After receiving your emails, your calls, and two separate petitions, and having many questions raised from concerned local residents and volunteers from animal rescue groups about the proposal to award Stonnington Councils' Animal Management Services to the Lost Dogs Home, Stonnington Council Officers are seeking a further deferral of this matter until the meeting on Monday, May 26th, 2025.

The Council states the following reasons for Council Officers seeking the deferral:
"This additional time is necessary to provide the Council with supplementary information addressing the various questions and issues raised on this matter, and to consider the information.

Council thanks the community for its ongoing care and advocacy for animal welfare and remains committed to ensuring any decision made reflects a transparent, lawful and considered process."

You can find the Public Statement about the proposed further deferral here: https://www.stonnington.vic.gov.au/About/Media-centre/News-notices-and-media-releases/2025/Animal-Services-Deferred

Please continue to reach out to councillors and ask them to support this further deferral and to express your support for Stonnington continuing to have a no-kill shelter and your opposition to the Animal Management Services tender being awarded to the Lost Dogs Home. This direct contact to councillors really does make a difference. It's very important council understands the depth of our community's concern and the importance of the safety and well-being of any of our pets that come under the Council's care.  Your views and personal experiences really matter, and Councillors need to hear them.
You can find the Councillors' contact details here:
https://www.stonnington.vic.gov.au/About/About-Council/Mayor-and-Councillors

There is hopefully now some progress towards a better solution that protects Stonnington's pets, but we need to keep raising this issue until Council finds a way to keep our no-kill shelter.