Based on a 2020 report by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), Caboolture is once again the suburb with the highest number of incidences of animal cruelty in Queensland.
With 178 cases and complaints according to the RSPCA’s Animal Cruelty Hotspots report 2020, Caboolture has been revealed to have the worst record among Brisbane’s suburbs in terms of animal cruelty.
The suburb also secured the number one spot in the 2019 Hotspots Report with over 200 cases. The 2021 report showed a reduced number of cases compared to the 2020 figures.
Brisbane as a whole experienced a reduction in animal cruelty over the past two years, with statewide cases decreasing from 18,692 in 2019 to 17,146 the following year — numbers dropping by a little over 8 per cent.
Some of the most common complaints included animals with poor living conditions brought about by insufficient food and water, neglect and lack of exercise, abandonment, heat, lack of healthcare and veterinary treatment, and abuse and cruelty.
An estimated 1,116 emergency calls made to RSPCA Queensland were about animals suffering from heat stress, either by being left in a hot car or being tethered to the yard and unable to reach shade and water. Cars can reach up to 73 degrees Celsius in summertime — fatal for pets if left unattended, even if the vehicle is in shade with the windows rolled down.
As part of the RSPCA’s report, an interactive map was created which allows users to pinpoint their suburbs and discover how many reported cases of animal cruelty there were in the past year.
