THE Wairarapa SPCA is closing, and the question on everyone's mind is - what the hell has gone wrong?
Charities are immensely vulnerable to perception. Now, it could be argued, in terms of perception, that the SPCA has everything going for it. Its brief is to defend those who cannotspeak for themselves - the animals. It is an entirely worthwhile brief, and since most everyone gets misty-eyed at the thought of animals being mistreated, it should be an easy sell.
SPCAs have to contest the charitable dollar with other charities, and have the disadvantage of people perceiving animals as secondary to human concerns. But normally the cuteness factor - and the fact that people would rather defer to an organisation and pay them to tackle animal cruelty issues themselves - is enough.
But perception is everything. Wairarapa has lacked the infrastructure of Wellington, and the size. Wairarapa has been run by two strong managers, and from all accounts dedicated, who have in their time attracted criticism as well as praise. It can make for a conflict in people's minds when they contemplate donations or dropping that can of food into the bin.
Lloyd Warren, the last manager, arrived with a bang, putting down diseased cats within a week of starting. He was reasonably aggressive - and successful - with animal cruelty prosecutions - precisely what an inspector is supposed to do. Yet he was suspended and later resigned after an investigation, after a year at the helm. This cannot help but impact on people's perception of the centre, and silence doesn't help matters.
If donations dry up, a charity will keep haemorrhaging cash until it is gone.
We are, at least, keeping a top-rated SPCA inspector in the locality, with Ben Lakomy. Hopefully he can be the anchor in this domestic disaster, and something can build from there.
