Mandurah has been named an animal cruelty “hotspot”, prompting calls for funding of welfare inspectors on the ground.
Figures from 2016 to 2018 show there were more than 800 tip-offs from Mandurah residents to the RSPCA.
To date, the organisation has received 252 animal cruelty reports from local residents in 2018, with 70 of these for the ill-treatment of an animal and 31 for lack of food or water.
RSPCA WA spokeswoman Maree Daniels said Mandurah was an animal cruelty hotspot compared to Perth-metro postcodes, ranking third in the state for the most reports in 2016 and eighth in 2017.
“Mandurah ranked seventh for number of cruelty reports received in a breakdown by local government areas in the 2016 and 2017 calendar years (with 278 and 294 reports),” she said.
“The two most common cruelty complaints in the Peel region over the past three years were ill-treatment of animals (ie. kicking an animal or locking a dog in a hot car) and abandonment.”
The two most common cruelty complaints in the Peel region over the past three years were ill-treatment of animals (ie. kicking an animal or locking a dog in a hot car) and abandonment.
- RSPCA WA spokeswoman Maree Daniels
According to RSPCA WA there have been 11 court prosecutions in the City of Mandurah since 2009, including a 2015 case where a greyhound was found dead and emaciated in a Barragup home.
Gemma Louise Tovey, who was 24 at the time, was ordered to undertake 800 hours of community work, fined $901.10 and was banned from owning a pet for five years.
In 2010, a woman was ordered to undertake a nine-month order and told she could never own a pet again after throwing a dog against a wall, several times.
Anyone who has looked into the eyes of an animal who is suffering will tell you that one case of cruelty is too many.
- RSPCA WA spokeswoman Maree Daniels
After being found guilty in July this year for neglecting three horses, Waroona resident Fiona Suzzane Wall, 38, was placed on a court order, ordered to pay more than $2500 in legal and vet costs and banned from owning horses for three years.
One horse had to be euthanised and another was found deceased at the property.
Ms Daniels said the animal welfare organisation depended on community tip-offs, with only seven inspectors covering the broader metro and Peel region and four based in regional WA.
Funding for inspectors comes from general donations – with more inspectors on the roads, we can rescue more animals – it’s that simple.
- RSPCA WA spokeswoman Maree Daniels
“We rely on the public to be our eyes and ears on the ground,” she said.
“It’s thanks to them that so many animals are rescued from abusive situations and given a second chance.
“Funding for inspectors comes from general donations – with more inspectors on the roads, we can rescue more animals – it’s that simple.”
Ms Daniels said state inspectors investigated more than 6000 reports of cruelty in the 2017/18 financial year and witnessed “horrific incidents” on a daily basis.
“Anyone who has looked into the eyes of an animal who is suffering will tell you that one case of cruelty is too many,” she said.
“The vast majority of these cases were resolved by educating and equipping animal owners with the knowledge they need to best care for their animal.
“But sometimes it’s necessary to prosecute, and in the last financial year 11 successful prosecutions involving over 48 animals occurred.”
City of Mandurah/Shire of Murray
Animal cruelty prosecutions (RSPCA WA):
2009-10:
- A man failed to provide proper and sufficient food to approximately 150 cattle.
Pleaded not guilty, found guilty at trial. Fined $20,000 and permanently
prohibited from being in charge of
bovine or ovine animals.
2010-11:
- A woman charged with ill-treating a dog by throwing it against a wall several times, ordered to undertake a nine month community order and prohibited from owning a domestic animal.
- A man charged with ill-treating a dog by taking it into the ocean and forcing
it underwater several times.
$2,000 fine.
2011-12:
- Man failed to take reasonable steps in
relation to a cat suffering from cancer. $2,000 fine, $1,072 costs and five years prohibition from being in
charge of a cat or cats.
2013-14:
- Rosemary Muriel Donovan neglected a large number of animals. $48,000 fine and $2,780 costs.
2014-15:
- Gemma Louise Tovey charged with abandonment and failing to provide proper
and sufficient food for her dog, which was found dead. Ordered to undertake 800 hours community order and five year prohibition, $901.10 costs.
- Shane Sansom failed to take steps to alleviate harm. 120 hours community order, 10 year prohibition, $2273 costs.
2015-16:
- Saleisha Jayne Hayman failed to take steps to alleviate harm. Intensive supervision order, 120 hours community service, 20 year prohibition, $2098.25 vet costs and $175.46 costs.
- Mandurah woman failed to take reasonable
steps to alleviate her dog being harmed.
2017-18:
- Man and woman failed to provide care to a horse.
- Waroona resident Fiona Suzzane Wall found guilty to failing to care for horses. One horse had to be put down and another was euthanised.
Cruelty reports: Top-two cruelty categories listed.
City of Mandurah
2016: 278 – 50 for ill-treatment, 43 for abandonment.
2017: 294 – 98 for ill-treatment, 49 for abandonment.
2018 to 22 November: 252 – 70 for ill-treatment, 31 for insufficient food/water.
Shire of Murray
2016: 100 – 16 for insufficient food/water,16 for poor condition.
2017: 72 – 34 for ill-treatment, eight for failure to alleviate harm, and eight for insufficient food/water.
2018 to 22 November: 100 – 31 for ill-treatment, 19 for failure to alleviate harm.
Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale
2016: No record.
2017: 49 18 for ill-treatment, 13 for abandonment).
2018 to 22 November: 76 – 25 for ill-treatment, 11 for failure to alleviate harm.
Shire of Waroona
2016: 15 – Three for insufficient food/water, two each for ill-treatment, insufficient shelter/living conditions, and poor condition.
2017: 25 – Eight for failure to alleviate harm, eight for ill-treatment.
2018 to 22 November: 25 – 11 for ill-treatment, five for insufficient food/water.
Shire of Boddington
2016: 13 – Five for ill-treatment, three for insufficient food/water.
2017: 10 – Four for insufficient food/water, three for ill-treatment.
2018 to 22 November: 17 – Eight for ill-treatment, two for unnecessary harm, two for insufficient food/water, and failure to alleviate harm.