Horse shame grows

Hamish Heard
Several horse owners face criminal charges after RSPCA inspectors investigated more than 150 animal cruelty complaints across the Geelong region last month.
RSPCA Victoria senior inspector Lisa Weston said the organisation had been run off its feet investigating a glut of complaints stemming from the state’s drought.
Most complaints were about starving horses or livestock on small acreages, Ms Weston said.
Drought was partly to blame because it had left paddocks bare and pushed up feed prices, she said.
Ms Weston confirmed the RSPCA had issued notices demanding “several” horse owners provide adequate feed for their emaciated animals.
But the horses’ owners still faced animal cruelty charges despite the warnings.
“We can’t reveal any more details because the matters could still be subject to prosecution, so it’s fairly sensitive,” Ms Weston said.
“Issuing a notice to comply doesn’t mean we won’t prosecute a person for animal cruelty, it’s just a tool we use to try to rectify the immediate animal welfare issue,” Ms Weston said.
Almost 30 per cent of complaints to the RSPCA related to malnourished horses, she said.
The surge in complaints was stretching the region’s inspectors to the limit.
“It’s just so frustrating trying to get owners to account for their animals but as the calls keep coming in we continue to respond,” Ms Weston said
“It is highly disappointing that some people are not taking responsibility for their animals.
“So many people are doing the right thing and have in place proper management plans yet there are those cases where we continue to have to intervene.”
The Independent early last month reported the drought had taken its toll on the region’s animals, leading to a massive increase in reports of emaciated horses and livestock.
Geelong inspector Hugh Robinson told the paper he was investigating two separate reports of struggling horses at Moolap.
The report followed shocking images on national television of emaciated horses at the property of Lara vet Julie Tilbrook.