The RSPCA is known in the community for its work with animal welfare, but what happens when the organisation itself requires assistance?
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It’s a question Peter West found himself asking when he took on the role of RSPCA Tasmania chief executive four years ago.
He will leave his post in January after a sucessful term in which he helped bring about a cultural change within the organisation.
Reflecting on his time in the top job, Mr West was philosophical about the challenges he faced.
“The organisation has been around for 140 years, so there is always going to be ups and downs in that amount of time,” he said.
“The idea is to level it out so you don’t have too many of either while also moving in an upward trajectory.”
Mr West came to the RSPCA in 2013 from the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, where he was the deputy director.
At the time, RSPCA Tasmania had come off a tumultuous 12 months, in which it was the subject of a Public Accounts Committee inquiry.
The inquiry was held after the dismissal of chief executive Ben Sturges in 2012 and identified a range of issues within the organisation.
Mr West said the report was a blessing in disguise.
“It was a bit of a godsend, because it came out in November and I had my interview for the position in mid-December of the same year,” he said.
“I came to know everything there was to know from a business perspective, and I knew that would be the focus for the organisation for at least the couple of years at least.
“It was clear we needed to look at how we could strengthen those areas within the business organisation to ensure the work we do for the public side gets the necessary breathing space.”
It wasn’t all business for the arrival of the new chief executive, however, with one of Mr West’s final interviews for the position coinciding with the arrival of 47 chihuahuas from one house.
He said it was the perfect entrance into the organisation.
“I remember there being some frantic phone calls in the background and I wasn’t entirely sure what was happening at the time,” he said.
“By the time all the mother chihuahuas gave birth, there were 71, but we still managed to rehome all of them.
“Not only was it a great story, but the way the groups teamed up together showed me what the RSPCA was all about.”
The focus on assisting animals has been a hallmark of Mr West’s tenure with the live release rate rising from 58 per cent in 2014 to more than 80 per cent under his guidance.
RSPCA Tasmania’s annual general meeting in October also revealed almost 9000 animals were helped by teams across the state including 4573 via Animal Care Centres and 4271 through investigations by inspectors.
Mr West said the collaboration of the RSPCA with other animal organisations had been central to a cultural change for Tasmanian animal welfare.
“The RSPCA on its own can’t solve all of the animal welfare issues in this state,” he said.
“When I first started, a number of the organisations had poor governance, and none of them really got on with one another.
After I had been with the RSPCA for 12 months, I got eight of the organisations together to form what we called the Tasmanian Animal Welfare Alliance.”
The alliance included organisations such as Just Cats, Brightside Sanctuary, Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, Ten Lives cats home, as well as Tasmania’s dogs homes.
It wasn’t long before the meetings also included the Department of Primary Industries, and the alliance managed to have a flow on affect in the community, with the Cat Management Reference Group adopting the structure of the alliance.
Mr West said the strength of the relationships the RSPCA shared with the government and other animal welfare organisations reflected “maturity”.
“We just want to get the best results for the animals,” he said.
“What we do is not about people, politics, or personalities.”
Dr Andrew Byrne is the man tasked with continuing to build a sustainable future for the organisation.
The current RSPCA Tasmania chief veterinarian and animal care manager brings more than 30 years experience working in animal welfare to the role, including stints at RSPCA Victoria as well as in private practice.
Like when his predecessor took the position, there could be fiscal challenges ahead, with the latest financial report identifying a $780,000 deficit.
The report was from the organisation’s first 14 months trading as a company limited by guarantee, and follows on from a 10-month report where it recorded a $25,000 surplus.
The outgoing chief executive said the numbers only tell part of the story when it came to the trajectory of the organisation.
“I think we are in a really exciting place,” he said.
“To effect change, you have to be seated at the table and one of the real strengths of the RSPCA is that we are seated at a lot of the decision-making tables.
“We are in with government talking about policy and also changing policy.”
The RSPCA has shown its national influence this year in the debate about layer hen welfare, with the organisation leading the discussion about the improvement of conditions.
In February, it threatened to leave the Poultry Standards Advisory Group in protest, due to what it described as a lack of interest in conducting an independent scientific review on egg production systems.
Mr West said the organisation’s continued lobbying of governments to ban battery cages served to challenge public perceptions of its role within the community.
“People think the majority of what we do is just rehoming cats and dogs, which just isn’t the case,” he said.
“I think the sooner we can get that message out, the sooner people will be able to buy back into our brand.
“We are there for all animals, and do not prioritise one over another.”
The wide-reaching appeal of RSPCA Tasmania is reflected in its social media patronage, with more than 70,000 people liking its Facebook page.
It makes the organisation the most followed RSPCA member society per capita in all of Australia.
For Mr West, it is all part of the foundation needed for the organisation to prosper.
“I think we have what is needed to build a refocused RSPCA that can help animals in most need,” he said.
“That’s what I have been working on with the staff and the board.
“We can’t be all things to all people but we can continue to lead discussions and work with other organisations to make them stronger.”
Mr West’s last day as RSPCA Tasmania chief executive will be on January 3.