A council in Australia killed the impounded animals to prevent volunteers at an animal shelter from travelling to pick them up and potentially spreading the virus.
Fifteen rescue dogs, including 10 puppies, have been shot dead by a rural Australian council under its interpretation of coronavirus restrictions.
Bourke Shire Council in New South Wales destroyed the canines, which had been at its pound, to prevent volunteers at an animal shelter from travelling to pick them up and potentially spreading the virus.
“The council decided to take this course of action to protect its employees and community, including vulnerable Aboriginal populations, from the risk of COVID-19 transmission,” the Office of Local Government, a government watchdog, told The Sydney Morning Herald.
The spokesman said officials were investigating whether any animal cruelty laws had been broken.
Five of the dogs had been housed at the pound since early August and one of the dogs then had 10 pups.
The council said staff became concerned for the welfare of the animals due to overcrowding at the pound and two of the dogs attacking one of the others.
A source said the shelter volunteers were distressed and already had COVID-safe measures in place to handle the dogs.
And comedian Ricky Gervais has expressed his disapproval of the killings on social media.
Bourke Shire Council told ABC News the dogs were euthanised because the rescue organisation was from another local government area and they had concerns about people from other communities entering Bourke.
All of regional New South Wales has “stay-at-home” orders in place due to COVID-19.
The council said it had contacted its usual dog rehomer, who is based in the same area, but they were unable to come to Bourke.
The shelter that was supposed to receive the dogs declined to comment.
Animal Liberation regional campaign manager Lisa Ryan has called for an urgent investigation.
“We are deeply distressed and completely appalled by this callous dog shooting and we totally reject [the] council’s unacceptable justifications that this killing was apparently undertaken as part of a COVID-safe plan,” she said.
Australia has recently seen a surge in COVID-19 cases, forcing the country’s largest city, Sydney, to extend its lockdown through September and impose tougher restrictions, such as a curfew and a mask mandate outdoors.
Staff are allowed to work at animal shelters even when lockdown measures are in place, according to the Office of Local Government spokesman.
“Councils are also encouraged to continue to work with re-homing organisations and volunteers to care for animals, where that can be undertaken consistent with NSW Health advice,” he added.
Poodle that lost both legs in horrific car crash now bounces around like a kangaroo and ‘is happier than ever’
Jumping on her two hind legs, this happy poodle moves more like a kangaroo than a dog after losing her front legs in a car crash.
The pup named Cora Rose was destined for euthanasia after her legs and pelvis were shattered in the accident in Stockton, California last year.
But Zach Skow, 39, and his wife Heather, 32, rescued her from an animal shelter and paid $10,000 for life-saving medical treatment.
The determined pooch at first used a cart to get around but now spends most of her time bouncing around on her hind legs.
Mr Skow, who has four other dogs and cares for 115 through his charity Marley’s Mutts, said: ‘Of all our dogs, Cora Rose is the happiest.
‘Dogs can bounce back so quickly – she jumps, hops, all day long – she’s very strong.
‘She’s so resilient. Her quality of life is through the roof – losing her two front legs hasn’t starved her of anything.’
The couple first came across Cora Rose at the City of Stockton Animal Shelter in California, where staff were considering euthanasia after the December 2017 crash.
When they rescued Cora Rose, she had one leg in a cast and was suffering an osteo infection in the other, caused by bone protruding through the skin turning septic.
Mr Skow, who has four other dogs and cares for 115 through his charity Marley’s Mutts, said: ‘Of all our dogs, Cora Rose is the happiest’
After the operation, it took two months for the poodle to heal and then she could finally use her cart to get around
Mr Skow, who has a six-month-old daughter, said: ‘That kind of infection is like cancer for dogs.
‘The leg needed to be amputated immediately. One leg at a time had to be amputated, because she would have been under anaesthesia for too long if we had done both.
‘After surgery, she had a hard time because she still had a shattered hip and still couldn’t move properly.
‘It took two months to heal, and then she could finally use her cart to get around.’
Now, seven months after the surgery in March this year, sprightly Cora Rose is hopping around like nothing happened.
Mr Skow says Cora Rose and the other pups rescued him from alcoholism.
Now, several months after the surgery in March this year, sprightly Cora Rose is hopping around like nothing happened
He founded Marley’s Mutts in 2009 and says the animals are what helped him get sober.
Mr Skow, who also has a pig, horse and cat, said: ‘I had cirrhosis of the liver and needed a transplant.
‘My weight dropped from 183 lbs to 140 lbs, my skin was yellow and I had to use a catheter.
‘I had fantasized about ways of taking my own life. I didn’t recognize myself in the mirror. I looked like an old man.
‘One day I was weeping and crying when I looked back to see my dogs looking at me.
‘It made me realize that I was still the leader of their pack. They could still see the man inside.
‘The next day I started walking with them. Everywhere I went I had dogs with me.
‘Walking with the dogs meant I became healthy enough to undergo a liver transplant, but six months later doctors told me I didn’t even need one any more.
‘I never set out to be a dog rescuer, but they saved me.
‘Now we rescue hundreds of dogs a year. It’s the most heartwarming thing you can do.’
Mr Skow, who also has a pig, horse and cat, took in Cara Rose (pictured after the operation)Continue Reading
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