Baw Baw’s impounded animals finally moved into the council’s new pound in Longwarry North today.
Image: the now-closed Warragul Pound.
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The new facility at the former Utopia Pet Lodge site is now operational following stage one of conversion works, albeit around a month after it was scheduled to open.
With the animals finally in their new enclosures, the old Warragul Pound on Galloway Street has been permanently closed. Conditions at the Warragul site had concerned animal welfare advocates for years.
“It’s been a long road for council and our community to get to this stage and we are pleased to see a positive outcome for the animals in our care,” Baw Baw mayor Joe Gauci said in a media release.
“Getting the animals into the new facility has always been a priority for council and the community, and with stage one works complete, today we see this become a reality.
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“Baw Baw Shire now has a new fit-for-purpose [pound] which will effectively cater for the municipality’s growing animal management needs now and into the future.”
Stage one included compliance works on existing dog enclosures, the construction of 18 new cat enclosures, and the construction of a cat adoption area.
Image: Baw Baw councillor Peter Kostos with Marley at the new pound. Photo provided by Baw Baw Shire Council.
Stage two works are expected to be completed by December at a cost of around $230,000. Those works will involve:
- installation of 22 new dog enclosures,
- construction of a new dog isolation area,
- installation of four new cat isolation enclosures,
- construction of a new dog exercise yard and security enhancements, and
- a solar power system.
