Boronia Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 No surprises here.... http://www.news.com....n-1226816056422 Concerns RSPCA is destroying pets that could be kept alive The WA Government has raised fears the RSPCA is destroying pets that could be kept alive. Picture: File image Source: News Limited THE WA Government has raised fears the RSPCA is destroying pets that could be kept alive. Documents obtained by The Sunday Times reveal Agriculture Department boss Rob Delane was told of a case last year where medical histories did not support the destruction of some pets. "It is unclear whether the RSPCA had sufficient grounds to destroy these animals," a briefing note for Mr Delane dated May 2013 said The briefing notes were prepared for Mr Delane after the RSCPA seized 130 animals from a woman's property in December 2012. The RSCPA has accused the woman of animal cruelty. The notes prepared for Mr Delane warn the RSCPA's processes were "inadequate". The briefing note came after Mr Delane wrote to the RSPCA inspector involved in the case in April to warn they could be charged. "Based on the information provided by the RSPCA recently, you appear to have failed to meet your statutory obligations under section 41 (2) and may also have exceeded your powers in other areas," he said in the letter dated April 16. Revelations of the documents come as a former RSPCA regional inspector, who asked not to be named, also expressed concerns about the treatment of animals by the organisation. The inspector, who resigned last year, said she would regularly try to rehome animals in country areas rather than bring them to the Perth shelter because she feared they would be put down. "I wouldn't take my animals up there," she said. "Some puppies would get put down at eight weeks and they would say they had behavioural problems," she said. The criminal proceedings against the woman for animal cruelty and confining or restraining an animal in a manner that may cause harm will be heard in the Perth Magistrates Court on February 11. The woman has also launched civil proceedings against the RSPCA in the State Administrative Tribunal for a review of the decision to take her animals. The matter is still before the tribunal. RSPCA state chief executive David van Ooren said no disciplinary action had been taken and the allegations in the report had not been substantiated. An RSPCA spokesman said there were "very clear" and "well-developed" policies relating to the euthanasia of animals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 The problem is they don't really answer to anyone. Doesn't sound good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricey Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Really, all reputable dog rescues are killing animals who could be kept alive. However, just because an animal has a heart beat, should that be the sole criterion for keeping it alive? To me, the rescues that are not responsible are the "no kill" shelters. These shelters refuse to euthanase animals who have no realistic chance of being rehomed or really should not be rehomed. There are far more animals up for adoption in Australia than will ever get rehomed. So, some animals will always be euthanased. And some of those killed animals would have made fine pets or companions if they could have been linked with the appropriate humans. And I find it excruciately sad that these animals are being killed. However, any euthanased animal is just another statistic to show that we humans are failing our animals and I do not agree that the RSPCA or any other animal rescue is failing here. Blaming the RSPCA for euthanasing animals that they can't rehome is like blaming a cancer ward for smoking related deaths. I never thought I'd ever be vociferously defending the RSPCA for anything ever, but hey! The RSPCA is not the problem; we people are the problem. ricey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiecuddles Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Actually I agree with you Ricey. If they can't find homes for them what are they supposed to do? Stack them in to cages like sardines... To me though it's the same as people who get so up in arms about management of wildlife numbers in closed systems with limited resources, they'd rather let skippy starve to death slowly as long as they can say they protested against a cull... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricey Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Actually I agree with you Ricey. If they can't find homes for them what are they supposed to do? Stack them in to cages like sardines... To me though it's the same as people who get so up in arms about management of wildlife numbers in closed systems with limited resources, they'd rather let skippy starve to death slowly as long as they can say they protested against a cull... Hi kelpiecuddles, thanks; I thought I was going out on a limb; I thought I was going to get shot down in flames. I have been involved in dog rescue for quite some time now. Try rehoming American Pit Bull Terriers anywhere in Australia if you want to have a hard life! But these pit bulls are no more difficult to rehome than any other dog breed that no one wants. At least the RSPCA here in WA actively rehomes pit bulls. A bit hard to to believe given what was happening only a couple of years ago, but now it is true. I am a bit concerned that Lynne Bradshaw has relinquished the RSPCA presidency; what happens now? At least Hugh Wirth has acknowledged his errors. The RSPCA is comfortably back within the fold. But I am not comfortable,...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juice Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 They are a very well oiled money making machine, that's their priority, animals cost money to keep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 I agree with what ricey has said. My problems with the RSPCA are in other areas, also as I mentioned they should have to answer to someone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Suggest that if the WA Govt is concerned about RSPCA animals being destroyed unnecessarily then they should do something about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.mister Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 (edited) I adopted and later rehomed a cat from the RSPCA who was going to be PTS. I was the one who found him as a stray and surrendered him; thankfully I gave them my details and they called me when he hadn't been claimed saying that he was due to be PTS the next day because he'd contracted a mild case of cat flu from being there. I took him on and after a week of medication (which, ironically, the RSPCA had to pay for because he was sick at the time of adoption) he was fine. He was a gorgeous, bubbly, sweet and very human-oriented cat, that luckily ended up in a really nice home. I can't help but think how many animals like that lose their lives unnecessarily. I understand that not everything with a heartbeat should be kept alive, but when it's something as simple as a case of the sniffles or a weepy eye that puts an otherwise rehomable animal on the kill list, I have an issue with that. Edited February 4, 2014 by mr.mister Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Maeby Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 I really don't know what to think about the RSPCA. I wish they'd work more closely with other pet rescue groups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keetamouse Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 LDH has been doing this for decades Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillbear Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 I can see change beginning to happen, but it is a slow process and a culture change needs to go along with it. Sadly until the message gets to the grassroots workers also that they are expected to reach out for other options such as rescue needless deaths will continue to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Can anyone interpret the sentence:" Based on the information provided by the RSPCA recently, you appear to have failed to meet your statutory obligations under section 41 (2) and may also have exceeded your powers in other areas," he said in the letter dated April 16. What statutory obligations does the RSPCA have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyosha Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 If you look up the Act that the comment is referencing you might find out. This story from WA has been linked online to the sad story of the Cav bitch "Izzy" and here pups. Many on here will remember the story unfolding. Yes there is not always a home for everything, but when animals have homes ready and waiting and are killed for bizarre reasons like in this instance people remember... Yet again major questions arise about what systems are used for temperament testing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Fox Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 http://www.savingpet...-little-family/ An excellent example of the RSPCAs "very clear" and "well-developed" policies relating to the euthanasia of animals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pjrt Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 (edited) If there was as much disgust and outrage and energy put into place every time a pet is dumped, discarded and abandoned by owners who don't stand up and be counted and be responsible for their pets in the first place, rather than fob them off to shelters and rescues at the drop of a hat when they jump the four foot fence,crap on the back step, move house,have a baby, bark twice, pee on the carpet, jump on nanna, need the vet, etc etc......perhaps the RSPCA wouldn't be inundated with so many disposable pets. And if the government actually had the balls to shut down commercial pet breeding facilities, enforce existing pet ownership laws, etc etc, again perhaps the RSPCA could get back to their real purpose. Be outraged people.......but get the right end of the equation. Stand up and abuse the people dumping their pets like hot potatoes the moment they are any sort of problem whatsoever. It actually shouldnt be a problem for the RSPCA in the first place. They are just left trying to clean up societies casual and disposable attitude to pets. If we start at the start where the problem starts, instead of bandaids to try to stem the flow, we might actually make some progress. Edited February 6, 2014 by skyefool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 No, there shouldn't be a mess for any shelter or pound to clean up but it is the shelter or pound that makes the decision to kill the animal. The animal is now owned by them and they make the decision. Don't deflect their poor decision by going back to someone who no longer owns the dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 I also agree with Ricey - however, when an inspector seizes someone's animals and they are put down without a second opinion - bodies of those animals destroyed and the owner standing accused and no way to intervene to have their animals assessed by an independent vet or saved - then there is something wrong with the system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Well said, skyefool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pie Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 (edited) There is no excuse for putting down a litter of easily rehomable 4 week old Cavalier puppies - it is a waste of time, resources, and much more. I'm not for 'no kill' but surely this was just needless? A behavioural assessment failed at four weeks?? The worst part is not communicating with the foster carer or informing her what had happened to the puppies and bitch she had been caring for for weeks. Tha sooner the RSPCA has to answer to somebody, the better in my opinion. Edited February 6, 2014 by pie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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