In fact, the organisation went as far as to suggest they would be meeting;
… a target of finding homes for 100 per cent of healthy cats and dogs that come through the Brisbane shelters within three years.
So, as I often like to ask – how’s it working out for pets?
Let’s take a look from January this year (2013), up to June, which has been the FOI that I’ve been able to fill.
In January the organisation took in two cats. It killed both.
116 dogs were reclaimed. Of the unclaimed dogs, one was adopted. While 16 were killed.
In February the organsation killed eight cats, adopting zero. It also took in four kittens and killed all four.
159 dogs were reclaimed by owners. Four were adopted, while 25 were killed.
In March four cats were killed. None were adopted.
161 lost dogs went home. One dog was adopted. While 35 were killed.
April saw the organsation take in 28 cats. Two were reclaimed, while 26 were killed.
172 dogs were reclaimed. 31 were killed, while two were adopted.
In May two cats were reclaimed. 17 were killed. Zero were adopted.
While 159 dogs went home. 14 were killed and four were adopted.
And in June 2013, two cats were killed and zero adopted.
199 dogs were reclaimed. 20 dogs were killed and one was adopted.
As I said, I will be pulling and processing the complete figures as soon as possible. But suffice to say all is not well at the Lost Dogs Home in Brisbane. And if you had any fears at all about what might take place after the handover, then you will probably – unfortunately – find you have been validated.
Here are the stats as provided to me by Brisbane City Council. There will be a slight variation on above, as I’ve combined ‘cats’ and ‘kittens’ and ‘dogs’ and ‘puppies’.
There is not a single month in this nearly two year spread that I can see, where more dogs or cats were adopted, than killed. Killing more pets than you’re placing is a horrible anomaly in 2013.
The ‘other’ category is pets whose final outcome was, at the time of the report creation, still unfinalised. Some of these pets may have gone on to be adopted – or they may have been killed.
See also: Every dog is an individual. Every dog should matter.
Just as I expected :(
I remember the hand over. Remember thinking “what the actual fuck” when the LDH refused to continue working with the rescue groups. “We’ve got it from here”
Yes – we can see how well that is working out.
I honestly don’t understand why people like me, and rescue organisations can’t take over before the Lost Dogs Home is even considered. People in these organisations love animals with all their hearts. Wake up councils and trust rescue organisations over the Lost Dogs Home. Please.
The Lost Dogs Home did not rehome a single cat, choosing to kill every one that wasn’t reclaimed, and even two kittens, that they could have rehomed in a heartbeat. Brisbane residents, please call your local councillors and ask to meet with them to talk about the atrocities being commited with public money. This killing has to stop.
WTF indeed, this is so upsetting, especially when there are other large shelters in the area that would do so much better by the animals ;(
Thank you for your commitment to the research, fact finding and reporting on the statistics of The Lost Dogs home contracts awarded in 2011. I look forward to reading about any further data you obtain through freedom of information act.
time for the councils to make their contracts so that pounds are rewarded more for adoption than killing…LDH always take the cheap easy way
100% agree.
Has anyone started a petition? Maybe with enough signatures, the councils would be forced to listen?
Have you alerted ACA for a story, the newspapers for articles etc? This outrageous practice needs to be exposed. Imagine when kitten & puppy season explodes! No excuse these days with all the media like FB at their disposal for getting it out there as to the animals they have that can be adopted. Just sheer laziness and lack of compassion.
This is shameful and abuse of animals. So much for saving animals.Iliken them to the Nazi concentration camps, you go in with no hope of leaving. Disgusting abuse of council funds.
Why should anyone think they are operating any differently here than elsewhere – it is only when the general public start protesting with their votes that councils will stop giving their contracts to entities such as LDH and RSPCA (NSW). Both are interested in profits ahead of animal welfare.
Yes we knew it was a disaster waiting to unfold…prior to the ldh takeover Brisbane rescue groups worked tirelessly week after to week to fit in the death row dogs and cats and did a fantastic job…..AWL put in for the contract also which would have been a better option for the animals…the problem is the ldh have such a slick pr and branding machine the public dont realize. I recently discovered a friend who adopted a cat from me was donating monthly to them…she was appalled when i sent her some info about ldh and immediately cancelled her donation, instead sponsoring a cat from a small independent group….its time for some education of the general public and Brisbane in particular.
They are appalling stats. What were they like before this? Who is responsible here? Thanks for bringing it to our attention Shel. Have shared.
While I can accept some animals are very difficult to rehome and supply exceeds demand the rehome rate here is appalling. I cant believe kittens for instance weren’t rehomed even if they were not well. Many rehoming groups will put the effort into getting them better. We have an excellent rehoming group in Darwin called DARG (Darwin Animal Rescue Group) they go to extreme lengths to save animals and I dont think have put any down in the years they have existed at least none who did not have terminal illnesses. I am extremely disappointed in the Lost Dogs home I really thought they were a good org. This has changed my mind.
We used to take kittens into our group from the pounds before LDH took over. So did many other groups I work with. Now they just prefer to kill them. Anything under 1 kg is instantly killed. Most kittens 8 weeks and under are less than 1 kg. Staff who work there are not allowed to foster or take any home. They are instantly dismissed if they try.
They have a token amount that are de-sexed and ‘put up’ for adoption but they don’t advertise them on Pet Rescue or other successful sites. They state that they have their own website. Well, you try and find it and if you do, it is not user friendly
LDH are paid generously by the council with OUR rates yet they send out begging letters to Brisbane residents to donate and help them. Pentobarbital must be expensive!
Wow, sounds like they are trying really hard… not.
We adopted a cat from the warra shelter in November last year. It shows one adoption for that month. I’m dumbfounded that she was the only one? It saddens me beyond words that out of all the cats there she was the only one re homed. This has to stop. Why can’t they work with the rescue groups to help save lives.?
Brisbane City Council, Shame On You! What a discreditable record you are building.
Please keep posting updates. I’m shocked and heartbroken for the helpless these beautiful creatures. How can I help?
I am absolutely gutted. My sister and I have been donating to the Lost Dogs Home for years thinking they had a reasonable no kill policy and are doing the right thing for the animals that are in their care.
I phoned the Lost Dogs Home head office after reading the article and got a whole lot of duh, duh, duh when I asked about their kill policy and now apparently Graemae Smith will phone me on Monday. Maybe they need to be inundated with phone calls voicing disgust.
Just FYI…Logan Animal Management are open to dealing with bonafide Rescues. You must be a registered rescue and work within their guide lines.
This is disgraceful
I am absolutely speechless with horror. I have adopted two rescue cats locally because the Pounds/RSPCA were just too expensive. I cannot believe that with all the public donations and awareness campaigns that they are so over-budget that they have to resort to an almost 100% kill rate for cats and kittens. I will be sharing this and forwarding a copy to the local newspaper as well. (If you haven’t already done so). My heart goes out to those poor animals. But we also have to remember that some of the responsibility does belong to the idiots that let their pets breed, then dump or give away the offspring. Poor babies.
So glad this is all coming to light. The horrendous euthansia rates, the refusal to work with rescue…they operate like a cult.
I have some stories that would make people vomit about LDH, after witnessing what I had to.
Hopefully with the truth finally coming out…the contract will be given to a company more deserving who actually care about animals.
Prior to LDH…BCC didn’t have the best rep. But when the floods hit and the rescue groups started, BCC made every effort to work with rescue groups and rehome most animals….offering rescues to make the decision whether they’d like to take on a certain illness or behaviour etc. Behaviour assessments were performed and an educated decision on the outcome of the animal.
LDH kill most animals and refuse to work with rescue..No formal behaviour assessment is EVER completed.
They even kill newborn kittens/pups…leaving the mum to be desexed and put up for adoption. That’s the other thing…newborn kittens/pups aren’t counted in these stats. They are “taken care of” before they become a number. Why they couldn’t just let them stay with their mum is beyond me. The staff who actually cared (and were mortified) used to place a sickening bet on “what disease will they all have this week” …
What the animals are killed for ….is lies and mostly made up. Skin conditions. Ringworm. Grade 4 periodontal disease. Luxating patellas…even saw one euthanised for “being jumpy”.
Please don’t support this group who deliberately send letters to tbe pensioners requesting donations. It breaks my heart.
Thank you for all your efforts in bringing this to light.
This is all about money and a complete lack of care for the animals who are unfortunate enough to be impounded.
It is disgusting that this can occur when there are so many rescue groups willing to foster and rehome the animals.
Hang your heads in shame Brisbane city council and LDH
Graeme Smith (Managing Director of the LDH) contacted me this morning (I rang and voiced my concern last Saturday) He stated the statics given above are false and the reason for not using welfare groups is that they wanted $300 per animal on top of desexing and Vet costs. I asked him to email me the correct statics from March to June to which he declined. He did however say he would phone me back and give them to me verbally. If there is nothing to hide I don’t understand why the statics could not be emailed to me. I sincerely hope this ends up on a Current Affairs show as the Public needs to know this is happening and to think about what happens to the animal they dump.
I don’t know what that man is talking about!!! BCC used to give the dogs to the rehoming groups for nothing!!! No rehoming group EVER asked for money to take the animals – they would PAY for ALL vet treatment from their own funds. There was never any financial impost on BCC to give the animals to legitimate rehoming organisation – they were doing BCC a favour!!!!
Hi, he stated the welfare groups were asking the LDH for $300 plus desexing and veterinary. I am just repeating what I was told . It disturbs me that he did not call back with the correct stats as promised,
Hi Debbie, no rescue group has EVER asked for money to take the animals. They even offered to “adopt” the animals at full price from the LDH …no discounts, nothing, and were turned away…rudley. Or jnust plain old ignored. Seems to be the standard.
They hide animals too…oh the stories I have got.
FOTH enquired about a greyhound so they moved in to the other shelter to hold it for its nominated period, then euthanised the gorgeous girl….they told FOTH that it was already moved on…implying it had already gone home etc, when really they had just hidden it to shut them up….
I just went to their website and according to it there are NO dogs or puppies available for adoption!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I find that very bloody hard to believe.
http://dogshome.com/pets/dogs/warra/
Maybe you have the wrong site. There are heaps. We adopted one on Saturday. I think this story is scare mongering. The place was great and saw quite a few other people looking so don’t believe these stats at all.
Take it from people who have worked there, worked with and seen the destruction…these stats are real…not accurate because the actual figures would be so much higher with all the newborns that don’t even make it to “getting a number”
I’m so disgusted with the kill rate, it’s sounds like nothing short of laziness, it seems easier to kill then spend some quality time finding homes for all these animals. I’ll never donate to this organization EVER..
What a disgrace the Lost Dogs Home is …. horrified beyond belief … will never believe a word they say ever!!!