Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Speaking of animals...

I like to watch some of the "real life" programmes on TV, for example, RSPCA Rescue.

Tonight they're doing their bit.

I am struck that they will travel over 750km to Far North Queensland (Lockhardt River) to save an orphaned foal mauled by dingos, don't start me on the RFDS flying up milk formula for the foal (ok, ok, it was a scheduled flight, I'm OK with that). Wot the?

Next case is persuing some bloke who dumped two boxes of kittens in a vets surgery. They're talking about $5,000 fines and up to six months gaol. HULLO? He left them at a vet's surgery, he took them inside. Probably didn't want to be charged by the vet to put them down. I took a kitten to the vet many years ago, he was the son of a friend's neighbour. He took the kitten and said he'd try to find a home for it (it was healthy, adorable and very friendly for a feral kitten).

Why does the RSPCA sometimes annoy me?

I live in a rural area. If there is animal mistreatment out here you're lucky to see the RSPCA anywhere - there's just not enough staff to cover everywhere. I've seen horses in the drought so poor I was surprised they were alive, pelvises bones poking out the skin in their backs. That's why I'm so irked by the 1,500k 20-hour round trip to FNQ to rescue a dingo-mauled foal from an aboriginal community.

oh wait...

2 comments:

kc said...

I got my first Hawaiian cat at the SPCA in Honolulu. I don't think I'll ever do that again, it breaks my heart into little pieces. The cats I have now - indoor & out - are all cast-offs, left-behinds, & strays (the Queen came with me from Hawai'i). We are a motley bunch but maybe we belong together cuz we don't belong anywhere else.

I can't bear to watch Animal Planet or any of the shows like the one you mention, Kae. I'm a real sissy that way.

kae said...

Hi kc
The rescued foal, Jack, was shown again six months later. He'd grown into a lovely foal, not scared of people and very curious. He was put in with a mare which arrived at the sanctuary as a very nasty piece of work, biting and not nice, but after Jack she settled down and was lovely, they said the mare was 35 years old...?

I still don't understand the money and energy expended to save the foal, particularly two people traveling so far for a foal which may not survive. The foal was brought back from Far North Qld to Brisbane.

The bloke wasn't charged over the kittens, I'd say they are slavic and unaware that they could take the kittens to the RSPCA or wherever and hand them in. He does however have a note that if he ever is mentioned in animal cruelty again he will be prosecuted.

Arrgh!