RSPCA reaches $300k Labradoodle donation target

The RSPCA has announced that they have reached their $300,000 donation target needed to save 250 rescued labradoodles, in just three days.

RSPCA Tasmania CEO Andrea Dawkins said the RSPCA had been overwhelmed by the community response to their call for support following the announcment on Monday that they had secured the closure of Tasmanian Labradoodles, and surrender of its dogs.

“RSPCA Tasmania cannot thank you enough,” Ms Dawkins said. “Your donations mean we can save these labradoodles sooner rather than later, it’s literally life changing for them.

“This extraordinary generosity is in addition to the more than 300 Tasmanians who have opened their homes to foster or adopt a labradoodle, within just 10 hours of our call for help.

Ms Dawkins said that there were more than 2,600 individual donations, ranging from $2 to more than $1,000, with donations from across Tasmania, Australia and even New Zealand and the United States.

Ms Dawkins said any dollar donated over and above the $300,000 target would be spent on the labradoodles’ immediate needs and upgrading the RSPCA’s kennels where many would stay until they were ready for a new home.

EARLIER: Following an overwhelming response yesterday, the RSCPA have paused expressions of interest for foster homes and adoptions for the 250 rescued labradoodles.

RSPCA CEO Andrea Dawkins also revealed that they have so far raised over $100,000 to help with providing the care and medical requirements the dogs need.

"We're a third of the way there," Ms Dawkins said.

People can donate at www.rspcatas.org.au.

The immediate and permanent closure of Tasmanian Labradoodles and surrender of its dogs was secured last Friday, in a landmark out-of-court Agreement with the Cleveland husband-and-wife duo behind the business.

RSPCA CEO Andrea Dawkins said this was a historic win for animal welfare in Tasmania, but the hard work wasn’t over yet.

“We have been fighting to close Tasmania’s largest puppy farm for around three years, and we’ve finally succeeded,” Ms Dawkins said.

“Now, the RSPCA needs urgent financial help to provide veterinary care, foster homes and ultimately adoption for more than 250 labradoodles currently at the property.

“Many of these dogs have never been in contact with a human, they will need so much care before they are ready to be part of a loving family with the life they so deserve.

“This is unprecedented, it is expensive, and the RSPCA needs your urgent help.

“We expect it will cost at least $1000 per dog to give them the vet checks, vaccinations, behavioural assistance, food and temporary rehoming – and this is before we understand if any of the dogs have serious conditions that require further attention.

“This is an urgent call out to anyone who can donate to the RSPCA to help us give this critical care to hundreds of labradoodles.

No matter how small the donation, every dollar counts.

“We have set a goal to raise $300,000 to help us in providing the care, medical requirements and loving foster environments to set these labradoodles on their pathway to forever homes.

“We will also need foster homes and ultimately adoptions for every one of the 250 dogs.

“We’re asking Tasmanians to open their homes and hearts to these beautiful animals, that deserve a second chance at a loving life.

“Despite their rough start, they have an invincible love of humans. They are friendly and loving, with a gentle temperament that makes them the most ideal family pet.” 

The RSPCA first brought 70 charges for over breeding against the owners of Tasmanian Labradoodles in early 2023.

The charges related to alleged overbreeding between April 2021 and February 2023, under the Animal Welfare (Dogs) Regulations 2016.

A long and hard-fought legal battle concluded on Friday, with the signing of an out-of-court agreement that secured the puppy farm’s closure, and surrender of all of its dogs.

“I’d like to thank the Department of Natural Resources for their assistance with this long-running matter,” Ms Dawkins said.

“This support included the provision of two vets for a general health check of dogs several weeks ago.”

RSPCA Tasmania is also calling on the Tasmanian Government to urgently change the Dog Regulations, to ensure that this can never happen again.

“The reality is that the laws have failed all of us,” Ms Dawkins said.

“The existing law does nothing to deter this from happening and nothing to penalise when it does.”  “Under the existing laws, the Tasmanian Labradoodle owners could have faced a maximum penalty of just $273,000, which is just a cost of doing business for a puppy farm with an estimated revenue of around $2 million.

“The laws must change.

“We cannot let a situation like this happen ever again.

“Tasmania needs laws that ban puppy farms, and we need mandatory registration, standards and conduct for breeding established.”