Animal welfare is at the forefront of changes to the RSPCA.
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But it’s more a back to the future-type scenario.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was created in London nearly 200 years ago.
The society was pivotal in creating animal welfare laws in the United Kingdom.
The RSPCA was first formed in Australia in 1871 and in Tasmania in 1878.
Again, the society was focused on speaking with one voice on policy matters to provide advice to the government on animal welfare issues.
RSPCA Tasmania announced last week it would be realigning services and focusing on its core values.
In order to do this, the organisation will move to a centralised operating model, rather than duplicating services across the state.
RSPCA Tasmanian interim chief executive officer Dr Andrew Byrne said inefficiencies had placed a drain on the service.
“RSPCA Tasmania’s core charter is to uphold animal welfare laws, advocate for better outcomes for animals and educate the community on making the lives of animals better,” he said.
“As an organisation, we need to refocus our efforts on this core charter, which has resulted in redesigning the current situation which has added pressures to both our resources and capabilities.”
He said the RSPCA would be working closely with similar organisations who provide sanctuary and animal adoption.
This is a good move. As advocates for animal welfare, the focus should be a lobby group, to ensure the laws and punishment is correct and to promote responsible animal ownership.
Without taking this approach, the RSPCA could have faced closure altogether.
And that would be a devastating result.
All Tasmanians can help the RSPCA to ensure the longevity of the organisation.
Pet owners have a responsibility to care and treat all animals with respect.
To ensure cats and dogs are microchipped and desexed.
Teach the next generation the benefits of looking after an animal and that they have feelings and can feel pain and look to adopt before you shop.
The RSPCA has an important role in our community to advocate for animals who don’t have a voice and we can all do our part to help make that voice loud and clear.