RSPCA states, “You can help RSPCA NSW create a world where animals can enjoy a life safeguarded by five important freedoms.”
We matched up RSPCA’s five important freedoms with outcomes from the NSW Animal Welfare Code of Practice, which states that Council Pounds “must comply with the standards of this code”.
RSPCA: “3. Freedom from pain, injury or disease by prevention through rapid diagnosis and treatment.”
Code of Practice: “Provision of prompt veterinary or other appropriate care in cases of illness or injury.”
We have witnessed occasions where animals were left to suffer at Wagga Pound and were not treated appropriately. The photo on this update is a recent photo of Saviour, who was left to suffer by being put alive into the freezer by a council ranger at Wagga Pound. Fortunately a volunteer heard him in the freezer and rescued him.
The Impound Register recorded some of the dogs that died at Wagga Pound (this does not include the hundreds of dogs that were euthanised). Wagga Council's original statistics had 69 dogs dying at the facility in the 3 financial years of 2012/13 - 2014/15. When the statistics were amended this figure rose to a total of 77 dogs that died at Wagga Pound. This means that every fortnight a dog had been left to suffer and die at Wagga Pound. Under GIPA we obtained the Impound Register for Wagga Pound. Sadly it confirmed that animals at Wagga Pound were not treated appropriately. Below are some entries taken directly from the Impound Register (we have tried to write them exactly as they are written in the Impound register). “Received On” is the date that data is entered.
The list below spans from 2012 to 2015:
- ImpD12/0071 - Dog white staffy pup black right ear dp no m/c Died of Pavo 22/7/12 – Received on 20/07/2012
- ImpD12/0236 - Dog Wolfhound male very sick cream dumped Passed away 19-9-12 – Received on 18/09/2012
- ImpD13/0417 - Dog Brindle white on chest and head female pup about 10 weeks old found at [name removed] vets Found deceased 14-5-13 (Pavo) – Received on 10/05/2013
- ImpD13/0488 - Dog Heeler male no mc Chook killer Died 7/6 Parvo – Received on 31/05/2013
- ImpD13/0563 – Dog maltese female white no chip brought in by member of the public mount austin Deceased in pen 25-6-13 – Received on 24/06/2013
- ImpD13/0610 - Dog fox/terrier cross female brought in by member of the public no chip found dead on Sunday morning PARVO – Received on 12/07/2013
- ImpD13/0678 - Dog JRT tan white female no mc bitty 10/8 Found Deceased by [ranger] Saturday 10/8/13 Pavo – Received on 02/08/2013
- ImpD14/0231 – Dog Brown Male Terrier cross Pup found in D.P no m/c (parvac) pup found dead today 29.03.14 of parvo – Received on 22/03/2014
- ImpD14/0351 – Dog tan staffy male pup no chip found in DP 13/5 parvoc Died of Pavo 15-5-14 – Received on 06/05/2014
- ImpD14/1002 – Dog 07/01 Staffy male brindle pup parvac found dead on sunday 28th 12.14 – Received on 23/12/2014
- ImpD15/0084 – Dog 19/2/2015 Red Cattle Dog, female, puppy. Parvo vaccine given. Member of public, wandered onto Ladysmith property Died parvo 9/2 – Received on 4/02/2015
- ImpD15/0654 – Dog 22/8 grey/hound cross wolfhound male caramel look like Dingo Died parvo – Received on 7/08/2015
After the onset of parvo symptoms (vomiting, bloody diarrhoea, lethargy, loss of appetite, fever) it takes between 48 to 72 hours for the animal to die. These puppies/dogs were sick, suffered cruelly and were left to die at Wagga Pound. We will never accept that Wagga Council allowed this to occur. We find it overwhelmingly sad that animals that presented as sick/very sick/dying were just left (sometimes for days) and not provided with vet treatment. We asked about the sick animals and questioned why they could not be taken to the vet. One response from a ranger was “only if they were dying”. Even that statement was not true. Another ranger referred to cost cutting as the reason they couldn’t receive vet treatment.
POCTA “Section 5 Cruelty to animals” states:
“3) A person in charge of an animal shall not fail at any time to exercise reasonable care, control or supervision of an animal to prevent the commission of an act of cruelty upon the animal,
(b) where pain is being inflicted upon the animal, to take such reasonable steps as are necessary to alleviate the pain, or
(c) where it is necessary for the animal to be provided with veterinary treatment, whether or not over a period of time, to provide it with that treatment.”
This is LEGISLATION.
We appreciate that now, the vet regularly visits Wagga Pound and the sick animals are treated. But:
-Why was this inappropriate treatment of animals allowed to continue at Wagga Pound for so long?
-Who is held accountable for allowing this to occur?
-Why wasn’t legislation adhered to?
-Is this occurring at other pounds?
-What procedures were there in place that enabled Council staff to leave animals to die at Wagga Pound… 77 dogs and 23 cats (2012/13-2014/15)?
-Why did senior Council management/management allow this?
-What are the consequences for Councils when they do not follow legislation?
-We mentioned in our first letter to the RSPCA about a dying puppy at Wagga Pound. Did the RSPCA investigate this or the treatment of sick animals at Wagga Pound?
-Who monitors council pounds?
We feel incredibly let down by the RSPCA. We think an independent government body is needed to deal with animal welfare issues, to monitor and complete random checks on pounds, check that they are adequately resourced, that legislation is adhered to and that all pounds operate with policies, procedures and quality assurance protocols.