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Charity Bids For Control Of Brisbane's Pounds


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http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland...1022-16xbu.html

Having already saved thousands of animals from being euthanased on the Gold Coast and at Ipswich, the Animal Welfare League now has its sights set on Brisbane's pounds.

Denise Bradley, the body's state president, said they had now reached a "zero euthanasing" level for healthy animals at the two regional centres.

The Animal Welfare League has worked with Gold Coast City Council for more than 50 years and has helped Ipswich City Council reduce its euthanasing rates by 50 per cent.

It runs a facility at Coombabah near Helensvale and charges between $250 and $350 for a wormed, de-sexed dog – below AWL estimates of $450 to $500 cost per dog to re-house.

The AWL also returns most other animals back to the Gold Coast City Council after treatment for the council to rehouse.

While the AWL claims to have recently reached a 'zero' euthanasia rate for healthy dogs and cats, overall 9 per cent of dogs and 24 per cent of cats are still euthanased.

That is still lower than Brisbane City Council, where at their Willawong and Bracken Ridge pounds 16 per cent of dogs and 68 per cent of cats are put down.

Ms Bradley today confirmed the AWL would bid for Brisbane's two animal pounds.

"We have been talking to Brisbane's council for a number of years now about the benefits of working with a welfare group that can work with them with the rehoming of pets that are not claimed by their owners," Ms Bradley said.

"So we are really keen to be involved when the tender comes out, but of course we will have to see what the terms are and what they are asking for."

Expressions of interest will be called on Monday.

It costs Brisbane City Council $2.1 million to operate both pounds and estimates show its could save between $500,000 and $1 million if the pounds were outsourced.

Community Services chair Cr Geraldine Knapp said Brisbane City Council was taking in 4200 animals each year at the two pounds.

"The sad reality is many of them have to be put to sleep because we can't find them new homes,” Cr Knapp said.

“Results show that councils who work with animal welfare experts to run their shelters have significantly reduced their euthanasia rates - something we're very keen to address."

Cr Knapp said council had not yet made a final decision.

“I want to stress that this is not a done deal, however it makes sense if we can rehome more animals at a lower cost to council.”

Opposition Leader Shayne Sutton warned outsourcing could cut a key council service. “Our animal shelters provide an important community service and I am concerned that outsourcing them would turn our shelters into a revenue-raising scheme with overzealous captures and exorbitant catch-and-release fees," she said.

Cr Knapp said "animal welfare" would be highlighted over profit motive in the decision-making process and Jim Soorley looked at a similar scheme with the RSPCA in 1995.

Brisbane City Council is prepared to let its pound facilities be leased at favourable rates to increase the benefit to the animals, a council spokesman suggested.

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I think the AWL would pick up a heap of supporters & volunteers in the Brisbane area, if it managed to pick up the running of Brisbane pounds (there are 2, I think). The special thing about AWL is how much they work on prevention, too.

I'll be phoning Cr Knapp's office to state my support for AWL's bid.

I once had to contact her office, to help me sort out a rego enquiry about one of our tibs. The secretary was extremely helpful, even sending me some additional documents to make things clearer. Delightful lady who had a chat about dogs & told me about her neighbours' tibs who ride on the horses.

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BCC do have a website for impounded animals. They actually work very hard at Willawong to get dogs rescued. The staff are always excited to be approached by a rescue organisation offering to rescue from them.

http://www.doglost.com.au/class/pound-qld.html

AWL do a fabulous job but whilst they may say they don't euth, the wait time to return a dog adopted from them if it doesn't work out can be months so of course a lot of these dogs end up at the RSPCA or in private rescues. Yes I have seen it and have had dogs who have been adopted from AWL come into my rescue as the situation was such the families couldn't wait five months to return the dog to AWL. So whilst AWL hasn't euthanised the dogs, the dogs may still end up euthed as their issues are such that another organisation cannot accomodate them.

Once again statistics can be made to say anything but there is always another side to the story.

Please don't get me wrong I love AWL and support them. Just giving a balanced opinion.

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Please don't get me wrong I love AWL and support them. Just giving a balanced opinion.

And a good thing, too, Ams. :laugh: I welcomed hearing your perspective. You have insider knowledge as a result of working with the Brisbane pounds.

Actually, our puss-cat came from a Brisbane pound, rescued by the UQ Adoption Program.

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My latest dog came from AWL at Ipswich. While I think they do a great job I was a bit disappointed at the lack of service and never replying to emails.

My girl was a bit special and was known to most of the staff and had a wonderful foster carer since she was a small puppy with a bad injury. Being a foster carer myself I know how hard it is when they go to forever homes and never hearing about them again. I made a special effort to send updates regularly but not once did I get an email back to say even thanks we have received the photos and sent to her carer.

I also never received replies to emails about other information and if it hadnt been for our perseverence and ongoing calls I never would have been able to adopt our puppy. People with less time on their hands may have given up.

Hopefully if AWL gets the contract for Brisbane they will employ more staff with people skills and can communicate and make people feel welcome and they might then get more people adopting.

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My latest dog came from AWL at Ipswich. While I think they do a great job I was a bit disappointed at the lack of service and never replying to emails.

My girl was a bit special and was known to most of the staff and had a wonderful foster carer since she was a small puppy with a bad injury. Being a foster carer myself I know how hard it is when they go to forever homes and never hearing about them again. I made a special effort to send updates regularly but not once did I get an email back to say even thanks we have received the photos and sent to her carer.

I also never received replies to emails about other information and if it hadnt been for our perseverence and ongoing calls I never would have been able to adopt our puppy. People with less time on their hands may have given up.

Hopefully if AWL gets the contract for Brisbane they will employ more staff with people skills and can communicate and make people feel welcome and they might then get more people adopting.

What is the name of the dog you adopted? (The name the AWL gave her).

Was it very recent?

edited to add, just seen you've said Ipswich AWL, so my questions are irrelevant sorry!

Edited by TessiesTracey
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