Western suburbs councils successful in rehoming impounded animals

WESTERN suburbs councils continue find new owners and homes for strays cats and dogs when at least one Perth council put down 80 per cent of the cats it impounded last financial year.

“We had two dogs picked up, and both owners were relocated,” Peppermint Grove chief executive John Merrick said of the tiny Shire’s success rate.

Claremont council returns strays to owners or sends them to refuges in Shenton Park, but a spokeswoman said one diseased and unchipped stray cat was put down.

In 2017, 16 of the 17 dogs picked up by City of Subiaco were returned to their owners, and one was re-homed, after they were taken to the refuge.

After Community News surveyed nine metropolitan councils, it was found City of Belmont put down 63 of the 76 cats it impounded, City of Swan put down 55 per cent of its 304 impounded cats, and eight per cent of its 52 dogs.

Fremantle and Wanneroo councils’ euthanasia rates were almost zero because they, like western suburbs councils, send their strays to facilities such as Cat Haven in Shenton Park.

City of Belmont chief executive John Christie said most of his councils’ impounded cats were feral, but impounded pets not reclaimed after eight days were then the responsibility of its care facility at Julie’s Boarding Kennels to re-home.

“Unfortunately, the great majority of the cats impounded by the City are feral which by reason of temperament and or health are unsuitable for re-homing, which is why more dogs are re-homed than cats,” Mr Christie said.

RSPCA WA communications manager Richard Schoonraad said any animal taken to a council pound had to be kept for seven days to give owners an opportunity to come forward.

“In order to help alleviate the number of animals that end up in a pound facility, pet owners should be responsible by ensuring their animals are de-sexed and micro chipped so if they are picked up by a ranger they can be returned safely,” Mr Schoonraad said.

He said getting a pet from a refuge and not buying it from a pet shop would reduce the number of animals being put down.

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