The RSPCA NSW has decided to close their Blue Mountain shelter permanently. The strategic decision to close the Blue Mountains shelter and exit from the council pound management will enable them to reinvest their resources into areas with overwhelming need.

The closure will proceed through a phased approach over the coming months and will occur in two key stages: (1) shelter operations, including adoptions, will cease, and (2) the management of stray animals and the facilitation of the community’s impound services will transition back to the Blue Mountains City Council. Dates for these stages have not yet been determined. 

The RSPCA has said that over the years, the shelter has served as a valuable resource for the local community, providing care and support to the animals of the Blue Mountains. During this time, they have observed a positive transformation in the community’s approach to animal welfare.

RSPCA NSW CEO Steve Coleman said, “It is evident that the Blue Mountains are a community who prioritise the wellbeing of their pets, which has subsequently led to a significant decrease in the number of animals coming into the Blue Mountains shelter. This is a testament to the community’s unwavering commitment to positive pet guardianship and clearly shows that animals within the community are regarded as cherished family.” 

RSPCA NSW has indicated that to serve the changing needs of people and their animals across the state, it is imperative that they redirect their finite resources and expertise to where they will be most impactful.

Gillian Cowie, resident of Hazelbrook in the Blue Mountains and a member of the ‘Save our Shelter’ group, disagrees. She says, “RSPCA NSW is letting animals down. Shelters across NSW are having to turn animals away. They're overflowing.” 

The RSPCA’s response to this is to say that in the last year, there has been a 350% increase in requests for support through their domestic violence, aged care, emergency boarding and homelessness programs. They have also seen a huge increase in people requesting subsidised veterinary treatment for their pets.

“We recently conducted a report to calculate the long-term impact our community services have on areas in need. This method of reporting measures values that are not traditionally assessed such as social, economic, and environmental factors.”

“The findings showed that collectively, our community programs generate $7.97 worth of social value for every $1 we invest. This reiterates what we have been saying for many years, that RSPCA NSW’s greatest impact is focusing on prevention, early intervention, and education, with the ultimate goal of keeping people and their pets together and animals out of shelters,” says Mr Coleman.

He also expresses gratitude to the Blue Mountains community, “whose unwavering support and focus on lost, injured, and neglected animals has played a large role in the Blue Mountains being the positive animal welfare community it is today”.

There has been no indication from RSPCA NSW that any other shelters will close at this time.