Council today voted to take responsibility for re-homing unclaimed and abandoned animals after the RSPCA advised it was unable to continue a long-standing agreement to accept our animals.
Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said Council had been preparing to take on the task from July but had to move quickly after the RSPCA advised last week they weren’t able to take any more animals effective immediately.
“Council has had a long-standing arrangement with the RSPCA who has always done fantastic work in re-homing our animals,” Cr Williams said.
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“Unfortunately they no longer have the resources to continue with this agreement, so Council has quickly stepped up to fill the void to ensure these animals can find new homes.
“As with everything, we will also continue to look at other options for re-homing the animals such as community groups taking over the service in the interests of these animals’ welfare.”
Cr Williams said that when officers found a lost animal, it would be initially scanned for a microchip or checked for a registration tag in an attempt to identify an owner.
“Our priority will be to locate the animal’s owner,’’ she said.
“In the event the animal has no identification, the details of the animal will be placed onto Council’s webpage.
“If after a period of time no owner can be located, the animal will be assessed to determine its suitability for adoption – taking into consideration its age, health and temperament before it is made available for sale.”
Council’s animal management spokesperson Cr Lance Hewlett said Council was hoping to have a dedicated Facebook page and website page running soon to allow the animals to be advertised.
“The aim is for the animals to be listed on Council’s website, including a photo, and information on the breed, age, price and other details people require when choosing a pet,” he said.
“If a person is interested in any of the listed animals, they can visit the animal shelter for a meet and greet and purchase their new pet.
“Because we have had to move so quickly to find an alternative method of re-homing animals there is still some work to be done and we are asking for everyone’s patience while things are finalised.”
