RSPCA put maggots on Geraldine Robertson's poodle they called Ned.

Geraldine Robertson had some poodles in need of clipping and that is all. These dogs looked dreadful but were happy healthy dogs.

Identifying Ned: RSPCA Black Tag dog 5732. Ned photo with black tag taken immediately prior to fabrication.

Ned was very distinctive because he had been half clipped. The clipping had been interrupted 2 months before RSPCA seized all Geraldine Robertson's dogs. This made Ned very easily recognisable.

RSPCA Veterinarian Dr Anne Chester referred to Ned and BT5732 in her Affidavit. Paragraph 12 in her affidavit.

"BT5732 Chocolate male standard poodle. This dog was severely matted. He was depressed and lethargic. Large numbers of maggots were found in numerous pockets of infection around his scrotum anus and tail. Maggots were also obvious in his oral cavity (mouth) as he tried to groom himself. The dog required a general anaesthetic to clip the matted fur. The wounds were flushed and the maggots removed. The dog was very thin after Clipping the dog weighed 14.5kg, a dog of this breed, age and standing height should weigh a minimum of 18kg and as such this dog was 20% under weight. The dog was placed on intravenous fluids, oral antibiotics and injections of pain relief. The pain relief was in the form of Temgesic (a morphine like drug) 3x daily and a non steroidal anti-inflammatory injection once daily. Despite these high doses of pain relief the dog was unable to sit as the wounds were too painful. The dog required constant nursing as once standing he was unable to lie down again without help due to the pain. He gradually improved over 4-5 days; the wounds required constant dressing until he was eventually able to sit by himself. Despite this, since being in the care of the RSPCA the dog gained 2 kgs in 14days by being fed adequate amounts of commercially available dog food".

Before Maggots

Ned on arrival at RSPCA Fairfield Shelter 9 January 2008 before the Maggots were put on Ned.

See Video of Ned Before the Maggots were placed on him

Screen shot from video above showing Ned's rear on arrival 9/1/08.	Screen shot from video above showing Ned side on 9/1/08

After Maggots

See the videos of Ned After the Maggots were placed on him

Several points about maggots.

Maggots do not commit suicide and so stay where their food source is. Maggot strikes always have maggots localised and clumped together feeding in wounds. The maggots in these videos and the following photos are distributed in fur where there is nothing for them to eat. Ned did not have wounds on him when he was seized.

Screen shot from video above showing Ned's rear after maggots added on 11/1/08.

Witness COVILL A E 15-128 was shown the DVD of Ned before the maggots were placed on him by RSPCA. The Magistrate was well aware Ned was in the DVD - Court exhibit 2 before he had the maggots put on him,

Conclusion

RSPCA put maggots on Geraldine Robertson's dogs and then told the media and the Court that Geraldine Robertson's dogs had maggots on them. But worse, after the Court had been shown the "proof" of the "evidence" that Geraldine Robertson had neglected her dogs and allowed them to become infested with maggots was accepted. All her evidence were "STRUCK OUT" by the Magistrate Court, vital RSPCA video evidence were totally ignored!

RSPCA provided a veterinarian Report Court Exhibit 33 Bundle of veterinary records of RSPCA shelter Respondent – Ms Mellifont

For Ned bt5732 the record: 10/1/8 Clipped, Given 1.3ml noroclav injection.  11/1/8 Gave IV Fluids @ 25ml/hr as was quite flat this morning. p.m. - Pulled drip out, drinking well, query eating? Temgesic given tid and continue with antibiotics add nsaid norocarp to treatment regime 1 x daily.  12/1/8 Dog seems very uncomfortable. Query straining to defecate or just too painful to sit down. Place back on IV fluids @ maintenance; eating small amounts of tinned food.  13/1/8 Taken drip out again!! But eating tinned food today; straining and eventually passed soft faeces, seems better in itself.  15/1/8 Happier each day; fur matted to skin will probably need GA to clip and scrub, spray dermacleanse today nad apply neotopic, continue temgesic.

No mention of maggots. Note: Ned was clipped twice according to these records, first time 10/1/08 then needed clipping on the 15/1/08 "fur matted .. need GA to clip".

Witness Dr Lomax Day 10-77, 35  Mmm?-- -----and I spent the afternoon working with Ned-----

Witness Dr Chester Day 10-105, 13 said: 

APPLICANT: Okay. Yes. Now, 5732 on page 11 is a dog you name Ned?-- Yes.

Okay. Now, on the - what - what did you say, "Chocolate male standard poodle, dog was severely matted, he was depressed and lethargic, large numbers of maggots were found in numerous pockets of infection around his scrotum, anus and tail.

Maggots were also obviously in his oral cavity mouth as he tried to groom himself. The dogs require a general anaesthetic to clip the matted fur, the wounds were flushed and the maggots removed.".

Day 10-105, 32 said:  APPLICANT: Well, when - when did you check Ned out first? When exactly did you examine Ned?-- Ned was the - Ned was picked up the - about the maggots on the 10th of the 1st.

On the 10 - the next day?-- Mmm-hmm.

Yes. And - and for the treatment of Ned, did you have a hand in that?-- I had treatment - I had a hand in the treatment of him from the 11th of the 1st onwards.

Witness Dr Chester day 10-106, 29 

BENCH: What - what specific - you know, if you're going to go to 5732, what are the specific things you want to talk about?

APPLICANT: Well, when - when did you check Ned out first? When exactly did you examine Ned?-- Ned was the - Ned was picked up the - about the maggots on the 10th of the 1st.

On the 10 - the next day?-- Mmm-hmm.

Yes. And - and for the treatment of Ned, did you have a hand in that?-- I had treatment - I had a hand in the treatment of him from the 11th of the 1st onwards.

On the 11 of the 1st. Right?-- Mmm.

So, on the 11, you gave him - could you - could you describe the treatment you gave him?-- Certainly, the dog had been - had an anaesthetic to be clipped the day before. He was very depressed and lethargic so we put him on intravenous fluids, that says, "At 25 mills per hour.", that's just the flow rate. He then - he pulled his own drip - drip out, he was drinking well. We gave him temgesic which is a painkiller and that was being given, "TID" means, three times a day. We continued with antibiotics and we added another pain relief called Norocarp which is a non-steroidal, so it's a different type, 'cause the dog was so uncomfortable and he was getting that once a daily. On the 12th of the 1st - this dog was being hospitalised by the way. This dog seemed very uncomfortable. I noticed that he was sort of sitting in his cage, he was getting up and down. I wasn't sure at first if he was straining to defecate and then I realised that he actually was just too uncomfortable for him to sit down and it just hurt too much. We placed him back on his IV fluids and we were - you know, we were always tempting him to eat, I know that he was being handfed at the time. He - he pulled the drip out, and the dogs had a habit of chewing the drip line out but as he was eating tin food, we didn't replace the drip, we just continued with his pain relief and his antibiotics.

Okay. When was Ned clipped?-- He was clipped on the 10th of the 1st.

On the 10th of the 1st. Now, when was the general anaesthetic given?-- On the 10th of the 1st.

On the 10th of the 1st. Why is there no note to say that a general anaesthetic was applied and the dosage and the type? You've got, "On the 10th of the 1st, clipped; given 1.3", that's a painkiller you just explained?-- That's an antibiotic.

Antibiotic, yep. Okay. There's no general anaesthetic and looking at him on the video, it doesn't look like he was anaesthetised but, however - however, on the 15th of the 1st '08, which is five days from the 10th, "Needed" - "Need GA", general anaesthetic, "to clip and scrub."?-- Well, probably.

So, when was he given the general anaesthetic?-- He didn't receive that second one.

He didn't receive the second one?-- No.

Why wasn't the first one noted?-- I don't know.

Who gave it?-- Dr Lomax.

Okay. Could we have a look at - sorry, Andrew.

BENCH: Which one?

APPLICANT: The Exhibit - no, the - the - the clipping one, I think, 37 DVD - 37.

BENCH: Is Ned on this one, Mrs Robertson?

APPLICANT: He should be on it, I think.

BENCH: Being clipped?

APPLICANT: Or was he - he on 20?

BENCH: No, being clipped, is he?

APPLICANT: I'm - I'm not sure, but-----

BENCH: I didn't - I didn't think he was being clipped on the video.

APPLICANT: Well, he must be - the maggots issue must be on the 20. So-----

BENCH: I - I thought the discussion before the break was that Ned wasn't on-----

APPLICANT: It's a bit confusing, yeah.

BENCH: Well, my understanding of the discussion was that Ned wasn't on a video being clipped. The - the video of Ned was when Inspector Stageman was talking in an out - what appears to be an outside area.

APPLICANT: That's right. And that - that was in a different video, I think, or was it in-----

BENCH: That's - that's Exhibit 20, from memory.

APPLICANT: Yes, he was on - on - on 37. I remember seeing him.

BENCH: All right.

APPLICANT: I could be wrong, your Honour.

MS MELLIFONT: Could I interpose Daniel Young at this stage because this process may take a substantial period of time? Would that be convenient, your Honour? There's only-----

BENCH: Yes.

MS MELLIFONT: There's only two questions I need to ask him.

BENCH: All right. Right.

MS MELLIFONT: If Dr Chester could leave the witness box for a moment.