7/28/2019 RSPCA Adelaide - Animal Cruelty Convictions 'Soar' July 2012

1/2

Convictions soar in animal cruelty cases

* by: Sean Fewster, Hannah Silverman and Candice Keller* From: The Advertiser* July 06, 2012 11:00PM

Animal protection authorities are striking back with a rise in convictions for abuse and cruelty. Source:News Limited

ANIMAL protection authorities are striking back hard at the worst abusers with a four-fold rise inprosecutions in five years.

But the RSPCA is facing a new challenge in the increasing abandonment of animals, which it says is partlycaused by rising financial pressures on households.

Figures released to The Advertiser by the RSPCA show there were 2200 public reports of ill-treatment ofanimals in the last financial year.

Of those, 69 alleged offenders were prosecuted and all but two cases resulted in convictions.

This is a big jump on the 17 prosecutions recorded in 2007-08.

Despite the court successes, the number of animals suffering abuse remains staggeringly high. Among thethousands of cases reported last financial year are allegations a 30kg german shepherd was kept locked ina galah cage measuring 70cm by 70cm by 90cm. Inspectors are also investigating decapitation of a lamband the deaths of two six-week-old labrador-cross puppies in a sealed garbage bag.

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.Related Coverage

* Editorial: Animal cruelty crackdown Adelaide Now, 1 day ago* RSPCA keeps farm watchdog role Adelaide Now, 31 May 2012* RSPCA boss escapes prosecution Adelaide Now, 19 Dec 2011* $2.5m to help fight animal cruelty Adelaide Now, 29 Oct 2011* Pet cruelty conviction The Australian, 24 Oct 2011

End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.

RSPCA chief inspector Simon Richards said the "significant increase" in prosecutions was a result ofchanges to the Animal Welfare Act in 2008. Under the new Act, fines and prison terms were doubled to amaximum four-year jail term or a $50,000 fine, which encouraged the public to come forward.

"Our penalties are among the highest in the country (and) our prosecution rate is higher than any otherstate," Mr Richards said.

"The tougher penalties indicate the public opinion on animal cruelty and how abhorrent it is, and haveincreased people's awareness."

Although investigative techniques had "vastly improved" in recent years, thanks to forensic science, theRSPCA prosecutes just 3 per cent of reported cases.

"A prosecution is not a win for the RSPCA - we're about prevention," Mr Richards said. "A small proportionof our cruelty reports result in prosecution and, obviously, there's an enormous number that don't - we

resolve those issues through education (of alleged offenders). Prosecution is for the worst of the worst ... "

University of SA psychology lecturer Dr Alan Campbell said cruelty could be motivated by revenge or amisplaced sense of "fun".

7/28/2019 RSPCA Adelaide - Animal Cruelty Convictions 'Soar' July 2012

2/2

"Animals are easy targets ... for a period of time they can get off on the killing and when that happens,consequences just go out the window," he said. "For others, it's to demonstrate violence (or) the power onehas over a family. Killing a family pet demonstrates that (a person) can kill a family."

Neglect cases, he said, were often borne out of ignorance.

"There may be an understanding that animals can fend for themselves," he said.

"They believe you should be able to leave them in paddocks to eat grass, or dogs and cats in a pen andchuck some food in there."