At the meeting held in Mortlake on Tuesday the council voted to significantly raise its contribution to the pound services carried out on its behalf by the RSPCA.

The council will now allocate $33,000 for pound services in 2015-16, up from the current rate of $20,000 annually.

While the motion to raise the allocation was passed 5-2, Cr Jim Doukas launched a scathing attack in his objection to the extra funding.  He told the meeting $20,000 is more than enough to ask from a rural council and that the RSPCA’s objections to jumps racing and live exports has them “hell-bent on sending us all broke”.

Cr Doukas continued his attack after the meeting when questioned further on his feelings on the RSPCA. 

“They’re against animals for sport full stop. I don’t believe that’s a great policy,” Cr Doukas said.

“They cost the rural community an absolute fortune. They’re anti-farming full stop not only anti-livestock export.

“They are anti-animal husbandry if you look at them closely. They’re even annoying the greyhound racing.

“They’re against animals for sport. It’s one of their policies. If they start at jumps then they go to two-year-olds and then they’ll go and stop racing altogether.

“Look at the damage they caused to the live export industry. Farmers were going broke, families were being destroyed. 

“All their anti-farming policies make it virtually impossible to farm.”

In response to Cr Doukas’ comments a spokesperson from the RSPCA said it was a non-government, community-based charity that worked to prevent cruelty to animals by actively promoting their care and protection. The spokesperson said RSPCA community services include the work undertaken by its inspectorate, animal shelters, clinics and education teams.

“We are delighted to continue to work with council in the delivery of pound services and to ensure animals are returned home as quickly as possible and to continue to find new homes for animals in our care,” the spokesperson said.

Cr Doukas won some support from Moyne Shire Council mayor James Purcell who voted for the increase in the payment but made clear his disdain for the RSPCA.

Cr Purcell said it made sense to continue to fund the pound service as it would cost the council a lot more to run its own but he fired a measured shot in his conclusion.

“If it was a donation to the RSPCA they would not get a cent out of me,” Cr Purcell said.

As well as the increase in payment for 2015-16, the councillors voted to extend the contract with the RSPCA to run the pound services for another five years.

The current contract expires on July 31 this year with the Warrnambool City Council also using the RSPCA to run its pound operations.