RSPCA SA's Combat Cruelty campaign urges people not to turn a blind eye
In the last five years, the number of cruelty reports made to RSPCA South Australia that relate to animals in poor living conditions has increased by 87%, with RSPCA inspectors being called to more properties where animals and humans are living in squalor.
Poor mental health is one of the contributing factors, and RSPCA SA inspectors are often working alongside human welfare officers to achieve the best outcomes for both the animals and their owners. But RSPCA SA is concerned that the alarm is not being raised soon enough by people who could not fail to have noticed the unsanitary conditions, including rampant rubbish accumulation inside houses and yards.
Today's launch of RSPCA SA's annual Combat Cruelty campaign has revealed reports have also increased in other areas over the last five years, including:
• Abandonment - up 20%
• Failure to get veterinary treatment - up 33%
• Animals having insufficient food and/or water - up 18%
But there have also been some positive findings from the latest statistics, including an almost 50% decrease in the number of animals reported as being left unattended in vehicles.
RSPCA SA Chief Inspector Andrea Lewis said the latest statistics and the anecdotal feedback from inspectors on the frontline indicated that, overall, community attitudes towards animals and how they should be treated are evolving in positive ways.
"There's no doubt in my mind that animal welfare is on more people's radars now than when I first started in this role over 17 years ago," Inspector Lewis said.
"More people seem to understand how vulnerable animals are to suffering harm from neglect, and certainly most people now know the huge risks with leaving dogs unattended in cars.
"What we are still finding very concerning, though, is the failure for anyone to raise the alarm sooner when they see something isn't quite right with an animal or the conditions in which the animal is being kept.
"We urge people to take the time to make the call to us or lodge an online report, so we can check out the situation and - if necessary - rescue animals that are suffering and get them the treatment they need.
"We are sadly still receiving the call too late for many animals, and often finding that their owners should also have been receiving support much sooner."
Now in its fifth year, the Combat Cruelty campaign releases statistics and information that summarise the work of RSPCA SA's inspectorate and legal counsel over the past year. The campaign raises awareness of the situations confronting RSPCA inspectors every day across the state, and the educational and investigative role they play in alleviating animal suffering and obtaining justice for animal victims of cruelty and neglect.
In the last financial year, RSPCA SA received 4265 cruelty reports (a 3% decrease on the previous year). A total of 1,115 animals came into RSPCA SA's care via the inspectorate, with 609 of them surrendered to inspectors by their owners during the course of an investigation, or by court order under Section 31C of the Animal Welfare Act. The remaining 506 animals were seized as a result of investigations.
The 26 cruelty prosecutions that finalised last financial year involved 34 defendants, all of whom except two pleaded guilty to the charges. All 34 defendants were successfully prosecuted, with convictions recorded against 30 of them, and 31 (91%) given animal ownership prohibition orders.1 (Refer document - "RSPCA SA Cruelty Statistics FY21-22" for all statistics.)
The Combat Cruelty campaign equips people with information so they can recognise cruelty, know what to do when they see it and help prevent it.
