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WC_20250922

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TODAY

15o

Mostly sunny

17o 17o 18o TUE

WED

THU

Monday, September 22, 2025

edit.chronicle@nemedia.com.au

$2.00 inc GST

wangarattachronicle.com.au

Ute goes up in flames

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Light cattle prices lift Page 7

WE ARE O&M PREMIERS Dual premiership players for the Wangaratta Rovers Kieren Parnell (left), Dylan Stone (centre) and Brodie Filo celebrate as the Hawks claimed a historic derby grand final win in front of 6500 people at the Lavington Sports Ground yesterday. The 15-point victory over the Wangaratta Magpies gave the Rovers back-to-back senior flags for the first time PHOTO: Marc Bongers since ‘93-94. Full coverage in sport.

O&M grand final day Sport

FERAL CAT FIGHT Draft Domestic Animal Management Plan looks to tackle overpopulation of stray cats in city

Wangaratta council is looking to quell an overpopulation of stray cats within a draft four-year Domestic Animal Management Plan to be discussed by councillors on Tuesday. Councillors will be asked to endorse the draft fouryear plan for community consultation with mandatory de-sexing of cats a potential to be implemented by next year. Within council’s draft plan, it notes an increase in euthanasia rates of cats Bags be se may a befo rched re en try

DRU G ALCO AND FREE HOL EVEN T

BY BAILEY ZIMMERMANN bzimmermann@ nemedia.com.au

within the rural city due to a large stray or feral cat population. Euthanised cats reached 195 in the last financial year, an increase of 93 over the past two years. “Council is experiencing a large stray cat problem, particularly in relation to rural properties,” the plan reads. “Proactive trapping pro-

grams at rural locations has seen a large increase in the number of feral cats impounded by council officers and subsequently being euthanised due to health issues and the effects of inbreeding amongst the local population. “While cat euthanasia rates are slightly higher than the average, the percentage of cats euthanised will continue to be relatively high due to the amount of stray and/or feral cat population which breed

Celebrating the 159th

out of human control.” To combat the ongoing problem, the draft plan lists the possibility of council investigating and developing a cat containment policy and mandatory cat de-sexing, which would be introduced next year. The rate of registered animals within the city remained steady over the past three years, with 4074 dogs and 1253 cats registered. The draft plan also revealed the number of barking dog complaints received

WANGARATTA SHOW OCTOBER 10TH & 11TH

within the rural city were growing slightly annually and the number of cat traps hired increased from 95 to 120 this past financial year. Under the draft plan, council would introduce an after-hours animal holding facility. The city has not been home to an animal shelter since Wangaratta RSPCA shut down in 2023, with impounded animals being sent to Albury. “The number of unregistered animals that enter

Wangaratta council’s holding facility and Albury Animal Management Centre is still of a high rate, which suggests a large number of unregistered animals exist within the municipality,” the draft plan reads. With the introductions of the animal-holding facility, the draft plan reads that dogs found by the community would be able to take the dog to this facility, place it in a secure cage and contact authorised officers. ■ Continued page 2

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