Campaspe Shire Council, which operates the shelter, aims to deliver outcomes for lost or stray cats and dogs with the transition while improving financial efficiency.
They plan to move to a pound service, where after eight days, a lost or stray animal will be handed over to a rescue or animal welfare group.
Currently, these animals are held for extended periods of time as they await adoption.
Council director of communities Jo Bradshaw said that despite several adoption drives, and the shelter’s best efforts, the number of animals at the shelter in cages for large periods of time was not in the best interest of the animal.
“There will be no adoptions from Campaspe,” she said.
“There are a number of animal welfare groups already operating in this area who re-home animals across the state and interstate, opening up options outside of Campaspe for stray cats and dogs.
“We will still scan for microchip and contact owners; however, if the animal is not claimed after eight days, ownership moves to council, and we will be place the animal with the appropriate animal welfare rescue group.
“That group will have reporting responsibilities back to us, so we have visibility and transparency and are able to track the animal’s progress from here.
“The only difference from a community perspective is that we will not be offering an adoption service from Campaspe after the next 12 months.”
Mayor Rob Amos said a recent council service review of the animal shelter that showed the current model is not in the animals’ best interests, nor is it financially efficient.
“Our shelter has done an amazing job for many years, homing unwanted, lost or stray animals, but the reality is, many are held in the shelter for extended periods of time which is not ideal,” he said.
“Not for the animal, and not financially either.
“Not many councils run the shelter model for those reasons.”
The Victorian branch of the Australian Services Union, the principal trade union for local government workers, is unhappy with the decision.
It believes that resources in local animal rescue groups are already strained, and placing more animals in their care will potentially result in greater euthanasia rates.
“The people of Campaspe will see through this outrageously careless proposal,” ASU secretary Tash Wark said.
“They understand this ‘review’ is a betrayal of the trust they place in council to behave decently, and it will spark outrage across the community.
“The public won’t stand for it, and the ASU will support both the public and the council workers who will be affected.
“We stand with our members who are extremely worried about the inevitable traumatic impact of this brutal decision.”
Cr Amos said the service review showed Campaspe Shire Council’s service cost per animal at the shelter was double that of similar councils.
“Basically, we have been holding too many animals for too long — moving to the pound model makes sense for both the welfare and safety of the animal and from a financial point of view,” he said.
The transition model will take around one year for council to implement.
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