“There’s no doubt the city has a significant problem,” RSPCA NSW animal wellbeing executive manager Susan Hill said yesterday.

“Orange is one of our smaller facilities but it’s a very busy shelter compared to others across the state.

“It is constantly running near capacity or full to capacity, they just don’t get a break.”

In the seven months between July 2009 and January 2010, 1454 cats and dogs were impounded or dumped at the William Street shelter.

Nearly 600 were euthanised, equivalent to over a third of all animals that went into the facility.

“I think it’s appalling and a very sad reflection on pet ownership in Orange,” said councillor Neil Jones, a member of a newly formed group hoping to tackle the problem.

There appears to be a direct correlation between the failure to register and microchip animals and rates of impoundment or abandonment.

Sixty per cent of the 979 dogs housed at the shelter in the seven- month period were not micro-chipped while 80 per cent were not desexed.

Just 35 of the 475 cats at the shelter were desexed.

The figures demonstrate residents continue to ignore the Companion Animals Act.

It dictates the mandatory registration and microchipping of cats and dogs..

“I believe we need to start getting tough in relation to enforcement,” Cr Jones said.

“However, whether penalties would be a deterrent to people who simply can’t afford to pay fines is another issue.”

The Companion Animals Management Advisory Group, made up of representatives of the RSPCA, Orange City Council, veterinarians, pet shop employees and pet owners, has a big task ahead of it to get the microchipping, registration and de-sexing message through to a community that appears not to be listening.

“There needs to be a much bigger focus on compliance with the law because that will start to reverse the rates of animals being discarded,” chairperson Marissa Clifford said.

“It does becoming frustrating because the RSPCA is open to helping people comply with the requirement of being a responsible pet owner.”

Ms Hill stressed the best way to reduce the number of animals being euthanised was through microchipping, desexing and registration.