Onkaparinga Council’s pound fees to increase by $500,000 in a new three-year RSPCA deal
It’s about to cost Onkaparinga Council a lot more to have roaming dogs and cats picked up by the RSPCA.
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Onkaparinga ratepayers will be hit with an almost 500 per cent increase in the amount the RSPCA charges their council to impound roaming cats and dogs.
Under a new three-year deal, the RSPCA’s fees to impound and rehome stray dogs and cats at its Lonsdale shelter would increase to $330,000 in 2020/21, $500,000 in 2021/22 and $690,000 in 2022/23.
Onkaparinga’s fees for 2019/20 are currently $110,000, but a council spokesman said it was waiting on final invoices.
The annual fees include the council’s $50,000 contribution to its free cat desexing program with the RSPCA.
The council has to provide a place to detain roaming animals under the Dog and Cat Management Act.
At Onkaparinga’s July meeting, RSPCA chief executive Paul Stevenson said community expectations had led to increased costs for the organisation.
“People take better care of their animals now and they expect us to take better care of our animals now,” Mr Stevenson said.
“We’ve been running increasing deficits approaching $2 million a year and that’s just unsustainable for the organisation.”
An RSPCA spokeswoman said it cost $760,000 each year for the shelter to impound and rehome dogs and cats from the Onkaparinga Council area.
It costs $1090 per dog and $566 per cat including the income from adoption fees.
“Some animals are euthanised and this is a lower cost outcome,” the spokeswoman said.
“However, only animals not suitable for rehoming due to chronic medical/health conditions or behaviour that is dangerous are euthanised.
“RSPCA SA’s current live release rate (rehoming rate) is 86 per cent of all animals – approaching world’s best practice of 90 per cent.”
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The spokeswoman said the RSPCA was currently in negotiations with other councils.
The RSPCA’s Lonsdale shelter also provides impounding and rehoming services to Marion, Mitcham and Holdfast Bay councils.
Those councils were contacted for comment.