By Marcus Uhe
New data from the RSPCA depicts pet owners within the City of Casey in a poor light for the third consecutive year.
The city ranked second for Local Government Areas in Victoria behind Greater Geelong City Council for number of reports made during the 2021-22 financial year, the second year in a row they were among the highest numbers after topping the list in 2019-20.
There were 531 reports made in 2021-22, after 577 and 581 in 2020-21 and 2019-20, respectively.
The ranking was considerably lower per capita, however, ranking 56th of 79 LGAs with 688 reports.
Instances of neglect were the impetus for nearly half of the reports made across the state, meaning community members had made reports based on concerns for animals with a lack of access to food, water, shelter or vet care, according to the RSPCA.
Other types of neglect included poor husbandry, lack of appropriate hygiene and insufficient grooming, shearing and farriery for horses.
RSPCA Victoria chief inspector Michael Stagg said by raising awareness of the most prevalent types of animal cruelty, the community could work together to do better for Victoria’s animals.
“For many, the perception of animal cruelty relates to deliberate acts such as beating or wounding, and while this does occur, the data consistently shows the most common form of cruelty is neglect,” Mr Stagg said.
“There are many responsible pet ownership resources available, and we encourage anyone who is the owner or person in charge of animals to be aware of their responsibilities to provide care, or alternatively to seek help from their local council, a veterinarian or animal welfare organisation.”
While Mr Stagg and the RSPCA acknowledged the current cost of living pressures may impact the ability of some to care for their pets, many Victorians adopted pets during the pandemic, including some as first-time pet owners, who may still require information or support to help them understand how to best care for their animals.
“It is important all pet owners understand the specific needs of their pets in terms of food, water, shelter, grooming and exercise.
“If you are the owner or person in charge of an animal, you have legal and moral obligations to that animal.
“RSPCA Victoria is committed to helping people better care for their pets, however, neglect is against the law and is never acceptable; therefore, we will hold people to account if they do not meet the required standards of care.”
The City of Casey recommends reporting anyone you believe to be intentionally harming an animal to the RSPCA or the police, as council officers are not authorised to investigate animal cruelty matters.
The Lost Dogs’ Home in Cranbourne welcomes animals that have been surrendered on the basis of owners not being able to adequately look after their animals.
Shelter manager Allie Small said there were some important considerations people should undertake before committing to pet ownership.
“The first one is the availability of time, and making sure owners are providing the enrichment the animal needs,” Ms Small said.
“Secondly, there’s the breed of animal, and whether the owner can meet the specific needs of the animal.
“Thirdly, I would recommend they do a budget to work out what the animal costs to adopt or purchase, and the ongoing costs of ownership, such as vet care and food, because all of that adds up over time. People need to assess the type of animal fits their budget.
“Some of the biggest issues people are having is that the cost of looking after pet is more than they expected. A lot of people got a dog during Covid-19 that they may not have thought of having before, and choosing a type of dog around what was available, rather than what suited their lifestyle.”
