February 17, 2009Comments are closed.RSPCA
Good oh! The RSPCA Victoria have realised that it’s going to be impossible to reunite bushfire pets with their families within current deadlines and have started lobbying government to have the state’s nonsensical, pet-killing legislation changed;
Call to ease rules on the killing of lost pets
The RSPCA has called for the easing of regulations which dictate that lost pets must be euthanased if they have not found a home within 28 days, as the animal world continues to reel from the Victorian bushfires.
Maria Mercurio, chief executive of RSPCA Victoria, said usually after eight days the ownership of a lost animal brought to the RSPCA reverted to the organisation.
And I was really pleased to see them taking such proactive action, but then they went and told a little fib;
If the pet was not claimed, or a new home not found, it was euthanased after 28 days in care. In the case of dogs especially, she said, this almost never happened, because they did usually find homes.
And I began to wonder if the rules they’re lobbying to change are the ones which will actually save lives (ie. the ones that would allow them to work with and transfer to, private rescue groups to ensure not only bush fire pets, but all pets have a chance to be rehomed rather than killed for space) or just the rules that allow them to keep the valuable needy bush fire pets for a bit longer to extend the donations help reunite them them with their families;
In the immediate aftermath of the fires, the organisation shifted the animals awaiting adoption from its shelters in Bendigo and Epping, nearest the fires, to the Burwood HQ – to prepare for the influx of stricken animals.
“We needed to free up the shelters for emergency accommodation,” Ms Mercurio said.
However, with this organisation not four months ago calling for compulsory desexing because they were full to capacity, where have all the existing animals gone? And if we’re going to keep all these extra animals, and with no allowances for shelter transfers to external groups, where are any new animals coming in, going to go?
“People are streaming in to the Whittlesea centre talking about the animals they have lost or left behind,” she said. “Others are coming in with animals they have found or have been looking after, or seek help for their animals that have suffered burns.”
“We’re watching people go through phases of grief over their animals.
“Some seem totally traumatised, not knowing where to go or how to begin finding them, desperately hanging on to the hope that their pets can be found.
Presently, there are Victorian rescue groups standing by with capacity, foster carers are banging down the doors and millions of dollars in donations are flooding in. There is no reason for any pet to be euthanased due to lack of resources now or in the coming months. If the RSPCA Victoria chooses to kill rather than save the lives of pets, then they are doing so out of convenience, rather than need.
Reference: Victorian Code of Practice for the management of dogs and cats in shelters and pounds
[…] Why Saving Pets? ← RSPCA Victoria calls for stupid laws to be scrapped […]
Are they really compelled by law to euthanase after 28 days??? If that happened over here there would be an absolutely unimaginable amount of outrage.
Where a voluntary group has the local authority contract to take in stray dogs they usually don’t get PAID by the LA after a certain time has elapsed & it’s then up to them to fund the animal themselves but I don’t think any of us would accept a legal maximum length of time an animal could be kept alive.
Dear Rosemary,
Yes the 28 day rule has been in place for many years now.
We have been told for years that animals must be killed to ‘make space’ for more strays, Animal Welfare orgs have never questioned this, as they have seen it is as ‘reasonable’.
The general public is not aware of most rules involving how long these facilities can keep an animal and they are certainly not going to be told.
8 days for a stray, then it can be euthanased. A surrendered dog can be euthanased within an hour if deemed unrehomeable, or the facility is full.
28 days for rehomeable animals held in shelters. Yes these are our laws.
Once the 28 days is up the animals are allowed into FOSTER CARE or are to be euthanased.
Whether the facility will use foster care is up to them. They don’t have to kill the animals with all the groups ready to help at this stage, it will entirely be their choice to do so.
We have been waiting with open arms, experience
in rescue and resources to care for any dog in need
since day one of the fires. Even happy to take shelter dogs for however long is necessary to make room for fire rescues so you can do your best for the many injured creatures. But no, the RSPCA has just killed
nearly all the pound dogs to make room. Why ?. Is it
easier ?, is it cheaper or is it just more exciting to kill? What other reason could there be, please,
somebody from the RSPCA just please explain
why rescuers cant take in the dogs so you dont
have to kill them, we can care for their needs and already sucessfully rehome many, many
dogs. Is there
something wrong with doing that ? Would you like evidence of this ? We can make a significant
impact on caring and rehomeing dogs, why dont
you let us help you. You are talking of reviewing
your length of time in shelters from 8 days to
longer so victims can have longer to reclaim their lost pets and
I applaud you loudly but why not for all dogs
to have a longer opportunity to find new owners, a second chance they so innocently
deserve. It cant just be about money.