Latest news with #Save-a-DogScheme
The Age
27-05-2025
- Health
- The Age
Tears, cheers and smears: Emotional council vote over animal shelter
A long-standing animal shelter in Melbourne's east has won a lifeline after a council narrowly voted against installing a new operator, following an emotional debate over euthanasia. Despite not submitting a tender, the Save-a-Dog Scheme (SADS) was granted a year-long contract extension by Stonnington Council on Monday night to run a Glen Iris pound while a new taskforce examines a long-term solution. The 5-4 vote for an amended motion went against chief executive Dale Dickson's recommendation to award the contract to the Lost Dogs' Home, the sole applicant whose euthanasia practices were fiercely disputed. More than 3300 people signed an online petition last month that said the Lost Dogs' Home was 'notorious for their high rates of euthanasia', while SADS had a 'no-kill' approach. But a spokesperson for the Lost Dogs' Home said they were 'disheartened' that some people had 'shared misinformation' about the charity, which operates in 16 other metropolitan councils. 'No one working in animal care wants euthanasia to be the outcome for an animal in need,' the spokesperson said. 'However, there are times when, despite every effort, an animal cannot be safely rehomed.' Jennifer Hunt, who spoke at the council meeting and runs an animal welfare charity, claimed the Lost Dogs' Home operations were 'disturbing', while SADS 'have never lost the public's trust'. But in a report, council officers backed the Lost Dogs' Home and said claims of unnecessary euthanasia were 'not legally correct or accurate' as the Domestic Animals Act required it in some cases, such as when an animal is severely injured or diseased.
Sydney Morning Herald
27-05-2025
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
Tears, cheers and smears: Emotional council vote over animal shelter
A long-standing animal shelter in Melbourne's east has won a lifeline after a council narrowly voted against installing a new operator, following an emotional debate over euthanasia. Despite not submitting a tender, the Save-a-Dog Scheme (SADS) was granted a year-long contract extension by Stonnington Council on Monday night to run a Glen Iris pound while a new taskforce examines a long-term solution. The 5-4 vote for an amended motion went against chief executive Dale Dickson's recommendation to award the contract to the Lost Dogs' Home, the sole applicant whose euthanasia practices were fiercely disputed. More than 3300 people signed an online petition last month that said the Lost Dogs' Home was 'notorious for their high rates of euthanasia', while SADS had a 'no-kill' approach. But a spokesperson for the Lost Dogs' Home said they were 'disheartened' that some people had 'shared misinformation' about the charity, which operates in 16 other metropolitan councils. 'No one working in animal care wants euthanasia to be the outcome for an animal in need,' the spokesperson said. 'However, there are times when, despite every effort, an animal cannot be safely rehomed.' Jennifer Hunt, who spoke at the council meeting and runs an animal welfare charity, claimed the Lost Dogs' Home operations were 'disturbing', while SADS 'have never lost the public's trust'. But in a report, council officers backed the Lost Dogs' Home and said claims of unnecessary euthanasia were 'not legally correct or accurate' as the Domestic Animals Act required it in some cases, such as when an animal is severely injured or diseased.
