notmyrealname

http://frankston-leader.whereilive.com.au/...e-pound-bungle/ Family dog killed after Cranbourne pound [LDH] bungle 22 FEB 10 @ 07:00AM BY NATALIE KEALEY A GRIEVING family is still waiting for answers almost two months after their pet dog Brindle was destroyed at the Cranbourne pound. Skye mother-of-three Sharon Bierman said the incident had rocked her family, particularly eight-year-old Shenae, who had grown up with the dog. “We’re devastated at losing her,” Ms Bierman said. “She was a member of our family. Two people who loved her went to great lengths to get her out of the pound, but they wouldn’t hand her over. Then they put her down and we still don’t know why.” The golden-retriever cross, who joined the family as a pup in 2002, fled during a thunderstorm two days before Christmas. Ms Bierman received a call from the pound telling her Brindle was there, but despite offering to collect her straight away she was told she couldn’t because Brindle was registered in her former partner Paul Lindley’s name. The next day, when Mr Lindley went with their children to collect Brindle they were turned away because her microchip details were in Ms Bierman’s name. Despite being just 30 minutes from closing for the Christmas holiday period, the pound refused to give the children their dog. The family was forced to leave for their holiday the next day without Brindle, her gift still unopened. After repeated phone calls between Ms Bierman, the pound and animal welfare officers at Frankston Council, Ms Bierman was told on New Year’s Eve that Mr Lindley could collect Brindle. Less than 10 minutes later she received another call from the council to tell her Brindle was dead. When Frankston Leader contacted the pound the manager, Rod, who refused to provide his last name, would not comment other than “it’s Frankston Council’s responsibility”. A statement from Frankston Council chief executive George Modrich also fails to provide comfort for the family. “Council has asked The Lost Dogs’ Home for an explanation of this incident,” he said. “Council officers have also met with management of The Lost Dogs’ Home to examine procedures and look to ensure something like this does not happen again.” The Lost Dogs Home, which manages the facility, did not respond to Leader’s requests for comment.

NSW requires councils to publish figures. They are available online. Here are the figures for Victorian Metro Councils (collated from 2008 DAMP reports).