Mairin McCubbin, a volunteer animal rescuer in northern Victoria, has spent over a decade caring for lost and abandoned cats. However, with the introduction of new welfare laws, she is worried that rescuing and rehoming these cats will become increasingly difficult.
The changes to the Victorian government’s cat management policies, effective from January, have raised significant concerns for animal rescuers like McCubbin. One key change is a reduction in animal holding times at pounds, which will now be halved from a minimum of eight days to just four. If a cat is not rehomed or reunited with its owner within four days, it could be euthanized at the shelter’s discretion.
“Shortening the time cats spend in animal shelters will only have a detrimental effect on them,” McCubbin stated. “I think there will be more euthanasia, not less.” In 2023, more than 10,000 cats were euthanized in the state, many of which were considered wild, unidentified, or diseased. Official figures for 2024 have yet to be released.
McCubbin added that cats require up to three weeks to adjust to new environments, and she believes the new policy will result in higher euthanasia rates. “If you put a semi-feral or even a pet cat in a strange environment, it’s not going to settle in three days—or even three weeks,” she said.
However, the state government defended the new plan, insisting it would improve cat welfare. They explained that most cats are collected within two to three days of arriving at a pound and that microchipped cats will still be held for the full eight days. “It will not result in higher euthanasia rates,” a government spokesperson asserted.
Carolyn Stow from Phoenix Animal Rescue in Horsham disagreed with the government’s stance. She believes that cats need more than four days to be properly assessed. “They need time to orientate themselves so they can interact positively with the ranger, to determine if they’re friendly and can be rehomed, or unfriendly and euthanized,” she explained. Stow also pointed out that the adoption rate for cats is low, and foster homes are already stretched thin.
RSPCA Victoria echoed these concerns, noting that pressures on animal shelters have increased in recent years due to rising operational costs, the cost-of-living crisis, and fewer pets being reclaimed. “Many Victorian animal shelters are finding themselves at capacity more often than not,” said Tanya Drakopoulos, the RSPCA’s head of operations.
Back in northern Victoria, McCubbin is facing even more challenges. Starting in October, the Campaspe Shire Council, where she lives, will begin placing animals “in the hands of a rescue or animal welfare group” rather than putting them up for adoption. “We’re already being inundated with people knowing that’s what’s coming,” McCubbin said.
The council has stated it will hold animals for longer than four days if rehoming is possible, but only in certain circumstances, such as waiting for a rescue group to pick up the cat. “We would readily hold them for longer rather than euthanize,” said council spokesperson Jo Bradshaw.
For McCubbin, the pressure on volunteer organizations is becoming unbearable. “There’s real pressure on us taking animals in when we really don’t have capacity,” she said.
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