Ballarat Animal Shelter | ourballarat winter 2021

The City of Ballarat is calling for government support to build a new Animal Shelter. As one of our broader government advocacy projects, a purpose-built shelter will boost animal welfare.

Image of a dog at the animal shelter

The Ballarat Animal Shelter is a safe haven for hundreds of lost, surrendered, abandoned and mistreated animals as well as those caught up in emergency events such as bushfires.

The City of Ballarat took over management of the Gillies Street facility in 2017. A former abattoir, the facility is overcrowded, has poor conditions and is not equipped to deal with a range of issues from managing infectious diseases to providing appropriate accommodation for seized dogs.

City of Ballarat Animal Services Coordinator Clare Douglas-Haynes says the staff at the shelter are dedicated to giving the animals the best care possible, so they have a second chance of a better life. However, Clare says the outdated facility no longer meets minimum industry standard.

“Some sections of the facility, especially for dogs, are cold and dark. We are doing the absolute best we can with the facility that we have but we’ve now reached the point where a new facility is crucial.”

Clare says the new facility will be designed to service the needs of the Ballarat community and support smaller surrounding shires. “The community relies on us to provide quality care for animals at the shelter.”