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Inside the dangers and delights of RSPCA inspectors who go to great lengths protecting WA animals

“Animals forgive. Humans don’t.” It’s the double-edged sword Shaye Barrow says comes with the job of being an RSPCA inspector. On the one hand, it’s the comfort that comes with knowing that pets who have been abused, neglected and desperately mistreated, can be freed, rehoused, and go on to live happy lives. On the other, it’s the likelihood their cruel owners won’t thank her for it. It’s the words she uses when retelling how she was once threatened with a machete. Acting on concerns from the public she was sent to a WA home, tasked with checking on the welfare of eight dogs. Underfed, their growth had been badly stunted and they were so malnourished she thought they were puppies. One dog, Benson, was too unwell to be saved. Yet, it was an unforgiving human who made the job more unusual than normal. Despite being clearly unsuitable to look after animals the owner reacted to Insp. Barrow’s efforts to save them by first threatening her with a spear and then a machete. That incident was 13 years ago, but little has changed for Insp. Barrow and her fellow RSPCA WA inspectors. Last month The West Australian joined her and Insp. Florence Maude out in the field, and it didn’t take long to see it for ourselves. At one of the first jobs of the day the reality of the abuse they face daily was evident. Attending a home following reports of a dog being thrown against a fence, the pair approach carefully, knock on the door and greet the resident cordially and calmly. His response: “F... off”. To make matters worse, there’s very little here that they can do. Without enough evidence, typically video or audio, to back up the abuse claim, the inspectors don’t have the powers to execute a warrant. They can’t even issue on-the-spot infringements, despite his refusals to let them check on the dog’s welfare. Constrained by legislation, all they can do is enter the side of the property through an unlocked gate to see if there are any signs of cruelty. Unable to see inside the home, they continue on. Back at the Malaga headquarters they vow to make further inquiries and point out that the resident’s unsavoury greeting was sadly par for the course. “We always take note of our surroundings,” Insp. Maude says, opening up on the inherent dangers of the job. “I’ve been on properties where you realise there’s a knife on the coffee table or an axe on the floor. “A couple of months ago, a guy was charged for coming at me out of his car with an axe handle, a length of wood from an axe.” But no amount of experience can combat the unpredictable. “We come across people that are coming down from their drug bender,” Insp. Maude adds. “You just don’t want to be alone if the owner is not happy to see you.” Fortunately, due largely to an increase in State Government funding, RSCPARSPCA WA is now able to dispatch inspectors in pairs. Insp. Maude says the safeguard has transformed the charity but that additional powers, funding and donations were always needed to better protect animals. “Police have got intel on the people that are occupying these properties, on whether or not drugs or domestic violence is involved,” she said “We go in often having no idea who we’re dealing with. “We receive a lot of criticisms from the public about when we don’t immediately remove an animal. “People are very quick to assume that an animal that loses any body condition is neglected and not loved by its owners. “But behind every animal, there’s a person with a story as well. You don’t know what their circumstances are, so we can’t make assumptions until we go out. “To do this job, you’ve got to have a lot of empathy for the people. We now address that in the recruitment process. “You’ve got to be able to work with people, and you’ve got to be able to relate to people to do the job effectively, to influence people to want to do the right thing.” Those words prove prophetic, when it comes to the next home visit. A search of the property, all with consent of the owner, shows no act of cruelty. Yet it was still anything but a run-of-the-mill inspection. “In eleven years, I’ve seen some stuff, but I’ve never seen three pigs in someone’s living room with dogs and three cats,” Insp. Maude said. “The pig literally came up to me and wiped his (muddy) face on my pants.” Still, it beats aggressive owners and animal cruelty — both of which are not hard to find evidence of. In the wake of the ride along with the inspectors The West attended a number of court cases relating to animal abuse. In one, shocking body-cam footage shows 61-year-old William John Blackmore threatening to use a police officer’s gun to shoot the inspectors. They had attended his home following reports he failed to seek veterinary care for his dog after it had suffered a broken leg. When inspectors arrived at his home with WA Police, the dog’s owner can be seen in the vision threatening to “shoot youse(sic) all”. When the inspector went to put a lead on puppy, Princess Socks, Blackmore said, “if I see that go around her neck, I will punch your c..t in”. He was fined $6500 for failing to treat the puppy and for obstructing an RSPCA inspector twice. A second case involved Amelia Yazdani, who has since pleaded guilty to cruelty charges. Her two dogs — a kelpie and a Staffordshire bull terrier — were left “restrained or confined in a manner likely to cause harm”. Despite pleading guilty to the offence, Yazdani is fighting a separate charge that she failed to provide the dogs with sufficient water. Footage of the moment inspectors found one of the dogs tied to a pole in the sun and another cowering inside a crate, placed on hot pavement, will be used as evidence in the RSCPA’s case later this month. When confronted outside court, Yazdani claimed she had “no idea” about the allegations she was facing. The maximum penalty for an animal cruelty conviction in WA is a $50,000 fine and five years’ imprisonment.

The West Australian exclusiveInside the dangers and delights of RSPCA inspectors who go to great lengths protecting WA animals

exclusive
Inside the dangers and delights of RSPCA inspectors who go to great lengths protecting WA animals