Most Western Australians are worried that not enough is being done about animal welfare. We are immensely grateful for the funds we receive from Government and our generous supporters but it is not enough to do the job the community expects from us.

We need the Government to invest $20m over the next four years – just $2 for each of us. We believe it’s a small price to pay for the protection the community expects.

$2 is a small price to pay for RSPCA services in regional communities.

Regional WA gets the short straw when it comes to animal welfare – despite the number and range of animals, and a level of cruelty and neglect that is hard to measure because it’s out of sight.

The cost of providing an RSPCA inspector is relatively small considering the extent and severity of the problem. This investment should be shared by all stakeholders, including the State Government.

Currently we have 11 inspectors trying to cover the whole of Perth, Bunbury, Geraldton, Albany and Kalgoorlie.

Under our plan, six new warranted animal welfare/education officers will be recruited in regional WA. As well as investigating cruelty complaints, education is a huge part of their job.

RSPCA WA can currently respond to calls within two days from 75% of WA towns with a population of 1,000 people or more. We want to increase our coverage to 100%. An increase in Government funding promised as part of the 2021 election commitments will go some of the way – but more funding is needed to properly service all WA regions.

Over the next four years, we will need to invest more than $14.5 million. We are asking the WA Government to meet us halfway with 50% of operational funding and a $4.5m capital contribution to design and construct multi-purpose housing and animal shelter accommodation in each of the six regions.

Although we do our best to respond to complaints State-wide, there are vast areas of the Gascoyne, Pilbara and Kimberley – key hotspots for cruelty cases – that we struggle to service because of distance and limited resources.

Kalgoorlie is a good example of the benefits of employing local inspectors.

Once people know there is an RSPCA presence in the community, they start lifting the lid on abuse and reporting more of it.

Reports in Kalgoorlie grew from 135 in 2012-2013 to 500 in 2018-2019.

The Kimberley community has been crying out for an inspector for almost two decades but repeated appeals for support have fallen on deaf ears. We are now working on using donor funding for another inspector in Broome. For reasons we don’t yet fully understand, the incidence of severe animal neglect and cruelty appears higher in the Shire of Broome that almost anywhere else in WA. Broome Shire Council has four rangers who spend 60% of their time dealing with animal related issues, mostly cruelty and neglect.

No-one at RSPCA WA can recall such shocking and localised cruelty and the local community is clamouring for our help. The recent charges over 1000 cattle that died of thirst on Noonkanbah Station is a shocking case, but just one case. The RSPCA needs on-the-ground resources to properly protect pets, livestock and wildlife in the region.

We must also urgently work to bring back and build empathy and compassion in the community. We can do this by working positively and constructively with children, adults and families. The community also needs to know that there is a specialised agency on the ground, in addition to local rangers, that has the ability to swiftly and effectively respond to reports of animal cruelty made by the public.

 

How can you help? Tell them you care!

If you think another $2 is a small price to pay to help end animal cruelty and abuse in WA, ask your local politician to support the RSPCA plan.

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