INSIDE THIS ISSUE• Update on “Stop Puppy Farming” laws

• COVID-19: Impact on RSPCA WA

• Benji the little battler

• Charlie finds his new home

SAGE’S STORY It’s hard to think about how poor Sage would’ve been feeling before she was rescued – probably sore, swollen and utterly desperate. But your support brought hope to this new mum. Because of you, she’s now safe and receiving the best possible care (and her five pups are growing up fast!)

(Story continues inside…)

RSPCA WA is the state’s leading animal welfare charity, dedicated to improving the lives of all animals throughout the state.

JUNE 2020

Help arrives – thanks to you! In late April, 11-month-old Sage had just given birth to a litter of puppies. But instead of enjoying feeding and caring for her newborns, Sage was in pain.

She’d developed mastitis, an infection in her mammary glands. And her owners couldn’t afford to take her to the vet.

In distress, Sage had chewed off two of her own nipples – but it only made the pain worse.

Thankfully, a concerned member of the public called RSPCA WA’s Cruelty Hotline for help.

If left untreated, mastitis can be fatal – so, for Sage, that call may have saved her life.

Because of your kind donations, RSPCA WA Inspector Genna was able to respond to the report. The owners agreed that they were overwhelmed with caring for mum and pups so surrendered Sage and five puppies into our care.

They were checked over by a local vet, and Sage was prescribed pain relief so she could comfortably travel to RSPCA’s Animal Care Centre in Malaga for treatment.

On arrival, vets noted Sage was underweight… despite everything, she’d continued feeding her puppies – a devoted mum with nothing left to give.

On top of the swelling and pain caused by her mastitis, Sage’s self-inflicted wounds had become infected.

It would’ve been too painful for her to continue feeding, so her puppies Basil, Jalapeño, Parsley, Paprika and Fennel were placed with a foster carer experienced in hand-rearing neo-natal puppies.

“STOP PUPPY FARMING” UPDATE Sage and her puppies are an example of how quickly things can get out of hand when backyard breeders lack the knowledge and financial means to properly care for their animals. It’s why the Dog Amendment (Stop Puppy Farming) Bill 2020, which was introduced to WA Parliament earlier this year, is so important. While the process of this Bill proceeding through Parliament has been delayed by COVID-19, RSPCA WA is using this time to talk to politicians about the benefits these new laws would bring. Rest assured, we continue to fight for better welfare for dogs and puppies in WA.

You can help by letting your local MP know that these reforms are important to you and that, as your representative, you expect them to support the new laws when they eventually reach Parliament.

Meanwhile, the vet team worked carefully to clean and bandage Sage’s wounds, and she was prescribed pain medication and antibiotics to treat the infection in her mammary glands and uterus.

She was also fed puppy food – kindly donated by Hill’s Pet Nutrition – to help her gain weight. Sage has been through so much, but she’s being very strong and continues to show signs of improvement each day.

Once the puppies are old enough, they’ll be desexed, vaccinated, microchipped and rehomed. We hope it won’t be long before Sage is ready for her loving new home, too.

Basil and Parsley in foster care The pups were bottle-fed by their loving foster carer

Benji the little battler In April, Benji was found wandering the streets by a member of the public. His fur was thick and matted, and he couldn’t close his mouth properly.

RSPCA WA was contacted for help, and we managed to locate Benji’s owners, who said he’d been injured by a bigger dog some time ago. The owners surrendered little Benji into our care. Thanks to your generosity, he would finally get the treatment he needed.

X-rays showed part of Benji’s lower jaw was hanging loose - connected only by soft tissue. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be reattached, and a specialist confirmed it would be best to remove it.

This delicate surgery will be done by RSPCA WA’s vet team, but first they needed to remove Benji’s damaged teeth and treat the painful infection in his mouth.

The dental surgery was a success! And Benji is currently recovering with a foster carer before his jaw surgery.

Through vet checks, X-rays and tests – Benji remained such a sweet, happy-go-lucky little guy. There’s no doubt he’ll become a much-loved family member once he’s ready for his forever home.

Benji’s second chance is only possible thanks to your generous support.

In almost 20 years with the RSPCA, I’ve never seen anything like the impact COVID-19 has had on our organisation and the whole WA community.

In uncertain times, one thing is certain: When we’re isolated from family and friends, our beloved animals are a cherished source of companionship and we want to do everything we can to keep them safe.

That’s why we acted quickly when travel between the regions of WA was restricted. We reached out to the State authorities to make sure that whatever happened, you’d still be able to care for your animals even if they’re not located where you live. We also acted to make sure our Inspectors could cross regional borders to carry out their essential work preventing cruelty and rescuing animals in need.

Along with everyone in our community, RSPCA WA has suffered the economic fallout from COVID-19. We are experiencing a loss of income

from almost all of our usual sources of funds. All of our major fundraising activities have been cancelled due to social distancing requirements. Million Paws Walk became a virtual event this year and we hope you were able to take part and support us. Other fundraising events have also been postponed or cancelled.

The Puppy Kindy, Dog Training, Reloved boutiques and Op Shops, which are an important source of funds, have been forced to close temporarily to protect our customers, volunteers and staff. We set up online dog and puppy training classes so we could continue to help owners and their dogs.

Despite this, we have kept our frontline animal care services operating, thanks to the dedication and commitment from our teams on the ground. RSPCA WA Inspectors remain available to respond to genuine cruelty complaints received through the 24-hour Cruelty Hotline. Observing strict biosecurity protocols are part of

normal daily operations for our Inspectors and they’re taking additional precautions to limit the risk to themselves and to the community from COVID-19 while they carry out their work. The RSPCA Animal Care Centre in Malaga continues to take in rescued animals and provide care for animals suffering from cruelty and neglect.

Rest assured that we will do everything possible to continue to fight animal cruelty wherever we’re needed, but now, more than ever, we can’t do it without your support. Every donation, no matter how small, helps animals in need.

I hope that everyone including our volunteers remains safe and we look forward to welcoming them back to Malaga, and to Reloved and the Op Shops, in the not too distant future.

Lynne Bradshaw AM Chair of the Board RSPCA WA

Benji on arrival at RSPCA WA

Charlie finds comfort in his new home Charlie was rescued by an Inspector in November last year. His head and neck were covered in painful, itchy sores – not to mention he was absolutely petrified.

On arrival at the Animal Care Centre, vets ruled out ringworm and determined he was likely suffering from a skin infection caused by allergies. He was put on a course of steroids to help the nasty lesions heal, and given parasite treatment, antibiotics, and a special cream to help soothe his skin.

Soon he was looking much better! But when Charlie was weaned off the steroid medicine, the nasty lesions would flare up and he’d start itching again.

Charlie was put on a strict diet trial and vets did further tests to rule out other causes for his skin issues. His recovery took six months in foster care, but eventually his skin healed with a special diet and a low dose of medication.

Charlie has now settled into his permanent loving home, where he loves snuggling, sunbaking on his cat tower, and following his humans everywhere!

For all furry friends – but especially cats with skin allergies – it’s so important for owners to keep up-to-date with flea treatments. Thank you to valued partner Bayer for donating Advocate® flea and parasite treatments for all animals in RSPCA WA’s care. And thank you for your generous donations that helped Charlie to recover.

Thank you Aeropets! Thank you to Aeropets Animal Transport for transporting little Luke all the way from Kalgoorlie.

Over the past three years, Aeropets has transported more than 400 animals in need from regional WA to Perth for treatment at RSPCA’s Animal Care Centre in Malaga.

NOMINATE AN ANIMAL WELFARE HERO TODAY We want to recognise WA’s standout animal champions (and champion animals!) in the 2020 RSPCA WA Animal Welfare Awards.

Nominations are now open in five categories – designed to recognise those who work tirelessly to save animals and improve their welfare, or who have shown true bravery in helping animals in need.

You can nominate a young person, a group or a volunteer, plus there’s one award for an animal who has had a positive impact on the life of a human.

Maybe you know of a therapy animal who brings joy to nursing home residents, or a young person who fundraises passionately for animals in WA. We want to hear about them!

Find out more about the categories, and nominate online before 28 August, by visiting www.rspcawa.asn.au/awards

Charlie enjoying his new home

Charlie’s sores were very painful

To read Chance’s full story, or to donate online, visit www.rspcawa.asn.au/donate. Or call to donate on (08) 9209 9311.

Chance arrived at the Shelter in the arms of an Inspector. He was found with a heavy chain embedded in his neck. He was skinny, neglected, and in pain. He needed help!

Chance was extremely underweight at only 10.4kg. The chain embedded in his neck weighed over half has much as he did.

Chance was first taken to an emergency vet. They had to use bolt-cutters to cut the thick, dirty chain from his neck. The chain was so heavy, his skin had started to grow around it. And infection had started to set in.

Chance received the treatment he needed to start his long road to recovery. He spent many months with a foster carer until he was well. Today, he is happy, healthy and lives a wonderful life with his new owner – his foster carer! They go on walks every day, and Chance never needs to worry about being mistreated again.

Without you, animals like Chance would continue to suffer. With your support, even more animals can get the second chance they deserve.

Please send your gift today to help even more animals in need.

All animals deserve a second chance!

T (08) 9209 9300 F (08) 9248 3144 E rspca@rspcawa.asn.au

108 Malaga Drive, Malaga WA 6090 PO Box 3147, Malaga WA 6944

Shelter open weekdays 10am to 5pm Weekends 10am-4pm

Closed on public holidays

Quimby

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With special thanks to our corporate partners for their wonderful support

Due to COVID-19, the shelter is now open for adoptions by appointment only. Please make a booking online or by calling 9209 9323.

Visit adoptapet.com.au to see more animals

Ria Abby

Quimby the quail was found wandering the streets with no place to call home.

Quimby would love a safe secure aviary where he can stretch his wings, and is happy to share his space with other friendly feathered friends. If you’d like to adopt Quimby, don’t forget a secure carrier.

One year old Ria is ready to find a loving home.

While she loves chin rubs and cheek scratches, Ria also likes her alone time, so would prefer a home with mature kids who know when to give her some space. She’s finding shelter life a little stressful, so if you’re looking for a kitty friend, book in to meet Ria right meow!

13-year-old Abby would make a beautiful companion.

She would love to know the feeling of a safe and loving home. We don’t have history of previous riding experience with Abby and she is currently living off-site, but you can still make an appointment to meet her.

READY FOR A NEW HOME

Nelly came into RSPCA WA with a nasty wound on her head. Initially, it seemed her recovery would be straightforward, but her treatment spanned five months, six surgeries and countless medications.

Nelly required several major surgeries to remove cancerous lumps in her mammary glands. Luckily for Nelly, experienced foster carers Hilda and Mike offered to nurse her back to full health. And when Nelly got the all-clear to find a new home, she didn’t have to look far! Hilda and Mike couldn’t bear to say goodbye and gave Nelly a home forever!

“We fell in love with her straight away. She’s got such an endearing personality and loves cuddles. When we first brought her home my legs were all bruised from her trying to sit on my lap – she thinks she’s a Chihuahua! We didn’t plan to adopt her, but she’s fitting in extremely well. She’s a big sooky baby and we feel so grateful to have her in our lives.” ~ Hilda

These rabbits were rescued from cramped and dirty conditions at a property east of Perth following a report to RSPCA WA’s Cruelty Hotline.

They were surrendered into RSPCA WA’s care when Inspector Sam visited the property and found they had been left with no water, and only a small amount of food.

In the RSPCA Pet Barn, they could enjoy soft bedding, a balanced diet and lots of room to stretch their legs and forage, likely for the first time in their lives!

The rabbits were then vaccinated, microchipped and desexed ready for their ‘hoppy’ new homes.

Brussels and Wellington are the last two waiting for their forever homes.

Thank you for helping to save these rabbits from an uncertain fate.

A happy update on Nelly