Tears were shed by humans and dogs alike on Saturday in Mowbray, as the longstanding Launceston RSPCA Animal Care Centre held it’s final adoption day.
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The centre will cease operations after 2018, due to it becoming financially unsustainable.
Centre manager Lorraine Hamilton said it was an emotional day for the team.
“We’d still love to get all of the dogs out today I’m not sure that we will,” she said.
“It is emotional, we get attached to the animals.”
Maximus, an american bulldog, had been at the centre for two months.
He was adopted by Tabitha Walters and her partner Daniel Drummond, who recently moved to Launceston from Melbourne.
Ms Walters said she the RSPCA in Launceston was better ran than their centre in Melbourne.
“Here they tell you everything there is to know about the dog upfront whereas on the mainland they’ll wait until you’re just about to pay for it and they’ll be like ‘hold on there’s medical issues’,” she said.
“I was absolutely gobsmacked [to find out] they’re shutting down.”
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Ms Walters said that she has always chosen adoption over puppy farms or breeders because the animals up for adoption deserve another chance at life.
“If you look at how happy they [the animals] look at getting another chance,”
“To think that some of them are not going to get that chance is heartbreaking, couldn’t imagine not giving one a home.”
Ms Hamilton noted that while dogs and cats in Launceston will have dedicated shelters, there needs to be somewhere for other animals to go.
“We will have to be quickly setting up in the new year some sort of facility, that will allow people who find rabbits and guinea pigs and canaries and roosters and that sort of thing to come to us,” she said.
“The Dogs’ Home clearly isn’t going to be interested in caring for those and neither will Just Cats.”
Ms Walters said both her and Mr Drummond fell in love with Maximus, and will treat him like part of the family.
“They’re an amazing family dog and we plan on raising a family so he’ll be my baby until then,” Ms Walters said.
“We’re starting fresh and Maximus will be included in that now.”
Ms Hamilton said it was wonderful to see Maximus going home with a family.
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