No safety for Kiki

Early on the 5th September, Peter Giotto, a businessman and animal rescuer from Sydney, found a dog. The 1 year old German Shepherd pup dubbed ‘Kiki’ was collected from the side of the road after being hit by a car and suffering a broken leg.

Peter was able to lift the pup from the ground and place her in the back of his car. She did not growl or need muzzling, despite being in obvious pain from her injuries. A male friend rode in the back with her and they formed a bond immediately, with the dog quietly licking his hand.

Kiki was taken to a 24 hour animal hospital. The men used a stretcher to get her out of the car and once inside Kiki calmly allowed nursing staff to assess her. Now, thanks to pet lover Peter’s actions she should have been out of danger. The safety of this young dog should have been assured.

The pup was scanned and no microchip was able to be located. According to state law, it was a requirement that the vet contact the city’s animal control. As Kiki was found in St Johns Park, the pound provider was the Fairfield RSPCA. Peter left Kiki at the vet, however he maintained contact with the vet staff everyday. Then, after Kiki was collected, Peter called the RSPCA every day to try and secure her release.

After a few days effort, shelter management took Peter’s call. They informed him of the 7 day holding period and that there would be a cost of $3,000 associated with the repair of Kiki’s leg.

Peter agreed to pay whatever costs needed.

A day later, the RSPCA advised Peter of their plans to ‘euthanise’ Kiki due to her leg injury. They also suggested she suffered from anxiety;

They then told me that she was concerned that Kiki wasn’t adoptable any more due to her signs of anxiety. I persisted in my request for adoption and she kept declining it stating that my home wasn’t suitable due to me having pets. She said that we would have to find a home with no pets and was commencing medication (Prozac).

Undeterred, Peter rallied to find other homes to adopt Kiki. With many friends in rescue, he was able to secure five other potential homes who were keen to have her join their families. Still under ‘treatment’ at the RSPCA, they were refusing to make her available for adoption.

Peter persisted – continuing his efforts to save Kiki past the holding period and into the next several weeks.

Three weeks after Kiki went into RSPCA care, Peter received a call. Even though he was willing to cover all costs, and could find a bevy of suitable homes who would comply with any training, guidelines or conditions… they were going to ‘euthanise’ Kiki. That was to be the last conversation Peter was to have with RSPCA management.

A short time later, Kiki was killed.

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The RSPCA NSW took in $28 million in revenue last financial year. Kiki should have found safety in their  Fairfield ‘shelter’.

If she needed behavioural rehabilitation  for ‘anxiety’ – especially if she required medication – then she should have been moved out of the stressful shelter environment. There was a half dozen people standing by wanting the chance to help her.

At the very least Kiki should have been given more than four weeks for her to see benefit from her anxiety medicine. Vets advise it takes up to six weeks to see an effect from such treatments. A standard behavioural plan we would see for a pet dog suffering from ‘anxiety’ would last at least several months, and would have to be literally debilitating for the dog, for euthanasia to be considered appropriate.

But despite Kiki being just a baby – they killed her.

Kiki had people who wanted to save her. She died at the hands of the shelter who was supposed to protect her.

This is our RSPCA. The one who blames YOU for the killing.

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If you would like to lend your support to Peter, please join the Justice for Kiki Facebook page.

See also: Thomas