Who you are and what you do:

 The Mornington Peninsula Shire provides a range of services to the community generally, and in particular to the owners of cats and dogs within the Shire’s municipal district;  including animal management and compliance services by the Shire Ranger Team, as well as Pound and Re-homing services by the ‘Community Animal Shelter’ Team.

G2Z Elements & Strategies:

 As a G2Z participating branch of Local Government in Victoria, we are committed to:

• reducing euthanasia of  abandoned cats and dogs, through re-homing;
• promoting the de-sexing of cats and dogs generally, and ensuring that all cats and dog re-homed by the Shire are de-sexed;
• educating the community and raising awareness to reduce cat and dog surrenders;  to increase claim rates;  to increase adoption rates;  to reduce euthanasia rates;  and to increase understanding of the relevant issues in our community;
• advocating for, and complying with, laws and regulations which support a reduction in unwanted animals and improvements in their care and re-homing; 
• contributing to the advancement of state and local companion animal legislation which supports G2Z goals

 Recent Achievements in Getting to Zero:

 At the time of the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s first Domestic Animal Management Plan in 2008, statistics for (i) impounding rates;  (ii) impound release rates;  (ii) re-homing rates;  and (iii) euthanizing rates;  indicated the Shire’s performance in these areas was already amongst the best in Local Government.   

Since 2008, these statistics have significantly improved in most categories.

Declining Numbers of Dogs Impounded:  Since implementation of the first DAM Plan in 2008, the number of dogs impounded at the Shire’s Community Animal Shelter has decreased from 1,269 dogs during 2006-07 to 1,069 dogs during 2011-12;  a reduction of 15.8%.   The number of dogs impounded during 2012-13 decreased further, to 1,023 dogs;  a reduction of 19.4% on the original situation in 2006-07.

During the same period (2006-07 to 2012-13), the total number of dogs registered increased by 12.1%.  

The numbers of dogs, in real terms, being impounded has actually decreased significantly. 

Increasing Numbers of Dogs Reunited with Owners:  During the same period, the number of dogs being released from the Community Animal Shelter to owners has increased from 68.5% of all dogs impounded during 2006-07, to 81.1% of all dogs impounded during 2011-12, and has remained at 81.1% of all dogs impounded during 2012-13.  

In addition to the number of impounded dogs being released to their owners at the Community Animal Shelter, Shire Rangers also return an increasing number of dogs direct to their owners’ properties, in preference to impounding them.  

The significant decrease, in real terms, of dogs being impounded, together with the significant increase, in real terms, in dogs being reunited with their owners, is a very clear indication of the Shire’s success in (i) raising awareness in our community about keeping dogs securely confined, and (ii) also strongly demonstrates the benefits and impact of micro-chipping and pet registration, as well as (iii) the ‘customer-focus’ of the staff of the Community Animal Shelter Team and the Shire Ranger Team in getting peoples’ dogs back to them.

Increasing Numbers of Unclaimed Dogs Re-Homed:  Since implementation of the first DAM Plan in 2008 (which used 2006 – 07 Stats), the proportion of dogs being re-homed from the Community Animal Shelter to new owners has improved from 14.8% of all dogs impounded during 2006-07 (188 re-homed from a total of 1,269 dogs impounded), to 16.6% of all dogs impounded during 2011-12 (177 re-homed from a total of 1,069 dogs impounded),  and this has remained at a similar level of 16% of all dogs impounded during 2012-13 (177 re-homed from a total of 1,069 dogs impounded).  

Decreasing Numbers of Unclaimed Dogs Euthanised:  Since implementation of the first DAM Plan in 2008 (which used 2006 – 07 Stats), the proportion of dogs from the Community Animal Shelter being euthanised has improved from 16.7% of all dogs impounded during 2006-07 (212 euthanised from a total of 1,269 dogs impounded), to 2.2% of all dogs impounded during 2011-12 (23 euthanised from a total of 1,069 dogs impounded),  and this has remained at a similar level of 2.8% of all dogs impounded during 2012-13 (29 euthanised from a total of 1,023 dogs impounded).   

Declining Numbers of Cats Impounded:  Statistics for cats, since implementation of the first DAM Plan in 2008 (which used 2006 – 07 Stats), show the number of cats impounded at the Community Animal Shelter has decreased from 659 cats during 2006-07 to 475 cats during 2011-12;  a reduction of 27.9%.   The number of cats impounded during 2012-13 increased slightly, to 490 cats;  still being a significant reduction of 25.6% on the original situation in 2006-07.   The significant decrease, in real terms, of cats being impounded is a very clear indication of the Shire’s success in raising awareness in our community about (i) Council’s Order for keeping cats securely confined to their owner’s property at all times, and (ii) Council’s Local Law requiring all cats over three months of age to be de-sexed, to minimise the numbers of unwanted kittens in our community.

Increasing Numbers of Unclaimed Cats Re-Homed:  During the same period, the proportion of cats being re-homed from the Community Animal Shelter to new owners has improved from 2% of all cats impounded during 2006-07 (13 re-homed from a total of 659 cats impounded), to 54.1% of all cats impounded during 2011-12 (257 re-homed from a total of 475 cats impounded),  and the re-homing  rate has improved again to 64.7% of all cats impounded during 2012-13 (317 re-homed from a total of 490 cats impounded). 

Decreasing Numbers of Unclaimed Cats Euthanised:  During the same period, the proportion of cats from the Community Animal Shelter being euthanised has improved from 74.5% of all cats impounded during 2006-07 (491 euthanised from a total of 659 cats impounded), and reduced to 32% of all cats impounded during 2011-12 (152 euthanised from a total of 475 cats impounded),  and this has further improved by reducing to 21% of all cats impounded during 2012-13 (103 euthanised from a total of 490 cats impounded).   

Support Needed:

Establishing on-going written agreements with community volunteer pet-rescue groups for re-homing unwanted cats and dogs, as provided for under Section 84Y of the Domestic Animals Act 1994 (Victoria).   The Shire is interested to continue to develop a network of community volunteer pet rescue groups that can be relied upon as responsible partners in maximising the numbers of suitable unclaimed and surrendered pets that are ‘adopted’ into new homes.  

The type of responsible re-homing partners the Shire is seeking will appreciate that Officers of Council will be meeting with each of the Shire’s network of pet-rescue partners, at the pet-rescue group’s premises, once or twice a year, to review re-homing arrangements and to confirm various conditions of these re-homing agreements are being observed.   These review arrangements assist in the process of continuous improvement, and also ensure the Shire can demonstrate compliance with statutory obligations applying under various provisions of The Act.  

The type of responsible re-homing partners the Shire is seeking will appreciate their continuing relationship with the Shire is dependent on their standard of professional conduct, compliance with the Shire’s procedures and processes, and with the Shire’s communication standards.

(The Shire reserves the right to suspend re-homing arrangements with pet-rescue groups who do not agree to participate in an annual, or biannual, review of re-homing arrangements at the premises of the pet-rescue group, and who do not comply with conditions of these re-homing agreements, or who do not cooperate with observing the Shire’s procedures and processes, and communications standards.)

Adoption, reclaim, foster and euthanasia statistics for last two full financial or calendar years:

Comparison of 2006-07/ 2011-12/ 2012-13 Mornington Peninsula Shire’s ‘Community Animal Shelter’ (pound) data

*    2012 – 13 is a qualified estimate, based on confirmed statistics for 11 months (1 June to 31 May)