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RSPCA Pack News November 2021

Kitten Season is here!

During kitten season, in the warmer months, it's not unusual to discover a nest of unattended kittens, or a single kitten seemingly abandoned by the mother.

Most people's first reaction is to help BUT WAIT A MOMENT before you take the kittens away, and have a look.

Wait to see if mumma cat is around; she will not come back if you are standing over the kittens.

It is not unusual for a mother cat to be gone several hours. She may also be in the process of moving the kittens from one location to another, especially if you find a lone kitten.

Sprinkle something on the ground, like flour, around the kittens, so you can tell if the mother cat returns.

If you determine the kittens are in imminent danger, such are rain, flooding, or dogs, tom cats, bicycles, traffic, make a call to remove them.

But if the the kittens are not in imminent danger, give them space for their mother to return. 

Don't place food near the kittens because the mother will have deliberately place them away from food sources, to keep them out of the way of other cats.

A healthy litter of kittens will appear dry, sleeping or quiet, with no crust around the eyes.

If you are unsure what to do, please call us on 6709 8100 or another rescue organisation.  

We are looking for a new home-                                                    can you help?

As our Spreyton Animal Care Centre near the end of its tenure, we are looking for a new  home. But the hot property market is working against us. 

We are looking for a space to build or re-purpose for a Cat Management Facility, in the north/north west. We are thinking Meander valley or Northern Midlands but will look at any possible sites, sheds or co-locations.                  (1-4 hectares)

Don't worry, we won't close Spreyton until we are ready to go with our new facility. 

Can you help? email:jdavis@rspcatas.org.au

More and more people are saying Nup to the Cup!

The Melbourne Cup may seem like a harmless day out to get dressed up and enjoy the sunshine, but for those who grew up loving ‘the race that stops a nation,’ the first Tuesday of November is becoming increasingly difficult to watch.

In recent years, the Melbourne Cup has been marred by tragic deaths. Last year, Anthony van Dyck was euthanised after breaking down in the Melbourne Cup, becoming the seventh horse since 2013 to die on Cup Day. Industry representatives will say this is rare, but on average a horse is killed on Australian racetracks every three days.

During the race, horses are so exploited and punished that they will frequently begin to cough up blood, their backs and legs whipped relentlessly – even as they tire and are unable to respond.

Whips are used to wallop horses in every stride of the last 100 metres of a race, an exhausting tactic condemned by equine experts. Whip striking does not improve a horse’s chances of placing, and the act causes localised trauma, swelling and tissue damage with long-term exposure.

It’s our most public form of animal cruelty – and something that would be a prosecutable offence if it took place away from the track.

Many will have their tongues tied uncomfortably to their jaw, in an attempt to stop them ‘choking’ or evading the bit when it causes them discomfort. In recognition of the welfare issues, tongue ties have been banned or restircted in other countries.

But injury and death aren’t the only on-track welfare risks – Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Haemorrhage (EIPH) is another one. The exertion of the races causes 75% of horses to bleed into their lungs and windpipe. A recent study conducted on Victorian racecourses has shown that some degree of EIPH may occur in up to 75% of racehorses, and that 55.3% of starters had some degree of EIPH on post-race endoscopic examination.

And, while a select few ex-racehorses and trotters will go on to enjoy a happy retirement, many will exit racing prematurely due to poor performance, illness, injury or behavioural problems, and will have an uncertain fate.

So what can you do?

Don’t be afraid to express your concerns – we know there are many people out there feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the spectacle of racing in its current form.

A recent independent poll has shown that a clear majority of Australians (55%) agree that racing animals like horses for gambling and entertainment is cruel.

Melbourne Cup Day is now being turned on its head as many people are ditching their fascinators and sweepstakes and saying “Nup to the Cup!” Instead of having a flutter, they are donating to help out rescue racehorses, or another animal charity.

In these ways, you can help turn the ‘First Tuesday in November’ into an opportunity to celebrate and honour beautiful animals and really do something positive to help them.


Mercury article on this topic

 Still a few spots available for Hobart this weekend

 email events@rspcatas.org.au

 The Launceston ARC reopens with new walk in cat habitats 

The RSPCA has had many face-lifts over the 140 years our organisation has been in existence. Refurbishing our Launceston Adoption and Retail Centre (ARC) at 3/207 Invermay Road, is the next step in our planning to upgrade facilities and to continue the conversation about our hub and spoke model.

Whilst we search for our new hub, replacing the ageing Spreyton facility, we continue to improve our spokes, Adoption & Retail Centres, with the view to obtain Socially Conscious Sheltering (SCS) accreditation. 

This model grew out of the "no kill' movement, providing a counterpoint which  encompasses the complexities of shelter management. Socially Conscious Sheltering works through the multifaceted issues surrounding the care for unwanted animals, providing a framework for assessing the needs of each animal within the specific community's context. 

SCS has eight tenets which ensure that animals are safely placed into appropriate homes, that their medical needs are well managed and that difficult decisions to euthanase are made by appropriately qualified professionals, with the best interest of the animal at the centre of those decisions.  

 Find out more at http://scsheltering.org/

RSPCA Tasmania’s purpose is to create and support meaningful connections by enhancing the lives of companion animals and the people in our community who love them, and we are excited to be furthering this cause by improving the animal habitats at our Launceston facility. 

Opening 7 days a week in the run up to Christmas 3/207 Invermay Road.

Opening hours
Read what the Examiner had to say about our ARC

 Duckling season has ducks on the waddle:                                            what to do if you find ducks in need


Duckling season has commenced and with this, RSPCA Tasmania, BirdLife Tasmania and Bonorong are encouraging the community to be on the lookout for ducklings who have been separated from their parents and raising awareness of how to respond and care for ducks in need. 

Ducks will commonly choose to nest in suburban backyards and protected public spaces, using their motherly instincts to find protected places to nest in safety. 
 
By seeking a nesting site away from her home watercourse and predators, a mother duck increases the chance of her ducklings’ survival.  Within just 24 hours of hatching, parent ducks will escort their ducklings back to their home territory, which is sometimes when ducklings become separated from their parents and may require assistance from the public. 

We ask the community to arm themselves with knowledge of what to do if they find ducklings who have lost their way. 

“This short trip is the most important of a duckling’s life,” RSPCA CEO Jan Davis said.

“If you do come across ducklings who have been separated, often the parents will not be far away. The best approach is to observe the ducklings at a safe distance until their parents return. If after a few hours, you’re still concerned about the welfare of the ducklings, you should contact Bonorong or a local wildlife carer in the first instance” Dr Eric Woehler, Convenor of BirdLife Tasmania said today.


“The Bonorong wildlife volunteer rescue service often gets calls about ducklings and each is a case by case situation. The rescue service can be contacted on 0447 264 625 on a 24/7 basis. Sometimes despite what we might think as duck parent neglect is actually normal protect and shepherd behaviour but other times the ducklings are alone, and may be for example in a place like a busy car park, where they are in imminent danger.  Calling the rescue hotline and talking through the situation will be the best outcome for the ducklings and their parents.”  Greg Irons Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary.  

Australia is home to 17 native duck species, with the most common the Pacific Black Duck and the Australian Wood Duck. 

How to help lost or displaced ducklings;

  1. Avoid intervening to give them their best chance of survival. 
  2. Don't remove the ducklings less they are in imminent danger- the parents can often be nearby and we don't want to scare them and have them fly off.
  3. Keep a safe distance. Scrutiny from people can make parent ducks extremely stressed and they may abandon their ducklings.
  4. If safe, alert oncoming traffic and allow the family to cross roads safely. Always make sure no one puts themselves at risk in order to help the ducks across the road.
Save our Wild Ducks

RSPCA in the Courts

The charge brought by RSPCA Prosecution was the first time a person was accused of conduct ‘likely to cause pain or suffering’. Even though the dog did not in fact suffer harm, there was a very good chance it could have. Magistrate Marron, hearing the case, said what the defendant had done was ‘an incredibly dangerous procedure.’

Having viewed the object which the defendant inserted into the dog, Magistrate Marron said he only had to look at it to reach the conclusion that what was done was likely to cause pain or suffering. He said he could not imagine the level of stupidity it took to do that, and pointed out that the owners should have taken the dog to a veterinary surgeon once they realised the tube used in an attempt to artificially inseminate the dog had become detached. He referred to the evidence of veterinarian Dr Andrew Byrne, noting that a veterinarian would have recovered the tube using proper procedures, probably with ultrasound to guide the use of veterinary instruments.

Magistrate Marron imposed a fine of $5,000, which is amongst the largest fines ever imposed in a Tasmanian court for animal cruelty.

"A Little Ray of Christmas"

Drop into Ray White in Launceston, at 189 Charles Street, to participate in the agency's annual Christmas fundraiser, "A Little Ray of Christmas".

A huge thank you to the team at Ray White for thinking of us. 

The Clarence Dog's Day Out was postponed due to bad weather. It has been rescheduled to Saturday, November, 14th.  Fingers crossed for calmer weather. 

Pop in to Simmons Park, Lindisfarne, to see what this fabulous day out is all about. 

Dog's Day Out

Find the RSPCA at Pet Expo on Saturday, November 20th, at the Launceston Silverdome. 


Pet Expo
 

 

To learn more, give us a call on 6709 8100, or visit rspcatas.org.au

 

RSPCA Tasmania Ltd

PO Box 66 Mowbray. Tasmania  7248   P: 03 6709 8105

E: adawkins@rspcatas.org.au  W: rspcatas.org.au

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