Ways to Save Lives
Ways to Save Lives
Councils
Councils
Through proactive policies and engagement across our communities, councils have an important part to play in tackling unnecessary pet euthanasia. Get to grips with the problem in your area, discover how to tackle it at its roots, and avoid ‘convenience killings’ in your animal management approach.
Promote and support pet adoption
Promote the benefits of adopting pets from shelters and rescues and consider reducing – or even waiving - adoption fees to lower the number of animals in pounds and shelters, and the number of adoptable animals put to sleep. Research shows that council and shelter-run adoption campaigns around specific types of animals (e.g. cats, medium-sized dogs) is very effective in prompting those who are considering a new pet to take action.
Spaying and neutering programs
Provide low-cost or free spaying and neutering services for pet owners, especially in low-income areas. This can drastically reduce the number of unwanted litters and overpopulation in shelters (and has been shown to decrease complaints to Councils about cats significantly). Alternatively, offer incentives for pet owners who have their pets sterilised, such as discounts on registration fees.
Note: This is best done in a targeted way, rather than broadly across a whole Council area, to achieve the greatest impact.
Low-cost veterinary services
Establish low-cost clinics in partnership with local vets or community organisations, where pet owners can access desexing, vaccinations, basic health checkups, and treatments for their animals at a reduced price. (These services have been shown to reduce cat-related complaints to Councils significantly.) Ensure that disadvantaged communities have access to affordable pet care to prevent animals from being surrendered due to medical or financial constraints.
(Again, these measures are best introduced through a considered and targeted approach, rather than broadly across a whole Council area.)
Support to prevent pet surrender
Offer resources and support for pet owners facing difficult situations (e.g., financial hardship, housing issues, behavioural problems) so that surrendering a pet isn’t the only option. This could include training programs, housing support or financial assistance.
Tracking and data collection
Collect and analyse data on pet populations, euthanasia rates, and reasons for surrender to identify trends and inform policy decisions. Make euthanasia statistics publicly available to create transparency around shelter practices and engage the community in efforts to reduce these numbers.
Update legislation
Legislate to allow community cats to be desexed and cared for by local residents. In the longer-term, this will reduce the number of stray cats and cat-related problems in the community, as well as intakes to shelters and pounds. It will also have a significant positive impact on the mental health of pound and shelter workers who are currently tasked with killing thousands of healthy cats and kittens. Supporting community cats also reduces the number of free-roaming cats, which also benefits wildlife too.
