Councils on the hunt for animal shelter services

Finding a home for Mount Gambier’s stray dogs

City of Mount Gambier and the District Council of Grant are seeking Expressions of Interest for animal shelter services for a five year term.

At this year’s January council meeting, it was resolved to embark on a competitive tender process for animal shelter services on a ‘fee for service’ basis in line with council’s procurement policy and to provide better value for ratepayers.

From 1 July this year, the City and District Council of Grant will cease taking lost dogs to the South East Animal Welfare League (SEAWL) after SEAWL decided not to accept an eight month extension to its five year funding agreement with the two councils to house stray dogs at the facility outside of Mount Gambier.

“On behalf of City and Grant Councils, we thank the South East Animal Welfare League for taking care of the community’s stray and seized dogs during the terms of the agreement,” City of Mount Gambier CEO Sarah Philpott said.

The request for Expressions of Interest is online at the Tenders SA portal. Expressions of Interest close on Thursday, July 13.

“The purpose of this initial phase of the procurement process is to understand what suppliers are in the market and what aspects of the service they might be able to assist with.

“We anticipate that there may be a range of businesses in our area that could assist, such as vets, boarding kennels, rescue groups and the like.

“We want to provide certainty and continuity of service to any individual/organisation that may wish to submit an Expression of Interest to assist with the care and reunification of lost dogs with their owners.

“We also want to make sure that we are providing a service to the community that delivers the best value for money.”

Following completion of the Expression of Interest phase, City of Mount Gambier and District Council of Grant will review the submissions and determine the next steps such as proceeding to tender, or appointing a provider.

In the interim, council’s general inspectors will continue to pick up lost dogs and provide pound and shelter services at the City and Grant Council depots for a period of up to 72 hours.

“We have four dog kennels at the depot to house the dogs and we also have an agreement with the District Council of Grant to use their four kennels should we need to,” Ms Philpott sid.

“We are also currently investigating the potential for nearby animal welfare organisations that may have the capacity to assist us with this.

”District Council of Grant chief executive officer Darryl Whicker highlighted the importance of responsible dog ownership when it comes to the reunification process of owners and lost animals.

“Most dogs that are picked up by Council’s inspectors are reunited with their owners quite quickly thanks to microchipping and registration,” Mr Whicker said.

“It really is the best way to get your lost dog back safe and sound.

“There were only 33 lost dogs from both councils kept at SEAWL beyond 72 hours this past year.”

LOOKING AFTER LOST PETS: District Council of Grant Ranger Dale Millar and Ruby (rescue dog), City of Mount Gambier Team Leader General Inspectorate Derek Feguson, District Council of Grant Ranger Wayne Davison and City of Mount Gambier General Inspector Michelle Abramovic and Romeo (rescue dog).