RSPCA NSW confirms dog Zoey doing better after welfare concerns raised by Animal Justice Party members

The service said the condition of the dog, Zoey, had improved and that she "is in good health and is being well cared for by her owners".

It comes after The Newcastle Herald reported that a frail dog was picked up by Bronwen Irons and handed in to Tighes Hill RSPCA, but just a few days later Ms Irons spotted her back with her owner.

At the time, the RSPCA said the matter was under investigation and would not comment further. However since the article appeared, the service reached out to provide more context and an update.

"First and foremost, we can confirm that the dog, Zoey, is in good health and is being well cared for by her owners," a statement from the RSPCA said.

The RSPCA provided a photo which it said was taken on July 21 at its Hunter Veterinary Hospital.

"The treating veterinarian noted that Zoey was at an ideal weight, had a shiny, soft coat and was free of any fleas."

The service said when Zoey was handed in on July 9 she weighed 15.5 kilograms, but did not show evidence of health issues other than poor body condition. Her owners were contacted and told the RSPCA Zoey had escaped and was missing for four weeks.

"This time away from home resulted in her poor body condition and her owners had begun a refeeding plan to help her gain weight safely before she disappeared from the property again," the statement said.

"When Zoey's owners came to pick her up, they spoke with the treating veterinarian about what ongoing treatment was required to get Zoey back to a healthy weight.

"That same day, an RSPCA inspector attended the owner's home to conduct a premises check. The home was found to be secure and the owner's second dog, a desexed male, was seen at the property in good condition."

A follow up check was conducted on July 17 and the inspector said she "had gained a considerable amount of weight and was bright, alert and responsive".

"We understand that seeing a dog in poor condition is very confronting and we appreciate that the wider community cares as much about animals as we do," the statement said.

"RSPCA NSW will continue to act in the best interests of the animals of NSW and work within the confines of the law to prevent cruelty to animals."

In the past couple of days, a number of social media posts and articles have circulated containing misinformation about an underweight dog in the Hunter Region of NSW. In order to clear up any confusion or assumptions, we'd like to take this opportunity to provide some context and information regarding this dog's welfare.

First and foremost, we can confirm that the dog, Zoey, is in good health and is being well cared for by her owners. The photo attached was taken at 2:35pm on Tuesday 21 July 2020 at our RSPCA NSW Hunter Veterinary Hospital. The treating veterinarian noted that Zoey was at an ideal weight, had a shiny, soft coat and was free of any fleas.

Zoey first came into our care on 9 July when a member of the public brought her into our RSPCA NSW Tighes Hill Veterinary Hospital and was seen by a veterinarian, weighing in at 15.5kg. Besides her poor body condition, Zoey did not show any evidence of other health issues. Zoey's owners were contacted and were asked to speak with an inspector about Zoey's current condition. Her owners explained that Zoey had recently escaped from their home and been missing for four weeks prior to her coming into RSPCA NSW's care. This time away from home resulted in her poor body condition and her owners had begun a refeeding plan to help her gain weight safely before she disappeared from the property again.

When Zoey's owners came to pick her up, they spoke with the treating veterinarian about what ongoing treatment was required to get Zoey back to a healthy weight. That same day, an RSPCA inspector attended the owner's home to conduct a premises check. The home was found to be secure and the owner's second dog, a desexed male, was seen at the property in good condition. On 17 July, an RSPCA NSW inspector was conducting a recheck on Zoey and observed that she had gained a considerable amount of weight and was bright, alert and responsive.

As you can see in the attached photo, taken on 21 July 2020 at 2:35pm, Zoey is looking happy and healthy and has been enjoying being back at home with her family.

We understand that seeing a dog in poor condition is very confronting and we appreciate that the wider community cares as much about animals as we do. RSPCA NSW will continue to act in the best interests of the animals of NSW and work within the confines of the law to prevent cruelty to animals across the state.