Greater Shepparton City Council is surprised you care

Greater Shepparton City Council is in the media this week, after the public outcry over a dog being held in their premises over the Christmas break with a striking eye injury.

Council remains baffled as to why anyone cared about – this (warning graphic image);

SA council spokeswoman said it was unclear why the dog had attracted so much attention as a candidate for rehoming when it was listed on the council’s website as ‘‘missing/lost’’.

And while they do say that understand that the community wants some kind of improvement in the future, what they have been doing to date is perfectly justifiable;

(Greater Shepparton City Council sustainability and environment manager Greg McKenzie) said the decision to euthanise an animal was “not made lightly”.

“There needs to be reasonable grounds to euthanise an animal,” he said.

So just how often does these ‘not made lightly’ decisions happen?

The Greater Shepparton City Council released their figures for their last financial year;

687 dogs remained unclaimed at the pound
145 were rehomed
542 euthanised

Making their kill rate for unclaimed dogs a staggering, 79%

Cats fare even worse;

1,056 cats remained unclaimed at the pound
65 were rehomed
991 euthanised

Making the kill rate for unclaimed cats, 94%

Remember, these decisions aren’t being made lightly.

Greater Shepparton City Council sustainability and environment manager Greg McKenzie shows off the lovely, clean, empty cages at their facility

Jade the staffy has now apparently been returned to her owner.

The fact the community cared about Jade, of course would come as a surprise to a council facility who believed the community cared at little as they did about saving pets.

I hope Jade really did go home. And I hope her eye wasn’t causing her discomfort. But most of all I hope her plight will be the driving force behind enormous changes at the Greater Shepparton Council.

The killing must end.