News and Updates

RSPCA NSW commends the NSW Government’s visionary efforts to establish the Great Koala National Park. This commitment marks a monumental stride toward securing the future of one of Australia’s most cherished and iconic animals, the koala.   At RSPCA NSW, our unwavering dedication to championing the welfare of all creatures, great and small, is the backbone of our organisation. Koalas are one of the nation’s most unique and precious animals, and their presence holds profound significance within the Australian community.   It is vital that collectively, we do everything we can to protect the future of these endangered animals.   The creation of the Great Koala National Park is an indispensable endeavor to safeguard these symbolic marsupials and their habitats.   “As Australians, these fuzzy friends hold a special place in our hearts, and the establishment of the Great Koala National Park highlights the urgent need to address the challenges faced by these treasured creatures,” said RSPCA NSW CEO, Steve Coleman.    “I particularly want…

On September 7, 2023, the Federal Government released an updated draft threat abatement plan aimed at addressing the issue of feral cats. RSPCA NSW acknowledges that in some circumstances it can be necessary to manage populations of wild animals, including feral cats, to reduce negative impacts on the environment and threatened species. Where this happens, management activities must be justified, effective, and humane. The plan recommends trapping by members of the public, which may potentially have adverse effects on the well-being of cats, including owned, semi-owned, and unowned cats. It is of utmost importance that the welfare of all animals, native, introduced, and domestic, is carefully considered and managed in a humane manner. We’re also concerned with some of the language that has been used in conjunction with this plan and firmly believe that demonising any animal, even when there is a need to control them, is not the way to promote good animal welfare and could have unintended negative…

Since our grand opening last year, the RSPCA NSW Education Centre has been hosting corporate events, meetings, and training sessions. By holding your event with us your organisation is directly contributing to the care and welfare of our animals. The money we receive from your booking assists us to continue our important work in animal welfare. You will help us make a difference. Our conference spaces can host up to 100 people in our state-of-the-art auditorium and flexible meeting rooms. We can tailor a booking to suit your needs. From room hire only to an all-inclusive, fully catered, full day conference package in our Auditorium. We can also add on an RSPCA NSW Tour and Talk as well.     A Recent Corporate Booking Kindly Provided This Feedback: “The RSPCA really went above and beyond to ensure that our conference ran smoothly. The food was excellent. The venue is outfitted well and suited our needs perfectly. It was also very…

  Please help us to find out if we are doing enough to care for our dog adopters. We are working alongside the University of Sydney to answer this question. We are excited to begin conducting research about the expectations and motivations people have before adopting a dog from RSPCA NSW, and their broad experiences and how they relate to expectations in the post adoption period.   We have also identified a need to provide more advice and support to adopters in the post-adoption period. Your input could help us improve our processes and provide the most helpful advice and support that we can to allow our animals to live their best lives with our adopters.  Research is very important to us at RSPCA NSW as we strive to do the best for our dogs and their adopters and ensure that our work follows an evidence-based approach. The study may be suitable for you if you are over 18 years…

From Schnoodles to Cavoodles, there are oodles of wonderful breeds.  But there’s one more beautiful oodle that nobody sees.    Among the oodles of rescues waiting to be adopted into loving homes, we have just discovered the newest, most exciting, breed in town…  The Rescuoodle.   What is a Rescuoodle?   Cavoodles, schnoodles, and bernedoodles were all once unknown words. Now, these breeds are all the rage amongst pet owners. But as more people buy designer pets, they leave behind oodles of rescue animals patiently waiting for a home. People often search, far and wide, for an ‘ideal designer pet,’ but many don’t realise that you don’t have to shop to find the perfect four-legged friend! We’re reclaiming the word ‘oodles’ and celebrating our rescues as creatures equal to or even greater than the fanciest store-bought breeds.   At RSPCA NSW, we believe that rescue animals are in a breed of their own. So, we’ve decided to make it official. Introducing…

RSPCA NSW celebrated our sweetest annual event this month! Cupcake Day is a month-long fundraising event that unites kitchens, canteens, and break rooms across Australia to raise some much-kneaded funds for animal welfare. We thought we would share a few irresistible pet-approved recipes, so that you and your furry friends can join in on the fun! Bunny Friendly Cupcake Ingredients 1 x handful of rabbit pellets (approx. ¼ cup) 1 x handful of hay (approx. ¼ cup) 1 x banana 2 x grapes or berries and greens/dried flowers for decoration Method Combine pellets and hay in a blender or food processor until they start to break down, then add half a banana. Continue to blend until just combined, then, using clean hands, scoop the mixture out and form patties with your hands into the desired shape. In a preheated oven, bake the patties at 180 degrees for 5-7 minutes, then take them out and allow them to cool. They should…

RSPCA NSW has made the decision to permanently close our Blue Mountain shelter, through a phased approach over the coming months. The closure of the site will occur in two key stages: Stage 1 – RSPCA NSW shelter operations including adoptions will cease. Stage 2- The management of stray animals and the facilitation of the community’s impound services will transition back to the Blue Mountains City Council. It’s important to note: The dates for these cessations are yet to be determined and the community will be informed once they have been confirmed. All RSPCA NSW staff and volunteers have been given the opportunity to be redeployed within our organisation once the services of the site have ceased. Our community outreach initiatives and inspectorate work will remain present throughout the region and will not be impacted by this closure. Our organisation will continue to support the Blue Mountains as we have always done, independent of a bricks-and-mortar shelter, just like many…

With Take Your Pet to Work Day coming up this Friday 23rd of June we want to ensure your furry friend stays safe in your office environment! While bringing your pet into work can benefit you and your furry friends, there are several factors that need to be considered before deciding if such a venture is suitable for you and your pet. If you do decide to bring your fur-baby to work, there are some strategies you can implement to provide a wonderful experience for all. While your pet may have been comfortable around you while you worked from home, remember that they might not be used to spending the day around other animals and humans. For this reason, any pets that are brought into an office environment must be socialised with people and other animals, otherwise they may find the experience unpleasant and stressful.   Before Bringing your Pet to Work, Check that your Office Environment is Animal Friendly by:…

Recently the Outreach Team hit the road and headed to the North West! First stop was the township of Tenterfield. The annual event was in partnership with the Orchard Hills Vet Clinic team, Tenterfield Vet Clinic, Tenterfield Shire Council and Petbarn Foundation. It was a fully booked day with 3 Vet stands manned by RSPCA vets Dr Chau Phan and Dr Jessica Park and local Tenterfield Vet Dr Laura Adams. We also had behaviourist Kate Conaghan from RSPCA join us to assist owners with any behaviour/training questions and advice. Together we health checked and vaccinated 53 Dogs and 20 Cats, microchipped 32 animals and had 26 animals sign up for the subsidised desexing program. All animals left with flea and or tick prevention and a bag of food provided by Petbarn Foundation.   Following on from our Tenterfield Healthy Pet Day, the team then travelled to Tamworth to run our bi-annual Healthy Pet Day with our local partners Tamworth Tafe…

Please be advised this article contains descriptions of violence and abuse against animals and people. If you are experiencing violence and need help you can call: 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 for 24/7 counselling, information and support OR NSW Domestic Violence Line on 1800 65 64 63 for 24/7 information and support Domestic Violence Prevention Month is held every year in May. At RSPCA NSW, we work to raise community awareness of domestic violence and its impacts and reinforce our message of intolerance towards domestic and family violence (DFV). DFV is a major health and wellbeing issue affecting Australians of all ages and backgrounds. Unbeknownst to many, companion animals can also experience this same abuse. For many experiencing DFV, animals can be a rare source of comfort, love and safety. They are often valuable members of the family, especially for children experiencing abuse. However, many animals suffer abuse first-hand or are made to witness violence towards their human family. Companion…

This National Volunteer Week, we would like to celebrate and acknowledge all the incredible volunteers at RSPCA NSW! Our volunteers are one of the driving forces of what we accomplish for animals in need and, while we are grateful for them every day, we would like to take a moment to honour their inspiring contributions!   National Volunteer Week is Australia’s biggest annual celebration of volunteers, running from the 15th– 21st of May with a poignant theme to score the year. In 2023, we celebrate ‘The Change Makers’, a theme inspired by our volunteers, working tirelessly every day to improve countless animals’ lives.   Over the last financial year our incredible 3,014 volunteers donated 224, 253 hours allowing thousands of creatures, great and small, to get the care, love and protection they need.   Volunteer Spotlight One of our incredible volunteers, Jenn, has been with us for more than three years now, spending her Saturdays responding to enquiries with our…

RSPCA NSW believes that people belong with their pets. The bonds between people and their animals make for stronger, healthier communities but, far too often, financial hardships and other obstacles get in the way. Hurdles like illness, poverty, and a shortage of pet-friendly housing can make caring for an animal seem like a risky, expensive strain. They can force even devoted pet owners to consider surrendering their beloved animals to a trusted rescue group or their local animal shelter. But keeping pets in the homes they have is often the best outcome for all – this is why keeping people and pets together is what RSPCA NSW strives to achieve. RSPCA NSW’s volunteer branches and supporter groups have been hosting People and Pet Community Days across the state. Focused on encouraging people to check in on their pet’s wellbeing and health, the most recent of these events have made for wonderful community days. In April, our Eurobodalla Branch hosted their…

REDUCED PRICE ADOPTIONS  – SATURDAY, 6 MAY TO SUNDAY, 21 MAY! We have some great news to share – thanks to the love and support from the community, so many of our incredible animals have found their forever homes since our last update. We’re thrilled to see so many happy tails moments happening! However, we still have many furry friends who are waiting patiently for their chance at finding their own loving family. These animals are so deserving of a warm, safe home, where they can share their love and bring joy to their new family’s lives. That’s why we’re reaching out to the community once again to help us find these amazing animals their forever homes. To help get more animals out of our shelter and into loving homes, we’ve decided to reduce our adoption prices by 50% starting from this Saturday. We believe that every animal deserves a loving home, and that financial circumstances alone are not a…

We need your urgent help and compassion for our furry friend, Hugo. We urgently ask for your help in making Hugo's surgery possible. Surgery is scheduled for Monday, so your timely contribution is crucial. Please consider donating to Hugo's surgery fund and be his hero.

RSPCA NSW welcomes amendments to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (POCTAA) which prevents people convicted of serious cruelty offences from owning animals or working for a business that provides care to animals.

Expressions of interest are now open to study ACM20121 Certificate II in Animal Care with RSPCA NSW.

Amendments to the Animal Research Act (1985) passed by the NSW Parliament today,  which will give cats and dogs used as research the right to be released into family homes, have been welcomed by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals New South Wales (RSPCA NSW). 

Weddin Shire Council, together with Lachlan Valley Vets on 11 October 2022 successfully desexed 100 cats as part of their strategy to address the overpopulation and welfare of cats in their local council area.

Our community of staff and volunteers at RSPCA NSW are incredibly sad to hear about the passing of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. During her 70-year reign, The Queen displayed love and kindness towards all creatures, great and small. She had a passion for horses, and adored being in the company of her beloved Corgis. Her Majesty was a Patron of several animal charities, including the RSPCA in England and Wales. The RSPCA received royal approval in Australia in 1923, becoming known as the Royal Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. As an organisation, we are proud of our royal heritage and rich history. We would like to thank Her Majesty for her commitment to animal welfare, and for showing the world how loyal and special the bond between animals and humans can be. Today, we join the community in sending our deepest condolences to the Royal Family and to the people of the United Kingdom. May she…

RSPCA NSW is calling dog lovers to open their hearts and homes, and think big, this International Dog Day.