RSPCA staff in Queensland were left heartbroken and helpless as they were unable to answer a simple question by Good Samaritans who had donated to what was described as a sacred animal garden rescue.
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Where did their money go?
Images of dogs in knitted jumpers donated to north Brisbane's Storybook Farm, heartfelt videos of animals being nursed back to health and pleas for donations for equipment to help disabled animals could not be further from the truth.
The reality had sent shockwaves through the state as experienced RSPCA staff raided the property on Wednesday and were faced with horrific scenes of almost 40 animals that were disabled and diseased while lying in their faeces and urine.
Birds were left with barely any feathers, dogs were dragging their back legs and baring raw flesh while others showed red inflamed lumps on their bodies, suffering from medical conditions.
All but one were being treated by RSPCA vets after the seizure, with a dalmatian euthanised because of its severe condition.
The catalyst that led to obtaining a warrant to raid the property was multiple complaints in recent months.
RSPCA Qld chief inspector Daniel Young said the entire organisation was shocked.
“It is unbelievable that anyone could maintain a facade of ‘caring’ for animals, asking for donations and reassuring pet owners and the general public that they are providing the best of care to animals, whilst leaving them to suffer right under their own noses," he said.
In continuing their investigations, the RSPCA was calling on former animal owners to come forward with any information on the group, but they have been faced with another battle: Good Samaritans were flooding them with complaints and demanding to know where their money went.
RSPCA Queensland chief financial officer Nick Crethar said they did not have the power to investigate this issue.
“They need to be referred to police or the appropriate government department (Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission)," he said.
Fears of the public losing faith in donating to organisations have mounted on the back of the Storybook Farm situation.
The reality was that organisations were not required by law to register as charities or non-for-profits, according to ACNC.
"Registering their organisation with us or anyone else isn't compulsory in Australia and ACNC doesn't regulate fundraising events," an ACNC spokeswoman said.
"If (Storybook Farm) isn't registered with us, that doesn't mean it isn't registered as a not-for-profit elsewhere."
However, experts were calling on the public to remain vigilant.
Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Non-profit Studies researcher Dr Ruth Knight said the case was extremely unusual and she was concerned about the public backlash.
"This is a very sad scenario but I can tell you the vast majority of charities do the right thing," she said.
"We would hate to think that something like this, which is an out of the ordinary scenario, would damage the reputation of the sector as a whole."
Dr Knight said more standards were being brought to the foreground as ACNC continued to develop since 2012 when there was no body that existed to monitor charities.
"The public has a right to know if they're donating their money to a charity and know their money was being used wisely," she said.
"For that reason, over the last few years there a lot more standards that have come into place, with things like what you call yourself, and there are a lot of checks and balances to maintain their status."
Dr Knight said the duty of ACNC was to ensure there was transparency and organisations were complying with the code of conduct.
"They will do reports and can actually take away a charity's registration but that is only if people call them and express their concerns ... but there's no policing as such," she said.
Dr Knight said the public needed to be aware of the warning signs of an illegitimate charity.
"Most charities have to have a board of directors, be registered into a system and have a legal structure in place," she said.
"You have absolutely every right to ask questions and, in most cases, their website should include this and most charitable organisations would have an annual report to answer these questions.
"Questions to ask include, why are you not registered? What does that mean? Do you have a board? Where is the money going?"
Dr Knight said research showed two-thirds of charities believed social media was a good way to raise funds and recruit volunteers.
"Social media is definitely something that charities enjoy using to get their cause out but ethically, if we’re saying one thing and doing another, that's not good," she said.
"If we're trying to deceive anyone and not be transparent, there’s cause for concern but I will reiterate that what happened this week was an unusual case.
"This is not a time to scare people or donors away, and those who do the wrong thing should be held accountable but our mission is to raise good governance of charitable centres and to provide courses, training and education and research.
"Social media pages should always link back to a legitimate website with valid information on the board of directors, where they're registered and what they're doing with the funds."
RSPCA Queensland were continuing their investigations into Storybook Farm with charges expected to be laid but they were also alerting pet owners to be cautious.
RSPCA Spokesperson Alex Hyndman Hill said not everything was what it seemed on social media.
“Please do your due diligence and check what your donations are being used for, where you choose to get a rescue animal from, and where you decide to surrender a pet," she said.
“Animals deserve your time, care and attention, and most of all they rely on you to ensure they do not end up at places like this."
Police were yet to confirm whether an investigation into the matter would be launched or not.
Anyone with information about animals surrendered to Storybook Farm was urged to contact RSPCA Queensland on 3426 9999.
