A multi-million upgrade to RSPCA NSW Adoption and Education Centre in Western Sydney has been opened today by Premier Dominic Perrottet, Minister for Local Government Wendy Tuckerman, and RSPCA CEO Steve Coleman.
The new state-of-the-art Sydney Adoption and Education Centre has been jointly funded by the NSW Government and RSPCA NSW's community of animal lovers, with the State Government investing $12 million in the upgrade to transform the shelter for animals and expand the organisation's capacity.
Mr Perrottet, the RSPCA NSW Patron, said the investment from the NSW Government demonstrated its ongoing commitment to animal welfare.
"This is the largest animal shelter in NSW, and it's been helping families find their forever pets for more than 40 years," Mr Perrottet said.
"The NSW Government is very proud to support the great work being done by RSPCA NSW, and I congratulate CEO Steve Coleman and his team for creating a centre that will continue to strengthen animal welfare standards, following the changes to the law last year meaning NSW now has the strongest suites of penalties for animal welfare in Australia.
"The upgraded facilities at Yagoona will also help them continue their wonderful work caring for animals in need and enable even more families to discover the joy of adopting a pet."
Minister for Local Government Wendy Tuckerman said the new Education Centre will host veterinary, staff and volunteer training, community events, and school education programs that will benefit future generations by educating them on animal welfare.
"Animals are such an important part of our lives, and each year RSPCA NSW manages the veterinary treatment, care, rehabilitation and rehoming of almost 45,000 cats, dogs, horses, livestock and other animals," Mrs Tuckerman said.
"Our investment in the shelter also supported local jobs, utilising locally made prefabricated concrete"
RSPCA NSW CEO Mr Steve Coleman said that this would not have been possible without the NSW Government and thanked them for their ongoing support.
"It's an honour to have the Premier here today opening the centre which is central to our mission, providing a place of refuge for animal and animal lovers alike," Mr Coleman said.
"The Premier first took an interest when he was Treasurer and ensured funding for animal welfare was a priority. This modern facility is the outcome of hard work by our donors and the State Government.
"Thanks to the support of the NSW Government and the community, we continue to deliver the largest animal welfare enforcement unit in Australia, with a team of inspectors dedicated to investigating instances of animal cruelty across NSW, responding to over 15,000 cruelty complaints per year."
The $29 million upgrade will assist RSPCA NSW in continuing to prioritise the physical and emotional wellbeing of their animals, with state-of-the-art innovations including acoustic-controlled kennels, hydronic underfloor heating, and environmental enrichment mechanisms in the design.
