The newly-opened Bendigo Animal Relief Centre will work to provide the same service to the community as the RSPCA did.
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BARC opened its doors on July 1 after taking over pound and animal services from the RSPCA.
City of Greater Bendigo manager of safe and health environments Caroline Grylls said it was a long process to prepare for the takeover.
Council decide to run its own animal shelter services after the RSPCA attempted to increase charges related to long-standing arrangements.
"It's been six months work and we have worked closely with RSPCA over that six months to be ready for July 1," Ms Grylls said.
"It has worked well but it's been a big process. We're going to learn a lot by running this service.
"I think there is a lot of benefits to this being locally-run. We been have a running ranger service for a long time and, where we can find efficiencies between running ranger and pound and animal shelter services, it gives us an opportunity."
Ms Grylls said the services that the community was used to at the shelter would not change.
"The service is exactly the same, the community won't see any changes to services at all," she said.
"We really see this as an opportunity to partner with the community so we can have responsible pet ownership and reunite pets with their families as soon as we can.
"It's a bad outcome if animals come here. We do our best, when we have animals wandering the community, to reunite them with families before bringing them in here.
"So we encourage community to register, microchip and desex their animals so when we do find them and return them as soon as we possibly can."
Ms Grylls said staffing levels remained the same at the shelter.
"Staffing levels haven't really changed because it's the same service," she said.
"Where we have been able to use existing staff at the city and relocate them to this site to do the work they already did in animal services, we've done that.
"We have had to employ a new operations manager for the site and a new team to run the site."
Ms Grylls said the RSPCA will still have a presence in the region.
"The RSPCA will maintain a role with having an inspector in the region and have shifted their focus to the prevention of cruelty to animals," Ms Grylls said.
"So they will maintain a strong focus in Bendigo but we will partner with them to make sure every animal is responsibly owned."
BARC operations manager Fra Atyeo said she hoped to keep educating the community on responsible pet ownership as well as caring for the animals that came to the shelter.
"More education can always be done," she said. "Society's expectations have changed a lot in recent years. What we used to deem acceptable, we now no longer do.
"Society now doesn't believe that dogs should being chained in a backyard. (Dogs) they should run and have open space.
"There's more off leash dog parks, stronger views on desexing. We want to encourage those steps forward to keep happening and promote what's best for the animals."
As BARC settles into its role as Bendigo's animal shelter service, it will look to partner with foster animal groups in the region.
"It's critical to work with foster groups to get the best outcomes for our animals," Ms Atyeo said.
"A lot of times the shelter isn't the best environment for animals or they might need further care.
"That's where foster groups can be a great ally for us to have and to get whats best for the animal."
BARC is at the same site that RSPCA was in Pipers Lane, East Bendigo. It is open from 10am to 4pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to noon on Sundays.
For more information phone 5441 2209 or visit www.bendigoanimalreliefcentre.com.au
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