More animals will die without help - SPCA

Wednesday, 27 April 2016

Executive Officer Sara Warren said SPCA Waikato has found itself in more debt.

In an attempt to help more animals, SPCA Waikato has found itself in more debt than ever before.

The charity's financial report for 2015 shows they posted a loss of $363,412. Executive Officer Sara Warren, who has been at the helm for two-and-a-half years, said this was due to more prosecutions laid by the SPCA.

'It's a bit of a sad thing but … I call the Waikato the dog-beating capital of New Zealand. Our previous prosecution load was nil, which meant there was no cost. But we are seeing a lot of dogs who are getting physically abused by their owners and badly injured.

Waikato SPCA is has posted a loss, which it puts down to it mounting more prosecutions.

'They are making up a reasonable amount of our cases and we're currently averaging $4000 per case.'

The charity receives no financial help from the government, although they are the only body, besides the police, who have jurisdiction to prosecute for animal cruelty cases.

SPCA Waikato, Executive Officer, Sara Elliott Warren says the SPCA is struggling due to a shortage of funding.

But until last year, the Waikato SPCA hadn't taken any abusive pet owner to court.

The first case the organisation has successfully completed through the courts recently was a man who thought it was okay to castrate his own dog at home.

SPCA is struggling due to a shortage of funding and donations.

But prosecution costs money. The charity estimates it costs $3861 to prosecute someone under the Animal Welfare Act, and only a small portion of the funds make it back to the SPCA.

'It's not a done deal that fines or costs are awarded back to the people who took the prosecution. Only a portion of those fines might go towards the SPCA.'

But it's not just legal costs shooting up that puts the charity in the red. Warren is also focusing on more positive outcomes.

'We increased our save rates. From the 2013 statistics around 65 per cent of animals that entered our care went out into homes and returned to their owners. Through 2014 and 2015 that was increased to 87 per cent.

'But if we can't afford to continue doing that, we may have to re-look at how positively we can outcome all of the animals. It might mean we have to change the bar as to when an animal gets euthanised, or whether we can spend money on caring for that animal and ultimately finding it a home.

'We don't want to go to a lower save rate. But it's about cash, sadly. But we want every single animal to be looked after and every one to be seen as precious.'

If you want to help, visit waikatospca.org.nz.