A MELTON animal welfare campaigner is urging residents to desex and microchip their pets to reduce the number of litters being dumped.
“It is frustrating that people aren’t getting the message about responsible ownership,” Carolyn Coleman said.
“Pets are for life.”
Ms Coleman, who volunteers for Woodend’s Pet’s Haven pro-life animal shelter, said the number of abandoned and surrendered dogs was not decreasing.
Too many people bought dogs like Staffordshire terriers, she said, mistakenly believing they would be a low-maintenance pet, or purely as a status symbol.
“Staffys are a beautiful breed, but they’re hard work, which a lot of people don’t understand. People sometimes get sick of their pets and dump them or surrender unwanted litters, which could have been prevented if the animal was desexed.”
Last week, the Weekly reported that Melton Council was being criticised for its animal management fees and pound opening hours.
Ms Coleman disagreed. “I don’t think the increase for animal registrations is unreasonable. Melton pound provides a very good service, with the website regularly updating lost pets to help residents get them back.”
Council’s compliance manager, Ian Stewart, said the fee for unsterilised animals had increased to promote responsible pet ownership.
“Council has increased all fees in line with the consumer price index,” he said. “Council believes that the cost to register an animal is not excessive for the responsible pet owner, costing less than a dollar a week.”
More details: melton.vic.gov.au
