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RSPCA Tasmania Newsletter
June 2021

Petition to stop the sale of pronged collars

RSPCA Tasmania is calling on the State Government to amend the Tasmanian Animal Welfare Act 1993 to ban the sale, possession, or use of pronged collars on dogs.

Pronged collars have fang-shaped metal links, with blunted open ends turned towards the dog’s neck so that, when the collar is tightened, it pinches the naturally loose skin around the dog’s neck in order to restrict their movement.

Please let Minister Barnett know that you join us in calling for elimination of the use of pronged collars. Sign our petition today.

Many of the calls to the RSPCA Animal Cruelty Hotline relate to community members from the most disadvantaged suburbs.

RSPCA Inspectors have detailed a Postcode Report illustrating this. (linked here https://www.rspcatas.org.au/inspectorate/)

Some of the complaints relate to those responsible losing control of their dog’s health, once they start having unwanted litters.

Others to the age and condition of pups being given away.

Dogs are not being desexed, as vet fees are considered to be out of financial reach and not having that first interaction with a vet, dogs are also not being vaccinated, microchipped or heath checked.

To resolve this problem, we have developed a the RSPCA/Mary Kibble Dog Desexing Program

We propose a program which will have a fourfold positive effect.

The program will begin a vet journey for those who do not currently have the means to desex, vaccinate and microchip their dogs, producing a healthier dog population. Whilst we propose funding includes desexing surgeries and microchipping, we are of the view that vaccinations need to be scheduled between the vet and the owner of the dog. If we include vaccinations the ongoing management of the client would render an unacceptable impost on the fund. The RSPCA seeks only to recover the admin costs required to implement the scheme.
Make desexing dogs affordable to those people who in the past, have avoided their responsibilities.
Fewer unwanted dogs shared in the community leading to fewer contraventions of the 2016 Dog Regulations (https://www.legislation.tas.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/sr-2016-121#GS5@E)
Fewer neighbour disputes regarding the health and wellbeing of dogs in our communities.

Quiz nights continue to be a favourite face to face fundraiser, with RSPCA holding events in Devonport, Launceston and Hobart in July. With wonderful prizes donated from a long list of generous Tasmanians, the events are shaping up to be great fun. Launceston and Devonport are sold out, with a few tables remaining in Hobart.

5 year old Spooky had belonged to an elderly gentleman, who had to go into care. He was rather a shy cat, as he had lived his whole life with just one person, and so it was quite an upheaval for him to be brought to RSPCA. He was adopted a few weeks ago. Here's an update from his new family...

''Adorable in looks and in nature. This gentle giant, although slowly, is adapting to his new forever home. He spends his time by being brushed, having belly rubs, snuggles and playtime. He is teaching us something new about himself every day. This is the first time we have adopted from the RSPCA . We found the process supportive and our experience was a positive one. We LOVE our floof.”

Our Katie Hicks has been fostering little kittens, many of them feisty little tigers, since 2014.

Katie has fostered more than 100 animals.

She, her partner and son all put in the hard work, so it is a real family affair.

I think we can all agree that people like Katie make the world a better place.

Katie was nominated for her volunteer work in the category of Environment, Animal Care and Conservation, and we were proud that she was judged as a finalist

We have many dedicated volunteers, without whom RSPCA couldn't continue our vital work.

They foster little orphan animals in their own homes; help with the daily tasks of caring for animals in our Centres; assist with fundraising; walk dogs and brush cats; mow grass and fix broken fences; transport animals around the state, and much more.

Our gratitude and appreciation for the help of each and every one of our volunteers. We hope they are all proud of the contribution they make to helping RSPCA help Tasmanian animals.

You truly are our heroes.

AWARE-Education Resources for Every Student

We believe education is the key to creating lasting change. Our main aim is to help young people develop responsible and caring behaviour toward animals, preventing animal cruelty and neglect in the long-term.

That’s why RSPCA has developed a series of resources aimed at educating young people about animal welfare.

RSPCA AWARE (Animal Wellbeing: Awareness, Responsibility and Education) provides resources for educators, students and parents. These resources help young people develop knowledge, skills and understandings around improving the welfare of all animals, be they companions, farmed or wild animals.

Hobart’s famous Salamanca Market.

RSPCA Tasmania “doggy-sits” any dogs that are walked to Salamanca Market on Saturday mornings by market-goers. Since January 2018 RSPCA staff have set up a Puppy Parking facility every Saturday to look after these dogs as their owners peruse the Salamanca wares.

Not only is this service of great comfort to dog owning market goers, but it maintains a great relationship for the RSPCA in the south of the Tasmania.

Opening hours
9am – 1pm every Saturday

Community Action Day

New Cat Management Laws introduced this year now require all cats and kittens to be microchipped prior to sale or being given away. With a cohort of our team having completed a microchipping course, we were able to offer to implant microchips at a massively reduced cost.

We microchipped 24 cats and offered advice on how to access our Centrepay Cat Desexing Program

Lorraine Hamilton

Animal Care Centre Manager

Lorraine Hamilton, our Devonport Animal Care Centre Manager, first started her career at the RSPCA 31 years ago. She proves the adage that you can be the change that you want to see in the world.

The number of animals she has cared for in this time is unimaginable. She has managed teams of committed animal carers, inspired volunteers and foster carers and shared her office with all manner of her chargers in need of one on one care.