Change the way you manage cats & dogs Latrobe City Council - free desexing & registration
The issue
Latrobe City has a huge stray cat problem. The cats cause a nuisance to community members and kill birds and other wild life.
Many people are reluctant to trap them and hand over to the council because of its euthenasia policy. Locals in the community are feeding these unowned cats and forming an attatchment to them, but will not hand them in, or claim ownership due to mistrust of the council, or registration and desexing fees being too high.
Local rescue groups are overwhelmed by requests for help each year.
Currently LCC euthanises hundreds of stray cats and dogs each year (Domestic Animal Management Plan 2021-2025). Between 2016 and 2020, 3,992 cats were impounded. Under 10%, 347, were returned to owners, 851, were rehomed, leaving a balance of 2,794 that were euthanised. During the same period 3,275 dogs were impounded. Odds were far better for dogs being returned to owners - 2,048. An additional 636 were rehomed. This leaves 591 dogs to be euthanised.
In each case the numbers are too high. And I feel it would exact an enormous mental health toll on council animal management workers.
The way cats (and dogs) are registered in the city, and managed in the region, needs to change.
Banyule City council have successfuly changed the way they manage cats and have cut their operating costs (BCC saved and estimated $440,660 over 8 years), reduce mental health / stress on council workers, reduced the number of strays and unregistered animals (BCC saw a 66% reduction), reduce the number of cats and dogs being euthanised (BCC saw an 82% reduction), and reduce the number of animal related complaints (BCC saw a 32% reduction).
Banyule City Council's strategy involved offering free registration and desexing, encouraging people to take ownership of local strays. Adopting this strategy saw Banyule City Council save save around $440,660 over 8 years.
As LCC will soon be formulating their next strategy plan for the region it would be great to see a shift to animal management that really benefits the community, the animals and the council. I would like the council to consider reaching out to Banyule city Council to find out more information and formulate a plan to change the way strays are managed in the city.
I would much prefer a sustainable solution like the city of Banyule's.
You can read more about how it worked here https://theconversation.com/how-to-cut-stray-cat-numbers-in-a-way-that-works-better-for-everyone-229291
Please sign and share this petition.
Changing how dogs and cats are managed in the region can
- reduce council spending leaving money for other important public works
- reduce mental health stress for staff
- reduce the umber of strays in the area
295
The issue
Latrobe City has a huge stray cat problem. The cats cause a nuisance to community members and kill birds and other wild life.
Many people are reluctant to trap them and hand over to the council because of its euthenasia policy. Locals in the community are feeding these unowned cats and forming an attatchment to them, but will not hand them in, or claim ownership due to mistrust of the council, or registration and desexing fees being too high.
Local rescue groups are overwhelmed by requests for help each year.
Currently LCC euthanises hundreds of stray cats and dogs each year (Domestic Animal Management Plan 2021-2025). Between 2016 and 2020, 3,992 cats were impounded. Under 10%, 347, were returned to owners, 851, were rehomed, leaving a balance of 2,794 that were euthanised. During the same period 3,275 dogs were impounded. Odds were far better for dogs being returned to owners - 2,048. An additional 636 were rehomed. This leaves 591 dogs to be euthanised.
In each case the numbers are too high. And I feel it would exact an enormous mental health toll on council animal management workers.
The way cats (and dogs) are registered in the city, and managed in the region, needs to change.
Banyule City council have successfuly changed the way they manage cats and have cut their operating costs (BCC saved and estimated $440,660 over 8 years), reduce mental health / stress on council workers, reduced the number of strays and unregistered animals (BCC saw a 66% reduction), reduce the number of cats and dogs being euthanised (BCC saw an 82% reduction), and reduce the number of animal related complaints (BCC saw a 32% reduction).
Banyule City Council's strategy involved offering free registration and desexing, encouraging people to take ownership of local strays. Adopting this strategy saw Banyule City Council save save around $440,660 over 8 years.
As LCC will soon be formulating their next strategy plan for the region it would be great to see a shift to animal management that really benefits the community, the animals and the council. I would like the council to consider reaching out to Banyule city Council to find out more information and formulate a plan to change the way strays are managed in the city.
I would much prefer a sustainable solution like the city of Banyule's.
You can read more about how it worked here https://theconversation.com/how-to-cut-stray-cat-numbers-in-a-way-that-works-better-for-everyone-229291
Please sign and share this petition.
Changing how dogs and cats are managed in the region can
- reduce council spending leaving money for other important public works
- reduce mental health stress for staff
- reduce the umber of strays in the area
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on 26 December 2024