Mel Corey says the public can be confident new protective measures at the Queanbeyan pound will keep pooches safe. Photo: Claire Sams.
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Queanbeyan’s pound is set to reopen to help more dogs find their furr-ever home.
In October 2024, the Animal Management Facility (the AMF) suffered an outbreak of parvovirus, a highly contagious virus that can be fatal to dogs.
All 21 dogs in the facility’s care were euthanised, and the pound was closed to dogs for nearly a year.
Manager Environment and Compliance at Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council (QPRC) Mel Corey said the “traumatising” incident triggered a series of changes to the facility.
“All of the work that we’ve done has been based around better infection control, making things easier to sterilise and minimising the contact between the waste of one animal and another animal.”
In the aftermath of the outbreak, a Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council spokesperson described it as being “old, outdated … [and without] the appropriate disease control procedures”.
The changes include changing from open drains to ones within the dog kennels, resealing pens, changing the bedding to a kind easier to clean and reviewing internal policies.
“There’s always the possibility that we’re going to have infection come into the facility, [but] we need to make sure our facility design and our operating procedures allow us to appropriately manage that,” she said.
New isolation shelters will also be built this month, meaning puppies and older dogs can be tested for a range of diseases (including parvovirus) before being moved into the facility proper.
They will be located outside and physically distanced from the kennels housing other dogs.
“The way we manage our facility means that we’ve got a bit more space for cats, so we’ve already had the ability to isolate cats,” she said.
“The kennels that we’re constructing are predominantly for dogs.”
Staff can also test in-house for parvovirus.
For the past few months, the Queanbeyan pound could take the occasional dog in an “absolute emergency”, but this is a full reopening. Photo: Claire Sams.
While the AMF was initially slated to close for two weeks to allow for deep cleaning, that was later extended to an indefinite closure as the scope of works grew.
“It’s an old facility and the standards around animal welfare are obviously quite different today from when the facility was constructed. It’s just a matter of constantly looking at your facility … [and] making sure you’re doing what you’re doing to keep that facility up to where it needs to be.
“That’s certainly what we intend to do now.”
Ms Corey said the closure meant they had to rely on nearby NSW councils and facilities in the ACT to take dogs.
“It’s been a real juggle for my staff … It was basically calling [other facilities] and saying we needed them to house a dog for this period of time.
“We were really relying on the generosity of our surrounding councils and the ACT.”
The pound is expected to open later this month, once the final upgrades are finished.
“[The isolation sheds] are the last piece of the puzzle to be completed before we reopen,” she said.
“We’re expecting the construction of those to start within the next two weeks … We’ve got all of our stuff out there and it’s just a matter of getting it put up now.”
Ms Corey encouraged people to consider the AMF if they wanted to adopt a new best friend.
“We can look to match them with the right pet for them,” she said.
“That’s the part of the job that’s the really nice part.”
Further information on canine parvovirus can be found on the RSPCA NSW website.
