Help reform NSW’s broken pound and shelter system

We have an opportunity to speak up on behalf of vulnerable, impounded animals to demand meaningful reform.

The NSW State Government’s Portfolio Committee No. 8 — Customer Service has commenced an Inquiry into Pounds in New South Wales and the Committee would like to hear from you.

NSW’s pound and shelter system is broken, as it continues to fail vulnerable animals and the communities who pay for these essential services. Animal Liberation and other animal advocates have been calling for pound and shelter reform for decades — and now is our opportunity to provide feedback and recommendations.

This Inquiry comes after Animal Liberation exposed the Bourke Shire Council for shooting vulnerable, impounded dogs and puppies, and our more recent formal complaint allegations involving cruelty towards vulnerable and sick impounded puppies and dogs. These exposés played an essential role in forcing the NSW Government to acknowledge the urgent need for investigation, review and change.

Submissions close 11:59 pm, Friday 18 August 2023.

Three ways you can have your say

 

To ensure you can also ‘have your say’, here are the available options to allow you to provide your personal feedback, and you can take one, two, or all three options: 

  1. Provide your feedback by uploading a personal submission here, or emailing the Committee directly on portfoliocommittee8@parliament.nsw.gov.au.

  2. Answer the Inquiry’s questionnaire, which has 24 questions.

  3. Add your name to Animal Liberation’s petition. Your signature will be used to support Animal Liberation comprehensive and formal submission and recommendations.

Your personal submission can be as simple or detailed as you like and a direct email can often have more impact and especially when you use your own words.

This is Bellatrix, Fleur, and three puppies who were rescued by D.A.R.E. from Bourke Shire Council pound earlier this year. When the D.A.R.E. rescuers arrived, they found the animals cowering in their pens, with some severely underweight and covered in faecal matter. They witnessed the council worker hosing down the pens along with Fleur. After the rescuers took the animals to the vet, they found most were suffering from the debilitating and deadly parvovirus, and had been denied any vet care from the pound employees. Please speak up for vulnerable impounded animals today.

Some important considerations that you may wish to include in your own personal submission.

 

The NSW Government is failing vulnerable impounded animals and NSW communities. Not only are NSW pounds and shelters killing thousands of impounded animals, but the level of non-compliance in many impounding facilities and management practices is also contributing to extensive animal suffering and misery. Our inadequate and antiquated animal welfare laws are not protecting these vulnerable impounded animals.

Being killed in a pound or shelter is still the leading cause of death for companion animals in NSW. What’s more, if they’re old, young, unweaned, unwell, suffer a disability, or even timid, their chances of being killed increase substantially with most not making it out alive.

Despite the availability of many evidence-based and life-saving programs designed to stop the killing and suffering, our NSW pound and shelter system continues to actively support and enable the killing of impounded animals with little or no public transparency and accountability.

Pounds and shelters are like every other publicly funded community service. We don’t excuse a poorly performing hospital or homeless refuge by saying people shouldn’t get sick or become homeless. Neither should we justify the appalling poor performance of NSW’s pounds and shelters by saying pets shouldn’t end up there, and it’s the community’s fault.

Initiatives the Committee could include as recommendations in the Inquiry report:

 

Introduce a fully funded, mandatory and legally enforceable NSW pound and shelter ‘duty of care’ regime which focuses on proactive life-saving initiatives and solutions, and best practice animal welfare outcomes, rather than killing and disposal;

End the currently unacceptable treatment and neglect of homeless and vulnerable impounded animals under NSW’s traditional animal pound and shelter model, which manages animals under ‘waste management’ or ‘feral pest management’ policies, focusing on disposal rather than care, rehoming and adoption;

Immediately halt all NSW pound and shelter shooting and discontinue all ‘euthanasia’ methods apart from intravenous injection for compassionate reasons;

Immediately end all pound and shelter ‘euthanasia’ procedures being undertaken by anyone apart from qualified and licensed veterinary practitioners;

Urgently conduct a public online survey (~8 weeks) to engage the community and harness a broad range of views and expectations about the management of NSW pounds and shelters;

Publicly exhibit (for ~4 weeks) a tailored, stand-alone Code of Practice for all impounded animals in NSW pounds and shelters;

Carry out comprehensive and independent audits of:

  • all NSW impounding facilities to identify the level of compliance/non-compliance and

  • all NSW impounding practices, procedures, polices, and;

  • actual ‘no kill’ performance.

Introduce mandatory Local Government Council Strategic Companion Animal Management Plans ('SCAMPs') with attached policies and KPI’s to enable ongoing 4 yearly ‘local’ pubic consultation periods, reviews and improvements in line with evolving public expectations.

Enact a ‘No Kill’ Bill or sweeping changes to POCTAA to include all impounded animals (of all species) and outlaw the killing of otherwise healthy homeless animals. These reforms must incorporate the full suite of No Kill programs and principles as mandatory, which, when combined, form a highly effective life-saving plan;

Substantially overhaul the Companion Animals Act to include a revised focus on all impounded animals, regardless of species;

Establish a new OLG NSW Pound and Shelter Reform website, including an online complaint form and 1800 ‘hotline’ tailored specifically for public pound and shelter complaints and concerns;

Enhance inspection and enforcement powers for agencies authorised under POCTAA to undertake routine NSW pound and shelter inspections and enforcement.

Conduct a comprehensive review and overhaul of the NSW Companion Animals Fund, including an assessment of evidenced outcomes and how it is distributed and managed'

Introduce an annual grants program for NSW not-for-profits, including self-funded and volunteer rescue, rehoming and advocacy organisations;

Introduce NSW pound and shelter initiatives to support vulnerable or at-risk animal owners or caregivers during periods of intense need, in order to keep animals in homes and ensure the welfare and wellbeing of both humans and animals. This should include those experiencing:

  • Financial stress, homelessness or are at risk of homelessness;

  • Domestic violence;

  • Emergency management incidents (e.g., bushfires and floods) and;

  • Physical or mental health issues, including hospital stays or other medical needs.