RSPCA WA Inspector Kylie with a kitten rescued in Orelia.

Spring 2013

Today

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President and CEO UpdatesIt’s been a busy time for your RSPCA over the last few months, and I am sorry to say that animal cruelty and the associated issues are not going away.

As we move closer to the Federal election, some of the national initiatives that we are focusing on are live exports, freeing layer hens from cages, humane food production and food labelling. RSPCA Australia has launched its Political Animal website to help you, the voter, let your local federal candidates know that you consider animal welfare when you vote.

On a positive note, the recent ‘Good Egg Awards’ recognised some major retailers, such as Coles and IKEA, who have switched to either supplying or using cage-free eggs, setting the benchmark for others as the demand for higher welfare foods increases. This means an extra 105 million eggs are now sourced from cage-free hens each year.

While this is a good start, there is still a lot of work to do in encouraging consumers to move to cage-free eggs, not only when buying eggs but foods containing eggs. Millions of chickens are still confined to a life of misery.

Hunting in National Parks was recently featured on the ABC’s Four Corners program. The RSPCA believes that recreational hunting - killing animals for sport - is cruel. Hunters claim they are helping to eradicate pests. You can read why this is a flawed argument in Recreational hunting and animal welfare, available at www.rspca.org.au.

I would personally like to thank all staff, volunteers, including RSPCA board members, our members, and everyone who donates time and money to improve animal welfare. Without you, your RSPCA could not continue to improve the lives of animals all over Australia.

For all creatures great and small.

Lynne Bradshaw National and State President

The last few months have seen a flurry of activity at the RSPCA in WA.

As some of you may have noticed, RSPCA WA’s cattery has been unavailable for adoptions since December due to an ongoing court case involving a considerable number of animals, which has meant very limited space for the public to view cats available for adoption. After relocating some staff into transportable offices, our new cat adoption facility is now fitted out with state-of-the-art cat condos. This project is very timely given kitten season is nearly upon us and the upcoming Cat Control Legislation comes into effect in November.

Unfortunately, we have a large number of prosecutions underway, with some already concluded (you can see details in this edition). Already this financial year, RSPCA WA has had five successful prosecutions, and our Inspectorate and pro bono legal team have been working very hard in the fight against animal cruelty. RSPCA WA’s court cases also continue to receive strong coverage in the media.

This year’s Million Paws Walk figures have been tallied and it is pleasing to see the community has helped us improve the fundraising result by 49 per cent compared to the previous year. This great result is one of many ways the public helps us to finance the cost of delivering vital services and saving animals’ lives. It also cements Million Paws Walk as Perth and Australia’s premier animal event.

David van Ooran RSPCA WA CEO

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Visiting groups will notice a change in the main Education room. The Community Education team has given it a complete facelift, with freshly painted walls featuring our Five Freedoms, complete with a tree, garden area and life cycle board, and a Minibeasts display. It is a fresh, new look that makes the room much more visually appealing and engaging for all ages.

The Minibeasts play a crucial role with new lessons based on Minibeasts, ecosystems and the importance of sustainability. Our creepy-crawlies include grasshoppers, worms, snails and giant cockroaches that can be visited at the Malaga headquarters, or taken to schools, for students to see and touch.

All primary programs have been re-written into suites of themed lessons in specific year groups for both incursions (visits into schools) and excursions (school visiting our site at Malaga). Primary school offerings have been divided into three age groups—Kindergarten to Year 2, Years 2 to 4, and Years 4 to 6. Each year group has three incursion lesson topics in their education range plus the option of a tailor-made lesson for specific curriculum needs.

Each topic has been linked to the Australian National Curriculum which is now at implementation level in the main areas of teaching at RSPCA WA—Science, English, Mathematics and History. More information on these lessons is available at www.rspcawa.asn.au in the Education section.

July School Holiday Program

What could be better than spending a morning at the RSPCA WA in the school holidays? Spending a whole day or staying overnight! The ever popular RSPCA WA School Holiday Program included full day and overnight sessions on site in July, as well as Food, Friends and Fundraising, RSPCA WA Big Day Out and In the Dog House.

Email education@rspcawa.asn.au or call (08) 9209 9325 for October School Holiday Program updates.

Education update

Photo: Time Pet Products

Cat Act 2011From 1 November 2013, Western Australian government legislation requires that cats be sterilised, microchipped and registered with local councils. You will receive a tag after you register your cat, which it will need to wear on a collar when outside your property.

We also recommend that you have another tag on the collar with your contact details, so if your cat strays or becomes lost it can be returned to you easily. Please ensure that the tag is appropriate.

Choosing and fitting There are many different types of collar available. Some have an elastic insert, some have a breakaway mechanism. Given the nature of cats, never use a fixed collar (without a stretch or break away mechanism) or tie a ribbon around your cat’s neck.

The collar should be snug enough not to pull over the cat’s head easily, but loose enough for you to fit ‘two fingers’ between the collar and the cat’s neck. Cut off long collar ends after fitting the collar. Cats can be trained to walk on a harness with a lead attached, but never walk a cat with a lead attached to a collar, or leave a cat unattended with a leash attached to its harness.

Training your cat Your cat might not appreciate a collar at first, but, with patience and consistency, you can teach it to accept a collar. Choose a calm time for your cat’s first introduction to the collar. If you try to put the collar on your cat when it is already stressed, you’re likely to have problems.

First, put the collar on the ground so the cat can investigate and play with it. Spray it with Feliway® (a synthetic feline facial pheromone used by cats to mark their territory as safe and secure) if you have some—it is available from your vet, pet shops or online (www.feliway.com). Alternatively, rub a cloth gently around the cat’s cheeks to get some of the cat’s own scent, then rub the collar with the cloth, so the collar smells familiar, or rub the collar on the cat’s bedding.

Put the collar on the cat after plenty of cuddles and play, and fit it with a two-finger space as described. Once the collar is on, use reassuring words and plenty of treats to reward your cat, and let them get used to it for a little while before taking it off. Do this daily inside the house for gradually increasing lengths of time, until it seems your cat is getting more and more comfortable with wearing the collar.

Another way is to put the collar on just before giving the cat its dinner. You could start by feeding the cat out of a bowl and next time place the food in an interactive food dispenser like a Kong so the cat will wear the collar for longer. Short sessions, rewards, and persistence are the key.

In the first few weeks, your cat may become clever at slipping the collar off. Whenever this happens, simply replace the collar, and give rewards and play. Check the collar is fitted properly. Eventually, most cats will get used to wearing a collar.

If your cat cannot learn to tolerate a collar, keeping your cat inside the house at all times or in a fully enclosed outside cat run may be good options. These have advantages, such as reduced risks of attacks by other cats, motor vehicle injuries or getting lost. Another benefit is that indoors-only cats are not a risk to wildlife. Cats kept indoors need plenty of room to play, toys and activities to keep them happy and stimulated, and of course plenty of company from you and your family.

For more information about the Cat Act 2011, including fact sheets, visit www.dlgc.wa.gov.au.

Getting your Cat to Wear a Collar

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Holly raised $475 by organising a

free-dress day plus a raffle with

donated goods.

Lotte (left) generously asked for donations to help our animals instead of birthday gifts.

Georgie raised $137 and got to meet

a real Inspector. She hopes to be an

Inspector herself one day.

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Organising your own event to fundraise for RSPCA WAThere are lots of ways you can raise funds to help us help animals, all year round.

We particularly rely on you—our members, volunteers and donors—to organise community fundraising events and activities to raise money for the RSPCA.

Community Fundraising is really important to RSPCA WA—every dollar counts, and a lot of small activities can quickly add up to a lot of money.

Community Fundraising also ensures that people remember the RSPCA between major events, especially if you tell your friends and family, school, neighbours, colleagues, or even the public.

There are hundreds of different ways you can raise money for the RSPCA, from fashion shows to casual dress days, and quiz nights to golf days!

It’s even easier if you set up an Everyday Hero online fundraising page (www.everydayhero.com.au) and share it with your family and friends.

5 steps to getting started1. Think of a great fundraising idea and set a date.2. Contact RSPCA WA to discuss your idea at fundraising@rspcawa.asn.au

or (08) 9209 9300. 3. Complete and return the Fundraising Registration Form that

we will send you. 4. We will then issue an Authority to Fundraise on behalf of RSPCA WA.

(The Authority to Fundraise is important so you can verify that you are fundraising on behalf of RSPCA WA when asking for donations or other support.)

5. Then it’s all over to you!

Keep in touchMake sure you keep in touch with us so that we can publicise your event on Facebook and our website, and provide any other help you may need!

We are always open to hearing new and exciting fundraising suggestions!

Subsea 7 and their client Santos have recently executed the Fletcher Finucane Development Project in Western Australia with great success.

To support a safe working culture, the project operated a safety incentive scheme on board the construction vessel ‘Rockwater 2’, where the crew were recognised and rewarded for safety initiatives.

RSPCA WA are delighted to have been nominated by the vessel’s crew to receive the prize of this reward.

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Rusty

Following a call from the local rangers, our Geraldton Inspector, Maureen, attended a property in Waggrakine, a suburb of Geraldton 440 kilometres north of Perth, in May this year.

She found a dog in a dazed and unsteady state, extremely emaciated and with her bones—hips, ribs, shoulder blades, head, legs and even her tail—showing through her skin. There was no evidence of food or water in the yard.

The owner, Taran Corterill, claimed she did not know how the animal had got to this state. She also told Inspector Maureen that she could not afford to take the dog to the vet.

After further discussion, the dog was surrendered to Inspector Maureen, who immediately took her to the Midwest Vet Clinic where she was found to be dehydrated and dangerously emaciated.

Ms Corterill pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty in the Geraldton Magistrates Court on 13 December 2012. She was fined $2000, banned from owning animals for three years, and ordered to pay $1030 in costs to the RSPCA.

The treating vet told the court that Rusty’s emaciation and dehydration was totally due to lack of food and water.

And as for Rusty? Inspector Maureen writes, ‘I brought Rusty back to my farm once released by the vet—she stayed with me for nearly three weeks until Jetpets transported her to Perth for free.

‘Rusty weighed under 10 kilos the day of rescue and nearly 20 kilos when she left here! She was extremely intelligent and learned to stay, high five, hand shake, and carry the hose instead of being terrified of it. Her social skills improved daily and she interacted with my dogs and visitors very well. She was just happy at having a regular feed and a bed to sleep in at night.

‘I also want to thank the Geraldton Auxiliary for their constant help, especially with Rusty.’

Everyone at RSPCA WA is delighted that Rusty made a full recovery and that we were able to help her find her own forever family.

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Three Inspectors and four dogsStarving in Hamilton Hill

In February this year, investigating a complaint from the public on our Cruelty Hotline, RSPCA Inspector Kylie Green sighted two Staffordshire bull terrier cross dogs in the backyard of a Hamilton Hill property.

The dogs were emaciated and had no food, water or adequate shelter—it was a 38 degree summer’s day, and the owner had not been seen for two days.

Because of the heat and the state of the dogs, both were seized by the RSPCA and immediately transported to the nearest vet clinic.

The treating vet was appalled by the condition of the dogs, saying that they both showed severe emaciation consistent with a long period of totally inadequate nutrition.

At the Fremantle Magistrates Court on 16 July this year, the Magistrate found Ms Hancock guilty, in her absence, of animal cruelty, and that the emaciated state of the dogs was due to lack of food, shelter and water.

Ms Hancock was fined $2000 and banned from owning animals for five years. Costs of $6709 were awarded to the RSPCA and she was ordered to forfeit her two dogs, which are both still under our care.

Inspector Kylie was delighted with the verdict. ‘I hope I never see such skinny dogs again,’ she said ‘though in my job the sad reality is that I probably will. It was really satisfying to get this result.

‘It’s also a good reminder that owning a dog comes with responsibilities.’

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A tale of two Trevors

When Inspector Trevor Prentis attended a suburban Perth property after receiving a cruelty complaint, he was shocked to discover a severely emaciated dog. He also realised that the dog was deaf as he was not responding to voices or noises from the other dogs.After discussions with the owners, who realised that they were unable to look after the dog properly, the dog was surrendered to the RSPCA. Our vets were shocked to find that the 18-month-old white Staffordshire bull terrier cross weighed only 14 kilograms, well underweight for a dog of his breed and size.Following a long tradition, the dog was named ‘Trevor’ because it was newly appointed Inspector Trevor’s first rescue. ‘At the time of the seizure, Trevor was dreadfully skinny with his ribs showing,’ said Inspector Trevor. ‘I went to feed him some biscuits and he jumped up to get the food out of my hands he was that hungry!’Within two weeks in our care ‘Trevor the dog’ weighed in at 17.6 kilograms, and, in early August, weighing a healthy 20.6 kilograms, we helped him find his extra special forever family. According to his new owner, ‘Trevor the dog’ is settling in well. They are booked into specialist dog training at the RSPCA, involving hand signals and special techniques for deaf dogs. ‘I can’t understand how anyone could have neglected such a loving and gentle boy like him. It’s great to know that my namesake has found the perfect home, and that I played a part in that,’ said Inspector Trevor.‘Trevor the dog’ was also one of our Cupcake Day ‘ambassadors’, sharing his story so that you can learn why your support and donations are so important in our life saving work.

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In the news...

Note, some clippings have been cropped for reasons of space.

Hi everyone at RSPCA Malaga

This is Dax Ferguson with a little note to let you know I am fine and happy with my new family.

When I first went home I was a little scared and quiet, but it didn’t take me long to feel confident. I play all day with my little brother Diesel. We have a good size garden where we love to dig holes and bury our toys, we have a little pool and our daddy built us a giant kennel for us both to share during the day. We weren’t too happy with the first couple of beds they put in there for us so we ripped those to shreds – finally mummy gave in and bought us a proper mattress for humans – well if it’s good enough for them it’s good enough for us! We like the proper mattress!At first I wasn’t too keen on all the kisses and cuddles this family like to give, but after a couple of days of watching Diesel getting all this love I soon wanted to join in, and I love it and when we sit as a family in the lounge room, I like to rest my head on whoever is sitting next to me (usually mummy).

Diesel and I go to the park twice a day and we run and run, sometimes with a ball, but usually we just run (usually because Diesel won’t stop chasing me).

Mummy looks at me sometimes and says, “two big dogs – what on earth were we thinking??!!” But she is kissing me and Diesel when she says it so I think it’s a good thing!

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RSPCA Today is the official quarterly magazine of RSPCA WA (Inc.)

Please send queries and contributions to the editor, cchamberlain@rspcawa.asn.au.

© RSPCA WA September 2013

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RSPCA CalendarHappy Tails Daywww.HappyTailsDay.com.au

RSPCA WAAnnual General Meeting

Million Paws Walk 2014

OCT

25

OCT

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MAY

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Licence PlatesFor only $400 you can show your passion for animal welfare by purchasing a set of PAWS or RSPCA licence plates for your car, or as the perfect gift!

You’ll also be helping us help animals in need.

100% of proceeds go towards funding our work caring for and protecting animals.

Choose your favourite number from those available or let us choose one for you. Easily installed, these plates are yours to keep even if you change cars.

For more information or to order our set, email receptionstaff@rspcawa.asn.au or call 9209 9300.

RSPCA WAAnnual General Meeting

Friday 25 October 2013

4pm (registration 3.30pm)

108 Malaga Drive, Malaga

All members are invited to attend.

Further information, including key documents, election

information and proxy forms, will shortly be available at

www.rspcawa.asn.au or by calling (08) 9209 9300.

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Each year the RSPCA cares for about 150,000 stray, injured, abused and surrendered animals.

Happy Tails Day gives everyone a chance to get tails wagging.

Supporting Happy Tails Day is easy!

Look out for Stormy, Flash, Jett, Elliot and Moon Cloud and other merchandise during September and October or fundraise by selling Happy Tails Day merchandise in your workplace or community. All money raised from Happy Tails Day helps the RSPCA care for all creatures great and small.

Get involved and help us raise $60,000 of much needed funds in WA!

Email happytailsday@rspcawa.asn.au or phone (08) 9209 9300 for information or to request a kit.