Animal welfare concerns remain

The founder of Animal Welfare WA, Dean Lyon, says he is unconvinced recommendations made by a ministerial review into the Animal Welfare Act will make any real change to the high number of animal cruelty cases “slipping through the cracks” in regional WA.

The Karratha resident formed the group in August, after noticing a “large number of cases” in the North West were going unreported.

Mr Lyon said he welcomed the long-awaited review into the Animal Welfare Act 2002 but feared the 19 recommendations would not result in any practical difference.

“The committee recommends an annual increase of spending of $1.4 million with another one-off payment of $270,000 to implement the recommendations, ” he said.

“However there is no increase in funding to the RSPCA, nor any additional funding for animal welfare inspectors in regional WA.”

The review revealed the State Government grant covered just a fraction of the RSPCA’s $2.9 million annual cost in carrying out its inspectorate role.

RSPCA WA president Lynne Bradshaw said the report highlighted the Government received exceptional value for its $500,000 contribution to the RSPCA for work by its inspectors.

“We have a 24-hour cruelty hotline and education services which cost more than $3 million a year to provide,” she said.

“We need to recognise the massive contribution of tens of thousands of ordinary West Australians who financially support the RSPCA, year after year.”

Mr Lyon said the Department of Agriculture and Food WA relied too heavily on the community subsidising what should be largely a government responsibility.

With the nearest RSPCA inspector based in Geraldton, he called on Agriculture and Food Minister Ken Baston to fund RSPCA WA adequately so inspectors could be based in all regional towns.

“Public donations could then be put to better use in caring for sick and injured animals and preventing cruelty, rather than investigating it after it’s happened, ” he said.

There were 40 reported cases of animal cruelty in the Pilbara in the past year

Mr Lyon encouraged Pilbara residents to visit animalwelfarewa.wix.com to help petition the Government for better animal welfare in regional WA.