RSPCA NSW

History

The RSPCA NSW was formed in Sydney, 15 July 1873, with the full name ‘’’Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,. New South Wales.’’’.

Its origins go back to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Britain, whose RSPCA was formed in 1824.

Along with the other RSPCA societies in Australia, RSPCA NSW was given its Royal Warrant in 1932.

The RSPCA NSW inspectors were recognised as Special Constables by an amendment in 1943 to the Police Offenses Act, 1901.

The RSPCA societies in Australia established the national body RSPCA Australia in 1981.

As of 2013 the CEO of RSPCA NSW is Steve Coleman. He was appointed in 2007.

Funding

Although the RSPCA NSW receives a small percentage of its funding from the NSW Government the vast majority of it comes from the public as donations.

Charity events

The RSPCA has 2 major fundraising events each year. In May it holds The Million Paws walk and on the 3rd Monday of August it holds a Cupcake day - which is due to start in 2013.

In addition to this the RSPCA Auxiliary and the RSPCA Volunteer branches also hold many fundraising events throughout the year.

Other fundraising

The RSPCA also receives bequests and offers fundraising at AidArena, online fundraising and in raffles.

Operations

The RSPCA (NSW) runs 12 animal shelters, 4 veterinary of hospitals and 27 Volunteer branches, to assist in the rescue, treatment and re-homing of animals, and in de-sexing programs and has 30 Inspectors to investigate animal cruelty, mistreatment and abuse claims.

Objectives

The RSPCA (NSW) lists its objectives as:

Programs

As of 2013 RSPCA NSW programs include:

Living Ruff

Living Ruff is a programme to assist people who find themselves homeless to keep their pets with them so as to reduce both the distress of a person who has suddenly become homeless through no fault of their own and their pet, and include programmes like: access to food for pets, emergency boarding and foster care for the pets of people who find temporary accommodation and access to vet services.

Pets Of Older People

A Program developed to assist older people by caring for their pets when they need medical treatment, assistance with grooming their pets and home visits to assist with basic care. This program is targeted to socially isolated people who are over the age of 65 or in palliative care.

Safe Bed for Pets

This is a program to provide housing and care for the pets of people who are victims of domestic violence

Community Animal Welfare Scheme

This is an initiative run jointly with many organisations including councils and Veterinary hospitals. Its goal is to reduce unwanted companion animal populations through educating about many of the responsibilities of pet owners, to increase de-sexing rates in the companion animal community and promote responsible pet ownership.

Dog Rehabilitation Program

The Dog Rehabilitation Program is jointly run with the Commissioner of Corrective Service NSW. It aims to give minimum security prisoners skills in the pet related industry by giving the prisoners nationally accredited training, while rehabilitating dogs so that they can be re-homed

Criticisms

The RSPCA NSW has been criticised for the fact it has consistently had kill rates above 50% for the duration of Steve Coleman's tenure as CEO. It has had this kill rate despite many local pounds working in conjunction with rescue groups managing to get kill rates to 15% or less. It is claimed that despite running at a profit ($10 million last year) and having far more public viability than most rescue organisations, as well as the largest total animals destroyed of any single organisation, and was included on a government panel on reducing animal deaths in pounds and shelter, on which rescue groups were excluded. They advised that rather than a mandatory kill limit, better Guidelines be put in place'. There is concern that without a mandatory kill % limit there will be no change in the organisation's practices.

There planned 100 person vigil outside the RSPCA's Million Paws Walk 2013 in memory of Max the Pointer, who it was alleged was put down for claimed behavioural issues that the Justice4Max protest group claimed were unfounded.

There were also concerns that RSPCA NSW fails to work with other animal rescue groups in NSW. In the case of the Rutherford facility, records indicate that not a single animal has been released to a rescue group since the 1 August 2011. These have caused such concern that a councillor in Maitland brought forth a motion to see whether the RSPCA might be in a) in breach of its contract that requires the RSPCA to 'consider involving local certified rescue groups to assist in re-homing animals' and b) as a function of a) whether the council is now in breach of the Companion Animals Act NSW section 64 “It is the Duty of the council concerned to consider an alternative action to that of destroying the animal and (if practicable) to adopt any such alternative.”

However, in response to these claims Mr Picton of the RSPCA's Rutherford facility stated “ We don’t usually release animals to rescue groups, but there is no law requiring us to”

Temperament test

The RSPCA's Temperament test, which it uses as grounds for 60+% of its euthanasia justifications, is not publicly available. Its application and situational use has been criticised as many of the behaviours in it are exhibited by frightened dogs as well, which makes its use unacceptable according to some people. One of the people who claim to have helped devise the test also states it is used incorrectly – that it was intended to be used as a guide to assess the rehabilitation requirements of the dog – not justify euthanising it.

Also there has been a study By Monash university found that the temperament testing may not be being applied correctly or properly, casting further doubt on its usefulness, as a quarter of people using it to assess dogs had not been trained to and more than half believed they were not given enough time to assess the dogs.