Toowoomba Regional Council axes after-hours drop boxes

The public has been called to exercise duty of care over animals found wandering, as a regional Qld council announces the closure of its after-hours drop boxes.

Dog pound generic

Leaving stray or unwanted cats and dogs in the pound after office hours will soon become a thing of the past, as the Toowoomba Regional Council locks up its drop boxes permanently.

The after-hours drop boxes have been used as a solution to temporarily house stray or unwanted pets while the animal management centre is unstaffed, but the practice has been called out by animal welfare groups, along with dog and cat owners, as a distressing and in some cases life threatening solution to lost animals.

The alternative is placing the responsibility for stray dogs and cats to be cared for by the individual who finds it, and for them to take the appropriate measures to find the animal’s owner.

The council-run Lost Pets and Animal Management Centre at Drayton, Toowoomba, at 393 Anzac Ave, Drayton. Picture: Google Maps.

In Toowoomba the drop-boxes became particularly pertinent when a couple was fined a hefty $1500 for breaking their dogs out of the drop-boxes over Christmas 2023.

Owner Graeme Butzbach claimed he had “no choice” but to break the dogs out of the one cage, who would have remained in the pound until after Christmas.

“We did it in their best interest,” Mr Butzbach said at the time.

The RSPCA has found that using after-hours drop boxes, or night cages, for animals can be distressing, “often traumatic and can have long-term effects on the mental health”.

Extreme weather conditions – cold nights or hot weekends and delayed treatment if they are sick or injured also pose a risk to the animals.

In addition to this, finding their owners or understanding any behavioural history can often be lost in the process.

The drop boxes will be removed from Toowoomba’s council run pound at Anzac Ave from Friday, February 28.

Two 10-month-old border collies were broken out of Toowoomba's animal management centre in December 2023 by their owners. The same claims against the centre's treatment of Missy (bottom right) resulted in her having seizures and needing to be put down.

The Animal Management Centre will be open to accepting lost or roaming animals between 9am and 4.30pm from Monday to Friday, councillor Bill Cahill said.

“Residents who find a dog without a council tag, can choose to hold the animal at home if it is safe to do so, and contact council on 131 872 during normal business hours to advise that they have privately impounded an animal and request collection,” he said.

While the drop box closure falls into line with other neighbouring councils’ animal management policies, the problem of caring for a stray animal then falls on the individual who takes the animal in. 

“Under the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001, members of the public also have a duty to care for animals which come into their care or which they find roaming,” Mr Cahill said.

For that, residents can call 131 872 for animals with a registration tag to “start the process to find the animal’s owner” or post on social media community groups to find the owner, Mr Cahill said.

“Council will continue to respond to reports of dog attacks and cases where animals present a significant nuisance or risk to the community, including cases where action is required outside business hours,” he said.

“Occasional longer-term care of animals is generally linked to cases involving Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal directions or where dogs have been seized.

“Council is taking these measures to ensure the welfare of animals that are housed at the Animal Management Centre, in line with various state legislation.”

In November 2024, councillors voted to decommission the drop box facility following recommendations of a RSPCA review of the facility which included community feedback and expectations.

If you have lost/or found a pet RSPCA recommends:

• Register your pet missing online or over the phone on 3426 9999.

• Search the RSPCA Qld lost and found database for found pets from the date your pet went missing or call 3426 9999 and our trained staff can search for you.

• Continue to contact the RSPCA Qld daily or every second day to search our database for any reports of your pet.

Your local council

• Contact your local and surrounding councils.

• Councils run the pound facilities that collect and accept stray animals.

• Consider going down to the pound in person as no one knows your pet better than you.

• Continue to contact the council pound/s daily or every second day.

Animal shelters and vet surgeries

• Contact any local and surrounding animal shelters and vet surgeries.

• Provide a thorough description and current photograph.

Microchip company

• Contact your microchip company and check your details are current. If not update immediately.

Originally published as Toowoomba Regional Council axes after-hours drop boxes