by Violet Li
Casey Council’s contracted animal shelter The Lost Dogs’ Home (LDH) Cranbourne euthanized 652 cats and 91 dogs in the first six months of 2023, according to the latest statistics published by Animal Welfare Victoria.
The shelter took in 2201 cats and 1227 dogs between 1 January and 30 June, resulting in euthanasia rates of 30 per cent for cats and 7 per cent for dogs.
The most common euthanasia reason was behaviour concerns with 277 cats and 67 dogs put down to death due to it.
Disease, age, and injury were among the other reasons for euthanasia.
Statewide, shelters and pounds admitted 25,913 cats and 14,178 dogs in the same period, leading to euthanasia rates of 25 per cent for cats and 8.4 per cent for dogs.
LDH Cranbourne’s spokesperson said the shelter was committed to providing behavioural care to rehome every adoptable animal regardless of the length of time it might take to do so, but it was also committed to making the right euthanasia decisions to prevent unnecessary suffering, as well as to protect the community and their animals.
“We achieve this with dogs. We are not achieving this with cats. The sheer numbers of unowned and wild cats coming into shelters, pounds, and rescues every year, and most especially during the consistently lengthening kitten season, makes this impossible,” they said.
“Although we are slowly reducing euthanasia rates for cats year on year, we must have the support of the community and a far greater commitment from the State Government to be able to achieve this at a much faster rate.”
LDH Cranbourne rehomed 781 cats and 325 dogs in the reported period.
LDH, with its North Melbourne and Cranbourne sites, is the largest shelter in Victoria, caring for over 18,000 animals in 2022/2023.
It provides animal shelter services to 16 local councils, including Casey, Cardinia Shire, Frankston City Council, and Greater Dandenong.
In 2022, the State Government required shelters and pounds to mandatorily collect and report data on their management outcomes for every animal they take in.
To access the statistics by Animal Welfare Victoria, visit: https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestock-and-animals/animal-welfare-victoria/domestic-animals-act/animal-fate-data-set
