Biosecurity Fact Sheet
Current as at June 2017
Reporting Animal Cruelty or
Neglect
Reporting Animal Cruelty or Neglect
Thankfully, acts of extreme cruelty towards animals are rare in Tasmania. The overwhelming
majority of animal welfare complaints in Tasmania are the result of neglect or ignorance (or
often a combination thereof).
If you see any of the welfare problems listed below, or anything else you think might be a
welfare problem, you should report it to the RSPCA – see the contact details below.
Confidentiality
If you make a report, it is entirely your choice whether you give your name but please
understand that, if you make a report anonymously, it will not be possible to report back to
you on any investigation.
What should you report?
While there can be many different kinds of animal welfare issues, the most common in
Tasmania are:
 Failure to provide appropriate nutrition. Affected animals may look unhealthily
skinny. Please bear in mind that elderly livestock and horses can look quite skinny yet
be healthy;
 Failure to provide basic health care. This means an animal that is flyblown, is severely
lame, is scouring badly or has any other obvious health problem that is not being
treated;
 Failure to treat disease or injury. This includes an animal that has an untreated
broken leg, has advanced cancer, is a “downer” (i.e. cannot stand) and any case of
high mortalities;
 Failure to provide clean water;
 Failure to provide adequate shelter. This includes prolonged tethering in the open in
adverse weather conditions;
 Obesity and a lack of exercise;
 Overstocking/hoarding. In most such cases, the living conditions for the animals are
appalling;
 Overgrown fleeces on sheep or angora goats. But please note that a few breeds shed
their fleeces naturally and they can look a mess over the weeks it takes for all the
fleece to shed;
 Dog attacks on, in particular, sheep and goats. Note: Dog attacks on animals, or
other dogs, should be reported directly to your local council.
Biosecurity Tasmania
Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Env ironment
Biosecurity Fact Sheet
Current as at June 2017
Reporting Animal Cruelty or
Neglect
The type of information that would help
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The precise location of the issue. Please bear in mind that some rural properties
are extensive, so the more detail you can give as to where the affected animals are
would help greatly. In such cases, a GPS location is ideal but, if that is not possible,
the name of the road and the distance from a landmark would be sufficient.
The extent of the welfare issue. Essentially, whether it needs immediate
attention or whether it can be looked at the next time an inspector is in the area.
A photo. But please understand that this will not constitute evidence for any
prosecution that might follow – see below. If you can take a photo and email or text
it, it would help assess the situation and whether there is a need to prioritise it
ahead of other reports currently being investigated.
What NOT to do
Gathering evidence for a prosecution is a highly- specialised task and usually requires legal
authority. It should only be done by people trained in evidence- gathering. Any “evidence”
collected by untrained or unauthorised people is likely to be inadmissible as evidence in
court and may even undermine a case that ought to be prosecuted.
You should not go onto the property uninvited. Again, such action may compromise a
prosecution.
More importantly, some people who are cruel to animals may also be violent towards
humans. Animal welfare inspectors are trained to deal with potentially violent situations.
While some cases of animal cruelty are such that you may be tempted to “go to the media”,
you need to be aware that doing that can, in some circumstances, compromise our
investigations and/or any subsequent court proceedings. Please note that the media is free
to report when charges are laid under the Animal Welfare Act and when any subsequent
court proceedings take place - and often does so.
Biosecurity Tasmania
Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Env ironment
Biosecurity Fact Sheet
Current as at June 2017
Reporting Animal Cruelty or
Neglect
What happens when you report?
Animal welfare inspectors are usually quite busy, so your report is assigned a priority, based
on the information you provide. If the animal is not in immediate danger, other more urgent
reports may take priority.
Decisions about how to handle a report are based on the particular circumstances, as
reported, and any past dealings the inspectors may have had with the people or property
reported. However, as a general guide:
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If the welfare issue is relatively minor, and can be easily remedied and the person
responsible does not have a history of animal welfare problems, the inspector will
advise him/her what needs to be done and then pay a return visit to check that the
problem has been resolved. Further action is unlikely unless the welfare problem has
not been fixed;
If the welfare issue is relatively minor but the person responsible has a history of
animal welfare problems, the inspector may issue a formal order to fix the problem.
An infringement notice (i.e. a fine) may also be issued. A return visit will determine
whether or not further action is warranted;
If the welfare problem is more serious, the inspector may issue a formal order to fix
the problem and an infringement notice. The person will receive further visits until
the inspector is satisfied he or she has made the changes necessary to prevent animal
welfare problems into the future. Those visits are likely to include close inspection of
other animals on the property;
If an animal is in significant distress, the inspector takes such action as is necessary to
fix that. Typically that may include veterinary intervention and/or may involve
removal of the animals from the property. The welfare of other animals on the
property is investigated. The person may be prosecuted rather than issued with an
infringement notice;
If an animal is in extreme distress, such action is taken as is necessary to fix that. It
may involve euthanasing the animal(s) or removing them from the property. If the
animal’s suffering appears to be the result of an offence, evidence is gathered for a
formal prosecution.
To report
RSPCA Tasmania Inspectorate Ph 1300 139 947
Email [email protected]
Biosecurity Tasmania
Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Env ironment