The City of Ballarat has welcomed the announcement that the Victorian Government will provide $11.5 million towards the construction of a new purpose-built regional animal facility in Ballarat as part of its 2022/23 State Budget.
Minister for Agriculture, Mary-Anne Thomas visited the Ballarat Animal Shelter on Friday morning to acknowledge the announcement.
City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Daniel Moloney said the announcement would help deliver the biggest improvement in animal welfare in the Ballarat region in more than 100 years.
"We are incredibly grateful for the Victorian Government's support for a new shelter for Ballarat and for our region," he said.
"This is a project we have been advocating for since the middle of the last decade.
"Each year, the Ballarat Animal Shelter cares for more than 2000 lost, surrendered, abandoned, or mistreated domestic animals and livestock from across our region, offering care for pets displaced by bushfire and other emergencies.
"It's also a refuge for the loved animals of people fleeing family violence and for those experiencing severe ill-health issues who need help to care for their best friends.
"Funding for this project will ensure these animals will be looked after in a modern, fully compliant facility."
The City of Ballarat has identified a site for the new facility and committed $200,000 toward planning for the facility in its 2021/22 budget, with planning for the new shelter commencing in late 2021.
Cr Moloney said the new shelter was a priority project of Council and enjoyed strong support in the Ballarat community.
"When we surveyed the community last year about their views on a new regional animal shelter, the survey received 764 responses in four weeks, the second highest number of responses for a single project on Council's online engagement platform in 2021," Cr Moloney said.
"In fact, more than 94 per cent of responses ranked a new regional animal shelter as a high priority.
"While many residents may never have need to visit the animal shelter, anyone who owns a pet or loves animals can appreciate the value of providing vulnerable animals the best possible care."
Cr Moloney said Ballarat Animal Shelter staff worked hard to provide a high standard of care from the present site.
"A new facility will lead to major advances in care and an increase in capacity," he said.
"It means things like separate areas for cats and dogs, more time outside for animals housed in the facility and better infection control."
Ballarat Animal Shelter by the numbers:
986 animals were impounded between January and April 2022. This includes:
- 287 cats
- 356 dogs
- 313 kittens
- 15 poultry
- 6 rabbits
- 4 guinea pigs
- 2 pigs
- 2 birds
- 1 goat
Of these,
- 382 have been adopted from the shelter, 18 have been adopted off site.
- 300 have been reclaimed
- 104 with behavioural issues beyond shelter's scope to treat have been transferred to rescue groups
- Remaining animals still housed at the shelter
Also:
- 8 were emergency boarders from situations where owners were fleeing domestic violence, or experience temporary health or mental health issues. All were reunited with owners.
- At least once a month the shelter receives calls from local police or hospital requesting animals to be temporarily housed when an owner is unable to care for an animal due to health or other issues.
