PETA respond to the RSPCA NSW, we did the right thing #animalcruelty #animalwelfare AFTER RSPCA NSW chief executive officer Steve Coleman blasted activist group PETA last week for undermining animal welfare by withholding footage and allegedly failing to supply adequate detail with a cruelty complaint regarding Australian shearers, PETA Australia campaign co-ordinator Claire Fryer sent this response: First, contrary to Mr Colemans accusations (and as has been pointed out in PETA US letter to the RSPCA), PETA US has indeed provided RSPCA NSW with extensive evidence, including detailed complaints outlining GPS-pinpointed property locations, individuals names and physical characteristics and the contact details of the applicable shearing crews. Mr Coleman is also well aware that PETA US has worked to build a strong case over a period of time, specifically to demonstrate that illegal behaviour is commonplace, widely tolerated and ongoing in NSWs shearing sheds, and this includes incidents of cruelty documented up until mid-March. As RSPCA Australias own policy officer, Jed Goodfellow, wrote on 16 July, reporting cruelty immediately after each incident does not typically result in any substantive action. He noted, With the PETA shearing shed investigation, for example, if PETA had taken footage of one shearer punching one sheep in the nose and provided that footage to authorities, its likely that there would be no significant response. He also agreed that it takes time to document routine or widespread cases of animal abuse. In response to Mr Colemans comment that we agree, its disgraceful – (but) the challenge always is: how is the RSPCA supposed to deal with that?, may I suggest that he should begin by examining the RSPCAs mandate to enforce the law regarding cruelty to animals and also by ensuring that the RSPCAs reputation and credibility are not further damaged by any more demonstrably false statements on his part to the media and, instead, allowing the organisations investigators to review the extensive evidence in this case and proceed accordingly? In view of Mr Colemans continued attempts to slight the work of investigators, PETA US is now asking RSPCA NSW to appoint an unbiased party to oversee the investigation so as to ensure that the abusers do not receive the protection of the very organisation that the public relies on to deal with such abuse under cruelty-to-animals laws. PETA Australia campaign co-ordinator Claire Fryer An excerpt from last weeks story - Welfare work undermined: RSPCA Recent campaigns by activist groups such as the PETA anti-shearing campaign had undermined the RSPCAs welfare work, Mr Coleman said. It was understandable, he said, that people would be upset by the kind of footage released to the media by PETA purportedly showing Australian shearers mistreating sheep. We agree, its disgraceful – (but) the challenge always is: how is the RSPCA supposed to deal with that? While PETA made a formal complaint to the RSPCA regarding the footage, Mr Coleman said no extra detail was provided that could assist an effective prosecution. We have nothing more than what the public has seen. He questioned PETAs motives in withholding the evidence for so long, and then releasing the footage first to the media and second to the regulator.
Posted on: Tue, 29 Jul 2014 21:28:09 +0000
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