Why becoming the ‘pet police’ does us no favours

Last month, a small WA city council voted to give the responsibility for investigating and prosecuting animal cruelty to a independant, volunteer run, non-profit organisation, rather than appoint an RSPCA inspector.

 
Seems great doesn’t it? A rescue initiative based on goodwill that disbands the monopoly on council tenders held by the RSPCA and puts animal welfare firmly in the hands of people who voluntarily care for the plight of animals. Certainly many in rescue were celebrating.


But what does this actually mean for rescue?


Now, to be fair this rescue group has significant experience so I do understand why they feel they have the best knowledge base to make changes in their city. And having officers to investigate complaints is a necessity to ensure the welfare of animals in the community. But this group has forgotten its purpose – saving as many homeless pets as possible.


If you’re a rescue group you should focus on rehoming and the growing infrastructure to do it. If you have limited resources to rehabilitate pets, support new pet owners, market your adoption services, fundraise and build goodwill in the community…
… why on earth would you risk damaging your reputation by taking on the duties of the ‘pet police’, and for your staff to do it for free?


When organisations stop being focussing on ‘happy feel good stories’ and start driving law enforcement, there’s a risk you will stop being seen as a group who only do good and start becoming someone to be wary of, or avoided altogether in the eyes of your public. Featuring in the local newspaper for seizing pets; being seen in court prosecuting owners and showing up at people’s front door is not how you build a feel-good factor or endear yourself to your community. Especially in a small country location.


Meanwhile, by offering volunteers, they’ve set a precedent that could make it hard for the rescue industry as a whole to ever be paid a decent amount for the valuable work that we do.


Let hope when, in the 2008/2009 budget, this group adds “Stray and Feral Cat Control” to their services, that they realise that becoming the unit whose volunteers seize and kill cats, won’t be good for building a base of dedicated pet-loving donors.


Me fears the animals of Kalgoorlie are the real losers in this one.