I am a resident of Frankston VIC, Australia, and I recently had a heartbreaking experience with my 9-month-old dog. My housemate moved out and accidentally left the gate open, which resulted in my beloved pet escaping. She ended up at the Lost Dogs Home. When I discovered her location after business hours, I was told that I could not retrieve her until she was desexed by them. Moreover, each night she stayed there would incur additional costs.

This incident has highlighted an issue with Frankston City Council's mandatory desexing policy for pets. While it is understandable that this policy is in place to control the pet population and prevent unwanted litters (RSPCA), it also puts undue financial burden on pet owners like myself who may not be able to afford immediate desexing costs.

The current system lacks flexibility and consideration for individual circumstances. It does not take into account the age of the animal or any health concerns that might make immediate desexing risky or inappropriate (Australian Veterinary Association). Furthermore, it does not provide alternative solutions for those who cannot afford these unexpected costs. It also causes undue stress and trauma to people and their pets. I would have happily desexed her (and fully intended to already), but by a vet if my choice with time to come up with the money, as well as getting my furbaby out of that cold cement cage and back home where she belongs. Surely they can send undesexed dogs home with an enforceable notice to desex within a given time period under the threat of fines or worse? This whole situation was traumatic for me and my dog. I was treated terribly by the Lost Dogs Hone for being upset and my Kelpie who needs space to run around was confined to a cage for 2 days and 2 nights unnecessarily.

We are calling on Frankston City Council to reform its mandatory pet desexing policy to consider these factors and provide more support for responsible pet owners facing difficult situations like mine.

Please sign this petition if you believe in fair treatment for all pets and their owners in our community.