We often hear that the reasons pounds kill is that they are simply ‘overrun’ with pets and that if the ‘irresponsible masses’ would just stop abandoning their pets in such high numbers, then the load on the pounds would be less and then they could save them. It’s unfair to blame those on the front line. It’s not the poor pound manager’s fault – they doesn’t want to have to kill pets.
Gloucester Shire Council in NSW has been found to be driving live animals to the local rubbish tip, then simply shooting them one by one and dumping them in landfill. In this instance it was 11 dogs, with 5 of them being puppies.
Well, what is a regional pound supposed to do? They don’t have all the advantages of a suburban animal shelter – how are they supposed to deal with all these animals?
According to their website, Gloucester is 2.5hrs from Sydney, Australia’s most populated city. There might not be an enormous market for pets in Gloucester, but surely a few of the 4.5 million Sydneysiders would be willing to take a weekend trip for the right pet?
So how many pets are we needing to find homes for?
In 2005/06 there were 28 dogs impounded. (Remarkably, they killed 33).
During 2009/10 Council impounded 45 dogs and 2 cats. 23 dogswere returned to their owner (or the RSPCA, or escaped), and as they have no rehoming program it would be fair to assume all 22 dogs and 2 cats remaining were killed.
22 dogs and 2 cats. Or one animal needing rehoming every 15 days. And yup – it is ‘beyond’ this council to put in the effort required to I dunno, post these guys on a Facebook page where someone might see them. Or something – anything – other than taking them to the tip and shooting them in the head.
This Council has perfected the… meh… method of animal control. Unfortunately, however we see time and time again, that even if you look at pound with practically no load at all, killing is still endemic to the culture of animal sheltering in Australia. It is not the number of animals, the location or the community, but simply whether or not those responsible for decision making accept killing as an appropriate method to make their animal management issues go away.
Update: the Council has agreed to stop shooting pets.
The process has been reviewed and an immediate decision has been made to cease the practice of euthanising by shooting.
Arrangements are being put in place for the local veterinary surgeon to euthanise animals required to be put down, by lethal injection.
There, sorted. *dusts hands*
This is not uncommon an in fact we have been trying to highlight this to some Minister involve in Animal welfare to bring in a code of practice and an overseeing government body that can prosecute these people.
We ask that everyone is equal under the law an nobody is exempt from prosecution as we had been told by the RSPCA they cannot prosecute rangers or police.