You may remember Walgett Pound (NSW) became noticed by their local media last year, for all the wrong reasons – killing a young dog, using a firearm at the local garbage tip. Then, not only defending shooting as an appropriate end for family pets, but choosing to continue to use the method, even as a local vet offered to euthanise at her surgery.
Now they’re back in the media. Ready… wait for it…
More than 200 dogs from the Walgett Shire Council pound have been saved in the past 12 months, cutting the euthanasia rate to about 1 per cent…
How’s it possible? Seems the pound’s new found infamy attracted the attention of local rescue groups, and dogs started moving out the front door;
Walgett Shire Council Ranger Regulatory Officer Louise Fowler had expressed a big thank you to the Riverina Rescue for collecting dogs from the Walgett Shire Pound.
The Riverina Rescue is a private rescue group dedicated in finding homes for animals who have done their time at a pound and are due to be euthanaised
They take the animals who have completed their legal holding period at the Walgett Shire Council pound and who have no other options.
They desex, vaccinate and microchip them to make them ready for their new homes.
….She said the dogs are at the pound for one to two weeks as staff, they try to rehome them with their owners, but after two weeks the Riverina Rescue takes them.
So successful has this relationship been, that practically everything is now being saved;
Riverina Pet Rescue collects the dogs and the animals are rehoused due to the efforts of a broader network of rescue organisations.
The organisation’s Rhonda Helman says the dogs are de-sexed, checked for worms and other illnesses and have their temperament assessed before going to new homes.
“I think we’ve managed to cut the euthanasia rate at Walgett to about one per cent.
“It would only be if the dog was sick and had a very low chance of survival or was not able to be rehomed through aggression or something like that that we wouldn’t be able to save the dog.
“Statistics like that are fantastic.”
The organisation works with a number of other rescue groups through www.petrescue.com.au
People will often say, ‘it can’t be done’, when the truth is actually ‘no one is doing it’. One by one, pounds are being overhauled – dragged into the 21st century. Our pets deserve a safe place in their time of need.
The community – US! – as pet lovers, we are the key to making it happen.
It’s not more ‘professionals’, it’s not more ‘industry leaders’, it’s not even (despite what the multi, multi-million dollar charities will have you believe) ‘mo money’ that’s needed (although self-funded rescue groups are always grateful for support).
What is needed is a flashpoint which brings the community together, to draw a line in the sand to say – no more killing.
Please support Riverina Pet Rescue by visiting their Facebook page here.
