ADOPTING a rescue animal will be easier and more affordable for Young residents.
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The news comes hot off the foot of the NSW Government’s announcement that any de-sexed cat or dog purchased from a council pound or an eligible shelter will now be entitled to a 50 per cent discount on the lifetime registration fee.
Currently close to 30,000 cats and dogs that arrive at pounds in NSW are euthanized every year.
Young Shire Council had 221 dogs and 68 cats pass through the local pound in the 2014-2015 financial year. Sixty two of those dogs and 14 cats were sold to new owners or released to rehoming agencies, and home.
Fifty two dogs and 49 cats were euthanized.
The registration discount announcement came recently from Member for Cootamundra, Katrina Hodgkinson.
“Pets make great companions and we need to be doing everything we can to send the message to the community that a new pet is a lifetime responsibility,” she said.
“The advantages of having a pet are well known and the government is committed to encouraging responsible pet ownership by reducing the fees for abandoned animals in need of a home.”
She is hoping the move will see a rise in adoption rates.
“Halving the cost of registrations for adopted animals will see a number of benefits.
“For one, it increases adoption incentives, which is always great news for animals in our shelters.
“Secondly, it makes reuniting lost animals with their families that much easier and it also promotes responsible pet ownership,” Ms Hodgkinson said.
She said the government-funded discount is permanent and will encourage people to adopt cats or dogs from an eligible pound or shelter with the aim that it will lead to a reduction in the rate of euthanasia of homeless animals.
For more information on new fees, please visit the Office of Local Government website: http://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/content/registration-fees.