THE community animal shelter and animal pound in Mornington is set for a $6 million revamp, with work under way to deliver new animal kennels and ancillary buildings. The project will redevelop the existing shelter at 130 Watt Rd, with works scheduled for completion by September 2025.
“This refurbishment will ensure the shelter meets the highest standards of care, providing a comfortable and stress-free environment for all animals in our care,” the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s community safety, health and compliance manager Dale Gilliatte said.
Works began this month with the current shelter to stay open as usual during the renovation. The council awarded a tender to Devco Project and Construction Management Pty Ltd in July to carry out the project including new animal kennels and associated ancillary buildings, which would include a new entry road, carpark and site works at the existing shelter.
According to the shire, “the existing community animal shelter does not meet the code of practice for the management of dogs and cats in shelters and pounds and legislation as set out by the Domestic Animals Act 1994”. “The Mornington Peninsula Shire Council is refurbishing to meet standards and provide a comfortable and stress-free environment for all animals, big and small.”
Features of the refurbishment also include a new community-focused adoption space designed with “comfort and connection in mind”, while a new fully equipped cat isolation room will provide a safe and comfortable environment for sick or infectious felines to recover, while also protecting other cats. “Guinea pigs, ferrets, and rabbits will soon be settling into brand new, spacious condos designed with their unique needs in mind,” the shire said. “These upgraded habitats offer ample space for play, exploration, and social interaction, promoting the well-being and happiness of our pocket-sized friends.” The new canine housing pens will “prioritise the physical and psychological well-being of our canine residents throughout their stay”. “Our commitment to animal welfare extends to every resident, no matter how small,” the shire said.
The last time the shelter was upgraded was when a new cattery was opened in 2018. It currently costs the council about $1.2 million a year to run the animal shelter. The council confirmed that revenue generated through its annual animal management (including pet registrations) was spent on the shire’s annual capital works program, including $1.8 million allocated to the community animal shelter redevelopment project.
The council noted it would consider a foster adoption program next year. Mornington resident and animal welfare advocate Rosy Fischer has been critical of the shire for not introducing this program years ago, arguing it would save the lives of animals. “Pound environments can have a negative impact on some animals due to being locked in a cage for many hours, strange noises, smells, lots of other animals, minimal human contact and the greater possibility of contracting diseases,” she told The News. “Lost Dogs Home and RSPCA have foster care programs in place, so why not Mornington Peninsula community animal shelter?”
According to the latest data from Animal Welfare Victoria, from 1 July to 31 December 2023, 48 cats and 13 dogs were euthanised at the community animal shelter and pound. In the same period, 79 cats were rehomed with 38 transferred and 20 reclaimed, while 42 dogs were rehomed and 158 reclaimed.
Fischer said she wants to see more progressive policies introduced including seeing fewer animals euthanised, introducing foster programs, volunteers to help at the shelter, subsidised pet-desexing for Centrelink recipients, and opening the shelter without appointments. She also said there was no community consultation relating to the opening hours being reduced on weekends, nor the appointment only strategy, which she believed was a cost-saving measure. “To adopt, you have to apply online, as they don’t allow walk-ins. You have to fill out a four-page adoption application based on a photo and brief description of the pet, without ever having met the pet.”
When asked why the shelter’s opening hours were reduced on Saturdays (10am-1pm) and closed Sundays, the shire said, “this was an operational decision taken to balance the welfare of staff, the animals and our community”, which Fischer said “made no sense; it’s just about money”. However, it said animal attendants were on-site every day with pens cleaned and animals fed daily. In relation to why the shelter was open to the public by appointment only, which was introduced after Covid, the council said, “staff need to be available to vet every prospective new owner”. “We need to ensure the animal will go to a good home and will be well cared for. Having appointment times ensures we are able to make sure a staff member is available for each appointment,” it stated.
Fischer said she was “very concerned” as to why volunteers were no longer accepted, which the council said was “an operational decision taken a number of years ago”. “Volunteers save shelters money, by reducing the number of paid staff required, which would increase the profits made by this shelter,” Fischer said. “Some volunteers may not be able to afford a pet or have the right environment for a pet, so volunteering gives them the opportunity to interact with pets and provide them with love and affection. “I was a volunteer at Mornington pound for one year and reported issues of concern relating to the code of practice for the management of dogs and cats in pounds and shelters and was banned from the facility as a result.”
A Mornington resident, who has years of experience in the animal welfare industry, said she was disappointed the shelter did not accept volunteers when she applied in August 2022. “Money didn’t seem to be an issue when I asked to volunteer there,” she said. She and Fischer also said information in some of the adoption profiles of animals posted online were “appalling” and “would be best left to in-person discussion with potential people adopting”.
First published in the Mornington News – 12 November 2024
