Eve Lamb
Misuse of the night cages intended for dropping off stray animals found wandering after hours has prompted Mount Alexander Animal Welfare animal shelter management to speak out in the hope of putting an end to the pesky practice.
“We provide our night cages specifically so local residents can drop off any strays that are found wandering when the shelter is not staffed,” MAAW shelter manager Rosie Skinner says.
“But recently people have been using the cages to dump their own animals even when the shelter is staffed and we’re sitting right here.
“These cages are designed for stray animals to be dropped off after hours and not for people to surrender their own animals.”
The night cages include four cat cages and one larger dog cage and are situated at the front of the shelter gates.
“Dumping in the after-hours cages causes unnecessary stress for the animal,” Ms Skinner says.
“And when an animal is dumped in the night cage with no history it makes it harder and more time consuming for us to process the animal and get it through to the adoption stage.
“With no history or information available, these animals must be considered as a stray and that means… Read more in today’s Mail…