"We urgently need your help," wrote Steve Coleman, chief executive of the RSPCA in a plea to Facebook followers on the last day of the financial year, six months ago.

"Please, if you can, help us get across the line in the next 15 hours. We need to raise an additional $17,000 to cover costs and put us in a better position for the next financial year ... multiple seizures and surrenders and an influx of injured animals which has put a strain on our already-stretched finances. Couple this with freezing weather conditions which place extra pressure on our resources – not to mention the animals – and you've got a lot of tension (and a few too many sleepless nights for me)."

The NSW RSPCA has by far the highest kill rates of its state peers. Credit:Paul Harris

Steve Coleman must be a restless sleeper. For that same day, June 30, 2015, the balance sheet of the RSPCA showed $10.5 million in cash, another $6 million in term deposits, a $37 million share portfolio, $2 million in investment property and total equity of $100 million. As far as liquidity goes, this is the Sultan of Brunei of Australian charities.

The particularly interesting point about the sound financial position is that the NSW RSPCA has by far the highest kill rates of its state peers. Data provided by animal rights activist Geoff Davidson show the RSPCA's kill rate for dogs in Victoria last year was 10 per cent, less than half that of NSW at 24 per cent. The other states, with the exception of WA at 17.6 per cent, were bunched just above 10 per cent.