RSCPA Queensland says animal cruelty complaints are rising

They’re the usual suspects: the same handful of suburbs branded the worst in the state for animal cruelty complaints, as the sheer number of reports of abuse and neglect continue to rise.

ANIMAL cruelty complaints across Queensland have risen again this year with the same notorious suburbs again topping the list as the worst suburbs for reported abuse.

RSPCA Queensland received 18,692 complaints about animal cruelty and neglect in 2019 — 800 more than the animal charity received in 2018.

However, only 335 cases went before the courts with charges laid under the Animal Care and Protection Act.

Caboolture again had the most complaints in the state with 221, as it did last year and had done dating back to at least 2015.

Clarke the American Bulldog, pictured at the Dakabin RSPCA, was abandoned in the Caboolture area last year. Picture: AAP Image/Josh Woning

It had significantly more animal cruelty reports than the next four worst suburbs, Redbank Plains (141), Inala (126), Deception Bay (124) and Maryborough (122).

All those suburbs also appeared at the top of the list in 2018 as well.

The complaints concerned such issues as animals with insufficient food and water, poor living conditions, animals being tethered and not receiving exercise, abandonment, injuries not being treated and animals looking in poor condition.

There were also nearly a thousand calls regarding heat stress — either the animal was left in a hot car or it could not reach shade and water in the yard.

RSPCA Queensland spokesman Micheal said complaints had risen a little bit every year but this was “certainly a bigger rise than it has been in the past”.

Bambii the Dogue de Bourdeu, pictured at the Dakabin RSPCA, was also abandoned in the Caboolture area. Picture: AAP/Josh Woning

“Obviously it’s not good news,” he said.

“You want the numbers to be decreasing not rising. Our Inspectors are already operating under an enormous workload.”

RSPCA animal ambulance officers also had a busy year with 29,865 calls coming into the command centre.

“In areas where we don’t have an ambulance we contact the nearest group that can assist. That can be the Police, DAFF officers, or in the case of wildlife, a wildlife rescue group or carer.”