The RSPCA Case Files: 20 stories of animal justice which show a glimpse into SA’s animal cruelty epidemic
EVERY week, SA courts hear heartbreaking evidence about the cruelty inflicted by some pet owners. But amid the tragic cases of neglect, there are also inspiring tales of redemption and recovery. WARNING: Contains distressing images.
RSPCA investigators are responding to 80 cruelty cases a week on average — the vast majority neglect towards dogs — as they grapple with the emotional and physical toll of their work.
For the first time the RSPCA has revealed the extent of animal cruelty across the state, which they believe shows an “alarming level of animal neglect” often associated with mental health issues and abuse towards humans.
RSPCA inspectors have stumbled upon malnourished children in the same houses as neglected animals and, according to South Australian Chief Inspector Andrea Lewis, some pets had become the outlet for their owner’s frustrations.
“These people have options but have instead allowed their animals to suffer, often to a horrific extent,” Ms Lewis said.
“The behaviour of these individuals often reflects appalling attitudes towards animals. Sometimes their animals become an outlet for venting their frustrations in life.
“In these cases, where animals have suffered and sometimes died because of wilful neglect or other deliberate cruelty, the most appropriate response is prosecution.”
RSPCA animal welfare inspector Shelly Williams told the Sunday Mail the job was about “reconnecting” with people, many of whom were marginalised by mental health problems.
“It’s not just about the animals, it is about the people as well,” Ms Williams said.
“We become a back door into other welfare issues. A lot of the time the issues you see with an animal you also see with children in the house.
“We’ve walked into homes and found a malnourished cat or dog but also found a malnourished child as well. There is no food for the animals and no food for the child either.
“It does take its toll on us emotionally. We all love animals, that’s why we are in the job, but our compassion doesn’t stop with animals.”
In 2017-18 the RSPCA inspectorate, which consists of a manager, seven metropolitan inspectors and a Whyalla-based inspector, responded to 4077 reports of animal cruelty across the state.
Eighty three animals were found dead on arrival while another 316 had to be euthanised.
The vast majority of the cases were of neglect, particularly towards dogs.
Of the cruelty cases, 70 ended as criminal prosecutions and 18 of those ended in prison terms for offenders.
Three of the sentences were to be served immediately while the other 15 were suspended.
The RSPCA has launched a “Combat Cruelty” campaign in an effort to bring home the scale of the problem.
“For the past few years we’ve seen a significant rise in the incidents of starving dogs, whether caused by inadvertent or deliberate neglect, with catastrophic consequences for their animals,” Ms Lewis said.
“Animals are suffering and dying from a lack of basic care or nourishment — that’s the tragic reality of what we’re dealing with most often. It’s shocking and it’s unnecessary.”
CRUELTY COMPLAINT TOTAL
Poor condition 1626
Insufficient food/water 889
Hot car 308
Poisoning / baiting 40
Captive domestic animal released for hunting 6
Surgical procedure 3
Ms Williams said chronic neglect and a lack of compassion and empathy from owners was the hardest part of the job to deal with.
“I just don’t understand how anyone can look at that animal day-in and day-out and just ignore its suffering,” Ms Williams said.
“Tex was an eight-year-old rottweiler who had suffered in pain for almost his entire life. His ears were so badly infected I could smell them from more than 2m away.
“He was in agony, whimpering and shaking his head constantly. How someone can ignore that and have no empathy for that animal I will never understand.
“Indy was an elderly maltese from another case, with similar issues, an ear infection so severe and so old that she now has a permanent head tilt from the damage it caused.
“She had a mouth full of teeth that were black and rotten and just falling out. You can imagine the smell.
“She was so neglected she had electrical wire matted so firmly through her coat, I could not pull it out.
“Cherry was a young kitten who had a palm frond puncture completely rupture her eyeball. It happened three weeks prior to the RSPCA being alerted and the owner knew and did nothing.”
Days from death, how love saved dogged duo
WHEN Cooper, Ruby and Ralph were discovered in the back yard of a Noarlunga South home, the three dogs were days away from death.
All three were emaciated and suffering from flea infestations and anaemia. It was only a person inspecting a rental property next door contacting the RSPCA which saved the trio from perishing in that back yard.
The three dogs were seized by the RSPCA in April 2016.
Cooper weighed just 12.5kg and within a few weeks had gained 60 per cent of his body weight back. Ruby was only 11.5kg and regained 72 per cent of her body weight.
The trio underwent months of rehabilitation in the hopes they would find new families.
Ralph, sadly, was too far gone. The psychological toll of what he had experienced led to him posing a risk to handlers and children.
The behavioural and vet team made the hard choice to euthanise him.
Ruby was adopted by John Venning in October, 2016.
Mr Venning said that even after months of rehabilitation Ruby was still a “mess”.
“I got her home, she wouldn’t leave the house, she fretted a lot,” Mr Venning said.
“Now she just trusts me and my wife explicitly. She’s got a few demons still, but she will meet dogs now.
“It took me a long time just getting her to trust me and trust what’s going on.
“We don’t have kids so she’s our baby.”
Cooper, now aged 14, was adopted by Pat Walshe, 94, and they are inseparable.
“My other little dog, Gucci, died the year before and I realised how much I missed having a dog to love,” Ms Walshe said.
“When I heard about Cooper from a friend, I asked my daughter Sheriden if we could go and see him.
“I didn’t want a young dog as I was 91 at the time. He was just so sweet and I thought it was a perfect match … a little old dog for a little old lady.”
The 33-year-old former owner of the three dogs faced court on June 12, charged with three counts of ill-treating an animal. The court heard the owner had been suffering mental health problems during the abuse which Magistrate Brian Nitschke labelled as “an appalling breach of trust towards these animals”.
Magistrate Nitschke sentenced the man to six weeks imprisonment but suspended the sentence.
The RSPCA Files — The Ones That Survived
FOXY
A three-year-old Siberian husky-cross, Foxy was seized from a Smithfield Plains property alongside Piper, a 2-year-old staffordshire bull terrier-cross. Both dogs were emaciated and Foxy required months of treatment before being adopted by a foster family. Piper showed signs of aggression, was a danger to handlers and was euthanised.
Foxy’s former owner received a two-month suspended jail sentence in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court.
CLIFFORD
Clifford weighed just 17kg when he was seized by the RSPCA. He was emaciated and close to death.
Over the following weeks he doubled in weight back to a healthy average.
After three months of RSPCA care and specialist behavioural training he was adopted by a new family.
His previous owners, a 35-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man both from Parafield Gardens were convicted of failing to provide food.
They were ordered to pay thousands in fines and were banned from owning animals indefinitely.
FROG AND GABBY
When RSPCA inspectors seized Frog and Gabby, two thoroughbred horses, from a property in Redbanks they said they had never such extreme weight loss in horses which had managed to survive.
They were placed on an intensive refeeding program and were adopted by their foster carer in February 2017.
In May 2018, Frog and Gabby’s former owner failed to appear in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court but was fined and banned from owning horses for three years.
POLLY
When Polly the maltese terrier was surrendered to the RSPCA she was registered a body score of one out of nine. She was severely emaciated, had overgrown nails and severe dental disease. One of her eyes later had to be removed because of a perforated cornea.
She was adopted by a new family in February 2017.
Her former owner was convicted of neglect, failing to provide proper food and failing to mitigate harm. She received a nine day suspended sentence and was banned from owning animals indefinitely.
CHERRY
By the time the RSPCA found Cherry, the kitten had lived with a perforated eyeball for several weeks. A palm frond had punctured her eyeball causing a perforated cornea and prolapsed iris.
She was rushed into surgery and had the eyeball removed and was adopted to a new family only 26 days later. In January a 59-year-old Paralowie man was convicted of ill-treating an animal for neglecting to seek treatment for Cherry.
He was fined and banned from owning an animal for two years.
DIZZY AND LEMON
Maltese terriers Dizzy and Lemon were found together in the back of a burnt out and unoccupied property in August, 2016. They were severely under weight and had matted coats so thick the dogs could barely see.
Vets had to completely shave both dogs to treat them.
Both dogs were adopted together to a new home in October 2016.
The previous owner, a 44-year-old Hackham woman, was placed on a nine-month good behaviour bond for neglecting the two dogs and banned from owning animals indefinitely.
CHOCO AND PARKER
When RSPCA inspectors removed Choco and Parker, two emaciated Rhodesian ridgebacks, the two dogs weighed a fraction of their healthy weight.
Within weeks the pair had put on a combined 11.7kg, bringing them up into the healthy weight range.
The owner was prosecuted for neglecting the two dogs. The court heard that the same owner had two dogs removed from her in similar conditions in 2015.
She was placed on a 12-month good behaviour bond and banned from owning animals for a year.
Choco and Parker found new homes in November 2016.
Some of The Ones That Didn’t Make It:
UNNAMED CHIHUAHUA
RSPCA inspectors discovered the elderly female chihuahua on Christmas Eve 2017. She was unable to move her back legs, using her front legs to drag herself across the yard.
After being rushed to an emergency vet the chihuahua was diagnosed with hypothermia and dehydration. Her back legs were completely paralysed.
Due to the severity of the issues she was euthanised.
Her owner, a 44-year-old Pennington man was given a 12-month good behaviour bond and ordered to pay thousands in medical costs.
HAPPY
Happy, an elderly pony, was barely able to walk more than a few steps when the RSPCA found her at a property in Kuitpo. Her hoofs were so overgrown that she would immediately lie down rather than stand in pain.
Her prognosis was hopeless and she was immediately euthanised to prevent further suffering.
Her owner faced the Mount Barker Magistrates Court in May, 2018.
The magistrate decided against recording a conviction but placed the woman on a 12-month good behaviour bond and ordered she be banned from owning more than 13 horses at a time.
MADDY
An 11-year-old beagle, Maddy was in such a poor state that RSPCA inspectors could smell her from the other side of the room.
She was unable to walk and was in distress when she was found. A vet concluded that had a chronic degenerative joint disease which had completely paralysed her back legs.
Her condition was untreatable and advanced, prompting vets to euthanise her.
Her owner, a 34-year-old Munno Parra woman, was convicted of aggravated neglect and given a suspended four-month jail sentence. She was banned for owning animals other than one already in her care.
PUMBA
Pumba was severely emaciated when found by RSPCA inspectors. The german shepherd could not stand or lift his head.
He was also suffering a severe flea infestation as well as abscesses and a urinary infection.
A vet made the hard choice to euthanise him immediately due to the severity of his condition.
A Morphett Vale woman was convicted of failing to mitigate harm and was fined $300. She will be banned indefinitely from owning more animals.
ZOR
One of three dogs seized from an Elizabeth North property, Zor was severely malnourished. After being treated for two weeks he regained 35 per cent of his body weight.
However, he had to be euthanased after contracting bloat.
Only one dog, Cooper, survived out of the three and has since been adopted into a new home.
The owners, a man and woman, were both given suspended jail sentences and were banned from owning all animals except for two birds which they already owned.
DUCT TAPE
When the RSPCA found Duct Tape, a tiny kitten with disfigured back legs, he couldn’t walk.
In court it came out that the kitten’s legs had been crushed in an accident with an electric reclining chair.
Instead of seeking treatment for Duct Tape the owners let the kitten live in pain for at least a fortnight.
By the time he was taken to a vet it was too late to save him and he was euthanised.
The 42-year-old female owner from Marion was charged with failing to mitigate harm.
A magistrate decided against recording a conviction.
EVAN
In January 2017 a woman responding to an advert on Gumtree found Evan, a seven-month-old sheep in distressing condition.
He could no longer stand and had severe and infected injuries.
She purchased him and took him straight to a vet in the Adelaide Hills.
The vet attempted to treat Evan but he died a short time later from tetanus.
A 51-year-old Salisbury man was banned from owning livestock and fined thousands of dollars for failing to mitigate harm.
The magistrate did not record a conviction.
SCARLETTE
When Scarlette’s owner realised her dog had a severe prolapsed vulva she took her to the vet.
The vet said the condition would severely compromise Scarlette’s quality of life and recommended euthanasia.
22 months later the tumour had grown to 20cm and Scarlette was emaciated and living in pain.
Vets opted to euthanise Scarlette to alleviate her suffering.
Her 62-year-old female owner from Glanville was convicted of failing to mitigate harm and was banned from owning animals indefinitely.
SCRUFFY
Scruffy the cat’s last years were spent living in pain after a large and cancerous mammary tumour ruptured.
When the RSPCA seized him he also had fleas, dental disease and missing teeth.
A vet was forced to euthanise her due to the severity of her condition.
Her owner, a 61-year-old Morphett Vale man was fined thousands of dollars in vet and legal costs and banned from owning animals indefinitely.
LIGHTNING
Lightning weighed just 2.3kg when he was found by the RSPCA at Wattle Park in September 2016.
His fur was matted and he was emaciated.
He was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, dental disease and early onset kidney failure.
Two weeks of treatment had little effect and vets made the tough choice to euthanise him.
His 55-year-old owner was placed on a 12-month good behaviour bond and was a given a two year supervision order for her current animals.
RUSTY
Rusty the staff-cross was emaciated, weak and barely able to walk when the RSPCA found him. He was also infested with fleas and had painful ear infections.
A vet concluded that treatment of the infection and his dental disease over time would cause too much suffering and made the difficult choice to euthanise him.
His owner, a 52-year-old Croydon Park woman, was convicted of failing to provide adequate food for Rusty and was banned from owning animals indefinitely.
NACKERS
When the RSPCA found 15-year-old bull terrier Nackers, he was suffering from large and untreated tumours and a chronic skin condition.
The RSPCA concluded Nackers’ terrible condition was the product of gross neglect and made the decision to euthanise him.
A 36-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman, both from Elizabeth Park, were found guilty of neglect. They were ordered to pay thousands in medical and legal costs but the magistrate declined to record a conviction.
MILLICENT DOGS
In January 2016 the RSPCA found a dead bull mastiff-cross and a severely emaciated ridgeback-cross at a property in Millicent in the state’s South East.
The cause of death of the dead dog was found to be starvation, with no muscle mass on the body.
The other dog, Jester, was placed in alternative care and has since made a full recovery.
In the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court in July 2017, the dogs’ owner, Steven Gurney, 42, was imprisoned for aggravated ill treatment causing death and ill treatment of Jester.
Gurney served four months in prison and was banned from owning any animals indefinitely.
RSPCA INSPECTORS FACE AGGRESSION THEMSELVES
IN addition to the vast and emotionally draining workload RSPCA inspectors are facing increasing aggression in the workplace.
“I’ve been doing this job for almost 15 years and for the first nine or 10 years there wasn’t much in terms of violence,” South Australian Chief Inspector Andrea Lewis said.
“There was folk lore about people being hurt on the job but for the first part of my career it wasn’t really a blip on the radar.
“But in this day and age I think the drugs and social issues are leading to increase in violence and people with no inhibitions.”
RSPCA animal welfare inspector Shelly Williams was assaulted while on the job last year and said it had taken her a long time to come to grips with the incident.
“We were dealing with a large group of animals and we had been working with the owners for some time but there hadn’t been any improvement so we decided to seize the animals,” Ms Williams said.
“The owner asked me what was happening and I told him we would be taking some of the animals.
“He asked whether we would give any money for them. I was starting to say no but I didn’t even get the whole sentence out. Out of no where he grabbed me around the neck and threw me up against the fence.
“He was trying to swing a punch but I had grabbed his hand. My partner and I had separated, but I managed to call out his name and he came back around the yelling at him to let me go.
“He let go and went for headed towards my partner. I was shaken and wondering what had happened. I couldn’t leave my partner but I wanted to get out of there.”
Ms Williams said it was one of the rare occasions she was in the field with a partner and that she wondered what would have happened if she had been alone.
“I’m only now really becoming OK with what happened. I played it down a lot at the time, not because I was ashamed, but because I didn’t want to alarm other rescue officers.
“A couple of years ago we had another officer get assaulted and I remember how worried I was.