Ballarat City Council (Victoria) has awarded the contract for its animal shelter and pound services to Victorian Animal Aid Trust for three years, ending the RSPCA Victoria’s 45-year reign.
The council voted unanimously in favour of awarding the contract to animal welfare organisation Victorian Animal Aid Trust, during its meeting on Wednesday.
The RSPCA and Victorian Animal Aid Trust were the only tenderers for the three-year contract.
According to Council, the tender submitted by the RSPCA VIC was “non-conforming” and “did not meet the advertised tender specifications”.
Below are the last five years of Ballarat RSPCA figures, which show about 1/3rd of unclaimed dogs and more than 80% of unclaimed cats were killed*.
| Ballarat City Council | 2007/08 | 2008/09 | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 |
| Dogs impounded total | 1,891 | 2,183 | 2,229 | 2,417 | 2,376 |
| Dogs returned to owner | 990 | 1,156 | 1,305 | 1,415 | 1,398 |
| Unclaimed dogs | 901 | 1,027 | 924 | 1,002 | 978 |
| Dogs released to rescue | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dogs rehomed | 549 | 597 | 650 | 496 | 606 |
| Dogs killed | 323 | 396 | 263 | 429 | 336 |
| Ballarat City Council | 2007/08 | 2008/09 | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 |
| Cats impounded total | 2,003 | 1,964 | 1,975 | 1,928 | 1,572 |
| Cats returned to owner | 99 | 72 | 122 | 91 | 116 |
| Unclaimed cats | 1,904 | 1,893 | 1,853 | 1,837 | 1,456 |
| Cats released to rescue | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cats rehomed | 418 | 355 | 453 | 489 | 543 |
| Cats killed | 1,648 | 1,474 | 1,472 | 1,339 | 796 |
source: RSPCA Annual Reports 2008/09 to 2011/12
As a result of this announcement, there is widespread hope in the community that the outcomes for lost and stray pets of Ballarat City can be improved with Animal Aid’s engagement. As a ‘Getting to Zero’ partner, we should see an emphasis on community rescue group transfers and the implementation of other No Kill strategies.
*excluding the latest available 2011/12 year, which showed a significant drop in intake and killing for cats – more data is required to see if this was the result of a change of operations or policy, or if it was simply an outlier result.
This is a good outcome. Animals from Hepburn Shire are also sent to Ballarat…It is time Hepburn has its own facilities and took a proactive role in animal management instead of placing as too hard. Also rangers need to have the ability to follow up on animal welfare concerns…this has been removed from them by council.
As you said not so long ago, “one council at a time”.
Finally, the community is waking up. Well done communities. The RSPCA/Lost Dogs Home need a reality check. However, there are plenty of rescue groups that are prepared to take on and rehome these animals into appropriate loving families. Rescue groups take the time and effort to rehome an animal into the right home. Not a 20 min paper filling out exercise. Please take time to search out a rescue group in your area.
If you read the Ballarat newspaper the tender was not conforming as council wanted the successful bidder to pay for major upgrades to the council owned shelter and then pay for the going mainentenance. Glad the RSPCA didn’t agree as donor funds should not be used to upgrade council shelters and its amazing that Animal Aid would invest their money into doing this. Hope there is money left over for animal program’s.
Thanks heaps for pointing this out Jen – seems more info was added to the story after this blog went up.
I suspect Animal Aid don’t have terribly deep pockets – I hope council step up & support them financially to ensure the pets get adequate facilities that keep them healthy and safe.