Murrindindi Shire Council’s local laws team investigates animal cruelty matters working with the RSPCA and other agencies.
Councillor Sandice McAulay said last week’s RSPCA report about mistreatment of animals in Murrindindi Shire during 2016-17 came as unwelcome news.
“The annual RSPCA Report showed that while Murrindindi Shire ranked 57 out of 79 councils overall, it ranked tenth highest in the State in terms of the number of reports of animal cruelty on a per capita basis,” Cr McAulay said.
“There was one report of animal cruelty for every 305 residents in Murrindindi Shire compared to the state average of one report per 581 residents. Most reports concerned the treatment of dogs, cats and horses”.
“During the 2016/2017 financial year, Council also received 22 animal cruelty reports or animal welfare enquiries, including complaints about insufficient food, shelter, water, insufficient treatment (eg., unmanaged injuries) and underweight animals,” Cr McAulay said.
Anyone wanting to report their concerns about the treatment or poor condition of domestic animals or livestock can contact Murrindindi Shire Council’s local laws team on 5772 0333.
“I also would like to remind our residents who have an interest in animal welfare and how dogs, cats and other domestic animals are managed in Murrindindi Shire, that council is currently seeking the community’s views about its Domestic Animal Management Plan (DAMP) 2017-2021.
You can tell us what you think about the Plan until this Friday, September 1 at www.murrindindi.vic.gov.au/damp.
The DAMP survey can be found at http://bit.ly/2uLBfOM.
“We are also running a short survey to find out what the community thinks about the management of our domestic animals,” Cr McAulay said.
“I urge everyone to get involved in thinking about how we manage our animals and how best to look after their welfare. And if you see something of concern, don’t stay silent. Get in contact with Council or the RSPCA – we all have a role to play in ensuring our animals are treated properly.”
Text & Images ©COPYRIGHT 2017 Kinglake Ranges News.
With Murrindindi Shire Council.