Manjimup man ordered to pay more than $50,000 for neglecting horses

Australia Broadcast Center

19 hours ago

A West Australian man has been ordered to pay more than $50,000 in fines, legal costs and compensation, and is banned from owning animals for 15 years after neglecting two of his horses.
Robert William Whitelaw, 66, failed to comply with an RSPCA direction to arrange veterinary treatment for the animals after they were found to be suffering chronic laminitis and overgrown, untended hooves in July last year.
RSPCA WA inspector Kylie Green said she subsequently attended Whitelaw's Palgarup property, a suburb of Manjimup, herself and confirmed the initial observations of a local ranger that the horses appeared to be in "extreme pain".
Ms Green said seven-year-old Vicki appeared to be lame as she was lying down and reluctant to move, while eight-year-old Pepper was standing uncomfortably, shifting her weight from side to side.
The RSPCA alleged the horses' condition had deteriorated to the extent that they were struggling to reach a water source.
RSPCA WA seized the animals, taking them to a local veterinarian for immediate treatment where they were found to be suffering chronic laminitis and overgrown, untended hooves.
Both horses continue to recover in foster care.
Whitelaw has been contacted for comment.
Appearing in the Bunbury Magistrates Court on Monday, Whitelaw pleaded guilty to two charges of not taking reasonable steps to prevent an animal suffering harm and one charge of non-compliance with an inspector's direction.
The magistrate fined him $5,800 plus $7,189 in court costs, and ordered him to pay $38,588.85 in compensation to the RSPCA.
The maximum penalty for a charge of animal cruelty under the Animal Welfare Act is a $50,000 fine and five years in prison.
While the fine imposed on Whitelaw was closer to the minimum penalty of $2,000, compensation costs were high due to the costs incurred by the RSPCA in transporting the horses and paying for veterinary treatment.
"The reality is looking after horses and the costs associated with them are really significant, and it's something people really need to consider before they enter into owning a horse," said RSPCA WA chief operating officer Hannah Dreaver.
"Cost-of-living pressure may contribute to people not getting care as soon as they should, but it's absolutely never a reason to let your animal suffer.
RSPCA WA hired another permanent inspector in the South West last year amid revelations of a sharp increase in cruelty incidents in the region.
Bunbury, Busselton, Capel, Harvey and Collie were all in its list of top ten worst offenders based on the number of animal cruelty reports made to the charity in the 2023-'24 financial year.
Ms Dreaver said neglect was a common cause.
She said horses were often victims due to the significant amount of care they required and urged people to do their research before committing to owning any animal.