INVERELL Shire Council has urged residents to report animal cruelty to the RSPCA after a horse was found dead in Inverell following a report of cruelty to a dog at the same property.

The horse’s condition had been flagged with council officers, but they were unable to act and told the complainant they had to contact the RSPCA, whose nearest inspector is in Tamworth.

Local animal welfare advocates have called on the council to be more proactive and supportive of community members who report animal cruelty. 

Inverell council general manager Paul Henry said he was aware that compliance officers had visited a property about a dog complaint and as they were leaving a community member “raised the issue of a horse down the back”. He said the officers explained to the complainant that the RSPCA needed to be notified.

“We’re not the authority responsible for that type of animal welfare issue,” Mr Henry said.

“We don’t have authority to enter the land to investigate the complaint.

“The first response is to the RSPCA and if we are aware of the issues we can pass that information to the RSPCA.

“Just because someone stops us, we can’t just enter land or pass the information on.”

However, he said the closest inspector is in Tamworth. 

“There are volunteers for the RSPCA, but as to what powers the volunteers have I’m not sure, but there is certainly no local inspector,” Mr Henry said.

“Whether or not it’s the inspector from Tamworth who would visit, I don’t know what their arrangements are, but we have found the RSPCA does act on animal welfare issues.” Animal welfare advocate Judy Scrivener, of Dogs Without Borders, said the council had allowed the dog owner, who also owned the horse, time to build an enclosure, but they did nothing about the horse.

“They go there and put blinkers on,” she said.

“If they’re going to take our rates, Dogs Without Borders call on them to step up on matters involved with animal welfare.”

Mrs Scrivener said Dogs Without Borders had statutory declarations to support the claims by the Inverell community members who reported the case about the state the horse was in.

“Council needs to be proactive and supportive of community members when contacted regarding issues of animal welfare,” she said.

“If people are too frightened about reporting a cruelty matter, they can feel free to contact Dogs Without Borders.”

Mrs Scrivener said people could be fearful about reporting these matters, but Dogs Without Borders would follow them through.

“While Dogs Without Borders is aware the council acts under the Companion Animals Act ... if they observed animal cruelty and did nothing, could they be complicit in allowing it continue?”