RSPCA Tasmania inspectorate team aims to engage more with the community

While retaining its core values, being an advocate for the state’s most vulnerable animals, the organisation hopes to move forward with plans on becoming an educator on animal welfare.

Inspectorate team manager Lisa Edwards, formerly the manager of the Spreyton Animal Care Centre, said there had always been a perception about the team.

She said there was a perception about the inspectorate team that it was just there to “take animals away” and while the team would not back down on those doing the wrong thing, there was more they could do.

“We would love to be more than that,” she said.

“We want to help and educate the public about animal welfare.”

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October 4 was World Animal Day, and the RSPCA used the day as a platform to reconfirm its commitment to Tasmania and to reassure the public the organisation was not going anywhere.

This comes amid concern over the future of the organisation, when it announced earlier in the year it would have to consolidate some of its services.

The Mornington Animal Care Centre in Hobart was closed this year and there was speculation the Launceston one would follow suit, despite being the largest centre in Tasmania.

RSPCA chief executive Andrew Byrne said the RSPCA was not going anywhere, but the animal care centres were operating at a loss and financial consolidation needed to be applied.

The City of Launceston council and the state government provided funding to the RSPCA to ensure the Launceston centre could remain open until December.

The council also opened a tender for operators to run the pound services and animal shelter, as well as a separate cat shelter, which the RSPCA also applied for.

The successful tender is expected to be announced next month.

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