A horror sight greeted James in his first months as an RSPCA inspector. Here's why he still does the job
By Maddison Leach|
Warning: graphic content about animal cruelty.
James Arentz had only just started a new job when he discovered a grisly scene that will stay with him forever for all the wrong reasons.
"I found a dog in a park one night when I was very new. It was under a bridge and someone had put it in a shopping trolley and set it on fire. It was dead," he tells 9Honey.
"It was terrible. I remember the police said that night, 'I don't how you do your job'."
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Arentz has been an inspector with RSPCA NSW for 10 years, so he's seen the worst of the worst when it comes to animal abuse and neglect.
He's responded to hoarding cases where 60 animals were crammed into a single house, has rescued battered and beaten pets and investigated all manner of cruelty reports.
Once he discovered 30 dogs locked in tiny cages on hot concrete, every one of them bearing physical and mental scars.
It's jobs like that he will never forget.
"They had fleas and worms and all that, but the thing that stuck with me was every single one of those dogs was just mentally scarred," he says.
"But for every animal that we see or every animal that we interact with, I wonder how many more are out there that we don't know about."
As an inspector, Arentz investigates complaints about all types of animals in all kinds of situations, from abuse or neglect, to breeding facilities, sale yards and natural disasters.
Last year over 21,000 calls were made to the dedicated cruelty line and inspectors completed over 13,000 investigations, with over 418 offences involving 801 animals.
Not only do inspectors like Arentz perform animal welfare checks, they also rescue animals and work with law enforcement through cruelty cases and prosecuting perpetrators.
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"We cop a lot of threats, violence We're not often dealing with compliant, happy people. People often aren't happy to see us," he says.
"You build up a thick skin and you learn how to process that, not just as an inspector, but being a vet, being an animal attendant, being anyone in our industry."
Owners may abuse him for removing their animals, which is usually considered a last resort, while members of the public can get frustrated if inspectors don't seize an animal they believe to be at risk.
Arentz explains it often comes down to a few fundamental misconceptions about what RSPCA inspectors actually do.
"People think that all we do is go around looking for cruelty cases, prosecuting owners and taking animals off people. That is probably 10 per cent of the role these days," he says.
"We used to just do police-type work; catching baddies, taking animals off people and prosecuting people, but in 10 years we've swung full circle."
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A decade ago, Arentz's job was "like police for animals" but the work has changed and is now focused on preventing the situations that put animals at risk.
The RSPCA runs programs to help Aussies in need access pet care and education, from homeless Australians to those fleeing domestic and family abuse, to keep their animals safe and cared for.
"We have a lot of programs and teams behind the scenes that look at helping people out with their animals. We don't want to take animals away from their homes," Arentz says.
"It's not always someone going out of their way to be cruel to an animal. It can be a lack of education, it can be a lack of resources, it can be situational."
Most owners don't want their animals to suffer, but some lack the education or resources to adequately care for them, especially with the rising cost of living crisis.
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"What happens to your animals when you've literally got no money left in your pocket and you haven't got a solid place to live? That's scary," Arentz says.
That's why RSPCA inspectors work so hard to educate and support pet owners before seizing animals, but in some situations it's the only safe option.
Arentz has arrived at some jobs only to find an animal "on death's door" and that's often when the law enforcement side of the job comes into play.
RSPCA inspectors are deeply involved in animal cruelty cases, from collecting evidence to prosecution, but the legal process can be long and difficult.
The goal is to get justice for the animal and ensure perpetrators are convicted so they can't own or harm other animals in the future.
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It's a hard job to do, but seeing abused animals thriving after being removed from an unsafe situation and given the love and care they deserve from a new family makes it worthwhile.
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"You deal with some horrible, horrible cases and you deal with some horrible people, but a good inspector is also a very clinical investigator," Arentz says.
"I've had animals that have had horrific stuff done for themกญ but they turn a new leaf and they go onto a new home. That's a pretty awesome turnout for us as inspectors."
With just over 30 inspectors to cover all of NSW, it can be a hugely taxing job but Arentz and his colleagues always have support from counsellors, employers and each other.
"It's absolutely fine for one of us to put a hand up and say, 'You know what? I've had a rough day. I need some time off, I just need to have a rest'," he adds.
"When I first started, someone sat me down and said, 'If you treat this job like a lifestyle, not like a job, you'll last a long time', and that's still true to this day.
"You have to love the job."
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Arentz does love the job, but the RSPCA is first and foremost a charity and relies on funding and donations to do vital work for animals across the country.
In 2022, over $14 million went into operating the inspectorate, caring for animals and prosecuting perpetrators and they need money to keep doing what they do.
Fundraising and donations are what keeps the organisation's most important programs going and Arentz encourages any Aussies who can to get behind the cause.
"We're a charity at the heart of it, the budgets we rely on are from donors and supporters who care and love the work that we do," he says.
"We just want people to understand that what they see and read is probably 5 per cent of our job. What people don't see is the little quiet heroes behind the scenes every day."
To learn more, support and donate, head to the RSPCA website here.?
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