Petition for change to policy and procedures at Toowoomba animal management facilities, including 
facility upgrade and changes to staffing.
I have started this campaign following the unnecessary death of my neighbours 10yr old Staffy Missy, 
following a weekend hold at Toowoomba Animal Management from 9th Saturday night around 8pm 
to 11th December Monday morning when they opened. Both the man who found her and her owner 
created Facebook posts, she was taken to the 24hr vet however they had said they couldn’t find a 
microchip details and best to take her to the lock box at animal management. Contact wasn’t made until 
after Missy was in the drop cage. My neighbour called after hours and explained Missy was an older 
dog and would sometimes get anxious and had dietary allergies. She was told nothing could be done. 
Returning Monday, she paid, and Missy was released, tired and lethargic sleeping most of the day; her microchip also was read and worked! 
The following afternoon my neighbour called me for help on the phone and I ran over, she told me 
Missy was having a seizure and couldn’t breathe. I did first aid and she seemed to recover well (I am 
epileptic she was alert and aware of her surroundings.) we went to the vet who scanned her, and 
microchip worked. My neighbour was told they had seen this before after being in impound and she 
needed rest and had heat exhaustion and severe anxiety. Missy had another seizure that night and 
was taken to the 24hr vet who had said there was no microchip, this time when scanned all valid and 
correct details were found along with the microchip. She was kept overnight on an IV drip and blood 
work was done and showed as all good.
The following afternoon Missy had another seizure but this one was the worst so far, I ran back over 
did first aid again and when she finally was alert, she was not the same, she was agitated, confused 
completely overwhelmed and unaware of her surroundings and her people. She paced out front and 
howled repeatedly over and over like a wolf, vocalising and not wanting anybody near her. We 
returned to the better vet who finally gave her medication Valium a sedative via cannula (neither 
really calmed her) she was also given anti-anxiety and anti-seizure medication. I heard her repeatedly 
through the night and the next morning we went back to the vet, she was kept for observation for a 
few hours; however, her seizures could not be controlled she would not recover, and they would 
continue to get worse. Missy was put to sleep around lunchtime 14 December.
Council holds us the community and rate payers accountable for how we house, care for, protect, 
shelter our loved pets including the minimum space required. Council is managing and running 
animal management inefficiently both physically and financially. This current practice is barbaric and 
inhumane brutality, causing undue stress within confined spaces in full sun and terrible conditions. 
Animal management failed Missy as did the council in upholding a duty of care. As a result of her 
being there…. she is no longer here. We as a community are powerful however if we continue to do 
nothing, nothing will change. Missy wasn’t the first and she won’t be the last, more traumas will 
occur, and another family will be left to grieve…hope it’s not yours. 
Toowoomba council and animal management need to be assessed and correct significant ongoing 
safety and well-being concerns. Reviewing your policies and procedures and justifying how such a 
small budget for an ever-expanding population is adequate…because it isn’t. I consider these among 
some of the changes I feel are easily within the reach of council funds and will lesson stay times for 
animals, decreasing the stresses and anxiety those cages and drop boxes hold.

REMOVE DROP BOXES! Ipswich council under the advise of RSPCA Qld removed drop boxes as they caused undue stress to pets, Toowoomba Council need to do the same.
-24 hr owner pickup no more overnight box stays until the morning. Pickup and location is more 
efficient and decreased stress is caused to beloved animals. Extend the "other animals" outside of normal hrs pickup to include owners collecting pets. (Listed in the endless and outrageous fees online!)
-extend your operating hours as currently it does not allow adequate time, shift workers, people who 
work out of town need time to be able to collect and 9am to 4:30 is completely unsatisfactory and is a sure fire was of containing pets and collecting revenue from their hold there…all at the price of 
animal welfare and safety. 

- improve intake photos of animals as currently animals are misidentified including wrong gender,colour, breed and dogs have been listed in cat section and vice versa. This has been a long ongoing issue and with only one poor quality photo uploaded makes it difficult owners trying to find their pets; sometimes it's too late with animals out down or passed along to RSPCA. 
-Cameras in all kennels to monitor pets who may 
become highly stressed, panicked or under duress.7 days a week on call on site staff for fastest release to a pen, IMMEDIATELY microchip checked, and photo taken and published online, alerting to new pet intake speeding up owner collection.

-ADDITIONAL FUNDING to improve animal holding condition, extend open hours, improve kennel 
conditions. Fault does not lie with ground staff; I am sure they are doing their best…. its council 
failing and choosing to ignore a glaringly obvious and long overdue issues, which are causing 
unnecessary trauma, stress and death.
-One free get out of jail card free per registered and up to date microchip details with owner. How 
dare you charge owners fines and fees and demand microchipping and registration, but absolutely 
fail the community and rate payers you are meant to represent.
Upgrade and improve holding pens to better suit the climate, conditions and setting. Missy was 
moved according to animal management staff just over 12 hours after she arrived at the drop box, 
after that being placed in a kennel which was west facing, full sun, no shade cloth and on an over 
thirty-degree day with big humidity. Your facilities are long overdue for upgrading, animals are 
suffering you have turned a blind eye too long. Council should re-evaluate their position and consider 
that the laws they hold us the community to, is also what is exactly what is expected from them, and 
the services funded off the backs of community dollars…and remind themselves THAT WE VOTE!
This can’t happen again.
Thank you for your support and please share.