Refuge calls for action as animal dumping soars

The Sunshine Coast Animal Refuge Society has called for councils to make desexing compulsory and to crack down on backyard breeders as the number of unwanted pets being abandoned or euthanised continues to soar.

SARS president and manager Jane Bright said 80% of the hundreds of animals which were still being dumped and destroyed were the result of irresponsible backyard breeders.

“It should be compulsory for all dogs and cats, unless you’re a registered breeder, to be desexed,” she said.

“There are just too many backyard breeders on the Sunshine Coast and every year we see the same people coming in with unwanted animals.

The RSPCA estimates that 500 pets are euthanised each day in Australia, with 12,000 in Queensland last year and 830 at the Noosa RSPCA.

PetRescue director Vickie Davy said the Queensland numbers were particularly high because of the warm climate.

“The animals breed more often in warm weather and in Queensland it’s warm all year round, so the issue is out of control,” she said.

Ms Bright said her shelter was so overloaded, especially with cats, she often had to turn them away.

“Some weeks we have up to 20 unwanted animals coming in and last year we had over 120 dogs at one stage,” she said.

“Many people purchase pets on a whim and then give them up within a couple of months.

“The numbers have also been increasing because people move to the Sunshine Coast and can’t find a rental property that’ll allow them to have pets, so they abandon them.”

Noosa Council manager of public order and safety, Ron Thomas, said it wasn’t the council’s responsibility to desex animals.

“Although there are no cat laws, we already have legislation preventing dog breeders from operating within the shire,” he said.

“We’d recommend people desex their pets but we’re not in a position to enforce compulsory desexing.”

A Caloundra City Council spokesperson said compulsory de-sexing was a matter for the state government to legislate on, and the Council had no intention to consider mandatory de-sexing.

“The breeding of dogs and cats is managed under our town planning schemes and there is no provision to enforce backyard breeding,” he said.

Maroochy Council’s spokesperson could not be reached for comment.

Reference: www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au

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