Australia town shoots, kills shelter-bound dogs

A local government in rural Australia shot and killed dogs that were set to go to an animal shelter in another town over concerns that the shelter’s employees could spread the coronavirus by travelling to pick up the animals.

The Bourke Shire Council, in the remote northwestern part of the state of New

South Wales, killed the dogs “to protect its employees and community, including vulnerable Aboriginal populations” from the coronavirus, according to a statement from the New South Wales Office of Local Government, which oversees the council and other local governments.

There were concerns over “the risk of COVID-19 transmission if personnel from an animal rehoming organization in Cobar,” about 200 km south of Bourke Shire, had to travel to pick up the dogs, the office said.

The office said it is “examining the circumstances surrounding the incident” including whether the killings may have violated “animal and prevention of cruelty laws.”

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that one of the dogs killed recently gave birth, and that volunteers from the shelter were distressed by the killings.

More than 4,800 coronavirus cases have been reported in New South Wales in the last week, according to state data, as parts of Australia endure restrictions amid an outbreak fuelled by the Delta variant.

Still, Bourke, where the dogs were killed, has recorded a total of seven coronavirus cases, while Cobar, where the shelter employees were located, has only recorded one case, according to government data.