The cats of Victoria finally get thrown a lifeline…

June 25, 2012Comments are closed.cats, Lost Dogs Home

Animal ‘ambulances’ are a modern rebrand of the dog-catchers van, and are used by animal control officers to impound stray and unowned animals. Contrary to the popular notion that shelters are full of surrendered (dumped) animals, 90% of shelter animals are actually brought in by the shelter themselves, (including untame, unowned cats who are then simply killed as ‘unadoptable’).

Trap, Neuter (Desex), Return (TNR) development in Victoria

While the major animal ‘welfare’ groups in the state champion the ‘Who’s for Cats’ program – a catch and kill model which sees thousands of healthy, homeless cats impounded and killed – a local council in Victora has decided to investigate alternatives to the “systematic killing” of cats;

Moreland Council is considering a controversial and allegedly illegal “no-kill” approach to stray cats.

The council will investigate giving residents who have trapped stray cats the option of desexing and returning them to their environment, rather than handing them to a shelter to be rehoused or euthanised.

Council figures show 696 cats were trapped in Moreland in the 12 months to June 2011.

The Cat Protection Society, which takes the cats, would not comment on how many cats it euthanised in the past year.

Greens Cr Jo Connellan’s proposal to try the strategy for two years in Moreland followed pleas by a Coburg North resident for action to the stop the “systematic killing” of defenceless cats.

Cr Connellan said 35,000 of 50,000 cats trapped in Victoria each year were killed.

There is no doubt whatsoever that Cr Connellan will have been today facing a chorus of cat-haters, pseudo-environmentalists, and the ironically named ‘cat protection’ organisations in the state, all who believe a unowned cats life is worthless and that trapping and killing is an appropriate way to ‘manage’ them. To that end I ask you to contact her to voice your support of this potentially revolutionary move – [email protected]

3 comments to “The cats of Victoria finally get thrown a lifeline…”

Pippa | June 25, 2012 | Permalink

I think this is a great idea and more councils should be looking at this much more humane option. I hope Moreland Council do implement this.
Jen | June 26, 2012 | Permalink

I am so happy to see a Politician actually do something positive to decrease the numbers of homeless cats.
Its a wonderful idea, and is alot more compassionate and humane to desex animals before they can even have offspring, rather than euthanizing alot of dear souls born through no fault of their own to have no futures.
More Councils should adopt this program and thus allowing shelters to be places for animals to be looked after before being rehomed rather than being the last place before they are PTS.
Elise | June 27, 2012 | Permalink

An excellent solution to a continual and widespread problem. By dealing with the issue of unwanted animals at the heart of the problem with desexing programs will undoubtedly have an enormous positive impact for the community and stray cats alike.