By BRIDGET COOK
A CASEY resident has criticised the RSPCA for its delayed handling of an alleged animal cruelty case in Tooradin this week.
However the RSPCA has defended itself, saying it acted appropriately and found there to be no issues.
The Casey man, who did not want to be named, said he contacted the RSPCA on Monday morning when he came across what he believed to be a case of animal cruelty at a property along Tooradin Station Road.
“There was a small paddock with about 20 to 30 cattle in, that was black, muddy and waterlogged and one dead animal stuck in the mud,” he said.
“They looked to be starving and in horrible condition.
“It was a pretty sad state of affairs.”
The man said he was angry about the RSPCA’s response to his complaint, and claims there was another cow dead when he returned in the afternoon.
“I rang back in the afternoon and was told they were trying to contact the owner still,” he said.
“The first priority should have been to get these animals fed and deal with their state.
“They should have taken action for the animals first.
“RSPCA has let the animals down badly.”
RSPCA spokesman David Fitzgerald said the organisation acted on the complaint diligently.
“An RSPCA inspector attended a Tooradin property on Monday 25 September after reports of a dead cow in a paddock,” he said.
“The inspector found the dead cow and immediately contacted the owner of property who was aware of the cow and had made plans to remove it.
“There were no issues around the welfare of the other cattle present and how the dead cow had died.”
Mr Fitzgerald said if any member of the public believed animals of any type were not being treated humanely or may have died from lack of reasonable care, they should contact 9224 2237 immediately or report the matter to the Victoria Police.
