The organisation had recently added further risk mitigation measures, such as hiding vehicle logos with magnetic blanks.
In the past, inspectors might not have reported some cases of abuse, but the SPCA was now taking a zero-tolerance approach, Francisco said.
The charity confirmed to the Herald it had referred incidents to police.
Asked what matters the SPCA has reported, police said offences were coded by the nature of the event – such as wilful damage, common assault or threatening behaviour – rather than by organisation.
Francisco said the abuse was not limited to in-person encounters. Inspectors had also been targeted online and over the phone, she said.
The SPCA blamed the rise in hostility on multiple sources.
These included individuals who had been subject to animal welfare checks or had animals removed, as well as people associated with them.
There were also online “vigilante” or alternative animal rescue groups that were highly critical of the SPCA and its operations, along with some animal rights activists.
“We’ve had instances where personal telephone numbers, work telephone numbers are being published on Facebook and Instagram – and these groups are actually putting a call out to the public to call people.
“So, they’re facing verbal abuse, threats to their safety, threats of sexual abuse, threats of physical abuse and murder. It’s quite high level – it’s escalated,” she said.
Selena Francisco is the SPCA’s head of animal care. Photo / Mike Scott
“When they’re facing these kinds of threats day in and day out, it is very demoralising. It causes them fear for their own safety and the safety of their loved ones.”
The worrying behaviour was adding pressure on inspectorate staff, with some questioning whether the job was worth it, national inspectorate manager Alan Wilson said.
The job was already tough enough without the added abuse, he said.
SPCA national inspectorate manager Alan Wilson. Photo / Mike Scott
Inspectors dealt daily with distressing scenes of animal neglect and making tough euthanasia decisions. The team also dealt with angry and upset people, witnessed poor human living conditions and families under stress.
After a careful selection process, it took about a year to train an inspector, Wilson said.
“Finding the right people for this job is hard enough.
“So for everyone we lose, that’s very, very difficult for us, because obviously SPCA is working within its means.”
Two inspectors had left the job in the past month. The team has about 58 people, spread nationwide.
SPCA Auckland (Mangere) Centre manager Graeme Ford comforts a rescued puppy. Photo / Mike Scott
The SPCA receives about 14,000 complaints a year, but only a small fraction – about 20 to 30 cases – gained traction online, leading to outrage, Wilson said.
Allegations about cases circulated online, often based on incomplete information, drawing criticism and hostility towards individual inspectors, he said.
Wilson believed there was a place for activism in animal welfare.
However, problems arose when people assumed inspectors had failed simply because an outcome did not meet expectations.
The SPCA did not want inspectors identified for fear of retribution from online groups. Wilson himself was reluctant to be filmed for this story for the same reason.
Francisco said she also feared facing threats for speaking to the Herald.
“I won’t name them because I also don’t want threats to my person or to my family.”
On Facebook, the Herald found a large range of animal rescue and advocacy groups. Some operated primarily online, asking followers for help fostering neglected pets or to intervene in cases of suspected animal abuse.
Animal abusers exposed NZ, which has more than 18,000 members, describes its aim as using “a bit of good old-fashioned name and shame” to hold abusers accountable.
A review of posts found a steady stream of criticism directed at the SPCA, often expressed emotively using overt profanity.
Slogans included “F*** the SPCA – not fit for purpose” and “NO EXCUSE FOR PROTECTING ANIMAL ABUSERS”, alongside graphics accusing the organisation of being “abuse enablers”.
Screengrab from the Animal abusers exposed NZ Facebook page.
Some posts encouraged followers to take action, including calls for direct intervention in suspected cases of animal neglect or abuse, as well as mass emails to authorities and protests.
Despite the hostile tone, the Herald found no posts on the pages it reviewed that directly named or targeted individual SPCA inspectors.
The Herald talked with a woman calling herself Hellz Bellz, who is a founder of the Animal abusers exposed NZ Facebook group.
The group took action where it believed the SPCA was failing, she said.
Hellz Bellz, who also runs a dog rescue group, asked not to be named for safety reasons as she had also been targeted, including being stalked by upset animal owners, forcing her to move from her Christchurch home.
The criticism posted on Animal abusers exposed NZ was directed at the SPCA as an organisation, not at individual staff, Hellz Bellz said.
“I feel bloody sorry for the inspectors. It’s not the inspectors. It’s all corporate greed.”
Hellz Bellz denied her group had published home addresses of SPCA staff.
Screengrab from the Animal abusers exposed NZ Facebook page.
She acknowledged that an inspector’s contact details left on a card during a job could possibly be shared by members because it was a business number.
It was usually people trying to get action on a case they felt was being ignored. She denied it was harassment.
“That’s because people can’t get anywhere ringing the SPCA line. You just get stonewalled by reception.”
Members of Animal abusers exposed NZ did share addresses and stepped in where they believed animals were at risk because they had no confidence in the SPCA.
“People are absolutely desperate … you imagine living next door to an animal that’s being abused and … nothing being done. It’s just horrific.
“My group’s the only one that has the balls to call them out … people have just had enough.”
Independent animal welfare and rescue groups were filling what she described as a gap left by the SPCA, which she said had declined in effectiveness since amalgamating its regional offices into a single national body in 2017.
“I didn’t want to be exposing the SPCA … I’m just out to get them doing their job like they used to.”
However, Wilson said the escalation of online animal rescue and welfare groups was now directly affecting SPCA investigations.
In one recent case involving a man filmed blowing vape smoke into a dog’s mouth, people alerted online went to the property, causing the man to go into hiding. The SPCA was able to locate the dog and take it into care.
“So how do we investigate that?” he said.
“This is now making a difficult job even more difficult.”
Mike Scott has covered stories across New Zealand and internationally for more than 20 years. His work spans writing, photography and video and has won numerous journalism awards.
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