Gold Coast animal cruelty complaints stable, with Southport hotspot for cruelty

A leading animal welfare expert says too many Gold Coasters are bringing home pets they cannot afford — and it is contributing to high numbers of abuse and neglect. SUBURB BY SUBURB BREAKDOWN OF COMPLAINTS

A LEADING animal welfare expert says too many Gold Coasters are bringing home pets they cannot afford — and it is contributing to high numbers of abuse and neglect.

The RSPCA receives on average almost four complaints every day about the mistreatment of Gold Coast animals.

Southport, Pimpama, Upper Coomera, Nerang, Coomera and Helensvale are the worst suburbs.

The RSPCA received 1365 complaints in the Gold Coast region last year. It was comparable to the 1421 complaints in 2017.

Drugs and domestic violence were also a factor, experts said.

A Coomera man left his dogs tethered to trees and abandoned them. Picture: RSPCA supplied

RSPCA inspector Sommer Heath-Crilley, who has been investigating animal cruelty complaints for more than a decade, said cost-of-living pressures were a key reason for the neglect.

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“If you don’t have $5000-6000 per year for an animal, don’t get them,” she said.

“People don’t think about worse-case scenarios.

“And they’re still not doing the basics like desexing, worming and flea treatment. If you’re not doing the basics, the animal won’t be at its best.

One of the neopolitan mastiffs was pregnant. Picture: RSPCA supplied

“People think that owning an animal is a right, but it’s a privilege. People have to make educated choices.”

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She said even perfectly healthy animals could suddenly develop a condition or illness which could be expensive.

Last year, a Coomera man was fined $800 for abandoning two female Neopolitan mastiffs on the property, one pregnant.

The man had rehomed 19 other mastiffs before leaving the two females behind.

The dogs were tethered to trees and hadn’t been socialised, with one dog deemed aggressive.

Jian Zhang pleaded guilty to animal cruelty at Southport Magistrates Court after he hit his Samoyed puppy with a stick at least 12 times. Picture: RSPCA Queensland

The man was ordered to pay the fine, plus $2655.50 in vet and boarding costs, $1100 in legal costs, $96.15 in summons costs and was prohibited from owning any animal for three years.

RSPCA DEMAND MORE FUNDING FOR ANIMAL CRUELTY

Ms Heath-Crilley said the acreage lifestyle in the outer suburbs meant people were owning more animals like horses and goats, but not taking into account how much it cost to feed and treat them.

“Some people have two dogs, two cats, 23 fish, 12 chickens … and to care for them is costly and time consuming,” she said.

“People always tell me they can’t afford to take their animal to the vet, but they should know that a general consult will be about $80.”

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Ms Heath-Crilley said drugs were also playing a part in cruelty, with people abusing animals when under the influence. A rising trend in domestic violence was also concerning, she said, as animals were more likely to be abused in those situations.

Bond University criminologist Wayne Petherick said the use of alcohol and drugs meant people would have poor impulse control.

“Animal cruelty can also be a type of dysfunction where you take out your anger and aggression on a lower target,” he said.

“You can’t take your anger out on your boss, so the first thing you might do when you get home after work is kick the dog.”

He said the spikes of cruelty in particular suburbs could be due to socio-economics of the area, including different people moving in and out of the suburb, as well as a lack of education.

2018 animal cruelty & NEGLECT complaints

Advancetown 1

Alberton 2

Arundel 17

Ashmore 22

Austinville 3

Beechmont 5

Benowa 12

Biggera Waters 15

Bilinga 6

Bonogin 16

Broadbeach 14

Broadbeach Waters 27

Bundall 16

Burleigh Heads 20

Burleigh Waters 14

Canungra 9

Carrara 28

Cedar Creek (part) 11

Clagiraba 1

Clear Island Waters 8

Coolangatta 16

Coombabah 14

Coomera 55

Currumbin 6

Currumbin Valley 10

Currumbin Waters 15

Elanora 10

Gaven 3

Gilberton 2

Gilston 5

Gold Coast 5

Guanaba 6

Helensvale 52

Highland Park 9

Hollywell 2

Hope Island 16

Jacobs Well 6

Kingsholme 5

Labrador 45

Lower Beechmont 3

Luscombe 4

Main Beach 14

Maudsland 14

Mermaid Beach 10

Mermaid Waters 24

Merrimac 11

Miami 7

Molendinar 28

Mount Nathan 4

Mount Tamborine 12

Mudgeeraba 28

Nerang 58

Norwell 7

Numinbah Valley 2

Ormeau 33

Ormeau Hills 10

Oxenford 28

Pacific Pines 18

Palm Beach 18

Paradise Point 8

Parkwood 10

Pimpama 71

Reedy Creek 12

Robina 40

Runaway Bay 15

Southport 114

Springbrook 6

Steiglitz 1

Surfers Paradise 41

Tallai 11

Tallebudgera 7

Tallebudgera Valley 9

Tugun 10

Upper Coomera 65

Varsity Lakes 33

Willow Vale 18

Wongawallan 11

Woongoolba 4

Worongary 14

Yatala 2

TOTAL

1365