The Lost Dogs' Home - Cut the Kill Rate

The Lost Dogs' Home has been killing an unacceptably high number of homeless dogs and cats over the last twenty years. They have failed to implement many proven strategies that would help increase adoptions and save lives despite the organisation having nearly $12,000,000 in assets as at June 2008 (Sunday Age, 1/11/09). They have failed to protect the lives of thousands of animals they were established to safeguard.

The female terrier in the picture at left was killed in 2006 for being 'too timid'. The Lost Dogs' Home kills more than 10,000 companion animals annually, including 3502 dogs in the year to June 2009.

As Australia's largest pound and 'leading Animal Welfare Organisation', the Lost Dogs' Home's decision not to adopt progressive rehoming policies that have slashed kill rates in other shelters all over the world is unacceptable and an abuse of donors' and the general public's trust. Please insist on change within the Lost Dogs' Home and sign this petition. For more information, please visit http://www.dogshomeexposed.com/.

The Lost Dogs' Home has been killing an unacceptably high number of homeless dogs and cats over the last twenty years. They have failed to implement many proven strategies that would help increase adoptions and save lives despite the organisation having nearly $12,000,000 in assets as at June 2008 (Sunday Age, 1/11/09). They have failed to protect the lives of thousands of animals they were established to safeguard.

The female terrier in the picture at left was killed in 2006 for being 'too timid'. The Lost Dogs' Home kills more than 10,000 companion animals annually, including 3502 dogs in the year to June 2009.

As Australia's largest pound and 'leading Animal Welfare Organisation', the Lost Dogs' Home's decision not to adopt progressive rehoming policies that have slashed kill rates in other shelters all over the world is unacceptable and an abuse of donors' and the general public's trust. Please insist on change within the Lost Dogs' Home and sign this petition. For more information, please visit http://www.dogshomeexposed.com/.

That your published figures of pets killed in your shelter is unacceptably high, noting that this number has not significantly reduced for two decades, and

That your Managing Director's statement in the Sunday Age on 1/11/09 that the Lost Dogs' Home will adopt a 'Low Kill' model and reduce its kill rate by only 2% next year is woefully inadequate.

We call upon the Lost Dogs' Home to acknowledge that the No-Kill shelter model (rehoming all animals bar the irredeemably suffering or vicious) is best practice and that you implement a No-Kill policy in all of your shelters as a matter of urgency. The No-Kill model has been proven successful in many shelters around the world, including in Australia, irrespective of location or the socio-economic status of its community(www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/).

We demand that the following No-Kill strategies be implemented without delay to reduce the deplorably high number of animals currently killed in your care:

• Honest and transparent reporting of euthanasia figures for the last 20 years, excluding reclaimed pets and including the number of surrendered pets killed

• Increased opening hours on weekends and weeknights to ensure the public has maximum opportunity to view and adopt animals

• A comprehensive fostering program for animals irrespective of age and for those needing rehabilitation from surgery or injury

• Co-operation with and encouragement of rescue groups to take shelter pets into care

• Volunteer programs that get the community involved and passionate about rehoming animals

• High-volume, low-cost desexing programs

• Off-site adoption initiatives.

If the existing Managing Director and Board continue to fail to embrace the No-Kill shelter model, they should be replaced with a more progressive leadership with a genuine and demonstrated commitment to saving lives.