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ANIMALSO
Breeding

Express Wildlife Rescue Removed from Henley Brook Property After Animal Welfare Reports

WA Police described serious animal-welfare concerns at a Henley Brook property in January 2024. Here’s what contemporaneous reports say about the response and what they do not establish.

By Animalso Team 3 min read

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On 12 January 2024, WA Police attended a Henley Brook property after a court bailiff called during an eviction, and authorities coordinated the removal and care of animals from the site. Police alleged the property was being used as an unauthorised rescue centre and described serious welfare concerns. Those statements were allegations reported during an investigation, not a court finding.

What happened at the Henley Brook property

PerthNow reported that police were called to a disused house on Starflower Road, Henley Brook, on the morning of Friday, 12 January 2024. The call came from a court bailiff tasked with evicting squatters, according to the police account reported by PerthNow. Police said the property was being used to operate an unauthorised rescue centre for domestic and native wildlife.

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Police said a woman in her 50s was arrested and interviewed. Her firearm, firearm licence and ammunition were seized, and she was released pending further investigation. These details describe the police account at the time of publication; they do not establish guilt or the investigation’s eventual outcome.

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What police said about animal welfare

Police told the ABC that animal-welfare workers from shelters and charities were dealing with hundreds of animals at the property. Police described many as injured, dying, dehydrated or emaciated. They also said the house was covered in faeces and infested with rodents and cockroaches, and that the house and sheds were not fit for people or animals to inhabit.

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Those are serious descriptions attributed to police in contemporaneous reporting. The reports do not provide an independently adjudicated finding about the conditions.

How many animals were involved?

WA Police referred to “hundreds of animals,” but the reports do not give an official final count. Dean Arthurell, a volunteer with Chittering Wildlife Carers, estimated to the ABC that there were about 200 animals. That was his estimate, not a published official tally.

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Arthurell said his group took about 20 parrots of several species for immediate care. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) wildlife officers took control of the scene and coordinated with rescue organisations and veterinarians to rehouse, treat or euthanise animals as required, according to PerthNow’s reporting. The available accounts do not establish how many animals were ultimately rescued, euthanised or survived.

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A separate inspection took place in March 2023

An earlier inspection at the property on 16 March 2023 was a distinct event, involving the City of Swan, RSPCA WA, DBCA and WA Police. Echo News reported that the City said it seized eight dogs and one cat it considered to be in excess of what was authorised at the shelter, and took them to the City’s animal management facility. RSPCA WA said it attended at the City’s request to assess animal welfare and did not transport animals, according to Echo News.

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The City and RSPCA accounts describe different roles in that 2023 inspection. It should not be conflated with the January 2024 police attendance and animal response.

What historical listings do—and do not—show

A Western Australian Government announcement dated 2 July 2020 listed Express Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Inc, Henley Brook, among recipients of Wildlife Heroes Wildlife Rehabilitation and Emergency Response Grants. A directory document labelled June 2022 also listed the group in Henley Brook and described its historical rescue focus. These records document listings at those earlier dates; they do not demonstrate authorisation in January 2024 or the organisation’s current operating status.

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What remains unresolved

The contemporaneous reports describe police allegations, agency actions and a volunteer’s estimate, but do not establish a prosecution, court finding, final animal count or final disposition of the animals. Nor do the 2020 and 2022 listings establish whether Express Wildlife Rescue is authorised or operating today. Those questions cannot be answered from the accounts cited here.

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animal welfareExpress Wildlife RescueHenley BrookWestern Australiawildlife rescue

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