Have your say on NSW Rehoming Practices

Background information

Following Animal Liberation’s exposure of the senseless and abhorrent shooting of 15 vulnerable and impounded dogs and puppies by Bourke Shire Council in August 2021, NSW’s broken pound and shelter system was spotlighted on the international stage. This ignited public disbelief and anger across Australia and around the world. The global media storm that followed forced the NSW Government to listen and respond – but the reforms announced to date are inadequate.

Together, we must demand a comprehensive overhaul to NSW pounds and shelters and sweeping legislative changes to ensure the welfare and wellbeing of all vulnerable impounded animals.

While Government MP’s frequently react with horror when a puppy factory and all the inherent animal suffering and cruelty is exposed, most MP’s have been content to ignore similar serious animal welfare issues which continue to fester in many NSW pounds and shelters. A succession of NSW Ministers for Local Government have failed to implement any meaningful reforms to alleviate the suffering of NSW impounded animals; it’s not just cats and dogs at risk – many species of animals are impounded.

This current review provides a timely and important opportunity to consider NSW pound and shelter reform, including kill rates and adoption rates – but this is just one of the many issues facing impounded animals in our broken pound and shelter system. The NSW pound and shelter system is fundamentally broken. Decades of neglect have been ignored by the very decision-makers responsible for its oversight and the welfare of animals.

In addition to reviewing current rehoming practices and factors driving kill rates and impounded death rates, we need to urgently audit all NSW pound and shelter infrastructure and animal management practices to accurately determine the level of compliance and non-compliance. Only when all the issues are on the table can we devise and implement meaningful and welfare focused solutions. 

NSW pounds and shelters are essential services funded by the NSW public. They should be a safe haven where all animals benefit from best practice infrastructure and management welfare and rehoming practices. For the hundreds of impounded animals who remain unclaimed or un-adopted and in need of a loving new home, Animal Liberation will continue to work diligently towards a holistic reform package to ensure the NSW Government fulfills its statutory obligations, and meets the welfare needs of animals and the expectations of the NSW public.

Join us in this quest by lodging a submission today.

Take action