Save animals

Above all else, at RSPCA Qld our focus is on saving lives. Our centres throughout Queensland are where we rescue, rehabilitate and rehome.

For the 45,043 animals that arrived at an RSPCA Queensland centre over the past year, it was a second chance at life.

Our commitment to saving lives can be found everywhere at the RSPCA. “Have I done everything reasonable to save this animal?” can be found near offices, on our software and as part of the landscape. Saving lives is a way of life and one that the staff and volunteers are committed to.

How do animals arrive at the RSPCA?

• The majority of animals that arrived at our centres over the past year were found in need of rescue by our RSPCA Animal Ambulance. Our Animal Ambulance has rescued 28,177 ill, injured or trapped animals over the past year.
• Our lost and found team helped reunite 2,926 pets with their owners this year.
• The reasons people surrender their animals to the RSPCA are many and varied. Some are very reluctant partings with a much loved pet, while others involve owners who are moving, animals that were unwanted gifts, animals that just don’t fit in with the rest of the family or some with behaviours that the owner can’t manage.
• Unfortunately there are also cases where victims of cruelty, abandonment or neglect are seized by our team of Inspectors. Often these animals require long-term care until the associated court case is finalised. The amount of animals seized at any one time ranges. Large scale raids by our Inspectors can see a significant number of animals needing to be admitted to our shelters in one hit. While with the RSPCA, these animals are known as “Black Tags” because of the tag colour they are assigned to wear. Over the past year, 15,538 animal welfare complaints were investigated.
• Our Pets in Crisis program provides a safe house for the pets of individuals at serious risk of domestic violence. The program was born of the knowledge that many women delay or do not seek refuge for themselves due to a lack of options for the care of their pets.
• Working with DV Connect (Domestic and Family Violence Service Qld), the RSPCA addresses this situation by providing immediate and temporary accommodation for these animals. The pet’s family can seek refuge for themselves, secure in the knowledge that their beloved pet has not been left behind to face neglect, injury or cruelty.
• The RSPCA’s Home Ever After Program offers peace of mind to people who have made bequests to the organisation and are concerned about the care of their pets following their own death. The RSPCA ensures that the animal is collected and cared for until a suitable adoptive home can be found. In many cases, the RSPCA can also provide care for an animal while their owner is hospitalised.