Gold Coast animal lovers asked to sign petition to stop dog tethering, ban choke, prong and shock collars

Animal cruelty complaints are skyrocketing on the Gold Coast, with one particular nasty act responsible for the death of dozens of dogs every year. WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOS.

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A HINTERLAND animal rights activist wants to change a law that allows dogs to be left tied to the end of a rope or chain continuously for up to 24 hours.

Through her website Animals Need Shade, Morika Elek has petitioned the Queensland Parliament to ban the tethering of dogs.

Another organisation, Ban Dog Chaining, has links to petitions aiming to stop the use of choke, shock and prong collars.

Queensland’s Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 says if a dog is confined for 24 hours it has to be exercised “or allowed to exercise itself” for the next two hours.

Moo Moo was found by the RSPCA Queensland tied up like this. She had been tethered for two years. The owner was heavily fined, sentenced to a period of 18 months probation, and prohibited from owning animals for 5 years. She's now in a loving new home. Photo: RSPCA Queensland

But if a person has a “reasonable excuse”, the exercise requirement does not apply. The Act is up for review for the first time in 20 years.

Ms Elek said tethering caused dogs to become entangled in ropes or chains, restricting their capacity to access drinking water or shelter shade during heat waves or, conversely, cold weather. This led to prolonged suffering and even death from dehydration or hypothermia.

“Dogs are humans’ best friend, they should not live their lives as a prisoner on the end of a rope or in a cage,” she said. “There are shocking physical and psychological consequences of treating a dog in this way.

“Dogs, just like human beings who get locked up for no reason, will get mean and bitter. They become aggressive, neurotic, unhappy, anxious and fearful.”

The RSPCA Qld discovered these animals, one lying dead while its companion pants furiously in the heat to bring home the stark reality of heat stress and being tethered. Photo: RSPCA Queensland

Ms Elek said close to one-third of dog welfare complaints in a recent retrospective study were related to dogs confined or tethered. The study included 107,597 complaints received by RSPCA Queensland from 2008 to 2018.

The number of complaints had increased by 6.2 per cent each year. In a recent complaint about a dog that was left continuously tied to a clothesline, RSPCA inspectors found that a border collie had been tied that way for two years.

The RSPCA says tethering poses many risks to a dog’s welfare. They can receive severe neck wounds, get tangled in a rope or chain suffering choking injuries or become so restricted that they are trapped in full sun unable to reach shelter or water. The dog is left exhausted, helpless and stressed.

This year, the organisation discovered Bronx, a dog left tethered to a clothesline in a backyard. At 9am it was 29C and by 10.35am he was dead after suffering heat stroke and died.

The pet’s owner was convicted and sentenced to two months in jail, suspended for 12 months.

Bronx died after being tethered to a washing line in a backyard. His owner was heavily fined prohibited from owning animals for 4 years. Photo: RSPCA Queensland

He was banned from pet ownership for four years, ordered to pay costs of nearly $1700 and pay $14,705 in vet and boarding costs for the other seized dog, which was also tied up but didn’t die.

A spokesman said there were always valid instances to safely tether pets but dogs should be allowed to roam free in backyards, with the onus on pet owners to ensure a secure yard. For “Houdinis” it suggests GPS pet trackers.

Ms Elek said banddogchaining.org and animalsneedshade.org websites had links to petitions aiming to ban dog tethering and cruel dog collars.

To have your say or make a submission about the Animal care and Protection Act 2001 VISIT HERE 

Report animals in distress by phoning the RSPCA’s animal emergency hotline 1300 ANIMAL.

REVEALED: Gold Coast’s worst suburbs for animal cruelty

January 6, 2021

By Brianna Morris-Grant

ANIMAL cruelty complaints have increased by almost 80 per cent in some Gold Coast areas with two suburbs named among Queensland’s 10 worst by the RSPCA.

Animal cruelty complaints have increased dramatically in some suburbs, new RSPCA data compiled by the Bulletin reveals.

Bonogin saw a 79 per cent increase, jumping from just four complaints in 2019 to 19 in 2020. For the same period Pacific Pines also jumped from six cases to 23, a 74 per cent increase.

Tia Toivonen with George and Jacinta Spry with Harry at Helensvale RSPCA. Picture: Scott Powick

Meanwhile Southport and Pimpama were among the worst for animal abuse in the state, with Southport ranking sixth highest in Queensland with 125 complaints, a 13 per cent increase from 109 complaints in 2020.

Pimpama came in at 10th on the list, recording 101 complaints compared to 2019’s 83 (18 per cent increase).

RSPCA Queensland spokesman Michael Beatty said: “It’s still been incredibly busy but the number of jobs has decreased slightly from last year which I guess is a glimmer of hope.”

The total number of jobs on the Gold Coast decreased by just two cases, from 1334 to 1332.

RSPCA's Michael Beatty. Picture: AAP/John Gass)

There have been a number of high-profile animal abuse complaints on the Gold Coast during the last year, including a kangaroo joey shoved into a Woongoolba post box. Emergency services were called in to rescue the animal in November 2020, when it was found forced inside the letterbox on Stapylton Jacobs Well Road.

RSCPA Queensland lodged a cruelty complaint at the time and appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

Staff at the Animal Welfare League of Queensland said while they couldn’t comment on animal abuse, they had seen a drop in the number of pets surrendered throughout the pandemic.

AWLQ representative Craig Montgomery said: “We believe this decreased due to many people being home or working from home during this period and having more time to spend with their pets.

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“Our adoption stats have also decreased during COVID-19 and compared to pre-COVID-19, and at the same time as the previous year.

“This is primarily because we have had fewer animals come into our care during this time.”

GOLD COAST ANIMAL CRUELTY STATS: 2020 V 2019

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Originally published as Gold Coast animal lovers asked to sign petition to stop dog tethering, ban choke, prong and shock collars