kawerau spca - speak up about animal abuse
What do you do if you’re visiting a friend, relative, workmate or neighbour and you notice something’s not right about the treatment of an animal on their property? If you are ever in this awkward situation, here’s the question you need to ask yourself. What is in the best interest of the animal? If it is being mistreated and the situation needs to change for the better, then it must be reported. You must do something. People can look after themselves, animals cannot.
The dog in the photo was almost starved to death and no one noticed. Or if they did, they didn’t report it. It was only thanks to a policeman carrying out his duties that the animal was seen and the SPCA alerted. The dog was close to death and survived by the slimmest of margins. It eventually recovered and has now been rehomed. So much pain and suffering could have been avoided if someone had simply spoken up.
When you call the SPCA it will be treated in complete confidence. Your name will never be made known to the owner of the animal you are concerned about. Help is available outside of normal working hours via the emergency phone number provided on each centre’s answerphone, but only for genuine emergencies. Never worry about your concern being a false alarm. The SPCA would rather investigate and find that all is well, rather than have serious cases of abuse going unreported.
Animal welfare education is part of what the SPCA does, so a call to them may result in a visit to an owner to teach them some better ways of caring for their pet. That’s a really good thing to happen. Everybody wins because you had the courage to pick up the phone and let someone know what was happening. The owner learns better ways of looking after his/her animal, the animal itself is better off, and you can sleep better knowing you have done the right thing.
If you have a problem with your own animal and you don’t know what to do, or your pet is suffering and you don’t have the resources to do the right thing, then contact the SPCA. In New Zealand there is a legal requirement for anyone who owns an animal to seek help for it if the animal sustains an injury, becomes ill or is suffering. You will not get in trouble for asking for advice, but you may be prosecuted if you do nothing. Animals cannot speak for themselves, so it is up to their owners and members of the public to do that for them.
©Kawerau SPCA - July 2015
"We speak for those who cannot speak for themselves."
The dog in the photo was almost starved to death and no one noticed. Or if they did, they didn’t report it. It was only thanks to a policeman carrying out his duties that the animal was seen and the SPCA alerted. The dog was close to death and survived by the slimmest of margins. It eventually recovered and has now been rehomed. So much pain and suffering could have been avoided if someone had simply spoken up.
When you call the SPCA it will be treated in complete confidence. Your name will never be made known to the owner of the animal you are concerned about. Help is available outside of normal working hours via the emergency phone number provided on each centre’s answerphone, but only for genuine emergencies. Never worry about your concern being a false alarm. The SPCA would rather investigate and find that all is well, rather than have serious cases of abuse going unreported.
Animal welfare education is part of what the SPCA does, so a call to them may result in a visit to an owner to teach them some better ways of caring for their pet. That’s a really good thing to happen. Everybody wins because you had the courage to pick up the phone and let someone know what was happening. The owner learns better ways of looking after his/her animal, the animal itself is better off, and you can sleep better knowing you have done the right thing.
If you have a problem with your own animal and you don’t know what to do, or your pet is suffering and you don’t have the resources to do the right thing, then contact the SPCA. In New Zealand there is a legal requirement for anyone who owns an animal to seek help for it if the animal sustains an injury, becomes ill or is suffering. You will not get in trouble for asking for advice, but you may be prosecuted if you do nothing. Animals cannot speak for themselves, so it is up to their owners and members of the public to do that for them.
©Kawerau SPCA - July 2015
"We speak for those who cannot speak for themselves."
