78 adopted, 723 killed

One of the stated outcomes of the Hobson’s Bay Domestic Animal Management Plan is to:

Address any over-population and high euthanasia rates for dogs and cats.

From 1st September last year, council moved its animal control and after hours service in house, and its impounds to the Lost Dogs Home in North Melbourne. Their impound figures for the year released yesterday, show that 1,337 pets were impounded and their outcomes were as follows:

78 adopted
723 killed (84 dogs, 639 cats)
536 returned to owner

This is a single council. The Lost Dogs Home holds more than a dozen of these pound contracts, moving pets from the shires where they’re collected to a ‘super pound’ in North Melbourne. Despite long term efforts to encourage them to work with the community, and even when they are killing many times more than they are saving, they can and do block community rescue groups from taking pets, choosing to kill them instead.

This week community rescue groups in Victoria sent a message to supporters imploring them to support the mandate that large animal welfare organisations be forced to work with them, rather than kill homeless pets. New interpretations of the animal welfare codes of practice in the state seem designed to phase out these community groups entirely, when clearly the need for them has never been greater;

Currently in Victoria – under current legislation according to the Code of Practice, it is illegal for Rescue Groups to save companion animals lives.

As responsible, registered organizations we continue to do so, for one reason. To save lives.

Based in the Community, we are self funding and promote desexing, microchipping and vaccination of all animals, responsible rehoming and pet ownership. We are often the last stand for a pet who would otherwise be killed.

We want the right to save lives. To take animals and work within the community as we have been doing for years. And we want the Government to recognize we are a vital and necessary service. Please help us by supporting the Dog Rescue Association of Victoria.

We are incorporated, with guidelines, a constitution and the knowledge of more than twenty years combined in saving animals in our state.

Please join us in spreading the word. We want the right to save lives. Join us on Facebook and tell your friends.

Victoria’s pets deserve better than a quick death at the hands of uncaring mega-pounds. To find out more about how to support the Dog Rescue Association of Victoria, please click here to visit their website.