‘ STRAYS’ PASSED OFF AT RSPCA
PEOPLE are dumping unwanted pets at the RSPCA and claiming they are strays in a bid to get around limits on the number of surrendered animals the shelter accepts. Manager Eileen Fletcher said the organisation would look to prosecute people who lied to rort the system. The RSPCA only accepts two dogs and two cats surrendered by owners each week due to overcrowding at the Bohle shelter. “I get that people might be desperate, but there are other options and they need to be honest with us,” she said. “It’s not nice for the staff to be treated like idiots.” Yesterday, the shelter received a dog from a man who said it was a stray. The man told staff the dog had been checked by a vet and had no microchip. “We scanned the dog and it’s registered to the man who left his name and number as having found the dog,” Ms Fletcher said. “I have informed our inspector because it’s unreasonable abandonment which people can be prosecuted for.
“Additionally, he perjured himself when he signed a legal document that stated he didn’t know the dog or where it came from.”
Another man brought in a “stray” dog that had been found and picked up by his sister.
The RSPCA found images of the dog with the sister and her children on social media.
Another man brought in a dog in advanced stages of cancer, claiming it was a stray, despite having images on Facebook of him with the dog.
Ms Fletcher said the man confessed after being told the dog would go to the pound if he left it because of its poor health.
“We had seven puppies brought in also, which we suspect were not strays as they were strapped in the back seat between two children,” she said.
“We do have emergency surrender that we keep for emergencies such as homelessness, car accidents and domestic violence cases.”