Launceston RSPCA Animal Care Centre will remain open for now, however animal pound and shelter services in the state’s North will operate under a new model from December 31.
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The state government has announced it will provide $100,000 in funding to the City of Launceston council to help facilitate the transition.
It comes as RSPCA Tasmania moves away from providing animal shelter services, to instead focus on its core business as an animal inspectorate.
A call for tender for the council’s dog pound and regional shelter services is expected to be released in the next few weeks.
The announcement comes after months of consultation, including a KPMG report commissioned by the council to determine a sustainable solution for the provision of dog and cat management.
City of Launceston general manager Michael Stretton said the report recommended moving away from the existing model, which required a financial contribution “well beyond” what a council would reasonably pay for pound and shelter services.
The report also recommended the establishment of a regional dedicated cat shelter – something that could be partly funded by multiple northern councils.
City of Launceston Mayor Albert van Zetten said the sheltering of cats and other animals was not a local government responsibility, but rather a regional, community issue.
“The RSPCA shelter at Mowbray taks in animals from across Northern Tasmania. To assume that Launceston ratepayers should fully subsidise those services inequitable and unfair,” he said.
Mr Stretton said the council was working to establish an alternate arrangement for 2019.
RSPCA Tasmania chief executive Andrew Byrne said he hoped the transition of services would be seamless.
“This is good news and we hope that much of what happens here at the Mowbray site won’t change – it just won’t be RSPCA running the show,” he said.
“The RSPCA is not going anywhere, it’s just about strengthening our position. The truth is without help from council and now the government, we would have shut up shop a long time ago.”
The council currently rents the Mowbray animal shelter site to the RSPCA at a peppercorn rate of $25 a year.
Mr Stretton said the council had funded shelter services for dogs and cats in Launceston to the tune of about $109,000 a year.
What everyone had to say
Primary Industries and Waters Minister Sarah Courtney:
“It is essential that unwanted and abandoned dogs and cats are cared for responsibly, and hopefully re-homed, and we commend the council and the RSPCA for working together to help provide a sustainable solution to this issue,” she said.
“The [state government] grant will allow the current services to continue until the end of 2018 while the council and the RSPCA decide on alternate providers for those services and the best locations.
“The RSPCA has indicated a preference not to continue with the delivery of animal pound and shelter services at Mowbray, and instead focus on its core business of the animal inspectorate service which receives $550,000 in annual funding from the state government.”
City of Launceston general manger Michael Stretton:
“The ongoing welfare of dogs and cats across Northern Tasmania will remain a priority for the City of Launceston as we strive to find alternate arrangements after December 31.
“This new funding announcement by the state government will give us time to bed down alternative providers for those services.
“The RSPCA indicated to us they wish to focus on their inspectorate services across Northern Tasmania – which is their core business – and would prefer to move away from providing shelter services for dogs and cats.
“From the council’s perspective, we have funded those services in Launceston to the tune of about $109,000 a year.”
Mr Stretton said the approaches taken by northern councils for the provision of dog pound services varied significantly and included:
- Small council-operated pounds with minimal shelter capacity and used by three or four surrounding councils to Launceston.
- Outsourced pound services utilising a private operator under contract – used by one of the surrounding councils to Launceston
- Outsourced pound services utilising a non-for-profit operator under contract – used by three larger councils (Burnie, Devonport and Hobart).
City Of Launceston mayor Albert van Zetten:
“Ultimately the issue of dog and cat sheltering is a regional community issue and we are exploring all options from a regional perspective to make sure all animal services continue after December 31.
“The RSPCA shelter at Mowbray takes in animals from across northern Tasmania.
“To assume that Launceston ratepayers should fully subsidise those services is inequitable and unfair.
“That said, the provision of sustainable dog pound, dog shelter and cat shelter services fulfill a valuable need in the community whereby unwanted or abandoned animals are cared for and re-homed wherever possible.
“The lack of such services would result in high euthanasia rates for both cats and dogs in Launceston – and that’s just unacceptable.”
Jessica Willard
Being a health reporter to me is about more than just reporting the problems. It's about asking why they are happening in the first place and what needs to change to fix it.
Being a health reporter to me is about more than just reporting the problems. It's about asking why they are happening in the first place and what needs to change to fix it.
