Animal Justice members raise concerns after RSPCA NSW hands 'emaciated' dog back to owner

Bronwen Irons said she picked up the dog one night recently after seeing its ribs and back bones sticking out.

"The dog was emaciated," she said.

"You could just tell she was in a bad way.

"You could see every bone in her back."

She also suspected the dog may have been pregnant due to the appearance of its nipples.

Ms Irons said she left the dog with a nearby resident overnight and took it to the RSPCA at Tighes Hill a day later, hoping the dog would stay in the Association's care.

But when visiting the area she picked the dog up from four days later, she was shocked to see it had been given back to its owner.

"When I saw her, it broke my heart all over again," Ms Irons said.

"She still looked really bad.

"It's not cool. People can't treat dogs like that."

When approached for information about the incident, the RSPCA said it was carrying out an investigation into the matter.

"However, as it is currently being investigated, we are unable to provide any further details at this time," a statement from the organisation said.

"RSPCA NSW takes all allegations of animal cruelty seriously.

"One cruelty complaint is all RSPCA NSW needs to take action, please report animal cruelty to RSPCA NSW online at rspcansw.org/reportcruelty or call 1300 CRUELTY (1300 278 3589)."

Ms Irons is a member of the Animal Justice Party and spoke to one of the party's Members of the NSW Legislative Council, Mark Pearson, who was similarly outraged by the issue.

Mr Pearson sent photos of the dog and details to RSPCA NSW CEO Steve Coleman and Chief Inspector Scott Meyers prior to finding out the canine had been given back to the owner.

"They were probably giving the dog back the same day I sent the photos," he said.

He said there were certain avenues the RSPCA could have gone down to have kept a hold of the dog.

"It doesn't seem in line with RSPCA policy to return a dog in that condition to its owner," he said.

"I think there is a case for keeping the dog considering the condition.

"I'm no veterinarian, but on a scale of 1-10 I would have to put the dog's condition between a one and a two.

"I only saw pictures, but I can't see how those would be fabricated or manipulated."

Mr Pearson said he planned to ask questions of the NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall.

He said he had seen similar things happen before with the RSPCA.

Mr Pearson said part of the issue was to do with legislation under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979.

"The Act is 41 years old - that says it all really," he said.

IN OTHER NEWS:

RSPCA NSW and Animal Welfare League NSW are the organisations responsible for the compliance and enforcement of the Act.

A select committee on Animal Cruelty Laws in NSW, which Mr Pearson chairs, has recommended that an independent statutory body, the Independent Office of Animal Protection, be established to oversight the animal welfare framework.

Mr Pearson said if the recommendation was adopted, it could prevent incidents like this from happening.

"A designated office would be independent and would have very considerate resources to take on things like this," he said.

"It wouldn't be the responsibility of charitable organisations who rely on donations for funding.

"This is clearly a case of ongoing neglect, which can't be fixed with a couple of directions."