No! No! No!

RSPCA NSW has appointed a second inspector in the Hunter to cope with an increased workload at the same time as animal rescue groups say the spate of animal cruelty cases reported recently in the media are only the tip of the iceberg.

Scotty, a Pekingese, was nursed back to health by Sue Barker, of Warners Bay, after being set alight and found in the street suffering third degree burns.

Ms Barker, Dog Rescue Newcastle carer co-ordinator, owns three dogs and looks after several rescued animals. She said she could not bear to give Scotty away to another home after everything he had been through.

“I have been doing rescues for 30 years and animal cruelty in the Hunter is the worst I’ve ever seen. We are performing rescues on a daily basis. It’s horrifying and shocking. There are some places, such as Kurri and Cessnock, where it’s particularly bad. The RSPCA isn’t called to the majority of cruelty cases we see,” she said.

Four Paws Rescue founding member Colleen Moloney also said animal cruelty in the Hunter was the worst she has witnessed.

Scotty one of many saved from animal cruelty – The Herald

Bad rescues! Bad! Repeat after me;

if we tell people that rescue pets are abused, people will think that rescue pets are abused!

And the overwhelming majority of people don’t want a faulty, abused pet – they want a nice, friendly not-abused one.

I know, I know – it seemed like a great media opportunity and you weren’t really sure what the story was going to be about. But never, ever get sucked into the dangerous world that is confiding in a journo your disappointments, heartbreak or peeves.

So how do you tell which stories to put your name to?

1. Never agree to anything the minute a journalist cold calls you.
   Ask the person what the topic of their story is and ask if you can call them back in an hour. If they say no, then realise that’s too much pressure for someone who doesn’t work in the media to cope with and just say sorry no thanks.




2. Then, have a good think about the topic; does this story help me with my efforts to match pets with new adopters?
   That is, does it paint my animals in a good light? Does it promote rescue as a great source of pets? If it’s a traditionally ‘bad’ news story, is there anyway to put a positive spin on it? (beware often there isn’t).




3. If there’s no way to make the story about the benefits of adoption, politely excuse yourself from the story
   telling them upfront “I don’t think this really helps us find more homes for pets.”

But what about those RSPCA stories of cruelty that get shown? Aren’t they effective in reaching people?

Yes and no. Sure, the media take notice of horror stories and you may get a spot in the 6pm news, but!


While the RSPCA ‘brand’ can take the hit (it’s part of their core business to deal with animal abuse) and people donate money after they see these ‘bad news stories’, just as often they do a happy news story like ‘happy tails day’ or a live cross from the weatherman to their shelter, or they do a education piece like ‘pet care in hot weather’. They do all this because they are a behemoth with paid PR staff and a strong working relationship with the media.


While you? Chances are you’re a volunteer group who features in the media once in a blue moon. Do you want the first match on a google search on you to be that time you told everyone how abused your pets are?


Happy smiles and happy tales; they might not sell newspapers, but they sure move pets.