The RSPCA NSW killed 8,209 of the 20,959 dogs (~40%) it took in in the 2010/11 year. It also killed 13,031 of the 20,703 cats (~60%).
They assure us, they ‘had’ to be killed. From their Twitter;
@RSPCANSW we r failing 2 put dangerous dogs out into the community & failing 2 put other dogs & people in danger & cause further suffering
@RSPCANSW the RSPCA puts an enormous effort into accurate behavioural assessment: http://bit.ly/RcpPtx
@RSPCANSW UNWANTED pets end up @ RSPCA w/ severe issues|owners don’t want. It’s devastating|only realistic outcome is euthanasia 4 many
@RSPCANSW 40% euthanased due to severe behavioural or medical issues, could not be rehabilitated & euthanasia was not taken lightly
@RSPCANSW believes that fit and healthy companion animals that are suitable for adoption should not be euthanased
@RSPCANSW does not kill 4 convenience. Less than 2% of dogs r destroyed because of lack of space
@RSPCANSW we euthanase animals 4 medical/behavioural reasons- unethically & socially irresponsible 2 rehome these. We save & rehome many
@RSPCANSW distressing 2 euthanase but in comparison 2 short-lived horrific life on streets – what would u choose?
@RSPCANSW We are an open door 2 all UNWANTED animals-sick,injured,scared,beaten. We don’t take euthanasia lightly, we r all passionate about animals
So lets assume for one moment they’re telling us the 100%, god’s honest truth and the RSPCA is simply a victim of community ‘irresponsibility’, pet ‘overpopulation’ and that, averaged out over the year, the pets who needed to be killed, were killed – all the rest were saved.
Certainly, that would be true for all RSPCAs? Any discrepancy would have to be a result of the action and management of that particular shelter.
Let’s have a look;
RSPCA Dog Intakes (%Killed)
RSPCA NSW – 20,959 (39%)
RSPCA QLD – 19,252 (34%)
RSPCA VIC – 16,872 (17%)
RSPCA Others* – 10,490 (18%)
So why is there a 22% difference between the number of dogs killed at the RSPCA NSW, than at the RSPCA Victoria? They’re both running large, multi-tender pound setups. They are both open admission. The both have to take whatever animals come in the door. Victoria do have a few thousand less intakes, but the yearly percentages should be nearly identical if it was simply the behaviour of the dog determining it’s chance of being saved.
Is it the way these dogs that are being assessed that is leading to their demise?
The behaviour test was today defended by the chair of the NSW government’s ‘Companion Animal Taskforce’, Andrew Cornwell;
The MP leading a review of the state’s companion animal laws has backed the RSPCA’s use of controversial ”temperament tests” to determine whether dogs are put down, despite a study showing many shelter staff across the sector are untrained and believe the tests are deficient.
It follows claims by animal welfare advocates in yesterday’s Herald that the NSW RSPCA’s kill rate is higher than many council pounds who work with ”no-kill” animal rescue groups, and that dogs that fail behavioural assessments are unfairly destroyed.
The Charlestown MP, Andrew Cornwell, a veterinarian who is heading the NSW government’s companion animal taskforce, defended the RSPCA’s ability to administer the assessments, also known as ”temperament tests”, which score a dog negatively for actions such as barking, jumping and trembling.
”It’s not a matter of poking your head in a cage and seeing if a dog barks at you … the RSPCA puts an enormous effort into accurate behavioural assessment and, where possible, to behavioural modification to help an animal become suitable for re-homing,” he said.
….
His comments follow Monash University research that found almost one-quarter of shelter staff who conducted temperament tests had received no formal training in how to carry them out, and only 56% believed they were given sufficient time to assess a dog’s behaviour.The study, published in 2010 involved 11 shelters in several states, including NSW, ranging from large non-profit shelters to small council pounds.
It concluded that although most shelters did their best with limited resources, shelter staff could be deciding the fate of dogs based on ‘inadequate training, potentially invalid assessment protocols and subjective interpretations of behaviour in which they have limited confidence.
So according to both the RSPCA NSW and the NSW Companion Animal Taskforce, there’s nothing to see here. Everything is fine.
What hope do the dogs who end up at the RSPCA NSW have, if no one thinks there is a problem?
*SA, ACT, WA, TAS, NT
RSPCA Behaviour Assessment document (pdf)
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