Firstly, commiserations to our Socceroos on missing out on advancing further in the World Cup, and congratulations to Egypt on their win. We should not be too disappointed, as our team is very young and there are many excellent juniors coming through. Australian soccer (football) has a bright future.
During my 50 years of working life, I have had the pleasure of working with some great and dedicated public servants. The dedicated team of animal lovers in Domestic Animal Services are some of the finest I’ve had dealings with.
They run the dog pound at Symonston and look after animal welfare on the ground in the ACT. They register our dogs, prosecute cases of animal cruelty, and care for stray animals. They also rehome dogs alongside the RSPCA. In the last 12 months, they have responded to more than 4,000 reported incidents and complaints.
I did not realise there is also a team of volunteers who turn up at the pound to walk the dogs being cared for there. Well done to you all. It’s a wonderful thing you do.
When I was at ACAT, I presided over four cases where dangerous dogs were proposed to be put down. In three cases, I ordered that they be put down, and in one case, I was satisfied that this should not occur. In each case, I was highly impressed with the frank, compassionate and practical advice I received from the DAS inspectors, and I agreed with their recommendations. I have also seen other instances of DAS coming to the rescue of dogs in distress. When my son Joe was killed in 2018, they seized his killer’s dogs after they had been left abandoned when she went into hiding. They also took in Joe’s second dog, Kenny, a nine-month-old pit bull pup with a sweet temperament, and found him a good home within days.
DAS also has responsibility for overseeing greyhound welfare in the ACT, including during the past eight years since racing was banned in the Territory. They have done a great job and have worked well with the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club. The club also has premises at Symonston, and its kennels serve as overflow facilities if the pound is ever at capacity. Local greyhound owners trust DAS, and there have been no animal welfare incidents during the eight years since racing was banned.
Unfortunately, ACT trainers are currently being victimised by GWIC, the controversial NSW independent body set up to regulate greyhound racing in New South Wales. As a result of being challenged by the Canberra Greyhound Racing Club last year for exceeding its authority, GWIC has responded by banning all ACT greyhounds from racing in NSW from the end of July unless their owners move their dogs, including retired pets, to NSW. Tearing a loving pet away from its forever home is hardly conducive to animal welfare, and I have reported GWIC to the RSPCA for animal cruelty.
We are so lucky to have DAS looking after our animals in the ACT. Keep up the great work, ladies and gentlemen!
