FRANKSTON has come fourth on an RSPCA Victoria list showing the number of cruelty to animals reports during 2017 and 2018.
The Mornington Peninsula was ninth on the list which was topped by Geelong.
RSPCA Victoria CEO Dr Liz Walker said that for the third year in a row, issues with providing the most basic standards of living for animals – enough food, water and shelter – made up the highest proportion of offences reported.
“It breaks our hearts to see our Inspectors and vets attend to so many animals that are severely malnourished and ill, who clearly haven’t been shown even the most basic level of care,” Dr Walker said.
“These statistics reflect that there is still a lot of important work that needs to be done to educate Victorians and improve animal welfare in our communities.”
In 2017-18, RSPCA Victoria received 10,642 cruelty reports – about 29 a day, and an increase of more than 500 reports compared to last year (10,180). These reports contained 18,098 individual offences.
Offences in these reports included 4905 instances of animals with insufficient food, water or insufficient shelter; 3212 concerns about hygiene, grooming and housing conditions; 2704 reports of underweight animals; 2412 issues involving sick and injured animals not receiving veterinary treatment; 1198 of animals being beaten or wounded; 1245 instances of abandoned animals.
Dr Walker said prosecutions by RSPCA Victoria’s inspectors had “increased significantly” in the past year.
The inspectors had issued 585 notices to comply (a 50.8 per cent increase on last year); laid 712 charges (an 86.4 per cent) against 113 people with facts proven in 111 cases (33.73% increase); had 54 cases where people were disqualification from owning animals, including 22 10-year disqualification orders and one lifetime disqualification order.
Dogs (6199), cats (1634) and horses (1468) were the animals most frequently being reported as being mistreated.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 11 December 2018
