The RSPCA WA is being questioned by the state government regarding their processes for choosing which pets are treated and which pets are killed…
The WA Government has raised fears the RSPCA is destroying pets that could be kept alive.
Documents obtained by The Sunday Times reveal Agriculture Department boss Rob Delane was told of a case last year where medical histories did not support the destruction of some pets.
“It is unclear whether the RSPCA had sufficient grounds to destroy these animals,” a briefing note for Mr Delane dated May 2013 said
The notes prepared for Mr Delane warn the RSCPA’s processes were “inadequate”.
Even RSPCA staff seemed to have little faith in the ‘system’;
Revelations of the documents come as a former RSPCA regional inspector, who asked not to be named, also expressed concerns about the treatment of animals by the organisation.
The inspector, who resigned last year, said she would regularly try to rehome animals in country areas rather than bring them to the Perth shelter because she feared they would be put down.
“I wouldn’t take my animals up there,” she said.
“Some puppies would get put down at eight weeks and they would say they had behavioural problems,” she said……
The RSPCA remain unapologetic:
RSPCA state chief executive David van Ooren said no disciplinary action had been taken and the allegations in the report had not been substantiated.
An RSPCA spokesman said there were “very clear” and “well-developed” policies relating to the euthanasia of animals.
So how does this “well developed” policy work in practice?
Izzy
This is Izzy. She was a breeding dog seized by the RSPCA under an alleged breach of WA’s animal protection laws. She entered the care of the RSPCA in March 2012. She was only a baby herself (probably less that two years old) but she was heavily pregnant.
Izzy was placed with foster carer, Cath (an experienced human midwife and dog lover) and her husband (a senior vet) so she couldn’t have been in more compassionate, capable hands. It was a new start to a happier life.
Izzy gave birth to four healthy babies; Rueben, Sukey, Polly and Morris
Izzy was ‘typical’ of many neglected dogs; sad, skittish and scared. She was terribly and heartbreakingly under socialised. The family worked hard to make her life peaceful, to give her good food and comfort, and to let her know everything was going to be ok. And under their care, Izzy showed she was a loving and competent mum – working hard to clean and feed her pups, growing them into cute little fat bellies.
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Even as the pups grew nearly as large as herself! (15 days old)
Cath’s family worked hard to make sure these pups were getting all they needed to grow into healthy, happy dogs. Her daughter delighted in helping ‘socialise’ these babies and they learned to walk and eat solid food.
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Sukey (4 weeks)
Rueben (4 weeks)
Polly Poppit (4 weeks)
Morris (4 weeks)
Not surprisingly, the family fell in love with these guys and considered adopting one themselves, but found that even as volunteers, the RSPCA adoption fees were prohibitive;
“We were going to keep one, but despite the fact I was volunteering my time to look after Izzy when she was pregnant and now raise a litter of puppies for them – they still want to charge me $700 for a puppy!!
Cath kept Izzy, Rueben, Sukey, Polly and Morris for a total of 4 weeks, before taking them back to the RSPCA for their scheduled check up. Cath assumed that she would drop them off in the morning, and pick them up in the afternoon, to continue her fostering.
“They simply wouldn’t give them back after I dropped them all in for a check over. I rang every day asking what was happening and when could I go back and get them. They kept fobbing me off. It was only after I asked for a meeting with the CEO and they realised I wasn’t going away that I was told they were already dead.
I had Izzy behaving and responding to us beautifully after a while. But they killed her and all of her pups. They didn’t indicate to me at all that they were at risk – they did it all without telling me.
My husband is a senior vet. We never saw the pups do anything strange behaviourally. Izzy was timid, but she was really coming good. And those pups were fine.”
Izzy and her pups were given a ‘behavioural assessment’ at the RSPCA kennel facility. All five failed.
Next, as is the procedure, each of these young dogs were held. Their leg was shaved. A syringe of poison was drawn. And then one by one they were injected until their lively, waggling bodies went limp and they were dead.
All under the RSPCA’s “well developed” policies.
The community has the expectation that animals entering RSPCA care will be given every chance to be rehabilitated. Pet lovers give tens of millions of dollars in donations every year believing that they are supporting life affirming processes. I don’t know a single rescue group who, if called, wouldn’t have found a place for these guys. But they didn’t survive being ‘sheltered’ by the RSPCA.
Izzy deserved a second chance. Her babies deserved a first one.
Our shelters should not be this way. They do not have to be. The killing has got to stop.
| Update 8th February…
In response to an enormous public backlash, soon after this post went public, the reason the pups were killed was updated by the RSPCA WA: Tragically all the puppies had significant hip, back and patella abnormalities, were in significant pain and discomfort. These conditions were not treatable or curable.” An email is now circulating from the CEO of the RSPCA WA bringing the dogs back from the dead. Izzy may be alive, and one of her pups, Morris, also. It is great news if they are safe. If any or all of this is true it shows a deep abuse, not of the animals, but of a volunteer. What kind of asshole organisation does this to their foster carers? I have written a follow up piece on what animal lovers can do to help pets in WA.
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See also: Thomas
I am so sorry to your family for all of the love and compassion you gave these lovely dogs only to have them destroyed. I’m absolutely heartsick with this story and the tears are falling down my cheeks just thinking about them..
SHAME ON YOU RSPCA.
They would’ve made many families very happy..
Jenny
Reading this makes me sick ! I am never ever donating to these murderers again !!!
I understand not every animal can be rehabilitated or returned to good health.
Unfortunately the RSPCA is still a business trying to do the best with their limited financial resources.
Some of the story may be true BUT take heart (& add a pinch of salt to what you read):
I bought 2 felines (cat + kitten) from the RSPCA Sydney in Dec 2012. The cat only had/has 3 legs (he presented to them with a broken leg – showing a previous repaired same broken leg), if all was true he should/would not be in my life.
OUTRAGE… Just changed my WILL, RSPCA ain’t getting a dollar, SHAME RSPCA!!
I still have a great deal of faith in RSPCA. I had an injured stray wolfhound found under my house. I thought it had been hit by a car as it couldn’t walk. Called RSPCA and an inspector came and took it back to the shelter. I followed matter up and found that in fact the dog had been shot in the leg, causing terrible fractures. ( I witnesses the x-rays) The dog was operated on for many hours at RSPCA expense and is on the slow road to recovery, (again at rspca expense) and waiting to be rehomed when well. This occurred in Nsw. I cannot fathom how so much effort was put into saving this dog to believe they would destroy an animal without legitimate reason. I for one say thank you to the RSPCA (nsw)
How friggen disgusting. Poor little Izzy. She went from having a terrible life to finally getting to know love and compassion to going back to being scared in the last moments of her life. Not only would she have been scared for herself but for her puppies also. She was an innocent creature who did not deserve that life. Selfish idiot people who owned her first only out to make a dollar and who have no respect for an innocents life should be out through the same torture as poor izzy who was still a baby. Thank god for Kathy and her family showing her what it’s like to be loved. As for the RSPCA they are disgusting and never again will I be giving them money. Ever. This story needs to put on the news so people who do not have access to the internet get to see it to and so that maybe the news team can go and question them and really make them squirm in their seats. They should be ashamed. Very ashamed.
Call themsel ves animal lovers disgusting made me sick readi g it my heart goes out to those poor animals and the devoted foster family that lovingly nurtured and cared for them
What an absolute travesty of Justice. Sadly I have heard this too much lately and not just the RSPCA in Australia either. If humans were abusing children fostered (being looked after) by them, they would be charged as criminals. When the “protector & shelterer” becomes the “attacker & abuser” then it is time to look at the situation very seriously…..and act legally against such abuse of position.
This is not right something most be done :)
I have to wonder about the truth in the story you have published here. I know the people who adopted Izzy, she was not killed!!! she is happy in a new loving home. Get your facts right.
Rochelle ~ How wonderful it would be if your statement were true. If it is as you claim, would you mind posting some pics with dates on them and and update on how she is doing please? I for one would very much love to see Izzy alive and well… Especially after the robotic response that has been posted and reposted by the WA RSPCA, stating that she was put to sleep, along with her precious and equally innocent babies… Thanks in advance.
I doubt Rochelle can provide the evidence we would all like to see as her story is no doubt fabricated. We would all love to believe Izzy is still alive but even the robot from the RSPCA admitted they had killed her and her puppies. Why would you lie about an issue that is so heartbreaking to so many Rochelle?
RSPCA WA you have posted the same stock reply to these allegations 3 times. It’s starting to wear thin and no one believes you. I know l don’t.
only ones i help r my local rescues an the one i truely know,,we dont kill for the hell of it RSPCA is just as bad as PETA nothing but killers of all sizes
I will never donate again to the RSPCA
Disgusting……………RSPCA ……………SHOULD BE CLOSED DOWN…..NEVER DONATE TO THEM
You stinkin’ bunch of mongrels, call yourselves animal lovers and rescuers??
HOW COULD YOU DO THIS!!!! I HATE THE LOT OF YOU!
Once I had a Labrador pup come into my yard, on her tag it said she was being trained as a guide dog!
I rang the RSPCA and the arseholes told me to let her go because they couldn’t send anyone out!!!!
I found the people who were looking after her, I will NEVER deal with the RSPCA EVER AGAIN!!!!
What a sad story. My daughter and I tried to do volunteer work for them and they made it that damm hard it wasn’t worth our time. Snobby bastards!!!
i read this on fb im from the us have many friends that live in Australia my question is why are adoption rates so high there at our shelters it is 25 dollars for cats & 50 dollars for dogs and it covers vaccinations so sad makes me wonder about aspca here in america
Just reading about Izzy and her babies made me cry, I would give anything to have a pet but where I live is no pets allowed. Would love a small lap dog, I could love ,cuddle and talk to. Such a bloody waste.
I will never ever support the rspca again, this is NOT the first time I have heard they kill indiscriminately.
Those puppies were adorable. SHAME ON YOU RSPCA.
Outraged while tears stream down my face, I can’t believe I give you my hard earnt money to euthanise these poor defenceless animals you are in humane any of the people commenting on this could have taken better care of these poor animals.! I bet some no kill shelters would have made a effort to raise the money to buy them off you had they been aware!
Sleep well
OMG I can’t believe what I have read. I have been an RSPCA supporter for over forty five years. Never again. Myself or my family will never donate or purchase anything again. You have lost us completely….
RSPCA – what a joke!
Glory hunters!!!
On several occasions over the years i have made complaints against REAL neglect cases & nothing was ever done – handballed often to the local ranger/s.
Never again will i support the RSCPA, no more Million Paws Walk, no more dropping coins into Donation Tins.
I am absolutely disgusted, non animal lovers (ha!) involved with animals is what the RSPCA are!!!
This is unbelievable…I had no idea they did this…no more donations from me !!! Why wasn’t Cath allowed to keep them !! Heartbreaking ????
This has got to be investigated and taken further. Independent assessment . There must be a body governing veterinary practitioners . This needs to be taken further than the RSPCA spokesperson . .Cath could have possibly re homed Issy and her pups had she been given that option.
This is an extremely distressing story for all animal lovers.
I have had dealings with Melbourne’s RSPCA and have found them helpful (trying to locate my lost cat over a four month period I would visit their premises weekly – they were sympathetic & supportive; the cat turned up elsewhere thankfully).
I am disturbed by “policy” of the RSPCA and that they are basically a law unto themsleves.
I have other causes to call them – about pet neglect by an unknown party (a dog left in a car without an open window – they did not want to know about it! Also re abuse of me and my dog by a nearby neighbour while we were out walking – again they were not interested in the abuse of my dog by the man).
Like many “community” groups, I suspect they only show public compassion when it suits them to do so ie. when they can get something out of it …. I have become a cynic.
Not good enough RSPCA. A complete audit should be done of these so called company’s or charity’s.
I will not donate to the likes of RSPCA or UNICEF or any of those others…. there spending should be made public each year. do these people have company cars if so why ? every one else has to use there own car getting to work so why should the top end not be the same. I am disgusted to what happened to this dog and pups just disgusting, and to be honest what the hell would most of these so called experts that are doing the testing know. Prob got there certificates in the latest weet bix box. Certificates are a dime a dozen does not mean you know what you are doing. After all opinions and methods change every year with dogs, now it is going into the everything positive stage, wont be long before a new wonderful method comes along or a new opinion pops up.
this story is just to sad
I have read the article and some of the comments and if true I think what is happening at the RSPCA is awful. I just wish that people would show the same outrage for their fellow humans. There is torture and killing of innocent people going on around the world constantly yet I never see the same passionate conversations happening on face book about that. At the very least we should look in our own back yard and be passionate and outraged at the number of homeless on our streets.
The closing of this so called charity is way overdue. They are nothing but selfish murderers with no consciences at all.
This is atrocious. RSPCA will never get one cent from me. NEVER!! oh and I will be making sure that anyone and everyone I come in contact with will hear about this, Wish we could Euthanise the CEO from this cruel organisation which if you delve deep enough is probably a PETA supporter.
This is heartbreaking to hear what happened to Izzy and her pups.
They had been fostered and were doing excellently before being taken back to the RSPCA for a so called check up,to be killed instead!!!!!
How could this happen when they were doing perfectly and had options for good homes and a great future???
The pound system failed them and didn’t care.It’s just NOT good enough!!!!!!!
Lives are ruined,money is taken from the pound and is that all it’s about money?????
Not saving lives???
Things have to change and animals need more protection,laws must change,standards must improve so much for these innocent animals that the public donate money to save.
What qualifications did this person have that assessed the mum and pups?? As per previous comments the senior vet would have spotted problems. Poor pups and mum, you are all together causing mayhem in rainbow bridge. run and play well
What a waste and what a disgrace.
Who ever it is who signed the death warrant of those defenseless puppies shoukd be hung out to dry..i’ll be the first to lynch them.
In an organization priding itself on so called caring for animals im glad my two Cav’s will gladly never see the hands of the ratbag who killed those poor dogs.
I hope this escalates into something major as these poor animals rely on the RSPCA for protection.
Who ever it is who did this i really hope you see the dole queue sooner rather than later.
Disgraceful.
well. RSPCA i hope you are held accountable for every illegal euthanasia you have made.
CEO’s and corporate bosses are cashing in the big bucks and counting their dollar bills whilst you put down innocent animals for the sake of a bigger paycheck.
Someone aught to put you down .
Mmmmm I want to save all the babies at the RSPCA
But don’t want to give them a cent! This is sad and
Disgraceful! I’m not really sure how a business could
Get away with doing this! I ask myself everyday
Why this world is so cruel to a living breathing thing!
If the puppies were unadoptable and “sick”then why were they offering them at 700.00……disgusting……im sorry for the poor family who cared for and fell in lovecwith them….
OH NO!!!! THIS Breaks My Heart. Destroys my faith in the system. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME :( I am so distressed to read this. If there is anyone out there that can do anything about this policy – PLEASE for the sake of all that is good in this world PLEASE do everything to change it. — may those little lives that were loved if ever so briefly come back again to have another chance.
Human = only greed and selfishness nothing more!!!!
You need to change your name, you don’t care about animals at all and are just as bad as the scum who mistreat them. Ill never support, donate or have anything to do with anything with your logo on, Ill also share this. Hope you rot in hell.
Absolutely heartbreaking!
Absolutely disgusting! I thought the RSPCA were supposed to help and protect animals, not slaughter healthy puppies! I am absolutely appalled! It is clear from the video that there was nothing significantly wrong with those puppies…if there was indeed anything! Shame on you RSPCA, and shame on whoever held these puppies whilst they were murdered! The RSPCA will never get another penny from me!
We used to take our dogs to the local RSPCA shelter to use their vet facilities. One of our dogs is a rescue dog and he is my special little mate. Treated poorly at his first place but now with a lot of love and attention he is a changed dog. On two occasions we rang with urgent issues with our dogs. On both occasions we were told the vet was not able to see them. We have since changed to another vets who was more than helpful treating the emergencies of our “Family Member”. One visit was at 3.30 in the morning. They have been fantastic. Our dogs will never see the inside of an RSPCA facility ever again!!!!!!
I would never ever support them I dispise them intensely how in God’s name can they say they are animal lovers they are a complete and utter joke
I am extremely upset about this, I am a Cavalier owner and admin of FB Cavalier Rescue pages, I help find homes for cavaliers who are with rescues in UK through my pages, putting those lovely Cavs down like that is disgraceful, many cavaliers rescued from puppy farms and bad breeders here in the UK are in loving foster homes whilst waiting to be adopted, foster carers are the best, they work hard to socialise the dogs, house train them [many not lived in a house before] and bring them on so they are then ready to live with a family, Izzy seemed to be a lovely girl and her beautiful pups did not deserve to be killed at all, I saw nothing wrong with them in the video which bought me to tears, I fight to save this breed from outcomes like this, my thoughts are with the family who fostered her and brought up those pups believing they would be found new loving homes, then for that to happen to them is devasting. I support all foster carers and rescue centres with a no kill policy, not those that do put healthy dogs to sleep. If this had happened in the UK there would be outrage from all the cavalier owners I know, we would have helped them not killed them.
This is absolutely repulsive! Poor dogs :(
Make this viral. I do not believe these pups all had joint problems. I do not believe it’s some hoax set up by an animal rescue service. I have read only recently from a current RSPCA employee begging people not to purchase from puppy farms because 90% of all dogs that enter the RSPCA are dead within a week. Once upon a time the RSPCA stood for the protection of animals. It seems this is no longer the case.
I am sickened by this. That poor mama and her beautiful babies. They never had a chance for a good life. I cry for the loss of such mistreated souls. This RSPCA is not concerned with the good of the animals, nor should it be allowed to operate with impunity. This was a crime.
Disgusting! My blood is boiling! How can 4 week old puppies have “behavioural issues”?!!!! They barely have their eyes open at this age, let alone being able to walk properly or able to bark or communicate in that respect!!! This association does not deserve the “Royal” aspect to it’s name. I’m pretty sure if our royal family heard of its services behaving immorally in this way, they’d put a stop to it. How do these animals stand a chance when these so called “charities” have this kind of policy or attitude?!! I could understand if they were ill or had some life threatening illness, but they didn’t. All I can say is that Izzy and her gorgeous babies have now gone onto a much better life and are now able to live their lives as they should have done here in this wicked wicked world.
SAD & SICKENING……………………. IS IT ALL ABOUT MONEY?
Disgusting, this is just another example of people pretending to care and do good but all they are out for is the profit and the money. In my own experience after calling them about the neglect of animals near me, they responded slowly and did very little for the animals. All they wanted was money and our details so I am not surprised about this story. Outrageous and sick, when did it become all about the money and profits instead of the animals?!??
What an despicable and unforgivable act of cruelty….. To those who murdered this beautiful family be bought to book and punished for authorising this sickening act. RIP Izzy and your adorable family, Rueben, Sukey, Polly and Morris, and I pray that your shameful killers will slowly rot in hell.
What an despicable and unforgivable act of cruelty….. To those who murdered this beautiful family, may you be brought to book and punished for authorising this sickening act. RIP Izzy and your adorable family, Rueben, Sukey, Polly and Morris, and I pray that your shameful killers will slowly rot in hell.