A FEW RSPCA CASES FROM THE EAST HALF OF AUSTRALIA
2007 was one of the severest years of prolonged drought which had devastated NSW from 2000 onwards.
RSPCA’s Persecution and Prosecution of Cattle Producers
On 14 June 2007 the RSPCA and representatives of Government Departments descended on Ruth Downey’s Pilliga property accompanied by a front-loader for burying cattle, though they claimed they had come to “assess” them. They had no warrant to enter her property. 48 cattle were shot, many oozing blood as their hearts pumped for a considerable time after the bullets went in. They were then degassed and photographed for the Prosecution’s brief. Two charges for each animal were levied against Ruth –“animal cruelty” and “failure to provide sufficient food”, making 96 charges. A legal team of 3, headed by Senior Counsel was employed by the RSPCA, against Ruth’s nephew, a Junior solicitor. The RSPCA has now filed to bankrupt Ruth for $458,000 for the costs incurred by their legal team in the Local and District Courts. This will mean the loss of her home. Her cattle were strong and healthy. [This case is widely documented both from Ruth’s family and through RSPCA’s propaganda.]
RSPCA’s Persecution and Prosecution of Cattle Producers
On 14 June 2007 the RSPCA and representatives of Government Departments descended on Ruth Downey’s Pilliga property accompanied by a front-loader for burying cattle, though they claimed they had come to “assess” them. They had no warrant to enter her property. 48 cattle were shot, many oozing blood as their hearts pumped for a considerable time after the bullets went in. They were then degassed and photographed for the Prosecution’s brief. Two charges for each animal were levied against Ruth –“animal cruelty” and “failure to provide sufficient food”, making 96 charges. A legal team of 3, headed by Senior Counsel was employed by the RSPCA, against Ruth’s nephew, a Junior solicitor. The RSPCA has now filed to bankrupt Ruth for $458,000 for the costs incurred by their legal team in the Local and District Courts. This will mean the loss of her home. Her cattle were strong and healthy. [This case is widely documented both from Ruth’s family and through RSPCA’s propaganda.]
YouTube Video -
RSPCA Shot Ruth Downey's Nursing Cows leaving the Calves to starve
n 2007 John Hertslet from Narromine had 70 cattle shot. Despite evidence that he was feeding the cattle and video footage showing them galloping around - taken by the RSPCA – he was charged with 140 counts of “animal cruelty”. He refused to plead guilty, lost his case, but had some success with his Appeal. [Information from John Hertslet and Narromine News 12.12.2008]
In August 2007 twelve cows belonging to Ken Pethers from Kyogle were shot. He pleaded guilty and was fined. [Sourced from newspaper reports] By this time there had been a furore over the shooting of Ruth Downey’s cattle.
In 2009 Paul Hamilton lost his Appeal against his conviction for “animal cruelty”, relating to other animals as well as cattle. He refused to plead guilty, saying, “I think my integrity is more important than trying to coward my way out of this. And if the price of my integrity is a gaol sentence then I’ll pay the price.” He was gaoled in July 2009 for a minimum of 17 months. [Macquarie National News 17 July 2009].
In August 2007 twelve cows belonging to Ken Pethers from Kyogle were shot. He pleaded guilty and was fined. [Sourced from newspaper reports] By this time there had been a furore over the shooting of Ruth Downey’s cattle.
In 2009 Paul Hamilton lost his Appeal against his conviction for “animal cruelty”, relating to other animals as well as cattle. He refused to plead guilty, saying, “I think my integrity is more important than trying to coward my way out of this. And if the price of my integrity is a gaol sentence then I’ll pay the price.” He was gaoled in July 2009 for a minimum of 17 months. [Macquarie National News 17 July 2009].
RSPCA’s Persecution and Prosecution of Horse Owners
In 2007 the RSPCA seized 3 horses belonging to Sandra Rowley. The RSPCA applied to sell these 3 horses for themselves. Sandra was not able to get any legal representation in court and pleaded guilty on the understanding that if she did so she would be allowed to buy back two of her horses. [Sent directly from Sandra.] If they really believed her horses were maltreated how could they allow her to buy them back?
“Operation Megalong” targeted Glenda Lane in 2007. She was charged with “animal cruelty” though her horses were healthy and contented. Due to the high cost of any litigation Glenda pleaded guilty purely to save her business. Despite this she was landed with $11,000 for the RSPCA ‘s legal team; $20,000 for the RSPCA’s appointed vets and $15,000 in fines. Adding her own costs of $10,000 the total was $56,000, a crippling amount. [Posted on Glenda Lane’s web site, which has since closed.]
The RSPCA took 10 healthy horses from Marion Alcorn, kept them for 10 weeks, charged her $7,000 for ajistment, and arranged a court hearing, during which Marion was told that if she pleaded guilty all charges against her would be dropped. Marion agreed to plead guilty when Steve Coleman (NSW CEO of RSPCA) promised he would find good homes for the horses. He sent them to auction and directed that only doggers could buy them. [Posted on the internet by a friend of Marion Alcorn’s who knew the horses and was present in court and at the auction.]
In QLD Siobhan McCabe cared for a horse, Brandy, for seven months for the RSPCA but when she asked if she could buy the horse she was told to pay $500 which she did not have. The RSPCA reclaimed the horse to do a ”pre-adoption check” which Brandy passed with flying colours, but then died of colic while in the “care” of the RSPCA. [Article in Townsville Bulletin 13 March 2010.]
“Operation Megalong” targeted Glenda Lane in 2007. She was charged with “animal cruelty” though her horses were healthy and contented. Due to the high cost of any litigation Glenda pleaded guilty purely to save her business. Despite this she was landed with $11,000 for the RSPCA ‘s legal team; $20,000 for the RSPCA’s appointed vets and $15,000 in fines. Adding her own costs of $10,000 the total was $56,000, a crippling amount. [Posted on Glenda Lane’s web site, which has since closed.]
The RSPCA took 10 healthy horses from Marion Alcorn, kept them for 10 weeks, charged her $7,000 for ajistment, and arranged a court hearing, during which Marion was told that if she pleaded guilty all charges against her would be dropped. Marion agreed to plead guilty when Steve Coleman (NSW CEO of RSPCA) promised he would find good homes for the horses. He sent them to auction and directed that only doggers could buy them. [Posted on the internet by a friend of Marion Alcorn’s who knew the horses and was present in court and at the auction.]
In QLD Siobhan McCabe cared for a horse, Brandy, for seven months for the RSPCA but when she asked if she could buy the horse she was told to pay $500 which she did not have. The RSPCA reclaimed the horse to do a ”pre-adoption check” which Brandy passed with flying colours, but then died of colic while in the “care” of the RSPCA. [Article in Townsville Bulletin 13 March 2010.]
Comment:
These are just some of the cases outlining the menace of the RSPCA which does not operate according to its public image. The most worrying aspect is the constant increases in the powers of this so-called “charity”, which is in fact a business without compassion. (GS - I have suggested that it would be better to be even more forthright, and describe their activities more accurately as ‘a criminal racket’)
Laws have been passed in South Australia to allow the RSPCA to seize sheep and sell them for themselves before the case comes to court. Since the evidence from the RSPCA was very questionable in all the above cases, this is a most serious development. (GS – This is exactly what they did when they seized my cats and kittens and got court permission to ‘sell or destroy’ exactly in this fashion, before the case they are manufacturing comes to court. They used the excuse that they couldn’t afford to care for them – so I say, why take them. They were all healthy when with me, and fat and fed. Since then they have said in court that ‘some have died” and that about as third have come down with cat flu – a statement changed to a claim of suffering from FIV, when they put out a media release to stop me selling the remnant tomcats)
The powers of the RSPCA must be curbed. At present they answer to no-one. (GS - and they appear to have bought off, or intimidated, anyone with any power or the knowledge base to call them to account.)