Dogs and Cats
Sue Brooks February 5th, 2012
In response to Mr MacKellar’s letter to the Chronicle.
Jim MacKellar (FCC 4/2/12), asks the question of the Council Revenue Policy in relation to the recently announced Responsible Pet Ownership Initiatives. FCRC does aim to maintain a user pays focus when setting its fees and charges but this is a general approach and by the nature of the work that Council does it has to be this way. Library, Gallery and Parks users don’t pay to use these facilities directly so the cost of maintaining them has to be obtained from somewhere. Our community has a right to have access to many and varied services and facilities and it also has the right and the expectation that Council will deal with wandering and/or homeless dogs and cats. The money spent on customer service calls, compliance officers driving around and collecting stray animals, pound services and feeding the poor pets that end up in the pound and ultimately euthanizing animals etc, far exceeds the income derived from animal registration charges.
Council has committed to the Responsible Pet Ownership incentives to try and reduce the overall cost to the community that wandering and homeless animals cause. The initatives are aimed at assisting those that can least afford desexing costs such as pensioners, to have their pets desexed. The RSPCA desexing van should run on a cost neutral basis and Council will also undertake a compliance door knock where persons with unregistered animals will be fined.
All residents are paying towards animal compliance and therefore it is important for those who own animals to do the right thing and have them registered, thereby reducing the cost burden on all of us. What we have done in the past, while achieving some positive outcomes, has not had any measurable success in decreasing the problem of homeless pets or the numbers of pets being euthanized. Sometimes it is necessary to invest some funds to gain a future saving. If these initiatives show no positive results I don’t expect that they will be continued.
I believe these initiatives will actually save ratepayers money in the long term and I will continue to ask that Council also introduces compulsory dog and cat desexing and breeder permits via its Local Laws. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to live in a society where owning a desexed cat or dog was the socially acceptable thing to do and where so many Council pounds and animal rescue shelters were no longer required.
- Council related issues
- Comments(17)
well
Spoken
Well said Sue.
Wonder how long it will remain free to use the library, the gallery and to walk in the parks ? This ‘user pays’ nonsense puts charges wherever possible ON TOP OF the rates we all pay. It used to be that one paid rates – and much lower ones than today – and the Council provided ratepayers with almost every service at no additional charge. That of course was in the days when roads, drainage, water and sewerage , and a library was about it. No fancy gateways, no newspaper advertising, no social workers, no art galleries, no paying councillors election expenses. In fact in many smaller municipalities to be a councillor was a matter of doing a public duty without expectation of receiving an enormous salary. Ah, progress is wonderful. You cant stand in the way of it. Unfortunately.
Sue, I have trouble some times with what you post, I
fail to so how “library, gallery and parks” can be put in the same category as pet ownership?
If little old pensioners cannot afford to desex their animals they should not own them. Are these the
same old pensioners who play the pokies, drink beer and smoke?
Sue, just when will you and many other face the
facts of life? There are doers and users and the users are having a field days at the doers exspense.
In the 18th and 19th century people use to buy votes,
sadly little has changed, tax cuts, baby bonuses, child care etc, are no better than a candidate standing at the polling station and handing out lollies.
I think your prejudice may be showing slightly… Many people own pets. Many people use Libraries. Many people use roads…..Honestly John most little old pensioners as uyou describe them are the best ever pet owners in my experience… Shall we also close down our assistance for elderly people called Home Assist? I wish there was a fairer system to reward the good and punish the bad. Please do tell if you know of one… Cheers, Sue
PS I care about animals and I cannot stand seeing healthy innocent animals killed day after day due to human neglect. Sorry but my prejudice might be showing here..
Sue,
If council tightened up on pet ownership, increased fines for mistreatment and banned some people from owning a
pet, the number of “healthy innocent animals killed day
after day due to human neglect” would decrease.
As to “home assist”, you are doing it again, like your comments on “library(s), gallery(s) and parks”, they are not the same Sue and you know it.
Well John I can’t achieve those things so I support the things that we can do. I have no idea who would support tightening up on pet ownership. Who decides whether you can have a pet or not? Plus I think to do this would require State Legislation change but hey I do agree that pet ownership is a responsibility not a right and I will personally continue to try and bring about political change on this issue. But John sometimes a politician has to compromise and we don’t all always get what we want… Just like the average person..
Sue, I would like to see all rescue organisations in your area have the pets that are surrendered to them desexed, to help stop this unwanted spread of breeding that occurs due to irresponsible pet ownership. I also believe that it is a responsibility, not a right. I cannot understand how any organisations calling themselves “rescue”, that does not desex animals in its care. That to me is being irresponsible and is no better than a pet shop. The cost of the desexing could be incorporated in the price that is charged when onselling the animals.
I can’t agree more. I find it a total contradiction to be rescuuing animals and then to sell them off without desexing them. It seems that animal rescue is sometimes a good excuse to run a business. People do want to help and will donate etc believing that they are helping animals. Sometimes this help is simply helping humans earn money. I am president of Pet Warriors and am very proud to say that our rescue pets are desexed. It is time consuming, expensive but ever so essential. With some vets on board we are making sure that we do not increase the numbers of unwanted pets. Council is also trying to assist in its own way also.
Pet Warriors is making a difference by desexing animals that come into their care. It is so important to do this. This is certainly an organisation that I would be fostering for due to their beliefs. Sue, could you please explain how Council is assisting in this endeavour to reduce unwanted pet numbers? Thank you.
Mr. Neve.
I have watched your many posts, read your many letters to various papers, even followed your campaign at the last council elections, over the last six or so years that I have lived in Hervey Bay.
I have personally agreed with your points of view from time to time, and also disagreed. Like most very public voices of the region you seem to be one of a very vocal group of ‘squeaky wheels’ that this region has to offer, which actually adds to the attraction and colour of the region. But never would I consider blatant criticism of what is basically one of the largest socio economic groups of this region, the little old pensioner.
My friend I am offended by your comment, not because I am a little old pensioner, that I am far from, but more so that I have seen more productive, more active, more contributing, ‘little old pensioners’ in this region than any other region that I have live or worked in. Yes we do have a few that drink, smoke, and blow their pensions on the pokies, but I would hazard to guess that they are no higher in number than any other region, and more than likely in the minority.
Please Mr Neve. When I grew up I was taught to respect my elders, to support them when needed, and ensure they are able to live out the rest of their lives with dignity. Given the aged pension affords little more than an existence barely above the poverty line, and that some self funded retiree’s are also being financially squeezed because of recent economic events. The act of subsidised de sexing (and maybe micro-chipping?) isn’t really a hard pill to swallow.
Maybe Mr Neve you should put your money where your mouth is and run for council (again) yourself? After all you will be one of those ‘Little Old Pensioners’ one day.
Sue,
As a dog owner I have been interested in pet welfare
for over thirty years. I have written to this council over some ten years, all to no avail! No, not surprised, council is about appeasement, not solutions.
Ten years I’ve been in this town, dog attacks, strays,
maltreatment, it goes on and on, councillors talk and talk
and talk, but nothing changes!
You get advice, good advice, but nothing ever happens!
I wonder why? Reason, If you do nothing you will not upset any one. Sue, sooner or later some one will have to bite the bullet or all pets will have to be destroyed.
Matt,
We are all entitled to our view and I respect yours.
However, there comes a time when we all have to stand on our own two feet and I am sick of those that do the right thing having to bail out those that don’t.
I have a dog, I look after my dog, train my dog, feed my dog and an prepared to pay the consequencys if my dog does the wrong thing.
The aged did what they wanted to do at the time, the fact that they now are “one of the largest socio economic groups”, does not mean the rest of us has to look after them. If they cannot afford a pet, don’t have one.
As to “respect” in my view it has to be won, it is not a given, in fact looking back over the last 50 years, I have little respect for most people over 70, the age by the way I am.
Mr Neve.
I Rest My case.
Matt,
Says “I rest my case”, what interpretation do we put on
that Matt?
Come on, you must have a view, do you still think we should all support “one of the largest social economic
groups”?
Give it your best shot Matt, we are all waiting.
Who will support retired people John? Will all,of us have to continue to work, if we can even find a job, till we drop? But please guys stick to issues won’t you!
Sue,
This is the issue, should ratepayers who do the right thing by their pets, have to support those that don’t?
Matt seems to feel we all have a duty of care to those that bludge on society. Sorry, but I don’t, there are far more important issues for our ratesthan paying to de-sex
some one else’s pet.