31 July 2023

RSPCA WA has revealed which local government areas generated the most animal cruelty reports last financial year.

Analysis of the 2022-23 data also shows the most common offences reported to the charity’s 24-hour Cruelty Hotline.

RSPCA WA received 7126 animal cruelty reports last financial year, an average of more than 19 a day and an 11 per cent increase on 2021-22.

Metropolitan 2022-23 (Perth and Peel)						Regional 2022-23
Rank	Reports	LGA	Change	Previous Rank (21-22)		Rank	Reports	LGA	Change	Previous Rank (21-22)
1	745	Swan	↑15%	1		1	190	Albany	↑30%	4
2	526	Wanneroo	↑27%	2		2	188	Greater Geraldton	↓2%	2
3	440	Stirling	↑12%	3		3	161	Kalgoorlie Boulder	↓30%	1
4	378	Rockingham	↑11%	5		4	146	Bunbury	↓4%	3
5	343	Gosnells	↓3%	4		5	121	Busselton	↑98%	7
6	330	Armadale	↑5%	6		6	93	Harvey	↑43%	6
7	268	Mandurah	↑32%	8		7	74	Broome	↑111%	11
8	217	Cockburn	↓10%	7		8	55	Augusta-Margaret River	↑49%	9
9	203	Joondalup	↑7%	9		9	54	Collie	↑50%	10
10	172	Bayswater	↑5%	10		10	50	Northam	↓24%	5

Offences reported	2022-23	2021-22
Ill-treatment of an animal*	3298	3080
Sick and injured animals not receiving veterinary treatment	1603	1355
Instances of animals with insufficient food or water	1507	1236
Instances of abandoned animals	1173	887
Instances of animals with insufficient shelter	764	657
Unnecessary harm	603	903
Instances of animals left in hot cars	506	530
Instances of malicious beating or wounding	311	329
Instances of animals being poisoned	104	78

Note: Many of the reports received by RSPCA WA in 2022-23 included allegations of multiple offences involving multiple animals
*This is a broad offence which captures all manner of cruel behaviour, neglect and abuse. It may be selected in place of, or in addition to, the other offences listed in the table.

RSPCA WA CEO Ben Cave said the cost-of-living crisis had been key theme in 2022-23.

‘Reports about owners failing to seek vet care spiked by 18 per cent last financial year, compared to 2021-22. Meanwhile, reports of animals without enough food or water were up 22 per cent,’ he said.

‘On the surface these reports might seem less serious than violent acts of cruelty. But the sad reality is, the animals in these cases have often suffered day in, day out for weeks or months. We understand owners fall on hard financial times, but ignoring your pet’s pain or hunger is not a solution, it’s animal cruelty.

‘Another statistical change of note is a 32 per cent spike in abandonment reports.’

Mr Cave said most of the cases prosecuted by RSPCA WA last financial year related to animals deprived of their most basic needs.

‘In 2022-23, RSPCA WA finalised 29 prosecutions relating to 65 dogs, 4 cats and 8 horses,’ he said.

‘Most of the dogs were from puppy farms where their medical and behavioural needs had been badly neglected. They were living in squalor, being bred time and time again for profit.

‘Other shocking cruelty cases included Cherry, an abandoned dog who nearly starved to death, and Hank, a four-month-old puppy who was beaten by his former owner.’

Animals most commonly reported

Welfare concerns for dogs, cats and horses made up the majority of reported cruelty offences in 2022-23.

• 7967 reported offences involved dogs and puppies
• 1792 reported offences involved cats and kittens
• 737 reported offences involved horses

Note: Some of these offences involved multiple animals

Mr Cave said RSPCA WA had ramped up events to help struggling pet owners.

‘In hotspots where cruelty is prevalent, RSPCA WA works hard to improve standards of animal welfare, but we’re still getting a consistently high number of calls,’ he said.

‘With the rising cost of living hitting WA families hard, we’re worried neglect of those basic needs is only going to increase. If you’re no longer able to care for your animals to the standard they deserve you must reach out for help sooner rather than later.’

About this data

• Many of the 7126 reports received by RSPCA WA in 2022-23 included allegations of multiple offences involving multiple animals.
• Not every report contains a substantiated offence. Some reports involve concerns that do not meet the threshold for an offence in WA, and others were not substantiated through investigation.
• Not every offence results in a charge or a prosecution. Many offences are resolved quickly by the owner or person in charge of an animal after they have been contacted by an RSPCA WA inspector.