Walgett’s animal pound has been rendered non-compliant, with its location outside of the town levee bank forcing the council to start from scratch. 

Walgett’s flood plain foundation has caused various challenges for the community, the latest being the pound facility’s showground location becoming inaccessible during flood events, and prone to damage. 

In the local Council meeting it was established that the council will seek funding to build a new animal pound.

“In the last year, the area has been flooded, although all the animals have been high and dry,” Walgett mayor Jane Keir said. 

“It’s been deemed that the pound is not fit for purpose in the current day.”

The new shelter will be located inside the town, surrounded by the levee bank.

Fortunately, the current pound is allowed to continue to operate in the meantime as council works to comply with the Animal Cruelty Act. 

“We’re not looking at fines or ramifications, but we’ve got to be ahead of this before there are issues,” Cr Keir said. 

As well as flooding, the facility is also outdated.

“The animals are well looked after and we have a pound keeper, but it’s too small.”

The new facility will come with a hefty price tag, with the concrete slab alone costing up to $200,000. 

In a recent council meeting, questions were raised about the type of fencing that would be installed, as the new location caused concerns about the animals in the pound being harassed by the public. 

While council hasn’t allowed room for the project in the current budget, it was discussed that the animal pound be put into the budget for the upcoming year. 

Across NSW, a new parliamentary inquiry to examine the state of pounds has been established. 

The provision of housing, feeding, exercise, veterinary treatment will all go under the microscope, as well as euthanasia rates. 

Individuals and organisations are invited to have their say about their local pound facility by making a submission by Friday 18 August.