Contents 02 Achievements and challenges 04 You helped to… 16 You gave so much through… 30 How your money was invested in… 38 Concise fi nancial report 42 How you can help... 44 Working on your behalf thank you. without your help we couldn’t have EDITOR: Jen Walker E: [email protected] M: 0411 480 220 PHOTOGRAPHY: Redbird Photography achieved so much. M: 0406 775 271 E: [email protected] Pomegranate Studios M: 0414 517 869 E: [email protected] rspcansw.org.au The editorial content, design and graphic art content of the RSPCA NSW Annual Report are copyright to RSPCA NSW and must not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the publisher. Registered by Australia Post Publications No NBG 1293 Registered No CC 1111 Charitable Collections Act, 1934. ABN 87 000 001 641 ISSN 1446-6562 achievements and challenges TOP–BOTTOM: President, RSPCA NSW, Peter Wright; Chief Executive Officer Steve Coleman In early 2012, for the first time, RSPCA NSW Peter and Steve agree that fundraising is the major challenge started to see gaps in rehomable dog and cat for the year ahead. The tougher economic climate may suppress donation levels; supporters contribute approximately 97% of supply, and keeping up with the demand has the organisation’s income. driven many of the organisation’s achievements For Peter, one of the major concerns of tightened budgets is in the past financial year. the effect on the range of programs offered by RSPCA NSW. “We need to keep adding and expanding programs so we can Chief Executive Office of RSPCA NSW, Steve Coleman, said one continue to help animals, by helping people. But obviously we of the successes of the past year has been the investment in new need the budget to provide this support,” he said. adoption options, and various projects to support those options. And while a shortage of rehomable animals is a positive in one In fact, RSPCA NSW President Peter Wright nominated one of light, it poses a challenge in another. Steve said that a focus for those projects, Drives for Lives, as his highlight of the past year. the year ahead will be ensuring animals move through RSPCA’s “Drives for Lives means we are able to move animals between adoption process in a timely manner. our shelters, care centres and branches, maximising their “Now that our rehoming programs are up and running, we need rehoming opportunities by placing them in a more appropriate to work closely with our dedicated foster carers to ensure location,” Peter said. adoptable animals are readily available. Foster carers can become Steve also drew attention to the collaboration efforts with very attached to the animals, but it’s important that we work organisations such as councils, which are paying dividends. quickly to guarantee animals are made available for adoption as soon as they are ready. “The benefits from these relationships include allowing our departments to increase their focus on core issues, and the ability “It is a matter of always coming back to what is the best to pull in expertise when needed. We are also sharing our skills outcome for the animal. After all, that is the reason we exist and experience with sister organisations overseas, for example and what everyone connected to RSPCA NSW believes in,” RSPCA UK is interested in the success of our Petbarn initiative,” concluded Steve. Steve said. Both Peter and Steve nominated the start of capital works at the Sydney Shelter in Yagoona as another highlight of the year. “It has had a noticeable positive effect on staff morale; in fact our attrition rate is at an all-time low,” Steve said. Peter is also involved in the current review of the governance structure of RSPCA Australia. He says that he looks forward to a more streamlined framework so as to maximise the efficiencies between the national board, office and the member societies. 02/03 YOU HELPED TO... HELPED TO... YOU Through the generosity of donors, RSPCA NSW has been able to rehabilitate and rehome thousands of animals, educate people about the need to respect all living things, and assist those who need help to look after their pets. The following pages provide a brief glimpse at just some of the achievements made Save possible by the organisation’s supporters. you helped to... Connect Rehabilitate Care Provide Rehome Achievements Develop better ways to Educate a wider range of Create more opportunities Assist more people in need Enable us to respond to rehabilitate animals in people about the need to for animals to find their to look after their pets animals in need faster our care treat all living things with forever homes kindness 04/05 A more responsive Call Centre and an increased efficiency in the Inspectorate have resulted in faster animal rescues and improved communication duringg the past twelve months. you helped to save system upgrade in the Call “Along with other improvements, such “Another highlight this year has been the Centre has allowed staff to as decentralising staff so we have strengthening of our relationships with Amake significant improvements back-up if something happens in our other groups such as the police, SES, in customer service. Manager Nicole main call centre, this means we can now NSW Fire & Rescue and local Louise said until last year, there was be more responsive to animals in need.” governments. The better we all work one phone line coming into RSPCA together, the faster there is a positive Technology has also made a difference NSW and her staff had to juggle all result for the animal,” he said. to Inspectors in the past year: supplying calls – emergency or otherwise. each Inspector with an iPad means they David believes that building relationships “New software which allows the caller to can now access real-time information with all areas of the community creates choose the service they need upfront about a case while on the road. opportunities for education. “Education means our average wait time has is a very big part of what we do; it’s how “Inspectors can gain a better dropped from 7 minutes to 90 seconds, we can bring about a long-term positive understanding of the situation and can while other system upgrades allow staff change in animal welfare.” now finalise the case without coming to input more comprehensive call back to the office,” said Chief Inspector details into the system faster,” she said. David OShannessy. YOU HELPED TO... HELPED TO... YOU Julie's Story On a Sunday when heavy rain was forecast, Julie Raducki noticed one of her three cows, Susie, was missing. “I found her in the creek – she must have broken Save the fence and slipped down the bank. I didn’t know what to do, but remembered the TV show RSPCA Animal Rescue, so rang them. The person who answered reassured me that someone would be there soon.” Connect Rehabilitate Care Provide Inspector Aaron Purcell arrived soon after and spent around two hours in the creek with a halter around Susie’s neck, but “there was no way she was going to walk out. We were worried about the weather forecast and the chance of flooding, so Aaron asked Inspector Flett Turner to help, who assured me they Rehome would get her out,” said Julie. “The Inspectors placed a harness around her stomach and winched her out using their car, just in time, as the rain started to come down and the creek flooded that night. They advised me to get Susie checked by a vet, and Aaron rang a few days later to check she was ok.” Julie reports that Susie, who was given the all-clear, was spoilt with her own round bale of hay and kept closer to the house until the fence was fixed. 06/07 ncreasing demand has resulted in “Our online presence has also escalated the Education Team visiting more than this year – our Facebook and Twitter Itwice the number of schools this year followers help to spread our key messages, compared to the previous year, sold out and our online fundraising efforts have school holiday programs, and invitations also been very well supported.” for their community outreach programs RSPCA NSW’s communication channels have Marianne also made special mention coming from as far afield as Tenterfield, of community groups such as the increased markedly over the past twelve months. Broken Hill and the far South Coast. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs who Support for both the Education and Communication “Our biggest achievement this year is lend their weight to publicity opportunities, reaching into communities, mainly in south as well as several publications and teams mean that more people than ever are aware western Sydney, where our Inspectors were websites that provide free exposure for of the need to treat all living things with kindness. spending a disproportionately large amount the organisation. of time," said Education and Training “Our two supporter magazines, Animals Executive Manager Mark Jeffrey. for adults and Animania for children, “We work to soften the edges and engage have also worked well in terms of getting people before enforcement is needed. our messages out and bringing funds in you helped to Our immunisation and desexing drives, through subscriptions,” she said. run in conjunction with our clinic and local councils, as well as our general education programs, have been extremely successful connect in these areas,” he said. Connecting with the community through an increased media presence has been made easier by RSPCA NSW supporters. “Our supporters have helped us connect with the public by sharing their adoption stories, promoting the RSPCA, and have also opened doors for us within a wide range of media outlets,” said Media and PR Manager Marianne Zander.