MARK ALDRIDGE
Political & civils rights advocate, animal lover & state co-ordinator for the Australian Federation Party
Debra Tranter of Oscars law, labels animal welfare activist “supporter of animal & child abuse and paedophilia”, for rescuing animals and protecting children?
I used to hold Miss Tranter in some esteem, and the idealism behind Oscars law is a very good one, but recent interactions have muddied the water.
It was such a shock to see a person I held in high regard, attacking my good name with accusations I supported animal abuse and even more so that I supported child abuse and pedophilia, because I have been a very loud advocate for child welfare for over a decade.
In the past few years I have held a series of South Australia’s largest rallies to bring attention to short falls in support services for both children and the companion animal sector.
Debra @DebraTranter 7h @Meegz2010 @msdrookie the only people who voted for him are puppy farmers, backyard breeders & pedo's?
The attacks on me did not stop there, there were hundreds. These attacks went on for months, and as much as I tried to ignore her, in the hope she would concentrate on what I thought she did best, she then expanded those attacks to my friends and family, even my disabled son.
Posts like this are all over the internet, my running mate in the state election has been a scout leader for many years, so he has also been labelled a pedophile, what vile behavior from any internet user.
Internet trolls can do some serious damage, as many of my friends have found out, because even though I immediately blocked Tranter so as to try and ignore her nasty attacks on family and I, hoping she would move on, simply resulted in her making up various new accounts and expanding her attacks to include friends and family.
A few inquiries later and most of those I look up to in animal welfare have also fallen victims to Malicious attacks by Tranter, in her latest tirade she attacks The Australian Alliance animal welfare division, other rescuers and a variety of activists, so what is Miss Tranter up to?
In her her most recent tirade, she attacks rally's being held to support children with disability's, as if that offends her, where I have always believed empathy for animals and children went hand in hand.
It is still hard to believe that by asking people not to terrorize disadvantaged children in their own home, would start so much abuse from a person who comes across and a very educated and compassionate woman.
Animal welfare has always had a place in my heart from a young age, my mother reminds me often of how I was always bringing home stray animals, in recent years it has become a big part of my life, resulting in me taking a very strong interest in most aspects of animal legislation.
My wife also holds these same values, and as a result we help many in need, including Willow grove sanctuary of Peg Solomon, when willow grove was forced to shut due to Peg’s age and general health, and we heard many of the animals would be put down, our hands went up, and we built a sanctuary on our property “Willow wood” hence Willow wood native wildlife sanctuary.
My wife is the real hero of the sanctuary; I just get easy jobs doing the rescues, the repairs and finding the funds, through opening a second business.
When the QLD floods destroyed so many smaller rescues and sanctuary’s like ourselves, I used my political profile and media contacts to raise both money and food donations, which were to be shipped up by truck, when the truck let us down, I was forced to drag out my hot-rod, borrow a huge trailer and head up myself.
It was here I realised how many great people we have in animal rescue.
My wife and I have worked with many groups over the recent years, making many friends in the animal rescue and welfare industry, and we were also big supporters of the RSPCA and the AWL, for us it has always been about the animals and their right to life.
My varied political interests have covered a range of issues over the past 15 years, but rights and liberty based debate is the easiest way to cover them all in short.
It wasn’t until I intervened as spokesperson for Moorook animal shelter, to deal with an RSPCA intervention, that I realized just how many problems we had when it comes to transparent and educated support for our companion animal sector.
The issues became many, and most were coming from the very people most Australians would see as the leaders in the industry.
It has taken some time to realize that most if not all of the issues stem from the same idealism, that of those in positions of power being blinded by a very narrow view of how an animal should be treated, a very sterile one indeed. On top of this support services are now pushed aside in favor of prosecution which undermines the best interests of the animals themselves.
Coming from the political arena, these same views are apparently adopted by many in positions of power, one of knowing better, and taking the approach that if they believe any person is in the wrong based on their narrow views, it is their duty to spin their position regardless of the facts.
I will apply my views on this issue to Miss Tranter, but they could also be applied to the RSPCA, a complaint is received, she heads out to investigate, and ensures her time results in a story, rather than taking a proactive approach, like educating, supporting or even embracing the whole truth.
I can see where she is coming from, exposing issues in the animal welfare to further her stance and objectives, in the same way the RSPCA will spin a story painting them as the national heroes, does open peoples eyes but at what cost to genuine animal welfare?
The problem here is that justice plays no part in the story, only the worst pictures are published to paint a picture, the victim is never allowed to tell their side of the story, and neither Tranter or the RSPCA offer support services where they would result in the best outcome for the animals.
In most recent interventions by Tranter, animals supposedly rescued that end up in the RSPCA could be euthanized at a rate of around 50 to 70%, rather than any short comings in their housing being addressed. Obviously when it comes to puppy farms the issue is what is a puppy farm, and what should be legal and the like, it is here that Debras voice is most needed.
If there are 5 tubs of water, the empty one is photographed, if the animals are well kept, the one cage that is the dirtiest is the one that makes the headlines, in fact I have seen credible evidence that some photo evidence is deliberately doctored at times to support their allegations.
Where this makes a mockery of animal welfare, is in many cases the owners are animal lovers with the resources and will to help animals in need, this is very evident in many recent cases. It seems puppy farms are not the only agenda, So let’s look at Miss Tranters attacks on my good name.
Some time ago a woman came to see me about issues she was enduring with the RSPCA, I looked at her supporting evidence, and could see that some intervention was necessary; I had doubts that the RSPCA would indeed do the right thing, but she had council, so I decided not to intervene.
Several months later, having run out of funds, this woman was left to plea bargain with the RSPCA, and as a result was convicted of several accounts of animal cruelty relating to horses that had arrived in poor condition, an issue for all animal carers in recent times.
The information relating to the case in question clearly indicated that intervention was warranted, and Tranters intervention was indeed worthy.
She was allowed by the court to keep many animals, which shows clearly that her intention was not to cause intentional abuse, more so that she needed guidance, and just maybe a fairer hearing or at least professional representation until the end of the court procedures.
Debate on what we label animal abuse appears just as pertinent as the question "What is a puppy farm", failure to mitigate harm takes its place at the top of animal abuse cases, but rarely accepts the ideal some people were just doing their best. When intention is no longer a part of the process, neither is justice.
The original complaint supposedly came from Debra Tranter of Oscars law, who all but admitted on twitter to breaking into the property and taking photos for the RSPCA. Many of Debra’s raids result in animals being seized by the RSPCA, even though the facts are clear, that up to 70% can be killed by them.
The court orders infuriated Debra Tranter, as they were not in line with her expectations, so she posted on line selected photos and the woman’s details, which sparked public outrage and of course increased support for Oscars law, the first issue here is that this was not a puppy farm.
The issue that drew me in was a call from the woman in question, because people were threatening her in her home and driving past terrifying her children, making it worse this was a very quiet rural location, so I went to the Oscars law page and read hundreds of threats supporting vigilante actions against this woman.
Similar vigilante approaches through social networking are known to have dire consequences as seen in many similar cases exposed in a variety of recent media articles.
What made all this worse is only a narrow view of the truth was being presented by Oscars law, painting the picture of what this woman had done in its worst light, I chose to ignore that fact, and only made comment that such threats and vigilante actions were not in the best interests of justice, as there were young children in the home..
That was all that was needed for Debra Tranter and some of her supporters to attack me on line through social networks and twitter, calling me an animal abuser and a support of the same.
Debra Tranter accused me of supporting animal abusers, puppy farms and even that I was supporter of pedophilia, and outrageous accusation of the worst kind, all this for wanting to protect children from fear and intimidation.
This only goes to prove a point; people must always hear both sides of a story to ensure the truth is their only motivator. I messaged Tranter to have a chat as adults, this made her even angrier, so from the onset, mediation and support was not on the agenda, and this attitude is also a strong part of how her friends at the RSPCA also work.
So here we have a person supposedly into animal welfare attacking another with the same interests, all because I simply asked that people not terrify innocent children, the RSPCA have taken the same approach with me, more so in relation to my position as spokesperson for Moorook Animal shelter.
The RSPCA entered the shelter, took 9 animals based on behaviour, and existing health issues, which were all being treated, killed most then went on to charge the owner under animal cruelty, sending a clear message that rescuing animals can result in charges by the very organisation we would have expected to step in and support or congratulate the owner.
There should be no place in this fine nation for authorities or activists that think they are the law or even worse are above the law, full stop.
If Debra Tranter is willing to attack innocent people, even those she has never met in such a vile manner, can we trust any evidence she puts forward?
Miss Tranter has been before the courts on many occasions, convicted of many issues and supposedly banned in her home state from being near some property’s that have animals, other charges easily found through Google searches include recklessly causing injury, assault with a weapon and reckless conduct endangering life.
She has stolen dogs and had to return them, and convicted of theft, including Oscar himself, which she is purported to have purchased back 18 months later.
It is also interesting to note that Miss Tranter works closely with the RSPCA in most states, in fact very well with the RSPCA in SA, the very people who kill more healthy animals than they re-home.
When this occurred I contacted many good friends in animal welfare, only to find they also had been attacked in a similar way to what I have endured, which to be honest is very sad for animal welfare.
Tranter just never stopped for months and months, unfounded defamatory attacks on my self, my family and any person who dare stand up for me, she even went to the media hoping they would support her in her tirad of abuse.
The other common message was that all of us in animal welfare that dare question the RSPCA, have also been targeted by Tranter, which paints a sorry picture of her intentions.
The law is what needs addressing and exposing the truth is the right thing to do, and I applaud Tranter for going to such lengths to bring the truth out in the open, but it must be the whole truth and nothing but the truth, or her actions become unacceptable.
Oscars law deserves better, it needs to take a proactive and honest approach, to define what is a puppy farm, to educate at all levels about the need to take the right to life of all animals seriously, and to help promote legislative change based on educated debate.
It is a no brainer that Tranter has huge support as does the ideals of Oscars law, no one wants to see photos of animals living in horrid conditions, or bread like farmed animals, but that support appears to have gone to her head, time for her to reflect and look seriously at what she hopes to achieve, because unity is by far the best way forward, tempered with humility and truth.
The RSPCA also need to return to their grass roots, step up and support animal carers, and use their funds in the best way possible to overcome short falls in animal welfare, rather than misusing their awarded powers.
Debra Tranter calls me a supporter of animal abusers and child abusers, where I simply stepped into ensure the safety of children being intimidated and threatened as a result of Tranters own actions, the same person who breaks into peoples property’s and steals animals, that may end up being killed or abused as a result, some thing is very wrong in animal welfare.
We must take a united approach to animal welfare, and all this could have been avoided by a simple phone call, it is this division that undermines progressive reform, and it is the "I know best approach" that undermines justice.
Mark Aldridge