RSPCA Qld has partnered with Cadbury® to help raise funds for animals in our care. They are looking for willing volunteers to sell boxes of Cadbury® chocolates on our behalf. You can sell them to your workmates, fellow students, friends, neighbours – anyone! All profits from the sale of these chocolates will assist RSPCA Qld to continue with its mission of Helping Animals, Enlightening People, Changing Lives.

Please note: We do not recommend involving children in selling, but if they are involved, they should do so only under adult supervision.

If you would like to order chocolate boxes to ell on behalf of RSPCA Qld, please contact Sophie Baartz on (07) 3426 9921 or sbaartz@rspcaqld.org.au.

Pickup and delivery: At present, chocolate boxes are only available for pick up from the Fairfield Shelter. However, if you are located in the Brisbane metro area and are ordering 12 or more boxes in a single order, we can we can organise deliveries to your premises.

Product range: Freddo® chocolate frog, Caramello koala®, Cherry Ripe® bar, Crunchie® bar, Boost® bar, Time Out® bar, Europe® Summer Roll, Europe® Nougat Honey Log, BrunchBar® Hazelnut.

The debate over the morality of circuses which use animals has resurfaced, with two veteran circus performers blowing the lid on what they describe as the disgraceful animal welfare practices of one travelling show.

As the RSPCA prepares to petition Sunshine Coast council to ban from council land circuses which use exotic animals, Matt Price and Suzi Scrimshaw have come forward to allege they quit Eden Bros Good Time Circus – which has performed on the Coast – over its mistreatment of animals.

The Mary Valley couple, who worked for Eden Bros for eight months up until April last year, alleged circus owner John MacDonnell was in breach of numerous regulations under the Queensland Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals in Circuses.

Their allegations include animals being permanently tethered with ropes which were too short and a caged monkey being forced to eat and sleep in its own excrement.


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They said Mr MacDonnell never erected fences around animals, as required by law.

As a result they said they had seen members of the public feed animals beer and blow cigarette and marijuana smoke in their faces.

The animals, which included a donkey and a pony, were also constantly teased by the public. The couple described the mental state of the animals as miserable and the conditions they were kept in as being akin to slavery

“It’s just third world – it’s just a very old fashioned way of thinking,” Mr Price said.

“It got to the point where we could no longer work there. We couldn’t continue to feel bad for not bringing it (the alleged mistreatment of the animals) to someone’s attention.”

Mr Price and Ms Scrimshaw have performed in circuses in 14 countries, but Eden Bros was the first circus they had worked at which used animals – and it will be the last.

“We often invested a lot of pay straight back into the animals because our hearts were broken over how they were treated,” Mr Price said.

Mr MacDonnell described the couple’s claims as “absolute rubbish”. He said all the animals were companion animals.

“We’re friends with them all and they relate to us very closely,” he said. “I take them for walks and grazing.

“They eat what they like.”

Source: http://www.thedaily.com.au

The RSPCA is appalled with Racing Victoria’s decision to allow jumps racing in Victoria to continue. The tragic deaths of five horses already in the 2009 season have been in vain.

RSPCA Victoria President, Dr. Hugh Wirth said: “Racing Victoria has once again bowed to industry and economic pressure to the detriment of horse welfare.

With Racing Victoria refusing to take a stand in the name of animal welfare, it is now the Racing Minister of Victoria who must take leadership on this issue and demand animmediate ban.”

RSPCA (Victoria) has been campaigning for over 30 years to abolish hurdle and steeple events. While there have been three reviews over the past decade, the previous reviews failed to stop the fatalities and injuries.

“Despite the changes to jumps racing events introduced in recent years, the number of horrific fatalities has not reduced. You cannot continue to justify the use of an animal where the accident and injury rate is so high. The proposed changes to jumps racing announced in today’s ruling will not stop further horrific fatalities. It is time to take this out of Racing Victoria’s hands as clearly they condone this legalised form of animal cruelty,” Dr. Wirth added.

Above: Pride of Westbury breaks his neck in a fall at Warnambool. Photo by Liss Ralston.
Source: http://www.watoday.com.au

The RSPCA will continue its campaign against jumps racing events until jumps racing is permanently banned in Victoria.

“This ridiculous ruling will not deter the RSPCA. Every organisation concerned with the welfare of animals will continue the plight to get this atrocious sport banned. Minister Hulls, any further deaths of horses from jumps racing related injuries is now on your conscience. Do something about it.”

Source: RSPCA Qld http://www.rspcaqld.org.au