PROPERTY MANAGERS HAVE been known to walk into some terrible situations in the line of duty. In November 2015 Melanie Pirotta, a property manager from PRD Nationwide Melton in Victoria walked into a property for a routine inspection to find an abused dog that had been abandoned by the tenant. Milly now has a happy home with the Pirotta family, but what if you found yourself in a similar situation?
ON A ROUTINE inspection, Melanie Pirotta noticed a dog in the back yard through a glass sliding door and was shocked to see that she was predominantly skin and bone. She took photos of her, went back to the office to print them out and then contacted the RSPCA by email.
Melanie was desperate for the dog to be rescued; however, getting justice for Milly was a lot harder than she had imagined.
“A staff member who is a friend of the tenant called him to let him know I wasn’t happy and had reported him to the RSPCA,” Mel says. “I wish he hadn’t done that because that gave the tenant the opportunity to take the dog off the premises.”
The RSPCA headed straight to the property, but the dog had already been taken away by the tenant. He was advised that if he didn’t give Milly to them by the next day he would be charged.
“The following day I called the RSPCA and was told that they could not get hold of the tenant. I asked whether there was anything I could do,” she says. “I left messages on the tenant’s mobile and starting calling family members listed on his application, but they couldn’t help me.”
As a last resort, Melanie sent a text message to the tenant explaining that if he didn’t want to give Milly to the RSPCA, he could give the dog to her and she would provide care.
“To my surprise he asked if I would meet him at the rental property. I took a staff member with me as I wasn’t sure of the reaction I was going to receive,” Melanie says. “I took Milly home and contacted the RSPCA, and the next day they came to pick her up.”
In the weeks following, Melanie called the RSPCA constantly to get updates on Milly’s progress, all the while assuring them that she would love to adopt or foster her. She was determined to give Milly the life she deserved.
“It was a very long process to adopt Milly, but it was so worth the wait,” Melanie says. “She is now healthy and happy and we couldn’t be happier. She follows me everywhere I go and my family and I absolutely adore her. I’m not sure what the outcome was for the tenant, but I knew the RSPCA would be taking care of that.”
If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, Melanie advises taking lots of photos and contacting the RSPCA immediately.
“Don’t contact the tenant because, as much as you might want to remove the animal right there and then, it’s important that you don’t. You could be charged and it will make it harder for the RSPCA to bring justice,” she says.
Milly has just spent her first Christmas in her new home, enjoying a beach holiday and fun with her new family as she makes a fresh start in life.
