RSPCA WA data reveals Geraldton animal cruelty climbed 14 per cent in the last year, highest regional reports

Geraldton has been declared the regional hotspot for animal cruelty after a shocking rise in cruelty reports to RSPCA WA, up 14 per cent from the previous year. Geraldton had 214 animal cruelty reports in 2023-24, more than any other regional town in the State, according to RSPCA WA data. The year before, Geraldton was the second-worst regional city for animal cruelty behind Albany, however, reports in the Great Southern city have fallen by 16 per cent in the past year, while reports in Geraldton climbed by 14 per cent. There were more reports in Geraldton than in some Perth suburbs, including Joondalup (209) and Belmont (163). Last financial year, RSPCA WA received 17,848 calls reporting cruelty,8 per cent more than the previous year, with inspectors investigating 7138 cases. That’s an average of nearly 20 incidents a day. Out of the reports, 5880 involved dogs and puppies, 1315 reported offences involved cats and kittens, 594 reported offences involved horses and 543 reported offences involved birds or poultry. RSPCA WA executive manager animal and enforcement operations Hannah Dreaver put the rise down to cost-of-living pressures, as well as the housing crisis. “Reports about owners failing to alleviate harm rose by 19 per cent last financial year, following on from an 18 per cent jump the year before. Meanwhile, reports of animals without enough food and water were up by 25 per cent,” she said. “On the surface these reports might seem less serious than violent acts of cruelty but the sad reality is, the animals in these cases have often suffered day in, day out, for weeks or months. “We understand owners fall on hard financial times, but ignoring your pet’s pain or hunger is not a solution, it’s animal cruelty.” In 2023-24, RSPCA WA finalised 36 prosecutions, with 59 of those relating to dogs.