It’s summer, it’s hot and I’m scared for the welfare of Western Australian animals. Will you help us be there for animals suffering in the heat this summer?

Summer in Western Australia is hot. I’m sure it always has been and I’m sure it always will be—which is why I just don’t understand people who don’t keep their animals safe in this hot weather.

Two cases from last year’s record-breaking summer show just how dangerous the hot weather is and, heartbreakingly, what happens when RSPCA WA can’t get there in time.

The saddest thing is these cases came to our attention just one day apart from each other and were just two of more than 1,800 cruelty reports we received last summer.

First, I am going to share with you the story of Cherry, a brindle American Staffy crossbreed who was simply left in a backyard, without enough food and water, in the middle of a heatwave.

Cherry was forgotten, left to suffer, left to starve, and left to die–but incredibly she didn’t. Thankfully, because of generous supporters like you, RSPCA WA got to Cherry just in time to save her life.

When RSPCA WA’s Inspector Peta arrived at Cherry’s yard, suspecting there was a dog in trouble, she thought there must have been a mistake. She couldn’t see or hear Cherry. But when she entered the yard to make sure there was no dog there, it became clear there was no mistake. Hidden behind a barricade of discarded tables and doors, Inspector Peta found Cherry lying helpless and weak.

It was 39 degrees that day and poor Cherry was so exhausted by the heat she couldn’t even walk. This was made worse by the fact she was just skin and bones. She was waiting to die. But this wasn’t the end for Cherry. Thanks to Inspector Peta, Cherry received a generous gift in that moment—the gift of hope.

Heartbreakingly, just one day before someone reported Cherry to the RSPCA Cruelty Hotline, we received another call about Oreo, a six-year-old bull mastiff chained up in a residential back yard on a 40-degree day.

Inspector Peta, who would go on to find Cherry the following day, rushed to the address and was surprised to find someone at the home when there was reportedly a dog in critical condition in the back yard.

Inspector Peta was let into the yard where she found Oreo lying lifeless. He was tethered to a stake with a heavy chain that was so hot Inspector Peta couldn’t bear to touch it.

Tragically, Oreo had died of heatstroke in the back yard.

A saucepan of water and a little patch of shade in the corner of the garden were out of reach for poor Oreo.

At only six years old, this big, beautiful dog should have been in the prime of his life. Instead, he took his last breath on parched grass and hot dirt, with the chain pulled tight as he desperately tried his best to get to
a tiny patch of shade under the broken seat of a child’s swing.

When I think of Cherry and Oreo it makes me very sad. And it makes me angry. And it also makes me scared.

It makes me scared that we’re in another hot summer and that our inspectors will be stretched trying to get to the calls about all the Cherry’s and Oreo’s who need our help this year.

What if the RSPCA wasn’t here? What if we couldn’t get to all those animals who desperately need our help?

The only way we stand a chance of getting there is through the generosity of people like you.

Your support today could equip an inspector vehicle with the tools they need to rescue a distressed animal from the heat. Your generosity can also provide emergency medical assistance to an animal suffering from heat-related injuries. And finally, your gift can give a rescued animal a safe space to recover from neglect and abuse this summer.

Sadly, we were just too late to help Oreo, but we weren’t too late for Cherry. I can now tell you the rest of Cherry’s story, which has a far happier ending.

When Inspector Peta found her, Cherry was too weak to even walk. So, she lovingly carried Cherry to the rescue vehicle, whispering words of kindness and telling her it was alright now, and that she was going to be ok. But secretly, Inspector Peta was worried. She was worried that, just like Oreo the day before, she had arrived too late. She was worried that her efforts might be in vain.

It makes me truly happy to tell you that Inspector Peta’s efforts weren’t in vain. I’m happy to share the news that after ten long months in care, ten long months of medical treatment, behaviour rehabilitation and kindness, Cherry went on to find her forever home.

I’m sure it makes you happy when you look at Cherry’s smiling face in her adoption photo and it should also make you feel proud, because without generous supporters like you, Cherry’s future could have been so very different.

Thank you for caring,

Ben Cave
Chief Executive Officer
RSPCA WA