The chief veterinarian and animal care manager takes the reigns on January 3 from outgoing chief executive Peter West, who has been with the organisation for almost four years. 

Mr West came into the organisation on the back of the state government’s Public Accounts Committee report in November 2013, which identified a range of issues within RSPCA Tasmania.

Mr West said while he was proud of what he had been able to achieve in the role, it was time for a change.

“Four years is a good amount of time to be in this job,” he said.

“It’s fair to say that when I first came to this organisation, it was fairly broken from a governance point of view and from the way it operated.

“We’ve managed to achieve some great outcomes, including raising the live release rate from 58 per cent to almost 80 per cent.”

Mr West’s successor brings with him more than 30 years of veterinary and animal welfare experience, including stints with RSPCA Victoria as well as in private practice.

Having already begun working with the RSPCA Tasmania Board and Mr West to ensure a smooth transition, Dr Byrne said he was under no illusions about some of the challenges ahead.

“My job throughout the next six months is to be involved in change management and what will be some tough decisions.

“It will be about working with reputable rescue centres to improve sustainability and efficiency.”

Dr Byrne will occupy the role of interim chief executive until June 30, 2018.