Animal welfare concerns arise as RSPCA plans ‘transition’ for emergency hotline

Queenslanders who look for RSPCA emergency rescue after hours will soon find it hard to reach them as the group planned a transition in its hotline service hours.

Rhodesian ridgeback and great dane Holly waits to be adopted at Brisbane Showgrounds on September 14, 2019. Picture: AAP Image/Renae Droop

Queenslanders who look for RSPCA emergency rescue after hours will soon find it hard to reach them as the group planned a “transition” in its hotline service hours.

The statewide 1300 ANIMAL hotline, which was listed on signs across Australian roads, was designed to report sick or injured wildlife and domestic animal emergencies and operates 24/7.

It connects a caller to a carer, rescuer, relevant officers or RSPCA ambulance to provide prompt care to the affected animal.

But the peak animal welfare group planned a transition to move away from night time services.

A RSPCA Queensland spokesman said only a small number of calls were received after hours.

“We have planned a transition that includes an out of hours service where callers would still like to talk to an operator,” he said.

“Currently, most after hours calls are referred to a third party.

“A transition date is not yet confirmed.

“We are working closely with stakeholders and partners to finalise this timeline to ensure we realise our goal of delivering improved animal outcomes from this change.”

The spokesman said around 95 per cent of the calls were received between 7am and 7pm.

“We are proposing to increase our service levels between these times, 365 days of the year,” he said.

“With more staff available during peak call times, we can respond to callers more swiftly and achieve faster outcomes for animals in need.

“This is a sensible operational decision that does not affect staff numbers.”

He said no staff members were made redundant due to these proposed changes.

The Department of Environment, Science and Innovation said the RSPCA 1300 ANIMAL hotline received approximately 27,500 calls of sick, injured or orphaned wildlife a year.

The emergency hotline has been running for more than 15 years with the characters ANIMAL referring to its numbers 264 625 on a phone keypad.

In a rescue guide, the department recommended immediately calling the hotline for assistance to give the animal the best chance for survival.

“As with first aid care, the first couple of hours are critical,” it said.

“An operator will provide you with specialist advice. ⁣

“Even if wildlife does not appear badly injured, they may have severe internal injuries that need immediate care.”

The change was unveiled after its outgoing CEO Darren Maier announced his resignation just a week ago.

Mr Maier will step down in December after a spate of controversies including staff complaints throughout his five-year journey.

There have been concerns on the group’s monetary situation as its cash reserve had plunged by 42 per cent in a year despite a mild increase in revenue, according to its latest financial report.

But the spokesman said its group has been debt free for the first time in over 20 years.

“RSPCA Queensland continues to seek ways to invest more on animal outcomes,” he said.

He also said the group employs over 450 staff across the state.

“In the last year, just two roles have been made redundant – neither were animal facing roles,” he said.