By Ewen McRae
More than 5400 requests for animal management services were received by Brimbank council in the past financial year.
More than 1000 dogs and 1500 cats, including dogs found at large and cats collected as part of the council’s cat-trapping program, were collected by officers in the same timeframe.
Mayor John Hedditch released the figures as the council put its draft animal management plan out for public comment. The plan is open for submissions for four weeks.
Cr Hedditch said the outcome would affect thousands of households.
“There are more than 10,000 dogs and 3000 cats registered in Brimbank,” he said.
“It’s essential that council has an appropriate plan in place that outlines how we will manage dogs and cats in the community.”
Key initiatives in the draft animal management plan include reviewing cat-trapping processes, increased use of multilingual materials on responsible pet ownership, additional school visits by animal management officers to raise awareness of responsible pet ownership and additional skills development and training opportunities for animal management officers.
Speaking at last week’s meeting, Cr Virginia Tachos said the council approach towards feral cats was one of the biggest concerns she heard in feedback from residents.
“The majority of the dogs that we pick up are registered, but this is not the case with cats and it’s a growing problem,” Cr Tachos said.
“There is no easy solution, however council is very interested in the thoughts of residents on feral cats and possible solutions.”
She said she would like to see the possibility of refundable fees for cat traps explored.
“Many residents I have spoken to say the $60 fee is an impost for families that are already struggling,” she said.
Councillor Sam David agreed, citing the particular problems feral cats posed in spring when bird life was more abundant.
Submissions on the draft plan will be taken until September 21.
