HORSHAM will soon be home to a dedicated animal cruelty inspector.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals inspector Jeremy Dean will be based out of Horsham's Grains Innovation Park and will cover the entire Wimmera.
The centre has appointed 34 new employees in the past year. It also recently welcomed Grains Research and Development Corporation and the RSPCA as new tenants.
The RSPCA Inspectorate responds to animal cruelty reports across the state.
Prior to Mr Dean's appointment, inspectors were required to travel from Ballarat or Melbourne to attend issues in the Wimmera.
RSPCA Victoria western region inspectorate team leader Sharna Fitt said the role of an RSPCA inspector was to act on complaints of animal cruelty or neglect.
"Generally this entails visiting a property to assess the merits of the complaint and to provide advice, education and where appropriate, to enforce the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. In the worst cases, this might include the removal of an animal from its owner and/or prosecution," she said.
"Having a locally based inspector who can attend quickly and work with members of the community to improve animal welfare in the first instance leads to better outcomes for all involved.
"Additionally, Jeremy has strong ties to the community and a deep understanding of the issues that impact the region, so is well placed to help animal owners to navigate these as they arise."
Mr Dean said he was excited to start his role.
"I have grown up in a rural environment and have always been around animals and enjoyed working with them. I have a background in legislative enforcement with different government agencies and when this opportunity came up in the local area I jumped at it," he said.
He said an inspector's role was to also educate and provide advice to animal owners.
"A major component of the role is educating and working with owners to resolve issues and get the best outcome for the animal involved," he said.
"Having animals in your life is a fantastic thing but with that comes a great responsibility to ensure you are providing for that animal's needs. The partnership RSPCA Victoria has with the community is a crucial link to ensuring animal welfare in the area."
He said having a dedicated RSPCA inspector was vital for Horsham.
"A localised presence of RSPCA leads to better outcomes for the animals involved and also means that welfare concerns are followed through by one inspector rather than possibly two or three different members," he said.
"It will also enable a better working relationship within the community with local welfare organisations, veterinary practices and other government agencies."
Crime data from 2018 showed that Horsham had the highest rate of animal cruelty offences reported to police in Victoria.
Crime Statistics Agency figures showed that the postcode 3400 had three cases of animal cruelty reported to police in 2018.
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox twice weekly from the Wimmera Mail-Times. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from across the Wimmera, sign up below.