- A local government in Australia took action after laying down 15 shelter dogs to alleviate the new crown pneumonia epidemic.
- The City Council issued an order prohibiting employees of the shelter from collecting dogs.
- 10 out of 15 dogs are puppies, and the other has just given birth to a litter.
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Last week, a local government in rural Australia fatally shot and killed 15 rescue dogs in shelters to protect volunteers from Covid-19 on the way to pick up the animals.
According to an order issued by the Berkshire Council in northern New South Wales, employees at another shelter about 125 miles away are prohibited from getting these dogs back and forth. Sydney Morning Herald, It first reported the incident on Sunday.
10 out of 15 dogs are puppies, and the other has just given birth to his own litter. USA Today reports.
In a statement to the Herald, the Berkshire Council stated that the local pound had reached its limit, and two of the dogs showed aggressive behavior towards each other and the staff. The organization said that before the euthanasia, the people who usually placed the animals could no longer be contacted.
The local government office, which is the local supervisory agency of the Berkshire County Council, told the media that the agency is investigating the incident to determine whether it violated the Companion Animal and Cruelty Prevention Act.
“OLG has been informed that the City Council has decided to take this action to protect its employees and communities, including vulnerable indigenous people, from the risk of the spread of Covid-19,” a spokesperson for the local government office told the Herald.
Due to the surge in Covid-19 during the delta variant outbreak, all areas of New South Wales remain under lockdown. The state has urged residents to stay in their local government areas and avoid travel to reduce transmission.
The Berkshire County Council said: “The town is currently in a vulnerable situation with Covid.” New York Times. “Positive cases are increasing. The City Council is very careful about people entering Bourke.”
The City Council did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Animal welfare workers are considered “authorized workers” and are not subject to Covid-19 restrictions in the state while working. Washington post.
According to reports, more than 4,800 coronavirus cases were reported in New South Wales in the past week. Status dataBourke recorded only 7 Covid-19 cases during that time, while only one case was recorded in Cobar, the small town where the volunteers of the shelter are located.
State legislator Emma Hirst from the Animal Justice Party told the media that she and her office worked tirelessly to save the dogs before euthanasia, but the general manager of the council told them that the choice to let go of the cubs had already been done.
“It’s absolutely heartbreaking-think about these lost or abandoned animals without even having a chance to find a home full of love forever,” Hirst told USA Today.
