One of the largest obstacles to shelter reform is resistance. A group may talk about wanting there to be change. They may even be able to give you a long speil about all the amazing things they’re doing – but when it comes to the crunch the killing continues. If a shelter is still maintaining high kill rates in 2013, then you know they’re experiencing an entrenched case of resistance.
See my other post on this topic ‘Resistance’.
But sometimes this resistance extends to actively trying to whitewash any perceived issues. An organsation knows there is a problem, but they are not interested in changing the policies and procedures which lead to high kill rates. So they have to put a new spin on it.
The RSPCA South Australia quite boldly took this approach in their 2009/10 Annual Report proclaiming;
… we still achieved a 99% adoption rate (for dogs), which is a magnificent achievement.
In the same year, the organsation killed 1,233 dogs. Or 35% of unclaimed intakes. Or another way – 1 in every 3 dogs who needed rescue were killed.
By simply labelling certain dogs ‘unadoptable’ and dropping them off the count – suddenly the shelter is achieving a 99% save rate. Much more palatable to the public and without any extra effort on behalf of staff.
Or as someone in PR may say – TAA DAAA!
RSPCA NSW spokesperson Lukas Picton was featured for a recent photo spread for DNA Magazine. When asked the question ‘Where do the dogs at the RSPCA come from?’ he responds in part;
One of the biggest misconceptions about the RSPCA is that there is a time limit on how long we keep animals before they’re put to sleep. This isn’t true. There is no death row at the RSPCA. All animals that are placed up for adoption stay with us until they find a new home.
That’s a 100% save rate! Wow we all said in unison!
Except obviously, this again isn’t true. If we talk about the RSPCA just in NSW, they killed 14,393 pets, or 53% of unclaimed dogs and cats.
There is no death row at the RSPCA. Except that there is.
Precious was a senior boxer suffering from ‘recurrent ear infections’.
After being used for a fundraising drive and spending three months in RSPCA NSW care she was killed, even though rescue groups were standing by ready to offer her any additional treatment she may have needed.
Said the RSPCA NSW of working with rescues;
“We don’t usually release animals to rescue groups, but there is no law that says we have to.”
Reg (the bulldog in the image below)…
Max(the black pointer in this video)…
… was killed at RSPCA Rutherford last year, for failing their ‘temperament test’, despite his owner trying to claim him, and him wearing a rescue group tag with phone number – and the group being willing to collect him and save his life.
His full story can be read here.
Precious, Reg and Max are all victims of the ‘no death row’ at the RSPCA NSW.
4,862 dogs last year and 9,531 cats met the same fate last year – killed by the RSPCA NSW.
If you believe the killing must end – consider joining the ‘Justice for Max’ rally. It will be held just outside of Newcastle, in Morpeth.
Hunter animal lovers will stage a protest against the number of animals being killed by RSPCA NSW – at the same time the RSPCA holds its annual fund-raiser at Morpeth.
More than 100 people are expected to attend the Justice4Max Vigil at Morpeth Common from 9.30am on May 19 – just metres away from where the RSPCA NSW will host its popular Million Paws Walk.
The protesters are concerned by the number of dogs and cats euthanised by RSPCA NSW – 50.6 per cent of the total it took into its shelters, according to the organisation’s own figures for 2011-2012.
Aberdare resident David Atwell, the vice president for the Society of Companion Animal Rescuers, said this was an unacceptable situation.
“Even though the RSPCA claim that they’re here for the animals, they end up killing more companion animals than they save.
“Last year alone they killed around 14,500 cats and dogs from about 28,000 in their care. This amounts to an overall kill ratio of 50.6 per cent.
“This is unacceptable given pounds such as Muswellbrook and Wyong, which co-operate with rescue groups, have kill rates of just 8 per cent and 12 per cent respectively.
“This event is about educating the public that there is a better way, that there are alternatives. You can’t claim you’re here for the animals when you destroy 15,000 of them.”
But RSPCA NSW chief executive officer Steve Coleman has defended the organisation’s actions: “We don’t take euthanasia lightly, and we don’t kill healthy animals unnecessarily.”
“The RSPCA’s annual euthanasia statistics may appear high, but at closer glance the figures are quite telling,” he said.
“Of the 4862 dogs euthanised by RSPCA NSW last financial year, 62 per cent were put down due to behavioural reasons; nearly 35 per cent were humanely euthanised due to disease and other medical conditions.
“It would be unethical and socially irresponsible to re-home many of the animals that come through our doors.
“Even still, the RSPCA continues to improve, invest and innovate in order to increase re-homing and reduce euthanasia statistics.”
One of those animals killed last financial year was the mascot of the Justice4Max group – a German short-haired pointer named Max.
He was impounded by the Rutherford shelter and euthanised after failing the RSPCA’s behavioural test – an act which was surrounded by controversy as Mr Atwell said he was a “typical normal family dog” whose owner had been trying to reclaim him at the time.
One of Max’s foster carers from Dog Rescue Newcastle will speak at the vigil, along with Mr Atwell and Anne Greenway from Lawyers for Companion Animals.
For more information, visit the Justice for Max facebook page.
Thanks Shel. I still get a bit teary when i see Max’s photos and videos. Of something like 250 foster dogs, he was a standout, and it is still absolute BS that he failed a temp test, no matter how skewed the test may be. The person and other dogs in the video he had met only hours before, you can see how at ease the other dogs were with him which wouldn’t be the case if he was aggressive as claimed by RSPCA. This video was Chrissie day at our place, which involves 25-30 people, 15 dogs and at least one keg, a chaotic day for any foster dog to cope with, but Max sailed through and stole everyone’s hearts.
Oopsie, someone should’ve briefed the new spokesperson guy before he started.
it is so sad that people have caused this heart ache…. it is sad that animals have no choice or no voice and we take these animals home and for whatever reason in years or months later we no longer want them … pet shpos should not be allowed to sell puppies and kittens… the people are to blame … not the rspca not the animal shelters .. its people who do the damage and these organisations are left to fight eachother …. why would any animal that has been in a family enviroment want to live in cages anyway? my dogs would die of broken hearts if they were abadondoned…… what a sad predicament for all involved x
Pet shops didn’t kill Precious, Max and Reg.
The RSPCA did. And they chose to kill them while rescue groups begged to be allowed to save them.
Continuing to blame an intangible ‘people’ for a broken animal sheltering which fails to do what it says on the box – shelter animals – dooms these animals to death. And us all to a future that looks very much like today.
People will not be walking in the Million Paws Walk because they want to fund the convenient dispatch of companion animals – they give money and time to the RSPCA because they want to see animals saved.
If the RSPCA can’t provide that service, then perhaps they need to give up their council impound contracts and allow in other groups who will.
Karon, you said everything I have been feeling and thinking. Thank you for saying what you said. These precious animals don’t need to die like this. There are many people out there who are willing to adopt them. I myself have two rescue cats that are part of my family, like two kids. I love them dearly.
Why???? Why???? do all you people feel it’s OK to just “kill” an animal—because “you” can or they are just “animals”????? Where is the compassion you are supposed to have in the position you are in??
God sees all & “retribution” & “punishment” are waiting at the end of all your “tunnels”
theres too many people in the world do you think we should put them down……..no..then dont do that to the animals you have not got a heart you do love animals its just a well payed job for you
How sad that this happens. I thought RSPCA is a reliable organisation. I think this is a problem all over the world but RSPCA should be able to solve this problem without killing animals.
This article is 100% true. There is no death row at the RSPCA. There is no time limit to dogs that hit the sale pens. That’s because the dogs are assessed prior to hitting the pens and are pts if they fail temperament or health.
I know this as I worked there as a volunteer.
RSPCA is a business just like the Red Cross (another that people have turned their backs on in droves due to the fact that it take $10,000,000 to.distribute $2,000,000 from the $12,000,000 tsunami donations)
Check their overhead costs but also the RSPCA along with the other shelters are ripping people off blind as many dogs are already micro-chipped, registered and spayed but they add all that up and charge the buyer. I recently bought a dog and some I looked at were 10 and 11 years old and they still wanted between $300 and $400. This is making it harder for people to buy thus what do we do with all the dogs and cats that are not adopted. Some animals are totally unsociable due the a range of reasons, what do we do with them? Some actions seem to have been taken to stop puppy and kitten “farms” which may help the numbers but euthanasia will always be part of the shelter system unless people start taking responsibility for the animals they acquire. Shame on the RSPCA for their dishonesty as they are not giving themselves any credibility and are certainly not helping the situation.
HAs anything been organized in Queensland? Please let me know :(
I have had dealings with RSPCA and those dealings were of the worst.Henceforth i have never supported the organization and personally i truly believe the RSPCA needs to be restructured from the basement up.
Please read about what the RSPCA in SA are doing to Moorook Animal Shelter and share the injustice so that all can see what a disgrace this organisation has become
If the RSPCA are wrong in there actions at Moorook I’m sure it will come out in the court case.
The RSPCA (both in Australia and England and Wales in the UK) never fails to disgust me. They are a bunch of money pinching hypocrites. They turn a blind eye to the extreme cruelty in Greyhound and horse racing. They never target the huge problem of over breeding within those ‘sports’ or address the fact that they fund horrific experimentation programs. Here in the UK they only have jurisdiction in England and Wales. The main animal welfare charity in Scotland is the Scottish SPCA. The two organisations are completely unrelated. The latter has a strict no-kill policy. Whereas (as you already know) the RSPCA murders thousands of perfectly healthy animals every single year. They even kill dogs with captive bolt guns! The RSPCA also claims that it never advertises out of England and Wales. However, their adverts can be seen on national television, all over the web, in national magazines/newspapers, and their merchandise can be found in a number of Scottish stores. They never make it clear that they do not help animals in Scotland. This has resulted in Scottish people (unknowingly) donating money to them. The average annual donations they receive from Scotland could run the Scottish SPCA’s Glasgow centre for a year. To contrast; the Scottish SPCA NEVER advertises out of Scotland. Its adverts are confined to regional television/radio stations, Scottish newspapers, and leaflets/letters distributed to Scottish addresses. Unlike the RSPCA, the SSPCA do not waste money on big advertising campaigns and extortionate salaries for those higher up the chain. They make each and every penny they receive go as far as possible to actually help animals. The RSPCA has also been known to reduce kennel space while ‘upgrading’ facilities. Additionally, they like to kid on that they have great powers, but the reality is they have none. They can only search and seize with the assistance of the police. Unlike the SSPCA which is a specialist reporting agency to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. Their inspectors can enter a property and carry out a search and seizure by themselves. The RSPCA has nothing on the SSPCA!
The stories of Reg, Max, and Precious were heartbreaking. I hate the RSPCA!
I am heartbroken that anyone can look at their beautiful faces & in their eyes seeing the love they want to give you & instead of finding them a home you kill them. If the walk was in Florida you can guarantee I would be there too.
I love & feed almost 35 stray cats everyday, no matter what the weather is outside. I wish Icould take everyone of them home. I couldn’t sleep knowing they will be hungry if I didn’t feed them, Hhow do you sleep at night or live with yourself knowing you just killed a beautiful animal that could have had a home
I will never support this organization again!!!
My father in law was an inspector with the RSPCA in the UK and had nothing but contempt for them. He was there for the animals but told us many sickening stories.
I have a cat with her 2 six month old kittens who were collected from the grounds where my friend lived. They ended up in a dark ‘cell’ without windows, surrounded by barking dogs. My friend called in most days to see them (she was not allowed to keep animals in her flat) and brought them toys, blankets and food. She never saw any of the items with the animals. Mummy cat was severely traumatized when she came to me with her 8 week old kittens, after 4 weeks at the kennels, and all of them went down in the first two days with feline flu. One of the kittens has actually developed a chronic case of it. I hate the RSPCA with a passion. They are only out to make money.
When the big horse rescue case was in progress a couple of years ago, the RSPCA stood there, giving directions, looking important and trying to take all the glory, while it was the ILPH and Blue Cross and several other rescue organisations doing all the work.
The RSPCA should be ashamed how they treat innocent animals let so many well meaning people believe they are there to help.
This treatment of rescued dogs is intolerable. I wish I could adopt them all and keep them in my bi back yard where they would be well taken care of.
Anne
What in the HELL!!!!!!! This is deplorable!!!! An outrage!!!! Sickening beyond belief!
when I worked for the rspca on the outskirts of sydney they destroyed 30 dogs a day, mostly larger dogs like GSD, that couldnt be sold on as easily. There were some dogs with serious aggression issues that were long term residents that were not destroyed, All the workers/volunteers there used to say that the person who ran it only liked small dogs.
They had a pregnant staffie in and once she had given birth the pups were taken away to be destroyed. The poor staffie cried for a whole week constantly. But other pups were allowed to live just not staffie pups.
This breaks my heart. There must be someone who can make a difference.. How can a dog not be released to it’s owner? There needs to be a few new laws implemented.. Laws that gives Rescue Groups the right to take an animal into their custody, and take responsibility… Also, who are these shelters to make their own laws? If someone claims an animal, and that person is willing to be responsible, then that should over rule any decision to kill the animal……Even if they have to register somehow, as the responsible party….Workers at a RSPCA, should not be allowed to make any life & death decisions, without an outside, well trained advocate’s opinion..The animal must be taken from the stressful environment , and taken somewhere else to be evaluated…In watching the video,The black dog, that they claim failed their temperament test seemed to be very intelligent.. He held the toy, and playfully tried to engage the other dogs, to chase him….I am appalled that the man doing the assessment, failed him. The dog clearly came right back when called, and gave up the toy. He also showed friendliness, and a respect for humans….How awful that these untrained people take an animal’s life for granted on a ridiculous notion. UGH!
Poor poor Max and any dog assessed wrongly. It just shows that sometimes the ‘professionals’ really don’t know what they are talking about. Every dog should be given another chance at life not destroyed. This makes me so mad!
A couple of years ago my family and I went to a well known dog rehoming establishment to add another furby to our clan, and was told that one of our collies would ‘NEVER’ accept another dog into its territory. This was because he raised his lip and growled at the prospective new friend. I was deeply concerned that the conditions of the meet was completely alien; three stangers, a new dog, his brother and my son all in the outside pen together?!?! It was too much for our – already nervous – lad to cope with. I firmly believed that under different circumstances it would have worked, and just a few months later I was proved right.
The West Yorkshire Dog Rescue had three partially deaf and blind puppies up for rehoming and with no reservations I went along to have a look at the only girl with a view to giving her all the love and care she needed. We intended to introduce the dogs to each other very slowly and we would have done so for however long it took. After half an hour of meeting everyone our boy ‘who would never accept another dog’ took to the pup and they now are THE best of friends. They are so happy and content.
Some ‘folk’ are a bit too precious about introductions and displayed behaviour. Time and patience is what is needed, not quick, rash decisions made under assumptions and false beliefs!! Shame on the assessors!
There is a hard core of RSPCA well-paid officials who have no compunction at all of putting healthy animals down. It is all about money….as long as their salaries are ok, then be damned to pets. Not like the RSPCA we all grew to love and willing to volunteer for.
Are the RSPCA worried that if they release a dog to a family or whoever with ‘behavioral issues’ that it could potentialy attack someone? Just curious!