RSPCA Victoria has launched a free pet behaviour helpline to support struggling Victorians in a bid to reduce the number of pets surrendered due to behavioural issues.
Trained and experienced staff from RSPCA Victoria’s Animal Behaviour Team are offering free consultations for pets experiencing behaviour challenges via video call.
Rebecca Cook, Head of Prevention at RSPCA Victoria, said the helpline aimed at keeping pets in loving homes and out of animal shelters.
“There are many animals coming through our doors showing signs of anxiety or are clearly under-socialised and don’t know what to do around other animals,” Ms Cook said.
“In the last financial year, owners of roughly 10% of the cats and dogs surrendered to RSPCA Victoria reported some behavioural challenges as a factor in their decision.
“It’s not always easy to understand what your pet needs and why it might behave in a certain way, and this can quickly become an extremely stressful situation for any household, so getting the right advice for your pet can be a gamechanger.
“We’re thrilled to offer this service to all Victorians who might be struggling with their pet’s behaviour as part of our suite of animal welfare support tools.”
RSPCA Victoria Animal Behaviourist Emma Wyllie said they’d already seen some fantastic success stories from those who have accessed the helpline.
“In the time this service has been available, we’ve been able to assist over 450 pets,” Ms Wyllie said.
“The most common behavioural challenges we’re seeing are concerns about aggressive or reactive pets, with a lot of people reporting their pet is suffering from separation anxiety.
“We work with the caller to find out the driver behind their pet’s behaviour and recommend short-term management plans, as well as advice and information about additional support if needed.
“Each session takes 20 minutes in total and, if owners have multiple pets, we can do unique sessions for each of them to make sure they get the right advice for each of them.”
Pet owners can book a free online Pet Behaviour Helpline session with appointments available Tuesday – Friday and Sundays at rspcavic.org/free-pet-behaviour-helpline
