound, ideally to loving new homes, micro-chipped, desexed, vaccinated and registered.

Deciding to take a dog home is a serious matter, Jody says, and his team – all dog devotees themselves – put a lot of time and thought into finding the right match.

“We’re not just dog-catchers, we’re dog lovers trying to break the cycle of a mis-match between human and dog.

“Choosing a dog is not like going to the supermarket and picking something,” he says. “It’s a full adoption process; we talk to prospective owners, find out about their hobbies, their lifestyles, and try to match a chilled dog with a laidback owner, or an active one with someone who likes to exercise.

“We don’t want people making an emotional decision. We’ve got to make sure that it’s a right fit.

“We’re looking for a home where a dog will be loved and cherished for the rest of its life.”

To that end he encourages anyone to come and talk to the rangers at the Pound – and perhaps even join the waiting list for a breed they like.

The Pound is located at the Lismore City Council Recycling and Recovery Centre on Wyrallah Road.