Animal shelter to expand as region struggles to find enough homes for pets

Tamworth council has received a $400,000 grant for the expansion of the Tamworth Regional Companion Animal Centre (formerly known as the pound).

Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) director of liveable communities Gina Vereker said the funds were desperately needed to address the city's growing animal problem.

"Here at the companion animal centre we're always full. That seems to be the new normal. We only have 15 pens, and these days that's really not enough," Ms Vereker said.

She said the money would be used to double the capacity at the animal shelter from 15 pens to 30.

But the extra space isn't expected to give council much breathing room as it continues to struggle with the fallout from an animal re-homing mandate handed down by the state government last year.

"No doubt we could fill those [new pens] immediately," Ms Vereker said.

"There's more animals that need a home than there are people who can take them. That's just the reality."

The grant funding still needs a final sign off before it lands in council's coffers.

Once the funding arrives, TRC expects to start working on the expansion next year with a goal of finishing by June 2025.

In the meantime, Ms Vereker said council was always looking for more volunteers to work at Paws for Life and the Tamworth Regional Companion Animal Centre.

Tamworth council runs the Paws for Life animal shelter for dogs and works with Animal Welfare League NSW to re-home the region's cats.

Ms Vereker said Paws for Life has been very successful since reopening six months ago, but the pens they have there are "usually" full too.

"We thank the community for helping us re-home more than 70 dogs since June ... but we're still sending dogs and cats to various areas across NSW," she said.

Ms Vereker said Tamworth Regional Council has not needed to euthanase surrendered animals, but the situation could change if there was a spike in surrenders post-Christmas.

"I would hate us to be in that position," she said.

"If it's possible to fit them we will do that."

Ms Vereker said there were "seldom" cases of council putting down pets which can't be re-homed due to severe behavioural problems or medical issues.