Community anger after the RSPCA mails out animal cruelty photographs for its campaign

WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT: The RSPCA has come under fire after mailing out graphic photographs of animal cruelty.

RSPCA Victoria has come under fire after mailing out graphic images of animal cruelty.

THE RSPCA has come under fire after mailing out graphic photographs of animal cruelty.

Yarra Valley’s Shona Ward took to social media to vent her outrage after opening a seemingly harmless piece of junk mail with the words “(Photos, do not bend)” written on the front.

The letter from the RSPCA is part of the organisation’s ONEbyONE fundraising appeal and campaign to help end animal cruelty.

It urges “good people” to donate so the RSPCA can rescue, care for and find new homes for animals.

But the appeal has backfired with some members of the community.

“If your kids check the mail today do not let them open this letter,” Ms Ward wrote on Facebook.

“I sometimes let my kids open envelopes if I think they are junk mail but this letter has no warnings on it and contains very graphic photos of suffering animals.”

Ms Ward said while she was not complaining about the campaign, she wanted the organisation to put a warning on the envelope in case young children opened the letter.

“Those pictures are traumatic for an adult, imagine what that could do to a child,” she said.

“Maybe there should be a few restrictions put in place when it comes to what goes in our letterboxes?”

RSPCA Victoria has come under fire after mailing out graphic images of animal cruelty for its ONEbyONE campaign.

On the Yarra Valley Noticeboard on Facebook, Jade said she was upset at receiving the letter.

“I did not need to see this. I feel sick that they think this is okay? If my kids saw this it would traumatise them,” she said.

Rhona suggested it would have been better for the RSPCA to spend its money on saving animals instead of sending out the material.

But Peter said that people bothered by the images should try and help the animals.

“If you are bothered by it, try do something to help the animals,” Mr Weber said.

“I’m sure the animals are bothered by it even more.”

RSPCA Victoria chief executive Dr Liz Walker said while publicly sharing images of animal cruelty cases was a “drastic approach”, it was necessary amid the soaring number of offences across the state.

“In the past decade, reported animal cruelty offences have doubled to almost 20,000 annually,” Dr Walker said.

“Around half a million ONEbyONE appeal letters have been sent to Victorian households — predominately in areas where many of our existing donors reside.”

She said it was a new approach for RSPCA Victoria and had received many emails and phone calls from the community both complaining about and congratulating the move.

“Undoubtedly, seeing this sort of cruelty is upsetting for children and adults alike,” Dr Walker said.

“Animal cruelty is a crime. No one wants to see an animal suffer when something can be done.”

She said the organisation had more than 850 donations for ONEbyONE and she hoped that by writing to as many households as we can in Victoria and asking for a small donation, we can make an even bigger difference to ending animal cruelty.

Details: rspcaONEbyONE.org or phone [phone].