MORE than 300 reports of animal cruelty were made in the Frankston municipality within the last year.
The RSPCA has released animal cruelty statistics for the 2022/2023 financial year. 307 reports were made in the Frankston LGA in 22/23. The figure is the ninth-highest of 79 Victorian LGAs.
Frankston’s animal cruelty reports are higher than in 2021/2022 and 2020/2021. It is an improvement on the 2019/2020 figure of 338.
27 animals in the Frankston municipality were surrendered to the RSPCA Victoria’s Inspectorate in 22/23.
Statewide, the total number of animals seized by or surrendered to RSPCA Victoria’s Inspectorate has increased for six years running – this year it increased by nearly 20 percent. RSPCA Victoria chief inspector Michael Stagg said “during this time, we’ve also had several investigations resulting in large-scale seizures or surrenders of animals, forcing our teams to find room and resources to care for them in a short space of time.”
“When we prosecute cases of animal cruelty, our shelter teams may need to care for the animals involved as the court cases progress, sometimes lasting months or years, adding to the pressure already faced by our near-capacity shelters,” he said.
Stagg said that the current economic climate may be contributing to the rising animal cruelty numbers. “Cost of living pressures may be impacting people’s ability to care for their pets, whether it be their ability to provide suitable food or their ability to pay for necessary medical care. Many people also became first-time pet owners during the pandemic and may need further information or support to help them understand how to care for their animals such as providing sanitary living conditions, grooming or preventative health measures,” he said.
The neighbouring Casey Council area fared worse than Frankston – it ranked second of 79 LGAs with more than 500 animal cruelty reports. 281 animal cruelty reports were made in the Mornington Peninsula Shire LGA, and 149 were made in Kingston.
Dogs are the most common victim in animal cruelty reports. Cats are second, and horses rank third. Insufficient water, food, or shelter is the most common reason for a cruelty report.
To make a report contact RSPCA Victoria on 9224 2222 or visit rspcavic.org/tip-off-form