The announcement came just days after the city council revealed it had elected to investigate alternative operating arrangements, including operating the service itself.

RSPCA Victoria has operated the Warrnambool shelter for more than 20 years with 15 local employees and 25 volunteers helping care for vulnerable animals.

Dr Liz Walker, RSPCA Victoria chief executive officer and head of operations Tanya Drakopoulos met with the team on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 to let them know about the change and said their focus would be on supporting them in the coming months and ensuring a smooth transition with the council.

"This is a difficult day, especially for our wonderful team of employees and volunteers at Warrnambool, some of whom have been with us for a long time, and all of whom have made a real difference for animals in the local community," Dr Walker said.

"Unfortunately our staff will be affected by this and there will be redundancies but we hope to work closely with the council in creating jobs and we will also support them in finding other job opportunities."

Council representatives attended Tuesday's meeting.

Chief executive officer Andrew Mason said the council would continue to work with local volunteers to support animal welfare in the region.

"This is a significant change but council remains committed to maintaining a shelter that has a focus on returning lost animals and re-homing those where owners' circumstances have changed," Mr Mason said.

"This is a council-owned facility and in addition to looking at a new operating model, council will invest in improvements to the building over coming years.

"We thank the RSPCA for their commitment to animal welfare and also the many volunteers who are key to ensuring better outcomes for domestic pets."

For many years RSPCA Victoria has been subsidising the cost of operating the shelter and has moved to a cost neutrality model for all its council contracts allowing the animal charity to invest its limited resources in areas and work where it can have the greatest impact for animal welfare.

Dr Walker said she was proud of what had been achieved in its time operating the Warrnambool shelter.

Over the years it had cared for about 1200 animals each year, providing shelter, food, vet care and giving as many as possible the chance to be fostered or adopted into loving new homes.

"We want to sincerely thank our people who have made a real difference in the community through their dedication and compassion for animals," Dr Walker said.

"We'd also like to thank the local community for their support over many years and we look forward to continuing to support animal welfare in the region through our education and community outreach programs, and through the work of our local inspectors, who will continue to investigate animal cruelty reports from the area and take animals into the care of the RSPCA when required."