Animal neglect prompts warning
A LITTER of severely emaciated Woree pups and a dog have been seized by RSPCA officers as the organisation tries to tackle what it says is a statewide wave of extreme animal cruelty.
The dogs were taken from their owner within a week of instances in Toowoomba and Brisbane where dogs were seized in similarly distressing cases of neglect.
“Sadly, we are often forced to take in animals that have been severely neglected, but these recent cases have been particularly disturbing,” RSPCA Queensland chief inspector Daniel Young said. “The dogs are emaciated and all have come in within a week. We’re not sure what’s going on but it’s a statewide issue.”
He said there was no excuse for pet owners to neglect their animals and people who did leave their animals to become emaciated would face serious legal ramifications.
“Failure to provide adequate food, water and shelter is an offence and carries a maximum term of imprisonment of one year and a fine of over $30,000. If you are feeding your animal and it is still losing condition, you need to take it to a vet,” he said.
Mr Young warned against people taking vigilante action as it could reduce the punishment neglectful owners face.
“In a recent case, someone who wasn’t the original complainant published photos and the address of a person we were already investigating. Because of this, the person fled the property with the animal and we’re now trying to track them down,” he said.
“When people form social media lynch mobs … it can have a major impact on the penalties handed down when offenders go before the court.
“Magistrates can reduce the penalty because they believe they have already been punished, or are likely to be further punished, by embarrassment and harassment in the public arena.”