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To: Hugh Wirth, President RSPCA
September 1, 2006
Dr Wirth,
This is a direct and immediate request for you to remove the lies you currently have on your website regarding the Tolmie horses and myself and also to stop circulating emails that also contain lies and extremely negative and untrue information regarding myself and Animal Liberation Victoria. (see sample copied in below)
I absolutely, positively and without any question or doubt took the photos of the Tolmie horses exactly when I said I did. There are many photos circulating of the horses and I have always made it clear on what date they were taken. The pregnant grey mare featured in the Herald Sun on Wednesday August 30, page 28 was taken by me at Tolmie on Tuesday August 22, 2006 in the company of three other people. It is utterly ridiculous for the RSPCA to state publicly that this photo (and many others I took on this day at Tolmie) were taken "back in June 2006". These lies must be removed from your website and you must stop circulating any more emails to this effect. Furthermore, one of the neighbours present with me on August 22 when I took the photograph of the gray mare featured in the Herald Sun has personally witnessed this same horse deteriorate over the past five months to the pitiful state she is in. So it is also very wrong of you to keep assuring the public that the horses are "improving" when in fact many are not.
I have never distributed any "misinformation and out dated photos to individuals and the media". And neither, Dr Wirth, do I, or Animal Liberation Victoria have a "personal campaign" against you. Another ridiculous accusation. ALV and myself have worked tirelessly since 1978 to help animals in need. This is my one and only personal agenda. I also abhor lying and had a very strict Catholic upbringing taught by nuns and priests for twelve years. My education and upbringing taught me two main things, always help others in need and tell the truth. These are both extremely important things to me, so it is very upsetting for me to read what the RSPCA is currently distributing. I think the RSPCA should be ashamed of itself for lying to the public.
For animals,
Patty Mark, President
Animal Liberation Victoria
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rspca email and website currently circulating to the public:
"RSPCA Enquiries" <rspca@rspcavic.org.au> 01/09/2006 08:15
Subject Horses - Updated information
Thank you for your previous email in regards to the Horses, below is an update on the case and the information is also available on our website www.rspcavic.org
Horses - Update Aug 30th
It was reported in the Herald Sun on Aug 30th that Animal Liberation President Patty Mark would complain to the State Ombudsman in regards to this case.
RSPCA would welcome a review by State Ombudsman, as the true facts of this case would then be revealed.
Animal Liberation provided photos to the Herald Sun that were taken back in June 2006, our photographs (www.rspcavic.org) were taken on August 23. We are also aware that Channel 9 took footage in June 2006 that shows the same images as Animal Liberation.
The white/gray horse shown in the photo’s taken on June 2006 is included in our photographs taken on August 23rd so you can see that vast improvement.
This case involves more than 30 horses and the majority have dramatically improved since June 2006.
We are disappointed that the newspaper did not use independent photographs or show that the majority of horses have improved but instead used Animal Liberations images taken in June. If the newspaper had used independent photographs the true story would have been revealed.
We were aware that Animal Liberation President Patty Mark, has distributed misinformation and out dated photos to individuals and the media. This is part of her personal campaign against Dr Hugh Wirth, which has previously resulted in a physical attack on him. It is extremely disappointing that an animal rights group would use its resources in a personal campaign against an individual that has dedicated his life to animal welfare and contributed more than 35 years to the RSPCA on a voluntary basis.
This personal campaign has now gone too far, our Inspectors are now receiving threats due to the misinformation being distributed.
Facts of the Case
1. It is claimed that the women who owned these horses let them starve to the emaciated condition that RSPCA found them in when we first received the complaint. This woman brought more than 30 horses from a Sale Yard in the extremely poor condition to save them from a knackery.
2. It is claimed that RSPCA Inspectors have done nothing to improve the situation. Our Inspectors have been on this property on weekly/fortnightly basis since the complaints was received. In conjunction with vets and equine specialists advice we put in place a management plan for these horses and the owner has complied with all directions in regards to feeding and veterinary advice.
3. It is claimed that many horses had to be euthanased due to their poor condition. Since RSPCA has been involved with this case 2 horses that failed to response to intensive feeding and vet advice had to be euthanased. The remaining horses are improving and are still being monitored by the RSPCA and vets.
4. It is claimed that the RSPCA could have seized the horses from the owner. RSPCA does have powers to seize animals under certain conditions. As the owner brought these horses in this poor condition and had followed our plan for intensive feeding and veterinary instructions we have no power to seize them.
RSPCA Inspectors responded to over 9,700 cruelty complaints in the last year, more than 1,400 cases involved horses and many of these cases involve large numbers such as this case.
RSPCA Victoria is concerned that reports of animal cruelty and horses in poor condition continue to increase. To help address these problems we introduced horse welfare seminars for people who had purchased horses or were considering owning horses. The RSPCA Education Dept, conducts these horse welfare seminars several times a year to educate horse owners, the latest was Aug 26th. Many people purchase horses will little knowledge of the how to care for them or the costs involved.
We hope that these seminars will help improve the welfare of horses in Victoria and reduce the number of cruelty complaints.
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