Aprotest will be held on Tuesday regarding council’s decision to stop using the services of the South East Animal Welfare League (SEAWL).
The SEAWL confirmed it will not submit an expression of interest for a council tender to impound and rehome animals, which followed the tripartite agreement between the league and the Mount Gambier City and Grant District councils ceasing at the start of this month.
The informal protest has been called by the Mount Gambier Residents and Ratepayers Association and people will gather outside the council offices at 5.30pm before the council meeting at 6pm.
The association stated council’s decision was ‘appallingly poor’ and Mount Gambier Residents and Ratepayers Association spokesperson Ian said people were outraged.
“It is very, very apparent the people (SEAWL volunteers) who have devoted 10 or 15 years of their life to the maintenance and wellbeing of animals are just being treated appallingly,” Ian said.
“The people there are just beside themselves.
“The councillors do not seem to actually recognise that some people have donated a large part of their lives to the service of animals.
“The concern we have is the statistics that have been released by the council are seriously at variance with what is actually being provided by SEAWL.
“An example, and it is approximate, council are saying there is something like 30 dogs, but SEAWL is saying there is something like 90 dogs, and that does not take into account all of the other animals they look after.
“If you look at the process that council is doing at the moment, they have suspended the service which protects our pets with no interim plan.”
The association has worked closely with SEAWL to organise the protest and SEAWL president Trevor Twilley was pleased with the support.
“It is excellent to see the Mount Gambier Resident and Ratepayers Association get behind SEAWL, as it is through community support that allows SEAWL to provide a valuable and vital service to the community,” Mr Twilley said.
Ian said council had limited facilities to keep animals and the association was concerned about what the outcome would be for animals after being contained for 72 hours.
“They have no plan, they have no timeframe, and they cannot make the community confident their approach to our animals is acceptable,” he said.
“We are horrified that this approach has been taken, it is ad hoc, it is ill-considered, and there is no plan they can share with the community about the welfare of these animals.
“The association is hoping the council will put on hold their entire process and instead of some knee-jerk, ad hoc process that people are very concerned about.
“The community needs to be assured the process the council has developed is in line with community expectations.
“What is happening now is the community are really strongly voicing the fact the council being evasive and not giving full information makes them uneasy.
“The comments that we have had are that people are angry and people are not prepared to accept this process the council has done.”
The association asks those who cannot attend to contact councillors to voice concerns and contact mgrrassoc@gmail.com for further information.
