PetRescue in the Brisbane Courier Mail!

Silly Season Inspires a provocative email
Brisbane Courier Mail

An apparent hoax email raises the ire of those who care for animals in real peril.

There's been a rumour travelling through Australian cyberspace this week that two chocolate labradors are in desperate need of a new home or else they'll be euthanased.

The email lamented that the "vet nurses haven't got the heart to (put them down) so they are asking anyone if they perhaps know of anyone who would like to take them."

It went on: "They are only 20 months old, (one) male and (one) female, sterilised, microchipped and vaccinated and well trained - their owners split up and both have demanding jobs so neither can keep them.

Attached to the email is a heartmelting picture of the two pooches - affectionately named Jaffa and Boston - and they're staring out helplessley from the boot of a car, one wearing a pink collar and the other a blue one. For most of us, this is an emotionally-provocative plea and one that sends us reaching for ways - or wallets - to help.

Not Vickie Davy. She's angry, and it's not just because she's received that same email about 100 times over the past week.

As co-founder of PetRescue, an online pet rehoming company representing hundreds of animal shelters across the country, Davy has been forwarded the email by every friend, family member and associate who has received the plight themselves.

"The outpouring of sympathy and concern was immense and even affected an old animal rescue cynic like me," says Davy says.

"The thing is, it's a hoax. Yep Jaffa and Boston don't exist.

Or at least is they ever existed they certainly weren't on the 24hr countdown to death's door."

Not only an expert in re-housing pets, Davy is also an experienced behavioural dog trainer and was instantly suspicious of the claim that a vet would consider putting down obviously healthy, well-bred dogs like Jaffa and Boston.

"They'd go straight to the RSPCA to be rehomed" she says.

Davy tried to contact the person - or people - who supposedly sent the email and even though the details changed from South Australia phone numbers to Queensland ones and had varying email addresses, she received no replies.

What really make Davy angry is that there are thousands of dogs in Australia that do need homes to go to.

RSPCA Queenlands chief executive officer Mark Townsend, who has also received the Jaff/Boston plea says emails like these aren't new.

"We get ones with little kittens shoved in jars and that sort of thing" he says.

"These people think it's funny, but even if the animal isn't hurt, they need to know that we're wasting our resources trying to verify it."

"These people have to get a life and do something constructive like come and help us out rehoming animals."

Dr Gerard Goggin, a research fellow at University of Sydney's media and communication department says the motivation for some hoaxers is as simple as a desire for attention.

"There's always been, since the invention of communication but certainly since the post, certain kinds of chain letters and they often involve some kind of issue that tugs at heart strings," Goggin says.

"Sometimes it's fraud if they're trying to get you to send money, but I think there is also something in the attention that people can get over the internet with these sorts of things, seeing how many people respond to them."

Davy says the hoax message has take legitimate attention away from those homeless dogs who are in genuine need.

It has also potentially created suspicion about the credibility of animal shelters and rehoming programs in general.

And all this, Davy says, in the lead-up to Christmas, the most popular time of year for pets to be rehoused.

"Christmas time is the biggest time people buy pets and though they might not go to the RSPCA because of it's slogan 'a pet is for life, not just for Christmas' they will look elsewhere to adopt a pet.

"People tend to think it will be really sad at a shelter and that all the dogs are three-legged, abused mongrels which is not true - less than ten percent of animals that go into shelters are abused."

Though Davy concedes that many Chrissie pets turn up in shelters at Easter time, once they've lost their cute puppy ways, she says this is often because they've been bought as a suprise and on the spur of the moment.

"However there are hundreds of genuine, responsible pet lovers out there who are ready to adopt the right pet. Surely every animal deserves a home at Christmas."

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