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Channel 7 Today Tonight - Moorook Animal Shelter v RSPCA |
Channel 7 SA segment on Today/Tonight about the Moorook Animal Shelter drama where the RSPCA have charged Lola McLachlan (the owner/operator) with cruelty because she took in several old and abandoned... |
Count 1. Bear (male cattle dog cross
bread) charge ill-treatment of an animal, the RSPCA allege, chronic
arthritis, some disease to the kidney and liver, internal parasites? Dental
disease.(taken by the RSPCA and put down immediately)
What we know, he was a 14 year old red healer,
weight 30 to 35kg, eating and socialising well, a resident of Moorook for over
3 years, walking well on lead, enjoyed his pool, he was holding his weight, in
a larger enclosure, all 3 vet nurses believed him to be comfortable, initial and subsequent vet checks passed him. He was receiving cartrophin courses every 6 months and
diet light and mature, which had fish oil, calcium for the joints ect, sentinel
and front line were also provided This was explained to the RSPCA
Bear was brought to Moorook as his owner went into
a nursing home, Lola looked after him and the owner would visit from the
nursing home, when the owner passed away be bequeathed bear to Lola, who
offered him a home for life, vet checks in showed him to be in good condition,
lola’s only intent was to love and home him until his end days.
2.
Brandy (female staffordshire bull terrier) Charges owner
failed to take steps to mitigate harm suffered to the animal, puncture wounds,
eye infection, pressure sores on the hocks.
Brandy was seriously injured by mistreatment, RSPCA
were called and a complaint laid against the owner, the RSPCA refused to
intervene, so Moorook did, they rescued Brandy and raised thousands to have a
limb that was damaged beyond repair removed, spending thousands of dollars, the
leg was removed, and vet treatment was ongoing, videos and photos confirm the
dog was in good condition when taken by the RSPCA, vet reports confirm her good
condition.
Sores to the hocks are disputed, and if they were
indeed evident, they would be the result of the removal of one leg in any
event, no puncture marks were evident and she was not able to interact with
other dogs in either of her enclosures, our vets dispute also the lower lid
entropian, and confirm a scratch to the eye. This was explained to the
RSPCA
This dog was advertised as dog and cat aggressive
so volunteers knew not to mix her, the RSPCA took Brandy, so it is probable any
dog bites if they existed happened post seizure.
So Where is she now?
3.
Brandy again, charge owner failed to provide adequate living
conditions. (Current condition unknown)
Brandy lived in a larger enclosure, but missed
company, so while workers were cleaning she was brought down from the back into
a smaller enclosure the morning of the raid, so he had company, the enclosure
he was in when the RSPCA raided Moorook, was an approved design, but one that
was not preferred by Moorook for a dog of her size, the enclosure meets all
standards, and was 1.2 x 2.4m concrete, but was no longer being used, in any event this was explained to the RSPCA, and
the enclosure met with all current legislation
The usual enclosure is a 4 x 5 m concreted area
with good fencing a pool, and a kennel (photo to come)
4. Gansta (American bulldog) Demodecosis
Gansta had been dropped off to Moorook 10 days
earlier from the Mildura pound, he had mange, as I call it, he was being
treated and was in a safe enclosure, treatment details were advised to the
RSPCA on the day by Moorooks vet nurse, and the meds were shown. (no photos,
but information from the pound that dropped him off, is available, and credible
witness statements
Picture to the left, and statements from the pound from
here he was rescued show he arrived with the skin disease, the mange was
treatable.
5. Tommy (pictured) (male Kelpie cross) charges;
Advanced glaucoma, arthritis, dental disease(put down by the RSPCA)
Tommy was active, fit and still enjoying life,
photos and videos are available, ongoing treatment to ensure he was
comfortable, he could not be adopted out as he did not like being out of his
known enclosure due to loss of eyesight. Pictures and videos confirm he was
happy and still enjoying life.
6. White kitten, complaints respiratory illness
(put down immediately by the RSPCA)
This kitten was dumped at the shelter the night
before, and was quarantined by Lola, and treated immediately with vivabret and
eye cleanser and was to be taken to a vet on the morning of the raid by the
RSPCA at 8.00 am in the morning. The
RSPCA were informed of this fact.
The Kittens condition was treatable in any respect
and would have been.
7. Wombles
(pictured), Cronic hydrocephalus
Wombles (10 years old) was much loved by all the
volunteers and photos and videos taken days before show he was still in good
spirits, and moving about very well, the volunteers and vet nurses on site,
believed in their opinion, he was still enjoying his life without adverse suffering.
Wombles arrived with the loss if 1 eye and one ear,
and had passed vet checks, and was a very popular boy indeed.
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The RSPCA SA are charging Lola of Moorook shelter for allowing Wombles to live |
Charges laid by the RSPCA SA on the owner of Moorook animal shelter include cruelty charges for this dog, he was taken by the RSPCA and put down, and Lola is being charged with cruelty offences by the... |
This video
link show him a few weeks before the RSPCA raid, Wombles had been at Moorook
for around 4 years, so had been seen by the RSPCA on several occasions without
any concern for his health, in April 2012 the RSPCA did a full inspection and
they visited again in or around November only 4 months before the animal was seized and put down, and the shelter operator then being charged.
Veterinary reports, personal accounts, vet nurses
and video and photographic evidence show all the charges against Lola to be
frivolous in my eyes. All up 8 dogs were taken, in the most for what the RSPCA
deemed behavioural issues,
I am presently unaware of legislation that allows
an animal to be taken under this heading, the RSPCA’s own facts and figures
clearly show animals in their care with behavioural issues are put down,
begging the question “Why take them from a safe home in the first place” some
photos of the dogs taken under this heading are below.
Veterinary reports and witness statements will be
used in the courts to ensure Lola is cleared of charges, being charged for
doing ones best to rescue animals is obscene.
This is buddy taken for behavioural issues? Yet now the RSPCA has him up for adoption it is believed, some how they accessed his behaviour in a matter of minutes yet he was receiving love and support where he was, so what right and under what law can they threaten to seize him?
Consider this, the RSPCA turn up and threaten to take your animals, the threat is "sign them over to us" or we will seize them.
If we are forced to seize them, we will charge you vet bills, storage fees, and feed, which could go on for months, and cost you tens of thousands, so under DURESS, you sign them over.
What if they had no right to seize the animals? and they lie to you and using intimidation to coheres you to sign them over, would that be considered legal?
Or what if they told you of you signed them over, you will not face charges, then after the fact they charged you?
What if they told the public that they cant home the animals, as they have been seized, yet they have been signed over?
If the RSPCA do the wrong thing, who do we make a complaint to?
Should animals be taken from safe enclosures under the heading of behaviour, when the shelter they were taken from had professional behaviourist trainers available?
If a shelter takes in an injured or abused animal and it is being provided with professional care, and is housed in approved enclosure, should the animal be seized and the owner charged?
Another taken from a clean legal enclosure
under “Behavioural issues” below, the RSPCA are empowered by the animal welfare Act to police cases of abuse and neglect, yet in this case that does not appear to be the case. When parliament wrote the Act, I seriously doubt it was to undermine the work of other carers and shelters. The general community would prefer to see the RSPCA with their huge multimillion dollar profits (accumulated excesses of over 14 million) step in to support places like Moorook Animal shelter.
After the initial raid on Moorook and after several subsequent could find no fault with the animals in Moorooks care, in fact Moorook has continued to home around 7 dogs a week since, and many cats as well, all in the most death row animals, with out any government or RSPCA support of finances.
The only orders placed on Moorook other than the above charges were simple and very much minor in they included minor maintenance to a hand full of enclosures based around loose wire and fencing the result of jumping dogs, exercise orders that were already being complied with and concrete to 8 enclosures to suit strict shelter guidelines.
When the RSPCA foster out animals, they indeed live in normal back yard environments, which should reflect on the fact the only enclosures that work was ordered on indeed met those same standards in the first place.
The RSPCA have every right to make decisions on animals in their care, like behavioural issues that see thousands of dogs and cats killed by them every year, but that right does not allow them to make that decision for other shelter operations, the dog below was taken from a safe environment under "Behavioural issues" :(