THE fact that 180 animals are routinely dumped at the RSPCA shelter every month has prompted a tearful Orange councillor to label it “Orange’s greatest shame”.
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“Orange just can’t continue to be seen as the worse town in NSW for this sort of thing,” councillor Neil Jones said.
“There are sections of our community who simply do not care for their animals. There are people who just dispose of their animals if they become an inconvenience.”
Mr Jones would like to see a greater emphasis on controlled breeding, microchipping and desexing.
“I think it’s fantastic what the RSPCA in Orange is doing under very difficult conditions and if it wasn’t for the efforts of the staff here, and the RSPCA supporters, Orange would have a situation that was a lot worse,” he said.
With animal dumping on the rise the RSPCA is finding it increasingly difficult to source enough bedding to keep the animals warm.
RSPCA acting lead hand Marissa Clifford said the cold weather meant the organisation needed even more bedding that normal.
“We’ll take anything including blankets, old clothing, sheets and towels,” she said.
“They just need to be dropped off at the shelter or, if we’re not open, left in one of the cages out the front.
“Also for disease control we need to make sure we have fresh clean bedding so we really rely on donations.”
Mrs Clifford said animals with short hair were particularly vulnerable to the cold weather.
Mr Jones says he had a personal interest in animal welfare and wants to ensure Orange City Council, via its companion animal management advisory group, was fulfilling its obligations.
“The Orange Council has to work closely with the RSPCA to ensure the welfare of the city’s animals,” he said.