The running of Wodonga pound could be put out to tender to save the council making a $1 million investment to secure its future.
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A report prepared for Monday’s council meeting recommended councillors seek tenders to either privatise or cost-share running of the pound.
The council opened expressions of interest for the pound’s management in May to solve the issue of rising costs and workload.
Rather than running purely as a pound where animals were kept for up to eight days before being claimed or killed, the Wodonga pound was also a shelter.
It worked in partnership with Wodonga Dog Rescue to find new owners for dogs.
The volunteer duties of walking and washing the dogs were valued at about $20,000 per year.
But council officers claimed the increased wear and tear, maintenance and need to provide amenities for volunteers required a “significant capital investment in the order of $500,000 to $1 million”.
A WDR volunteer submitted a petition last month with suggestions for how the pound could become more affordable to run under the same arrangement.
The report, to be considered at Monday’s meeting, recommended councillors reject the ideas and ask WDR to propose a formal cost-sharing agreement.
WDR president Peta McRae said she was against the idea of the pound being privatised because abandoned dogs had become healthier under the group’s care over the past five years.
“I think we do a really good job,” she said.
“I think the kill rate will go up (if the pound was privatised) because we get a lot of dogs that others wouldn’t.”
The meeting will be held at Wodonga Council Chamber from 6pm Monday.