On Saturday morning a rally of Animal Welfare League Queensland supporters in Ipswich saw a surprise guest. The Mayor Paul Pisasale;
“…After the investigation (into the allegations), the suspension should be lifted, the AWL should go back and we can go through all the processes of what needs to happen.”
“What I’m hoping is the report is finalised and I would encourage council to lift the suspension and then we sit down with the Animal Welfare League about the ongoing state of the pound and the things that need to be resolved – some checkpoints so this doesn’t happen again,” he said.
What the heck?
Remembering for one moment that the Ipswich Council’s City Council Pound, before reaching out to the Animal Welfare League, killed 90% of the near 1,800 dog and cat intakes into their pound.
The same brilliant minded crew then frog-marched the AWLQLD off-site on what now seems to have been a hunch, and have now been left with their pants down as the Mayor appears to have resolved to reengage the League.
But at what cost to pets?
The Council still fails to support immunising pets on intake, ensuring high rates of disease and regular outbreaks. This has nothing to do with the contracted pound managers and everything to do with the Council still failing the pets in its care. So while they might not be directly killing pets any more – they’re ensuring suffering is inherent in their operations.
The Council still fails to support photographing pets on intake, failing pets and failing owners. Again, this has nothing to do with the contracted pound managers and everything to do with Council still failing to offer an even minimum service level to their community.
The Council still fails to support a well resourced, healthy animal pound, offering the community a run-down facility and paying much less than the industry rate to care for the community’s pets. The usual rate is about $300 per animal – this amount covers proactive programs to reunite pet and owner, desexing for unclaimed animals, any veterinary care required (dentals, joint surgery etc), behavioural rehabilitation and rehoming promotions. The current contract is for about 2,000 pets and is rumoured to be priced at $250,000 – that’s $125 per animal and barely covers a desexing/vaccination.
How can the community be proud of their animal management department, when it is being so neglected by Council?
The community of Ipswich need to step up and demand reform. The AWLQLD was the best thing that ever happened to the animals of the City, and they need to be supported to run a facility that serves the community and protects pets. Council need to step up and start helping, rather than hindering lifesaving.
See also: A disaster unfolds in Ipswich
Ipswich Council comments on AWL suspension
and what is your solution?
Re-enstate the AWL. Begin vaccinating pets on intake. Update the 100 year old facilities. Photograph pets who are in the pound.
These aren’t ‘my’ solutions. They are just solutions.
sounds like they are going to reinstate AWL and put in ‘safety checks’ in. Maybe overzealous in their getting to zero goals and compromised animal welfare? The facilities were converted before they moved in
Maybe. Or maybe the council who had a long history of mismanaging their community’s animals, simply remained true to form and took a ham fisted approach here too?
Certainly in successful communities, animal management and animal welfare groups work together with a life saving focus. To go from 90% kill rate, to a G2Z model must have come as an enormous culture shock to those used to using killing as their primary ‘solution’.
so long as honest reporting and animals don’t end up suffering because of fixation on figures
Give them every chance to find a new home. They deserve some happiness after being dumped by their previous owners.