The Lost Dog’s Home has released a new update on the Staffy cross puppy, Milly, who remains the last of her litter to be alive, after her two brothers were controversially euthanised for behavioural reasons.
The statement posted on 31 October said Milly is now moving to a private home into a “period of behavioural rehabilitation foster care with an experienced rescue partner.”
According to the statement, the rescue partner has “extensive experience supporting animals with complex behavioural needs.”
“They have skilled foster carers, resources, and a strong commitment to structured rehabilitation programs.”
During this period, the rescue partner will follow a behaviour plan arranged by the LDH’s expert veterinary behaviour specialist who has been “guiding Milly’s care” throughout this time.
In the statement, the shelter said that Milly has shown positive signs but that she also “struggles with serious behavioral challenges”.
Indicating signs of “poor emotional regulation, resulting in issues with arousal, and aggression to manage threats, fear and frustration”.
“Milly is one of three puppies who exhibited varying levels of aggression and anti-social behaviour,” a LDH spokesperson told Star News.
“We cannot stress enough how unusual and rare it is to see this type of behaviour in a litter of puppies,”
“While they may have appeared typical on the surface to untrained observers, their underlying abnormal responses to arousal and stress posed a significant risk of escalating into aggression, endangering other animals, children, and the public,”
“However, Milly has consistently demonstrated more pro-social tendencies compared to her siblings,”
“Following a veterinary behavioural specialist’s review and recommendation, she has been assessed as suitable for structured rehabilitation, to continue on her medication protocol with regular check-ins with a specialist behavioural team”.
The statement says that the rescue partner is equipped with the skills and experience necessary to provide “dedicated intensive behavioral rehabilitation under expert guidance.”
And that they are aware of Milly’s behavioural needs and backgrounds.
For the time being, in line with the Code of Practice for the Management of Dogs and Cats in Shelters and Pounds and due to Milly’s behavioural challenges, the shelter cannot legally rehome Milly or transfer ownership.
The October 31 statement also said that the shelter does not have an exact estimate of how long the process might take.
“This is not a quick process; we will not have an answer on her outcome for weeks, possibly months, as her progress will depend entirely on ongoing behavioural assessments,” said the statement.
Animal Justice MP, Georgie Purcell who criticised the decision by the LDH to euthanise Milly’s brother Murphy back in October, has since said she is hopeful for Milly after the new update.
“We only wish Murphy, his littermate and his mother were afforded the same chance that they so deserved,” Purcell said on an online post.
“If you have had Milly on your mind like us, you can breathe a sigh of relief tonight.”
It was just a few weeks ago when Purcell took the matter to the Upper House, calling for greater transparency, oversight and regulations for all shelters and pounds regarding euthanisation on the basis of behavioral reasons.
Citing Milly and Murphy’s case, she moved to appoint “an independent oversight mechanism to approve euthanasia for behavioural reasons by open-intake shelters”.
As well as the mandating of “pounds and shelters to offer all animals set to be euthanised for behavioural reasons to authorised pet rehoming organisations, except in instances where an animal has been legally declared dangerous,”
It also called for “open-intake shelters to change to quarterly reporting on animal fate data…ensuring animal data is more transparent and outlines what steps were taken when an animal is euthanised for behavioural reasons.”
The LDH has told Star News that it will welcome “any well thought out and achievable proposals that will improve animal welfare outcomes”.
“We operate under strict laws and codes with respect to our animal welfare activities,”
“Some of these proposals will require legislative change informed by extensive sector wide consultation,”
“The Lost Dogs’ Home currently works with forty rescue organisations across Victoria to achieve our pet rehoming and animal welfare objectives and report our figures to Agriculture Victoria quarterly.”
