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Letter from the President Letter from the CEO Key Numbers Statistics Supporters and Sponsors Major Donors Financial Report
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Letter from the president I am pleased to report to you on the activities of RSPCA ACT for Financial Year 2016-2017. This is my first annual report as President of the Society, and I am grateful for the support that I have received in the role over the last several months. Financially, this past year has been quite positive, with the Society achieving a net surplus for the year of $301,651. This was down from our surplus last year, but is still an extremely positive result. Regardless of the fact that we have now had a number of good surpluses, the Board continues to remain focused on securing our long-term financial sustainability. Our surpluses have largely been due to the generosity of our supporters, with us receiving $1,250,390 in donations and $481,674 in bequests. Whilst we are a notfor-profit organisation, that does not remove our responsibilities to operate and deliver our services in the most financially beneficial manner. Over the next financial year, the Board will be working with the CEO to look at how we can continue to increase our revenue to a more self-sustaining level. In some areas, this may also mean having a look at the costs associated with delivering our services. The fundamental principle that we consider whenever we evaluate any changes, is what will help us achieve the best animal welfare outcome; this is our key reason for existing, and above all, this mission must come before all other considerations. Improving our financial position and making it more sustainable with a reduced dependency on hard to control revenue sources such as weatherdependent event income will allow us to ensure that our operations are self-sustaining. We can then look at using the generous donations and bequests to support capital investment activities, such as upgrading our veterinarian facilities, or replacing major capital items.
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It is therefore essential that we get our day-to-day operations to a stage where the cost of providing our services is covered by the revenue that those services generate. The Board will keep you updated over the next 12 months on how we are going against this objective. Whilst we did have a good financial result for the year, there are a number of risks that have the ability to affect us in the future. A key risk is the nation-wide shortage of qualified veterinarians, and the difficulty in finding those special individuals who want to deal with the extremes of the animal welfare spectrum, as our vets are often required to do. Finding and attracting these individuals is vitally important, as it ensures we can provide the best quality treatment to the animals that come into our care. Additionally, any surplus capacity in our clinic can be used to support our revenue generating activities, as well as provide support to the disadvantaged members of our community who may not be able to afford care for their companion animals at a commercial clinic. A key factor in our ongoing success has been the dedication of our staff and volunteers, and their focus on our important work. Our animal welfare statistics demonstrate their commitment to ensuring positive animal welfare outcomes. We continue to have one of the highest re-homing rates in the country – an achievement of which everyone can be proud. We have also seen significant success in a number of locally developed initiatives. Our “In The Dog House” and “12 Barks of Christmas Carols” have contributed towards our overall fund-raising targets, and will continue to do so. Our “Frisky Tom” campaign has also seen some good results; whilst it is still too early to declare that it has reduced the number of abandoned kittens around the ACT, the early results are encouraging.
Our engagement with the ACT Government remains positive. We are seen very much as a trusted partner, and are in a strong position to assist in ensuring that legislation related to animal welfare is strong and robust, ensuring not only that animals are protected, but that those who inflict cruelty upon animals are dealt with appropriately. The effort of Tammy and her team in providing welfare statistics research in relation to racing greyhounds has directly contributed towards the ACT Government decision to ban this activity from 30 June 2018. Whilst the greyhound racing community continues to fight this decision, and has indicated that it does not want any support in closing down the sport and re-homing dogs, we will remain ready to ensure that these former racing dogs are retired in a humane manner, and find their way to loving and caring homes. At this year’s Annual General Meeting, we will be bidding farewell to two long-term directors, who have now served the maximum of three consecutive terms on our Board, as permitted under the Constitution of the Society. Louise Douglas was the President of the Society up until March of this year, and led the Board and the Society through some particularly challenging circumstances.
Andrew Lander has been the Chair of our Finance, Audit and Risk Sub-Committee, and has worked hard to shape our organisational risk strategy and our investment strategy. I thank both of these individuals for their valuable contribution and hard work over their five years on the Board. I am sure that they will continue to be seen at various RSPCA ACT events in the future.
Jeffrey Butler President
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Letter from the ceo It was another positive year for RSPCA ACT for animal welfare with our three welfare goals of 1) Decrease Incoming Animals; 2) Keep them Healthy, and 3) Send them to Forever Homes Faster clearly heading in the right direction. This year we had 4,063 domestic animals, and 599 native animals come into our care. Overall, this was slightly down from last year’s figures as ACT Wildlife continues to carry a larger workload for wildlife care. Our partnership with ACT Wildlife (as well as other operational changes) has allowed us to focus more on other creatures great and small, resulting in a nearly 90% rehoming rate for all species this year. This included a 95% rehoming rate for canines and an 87.73% rehoming rate for all felines after breaking the 90% mark for kittens for the first time ever. Probably the most surprising statistic in 2016-17 was the 9.5% decrease in incoming kittens (7.6% reduction across all felines). This is the first drop in five years and on the back of the second year of our three-year ‘Frisky Tom’ free cat desexing program. While it’s too soon to know if this decrease is a trend as a result of our program, it is promising to see such a large decrease after so many years of significant growth rates. What hasn’t been in the news as much lately, but is still is going on in the background, is the work of our Inspectors. In 2016-17, they brought in 974 animals with nearly 300 being fowl and poultry. Yes, we actually rehomed more chickens than adult dogs! While many of the related cases may take years to resolve, we did break our previous record with a total of 19 successful prosecutions this year with help from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Of course, to support all of these great outcomes requires an investment from generous individuals and organisations that believe in our mission.
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We were blessed with plenty of people to thank this year. With a shortage of vets across the ACT and NSW, we were forced to reduce our public vet clinic services in October 2016. As a result, we had to rely more heavily on our fundraising efforts than previous years for revenue. New events like the Duesburys Nexia Fur Ball and “12 Barks of Christmas Carols” were a hit while others proved to be quite challenging. Our most famous fundraising event, Million Paws Walk, had a last minute venue change due to heavy flooding of Commonwealth Park. Thankfully our many donors, supporters and sponsors came through for us again this year, allowing us to achieve a financial surplus for the third year in a row. Despite our ability to manage our finances well these last few years, we are still challenged with replenishing our reserves and to upgrade our facilities. To do this, we need at least one significant, seven-figure gift to break a decadeslong cycle of tight financial years and to prepare the foundations for a capital campaign for a new building. The way operations are going right now, to be more financially sustainable over the longer-term, we either need to reduce our services or to grow our revenue base, the latter which requires investment funds that we do not have enough of right now. Finally, for all of the good things that RSPCA ACT did in 2016-17, I would call it the year of the greyhound. Many of you would know that we have been advocating for the end of the greyhound racing industry in the ACT since we first posted an opinion piece in the RiotACT on 21 April 2015, just months after the ABC Four Corners breaking news stories about live baiting. Since then, we have been providing a steady stream of analysed information about the industry to the community and to our elected officials based on available public sources.
On the back of this, we have faced threats of lawsuits to the organisation and to myself as the CEO of RSPCA ACT, as well as regular attacks from critics. Nevertheless, we have continued in our efforts to change the future for greyhounds and have found support with much of the community and the Ministers as well. In 2016-17, the ACT Government declared in their parliamentary agreement that they would end the approximate $1million subsidy to the greyhound racing industry. They further announced on 23 June 2017 that they would go one step further and ban racing itself despite the policy backflip of the NSW Government. Breed specific legislation related to greyhounds (i.e. requirement to wear a muzzle in public) was repealed just a few weeks earlier.
It’s only through the tremendous support of our sponsors, donors, volunteers, event attendees and advocates that we are able to be the voice and gentle hands to help animals in need in the greater Canberra community. Thank you!
Tammy Ven Dange CEO
We could never have predicted that these measures would be so supported or changed as quickly as they were. We are forever grateful for the support of the public and to our responsive government in helping these gentle giants. Stay tuned to 2017-18 as we expect to see this legislation passed, as well as other measures that we are advocating for including the strengthening of the animal ban provisions in the Animal Welfare Act 1992.
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key Numbers for 948 cats
1223 Kittens
253 puppies
186 rabbits
4063
654 Dogs
Key numbers
incoming domestic
animals
31 guinea pigs
3 lIVESTOCK 384 poultry
161 OTHER 220 dOMESTIC BIRDS
0% animals euthanased for space
FRISKY TOM
496 Felines desexed 83% desexed for free 8
17% at a discounted rate
95%
PR0SECUTIONS SUCCESSFUL
1067
cruelty complaints
investigated
2016-17 Financial Year 7.6% decrease in overall incoming felines 34.2% decrease in INCOMING WILDLIFE
increases
numbers are dropping AS A RESULT OF CLOSER WORK WITH act WILDLIFE
95%
DECREASES
9.5% decrease in incoming kittens
68% increase in incoming poultry due to inspector activities
10.1% increase in animals brought in by inspectors
87.8%
REHOMING RATE
90.8% for kittens! Hi I’m Cherry! I was one of th e 25 that came in to RSPCA ACT in 3 puppies 2016-17
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overall stats
Statistics Outgoing Statistics
Domestic Felines
Domestic Cats
Domestic Kittens
Outcomes
This year
Last year
This year
Last year
This year
Last year
Reclaimed
In care
154 1597 55
144 1628 144
148 571 34
133 592 54
6 1026 21
11 1036 90
Domestic euthanased
199
279
124
176
75
103
Feral euthanased
266
241
151
143
115
98
Other#
44 2315
47 2483
14 1042
8 1106
30 1273
39 1377
44 94 38 0 176
38 24 13 0 75
30 33 40 0 103
Rehomed
Total
Domestic euthanasia reasons Medical Behavioural Infectious Organisational* Total
72 88 39 0 199
74 127 78 0 279
#Other: includes stolen, escaped, unassisted death * Infantile kittens with no available foster carers
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34 64 26 0 124
Canines
Dogs
Puppies
Outcomes
This year
Last year
This year
Last year
This year
Last year
Reclaimed
380 421 38 79 38 2 958
293 389 53 69 39 3 846
361 188 34 79 34 1 697
271 187 36 67 36 1 598
19 233 4 0 4 1 261
22 202 17 2 3 2 248
Rehomed In care Transferred* Euthanased Other# Total
Euthanasia reasons
Infectious
9 26 0
13 24 0
6 25 0
12 22 0
3 1 0
1 2 0
Owner requested via inspectors
3
2
3
2
0
0
Total
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Medical Behavioural
*Transferred: RSPCA works collaboratively with Domestic Animal Services (DAS) to maximise positive outcomes for dogs. RSPCA also received dogs from DAS when sick, injured, old or under 6 months. This figure is included in the total above. #Other: includes stolen, escaped, unassisted death
Rabbits
Other (Rodents, ferrets, fish, reptiles, amphibians)
Guinea Pigs
Outcomes
This year
Last year
This year
Last year
This year
Last year
Reclaimed
In care
12 141 3
7 153 8
0 29 1
1 40 0
10 97 9
5 99 61
Euthanased
31
15
1
1
7
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Other#
7 194
10 193
0 31
0 42
99 222
2 176
1 0 0 1
3 0 4 7
3 3 3 9
Rehomed
Total
Euthanasia reasons Medical Behavioural Infectious Total
27 0 4 31
6 6 3 15
1 0 0 1
#Other: includes stolen, escaped, unassisted death
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Domestic Birds
Poultry
Livestock
Outcomes
This year
Last year
This year
Last year
This year
Last year
Reclaimed
14 188 10 12 5 229
17 288 9 15 11 340
4 349 10 25 29* 417
4 194 33 24 16 271
1 2 1 0 0 4
0 4 1 1 0 6
15 9 0 24
0 0 0 0
1 0 0 1
Rehomed In care Euthanased Other# Total
Euthanasia reasons Medical Behavioural Infectious Total
10 0 2 12
15 0 0 15
23 2 0 25
#Other: includes stolen, escaped, unassisted death * Includes 20 transferred to RSPCA NSW
Wildlife Statistics Wildlife Report Mammals Marsupials Monotremes Native amphibians Native birds Native reptiles Total
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Animals In 2016-17
Animals Out 2016-17
Animals In 2015-16
Animals Out 2015-16
6 45 4 1 500 43 599
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2 105 1 3 728 71 910
2 101 1 3 731 67 905
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4 1 500 45 608
inspectorate Statistics Inspectorate Investigation Type of animal
Number of animals involved
Dogs
Number of people charged
1067 0 20 70 17
Horses
1214 488 16 41 172
Number of successful prosecutions (charges found and proven)
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Poultry/Birds
>1500
Number of convictions recorded
19 20 22
Rabbits
63 27 336
Complaints investigated Complaints revisited Prosecutions finalised Number of charges laid
Cases examined (trials / hearings) Cases pending (trials / hearings)
Cats Cattle Sheep
Guinea Pigs Other
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Supporters and sponsors Shelter Partners
Shelter Sponsors
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Shelter Supporters
Event sponsors
kennel sponsors
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Major Donors We rely on the community to help us continue our vital work with animals in need. A big thank you to all who have supported and continue to support RSPCA ACT. Every single dollar counts. Although we would love to list all of you who donated, we simply do not have the space. We would like to thank the following people who have donated significant amounts to our mission in the 2016-2017 financial year. The D Llewellyn Legacy | Prance Family Memorial Fund | The Palmer Family Memorial Fund | Footprints Forever Foundation | The Arthur Edward Smith Memorial Fund | Vizma Trepins Memorial Fund | The Rose Red Gift | The Jean & Redvers Dunbar Charitable Endowment | The Audrey Preston Charitable Endowment | The Trustees of the Bagnall Foundation | Procter, Patricia and Kevin Charitable Trust | Elsie Cameron Foundation | Victoria Shakespeare Trust | National Zoo and Aquarium | Don’t Panic Plumbing Pty Ltd | Murrumbateman Winery | The Green Shed | Gift Fund TDF Wishing Well | Alpha Squadron, Australian Defence Force Academy | Distinct Property Management | Executive Intelligence Group Pty Ltd | Daana | Dr Joanne Daly | Dr Ray Lindsay | Dr Matthew Gray | Dr Eva-Maria Bernoth | Dr Bernie Towler | Dr Ian Doherty | Dr Tuck Meng Soo | Dr Lindy Orthia | Dr Lesley Potter | Dr Russell Parkin | Lady Elizabeth Synnot | Miss Elizabeth Allen | Miss Ilse Consuegra | Miss Anne McKeon | Miss Sandra Lauer | Miss Maxine Cox | Miss Gina Kikos | Miss Vickie Forsyth | Miss Tracy Webb | Miss Esther Macdonald | Miss June Riley | Miss Joan White | Miss Lynette Brown | Miss Margaret Atkinson | Miss Susan Doyle | Miss Victoria Clark | Miss Celia Cruttwell | Miss Jacki Agius | Mr Albert Alyta | Mr John Davenport | Mr Matthew Frawley | Mr Mark Hillis | Mr John Prytz | Mr Saul Schneider | Mr William Wise | Mr Ronald Sait | Mr Daryl Blaxland | Mr Terry Lee | Mr Michael Brown | Mr Bill Tarplee | Mr Scott Lambeth | Mr John Carlson | Mr Ken Meikle | Mr Malcolm Bernhardt | Mr Andrew Wilson | Mr Barry Roberts | Mr Edward Helgeby | Mr W Viney | Mr Francis Cremen | Mr Richard Briggs | Mr Frank Breglec | Mr T Baker | Mr Ian Albrey | Mr John Alcock | Mr Bruce Sinclair | Mr Chris Flood | Mr Rob Taylor | Mr Wayne Grant | Mr Robert McHugh | Mr William Laurie | Mr Michael Lynch | Mr Graham O’Brien | Mr Edmond Hsu | Mr Frederick Monk | Mr David Heim | Mr John Brain | Mr John Bellinger | Mr Robert Cuttell | Mr Stephen Richards | Mr Gary Humphries | Mr Paul Hartigan | Mr John Birch | Mr Geoff Clark | Mr Peter Cahill | Mr Edward Howe | Mr Prin Chegwanich | Mr John Ashman | Mr Ronald Grey | Mr Mike Hillman | Mr Anthony Errey | Mr Tom Halstead | Mr John Simpson | Mr Keith Simpson | Mr Robert McMahon | Mr Ross Swindley | Mr Ken Baker | Mr Antony Horrocks | Mr Sterling Kitchings | Mr John Kung | Mr Arthur Locke | Mr Peter Morris | Mr Richard Rye | Mr Leszek Buszynski | Mr Peter Norrie | Mr Michael Hutchinson | Mr Geoff McVeigh | Mr Mark Hogan | Mr Bruce Collins | Mr Ian Donald | Mr John Miller | Mr Ian Wilson | Mr John Leonard | Mr Damien Penny | Mr Colin Hauff | Mr S Blumer | Mr Robert Lipping | Mr Shayne Lynch | Mr Mark Sampson | Mr Mick Toller | Mr Martin Silsby | Mr Mark Gale | Mr Ian Robinson | Mr Alan Thomas | Mr Thomas Allen | Mr Aaron Lewis | Mr Ian Smith | Mr Grant Earney | Mr Chris Scullin | Mr T Brown | Mr Jeffrey Cressall | Mr Robert Dixon | Mrs Ping Block | Mrs Joanna Dowse | Mrs Faye Gates | Mrs Betty Grant | Mrs Marion Loadsman | Mrs Pat May | Mrs Pearl Moyseyenko | Mrs Gayle Philip | Mrs Joan Styles | Mrs A Whyte | Mrs Dana Whitty | Mrs Alison Wishart | Mrs Deborah Perrin | Mrs Lynnette Collins | Mrs Sylvia Pados | Mrs Loris Trainor | Mrs Petra Lean | Mrs Maureen Cahill | Mrs Judith Gunning | Mrs Monique Butselaar | Mrs Barbara Cattell | Mrs Emily Canning | Mrs Pam Robbins | Mrs Shirley Llorens | Mrs Karen Jones | Mrs Elizabeth Law-Smith | Mrs Claudette Chubb | Mrs Elizabeth Swanton | Mrs Jill Mitchell | Mrs Judith Avery | Mrs Marcia Smith | Mrs Rose Hockham | Mrs Margaret Cuttell | Mrs Carita Konrad | Mrs M Osmond | Mrs Barbara Locke | Mrs June Howard | Mrs Celia Hodgson | Mrs Kathryn Nelson | Mrs Rieteke Chenoweth | Mrs Natalie Bobbin | Mrs Jan Crowe | Mrs Morna Vellacott | Mrs Barbara Hamburger | Mrs Kay Michel | Mrs Simone Rowell | Mrs Lorraine Goodman | Mrs Heather Boyd | Mrs Roz Bruhn | Mrs D Higgins | Mrs June Carthy | Mrs Geraldine Parkinson | Mrs J Harmsworth | Mrs Alison Hogan | Mrs Elizabeth Munro-Ashman | Mrs Trudi Lynch | Mrs Barbara Edward | Mrs Jane Tan | Mrs Lucy Tobler | Mrs Penelope Wise | Mrs Mariko Buszynski | Mrs Sylvia Budynek | Mrs Carol Howe | Mrs Edith Woodhams | Mrs Joan Skipper | Mrs Julie Paterson | Mrs Wendy Kupkee | Mrs Betty Richardson | Mr Dennis Richardson | Mrs Marilyn Allen | Mrs Hermina Blaxland | Mrs Cynthia Stockbridge | Mrs Anastasia Money West | Mrs Amy Currie | Mrs Anna Brown | Mrs Barbara McCloskey | Mrs Alison Ramage | Mrs Margaret Anderson | Mrs Natalie Mccauley | Mrs Kerist Klekner | Mrs Susanne Smethills | Mrs Gale Gray | Mrs Dianne Anderson | Ms Kristine Brown | Ms Narelle Clegg | Ms Mary Clements | Ms Margaret Duncan | Ms Leonie Hunt | Ms Leanne Kossatz | Ms May Lok | Ms Susan May | Ms Melanie O’Flynn | Ms Liz Swain | Ms Margaret Pfanner | Ms G Walker | Ms Georgina Withers | Ms Antonia Chadwick | Ms Shannon Read | Ms Carolyn Toms | Ms Margaret Enfield | Ms Pam Gatenby | Ms Jennifer Daly | Ms Eva Beaton | Ms Pam Behncke | Ms Shirley Brown | Ms Robyn McVean | Ms Angela Winston-Gregson | Ms Karen Surgey | Ms G Ford | Ms Jane McCarty | Ms Janet Richardson | Ms Michele Leslie | Ms Margaret Jones | Ms Hilary Dingjan | Ms Joanne Palmer | Ms
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Miranda Rawlinson | Ms Victoria Leaver | Ms Shamali Weeraratne | Ms Kathy Dunn | Ms Rachael Henson | Ms Christine Keur | Ms Fran Barry | Ms Sarah Crichton | Ms Kate Prior | Ms Sue Cannon | Ms Jade Ho | Ms Jennifer Kruse | Ms Penelope Lithgow | Ms Elizabeth Toledo | Ms Marion Gras | Ms Janet Marshall | Ms Lisa Broomhall | Ms Sarah Whitty | Ms Lois Wishart | Ms Pauline Reynolds | Ms Ruth Smith | Ms Maria Grainger | Ms Katharine Devitt | Ms Jane Press | Ms Angela Mawbey | Ms Diane Johnstone | Ms Carol Wattam | Ms Rhonda Dunlop | Ms Judith Hurlstone | Ms Rosemary Mckenzie | Ms Ann Thurley | Ms Felicity Roberts | Ms Marg Vidler | Ms Monica Allami | Ms Ruth Stewart | Ms Jan Wryell | Ms Wendy Whitham | Ms Susan Dorz | Ms Gael Stewart | Ms Ann Thompson | Ms Hilary Nicholson | Ms Sharyn Madigan | Ms Alison Clifton | Ms Sara Goldsworthy | Ms Anita Hancock | Ms Jane Lambert | Ms Patricia Richardson | Ms Alexandra Wedutenko | Ms Victoria Coghlan | Ms Annelise McQualter | Ms Christa Moore | Ms Maureen Watson | Ms Melissa Waldron | Ms Shea Moran | Ms Margaret McMillan | Ms Noelle Collier | Ms Kannika Rangsayapan | Ms Sandra Dixon | Ms Wai Yee Cheah | Ms Marlene Le Brun | Ms Jillian Moses | Ms Kimberley Tyrrell | Ms Margaret Blumer | Ms Jenelle Kenner | Ms Sheridan Roberts | Ms Suchun You | Ms Anne Douglass | Ms Kirsti Van Der Steen | Ms Margot McCarthy | Ms Charlotte Allen | Ms Margaret Wilson | Ms Kate Conrick | Ms Susan Mclay | Ms Lucy Lane | Ms Helen Furniss | Ms Janet Allen | Ms Jennifer Rawson | Ms Leonarda Richards | Ms Leonie Jones | Ms Judy Waters | Ms Mariam Ajkic | Ms Louise Douglas | Prof Lyndall Strazdins | Professor Kieran Fallon | Professor Raymond Spear | David Harrison | Rebecca Stockley | Melvin Lam | Sue Carpenter | Lyn Meredith | Anne Tiirikainen | Emma Axelsson | Teena Wallace | Sophia Jian | Rene Harris | Jill Hayman | Jill Robilliard | Linda James
Thank yOU
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RSPCA ACT A - 12 Kirkpatrick Street Weston ACT 2611 W - rspca-act.org.au P - 02 6287 8100 E - rspca@rspca-act.org.au 42