A STRONGLY worded statement released by the RSPCA criticizing the activity of “concerned community members regarding animal welfare” has been seen as a direct swipe at those protesting against the alleged abuse of horses at a Moorooduc property.
“At RSPCA Victoria we care about animals,” said RSPCA Victoria CEO, Dr Liz Walker. “We know animal cruelty issues evoke strong responses from our community and we truly value the shared passion and concern people have for animals.
“We understand seeing images or footage of an animal suffering online can be incredibly distressing and motivate people to action.
“We are unable to provide details of investigations which are active and ongoing. The release of case particulars can significantly impact any prosecution process … and our ability to hold perpetrators to account in the long run.
“Online harassment campaigns, doxxing, threats and physical harassment, are not only illegal; this behaviour can also deeply harm the mental health and safety of those targeted, particularly if they are already vulnerable or struggling. This includes our Inspectors as well as people involved in the case. Online abuse and inflammatory media can have a lasting impact on the people involved.
“There is a belief that online campaigns and the presence of community at private properties monitoring active investigations hastens outcomes, but in so many cases it has the opposite effect.
“Actions such as online harassment campaigns, or the online proliferation of outdated or incorrect information can cause significant distress, risk people’s safety, and can undermine the very legal processes designed to protect animals.”
Protesters have been carrying out a long-running campaign at the property of Maxine Galpin, and more recently another group of protesters have been gathering at the RSPCA Victoria headquarters in Burwood pushing for action on the state of animal welfare and for changes to the legislation revolving around animal welfare.
A letter from Chris Crewther, MP for Mornington, sent to the RSPCA last month, and seen by The News said:
“As you may have heard, Maxine has launched a Go Fund Me page, pleading for money to feed her horses. She has admitted she doesn’t have the funds to sufficiently feed her horses. Disturbingly, recent drone footage above Maxine’s property has also appeared to show carcasses at several burn sites.
“As you can appreciate, the situation is escalating, and I think it is just a matter of time before something bad happens to either Maxine, her property, the animals, or anybody involved at this point.
“I appreciate the legal complexity of these matters, but the community has lost confidence in the current system’s ability to safeguard vulnerable animals. I strongly urge RSPCA Victoria to exhaust all available options – including additional inspections, veterinary assessments, and referrals to higher authorities – to ensure the welfare of these animals is not further compromised.”
Crewther also detailed an incident with “somebody calling into our office who essentially threatened to kill Maxine, using very visceral and violent language, an incident which we have reported to the police”.
A reply from Rebecca Cook from the RSPCA told Crewther that while the RSPCA’s mission was animal welfare, they would not compromise on the safety of their staff and volunteers.
“The Person of Interest is still complying with the notices to comply which does not give us an avenue to take further action,” said Cook.
“That said we are currently looking at all avenues to resolve this issue, including exploring second opinions on extraordinary legal options.”
Tracey Asquith, who has been organising protests at the RSPCA headquarters told The News:
“Calling people out for doxxing and harassment is pretty serious.
“We are just a group of passionate people peacefully protesting at the organisation’s headquarters to shine a light on what we see as their failures.
“I am sure those protesting at the property are also peaceful, and I support them in their efforts too.”
Carly Wines, who has been coordinating the protests at the property since April, told The News:
“Absolutely at no time have we harassed the vets or inspectors attending the property.
“On one occasion we did speak to an RSPCA inspector and the response was more about our behaviour towards the owner of the property and protecting her, which we were surprised about.
“We believe we are making the owner of the property accountable for the treatment of the animals under her care. It seems like we have created a case that is too hot to handle for the RSPCA too, and that may explain why they are lashing out.”
The Go Fund Me page set up by the owner of the property on 3 June titled “Save These Horses and Goats… drought emergency relief” has yet to receive a single donation.
First published in the Mornington News – 19 August 2025
