Anne Coleman and Sho-pan (Image – the Queensland Times)
Finding new homes for pets who have owners who love them and want them back is an enormously stupid waste of our community’s animal management resources.
Killing pets who have owners who want to reclaim them is deeply unethical.
Which is why it would surprise most people to find that despite pounds claiming they do ‘all they can’ to reunite pet and owner, the reality is the major obstacle to people collecting their animal from the pound is not owners callously ‘dumping’ their pets, but the fact that holding fees/fines are often prohibitive to those on a budget.
Toowoomba woman Anne Coleman’s dog Sho-pan escaped from his home. He was delivered to the local vet, who passed him on to Council. When Mrs Coleman arrived at the council’s Animal Management Centre she was shocked find it would cost more than $300 to claim him. Unable to afford the fee and fines, Mrs Coleman was forced to surrender her dog.
An owner who wants to reclaim their dog, but lacks the resources to do so. Council now have a choice. They can take her pet, be forced to rehabilitate and care for it. Then either find it a new home, or kill it. All the while complaining gaudily that the pound is ‘overpopulated’.
… OR… given it seems this pet has never harmed (or threatened to) harm anyone, they can give this lady her dog back. And send her a bill.
Holding pets’ lives to ransom to punish their owners is grotesque and illogical. We don’t want people discarding pets to simply get new ones, so why would we force pet owners into those kinds of behaviours?
Sho-pan was saved after a good samaritan Julie Baker saw Mrs Coleman’s post about her problem on Facebook. The ‘irresponsible masses’ got together and raised the money needed for his release. The community was able to see that a lack of cash shouldn’t be a reason for a pet to be separated from their family – especially if it put his life in danger. The ‘irresponsible masses’ strikes again, – stepping in and saving a life, from those whose job it is to care for pets… just who is responsible for the killing again?
Environmental health portfolio leader Cr Sue Englart said people were responsible for keeping their dogs properly confined in private yards.
So it can be assumed Council will continue killing lost pets in cold-blood because of overpopulation and an uncaring community because owners sometimes don’t have a few hundred dollars just laying around.
Shame on councils – I have heard of this before. Obviously there needs to be some financial support to councils for holding lost animals but the rates are often above boarding kennel fees! Help and support people and their animals [particularly the first time!]
Holding pets to ransom is one of the deeply unethical things pounds do. Thank-you for highlighting this problem.
The rules about animals in Queensland are ridiculous. There is NOTHING wrong with a cat or a dog going for a brief walk.
All animals should be left alone or RETURNED to their correct owners if they are completely lost. They should also be given TIME to pay whatever costs are involved.
The laws need to be CHANGED.