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  4. Sybil Emslie – a life devoted to animals
Blog

Sybil Emslie – a life devoted to animals

Sybil Emslie was born in 1936 in Stalybridge, a UK town shaped by the cotton industry during the Industrial Revolution. In her later years she spoke of fear stirred by the frequent air‑raid sirens that echoed through her childhood during the Second World War.
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  • RSPCA Australia
  • Friday, 10 July 2026
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Her lifelong love of animals was evident from a young age. Growing up in council housing in the UK, the family wasn’t allowed to keep a dog; only a dearly loved hamster.

Sybil was one of three sisters, all of whom moved to Australia as young adults in the 1960s. After arriving in Australia, Sybil made sure her family had a pet dog almost immediately. Before long, a stray cat and her two kittens moved in. From then on, her home became a haven for an assortment of pets.

Sybil worked in the CSIRO Wildlife Division from 1967 until the late 1970s, supporting a leading native‑bird expert, which deepened her appreciation of Australian birdlife. She loved living close to nature; first in the hills near Perth, and later in small towns and villages throughout the south‑west of Western Australia.

Struggling with poor eyesight led to her early philanthropic work. Sybil understood the immense value – and cost – of training seeing‑eye dogs and became a regular donor to both Australian and international animal charities.

Sybil abhorred cruelty in any form and often said she preferred animals to humans. She was exceptionally law‑abiding, yet her family believed that if she were ever to break the law, it would be to protect an animal in need.

In her later years, after her beloved dog Charlie (a King Charles Spaniel) died, Sybil hesitated to get another companion dog because she had terminal cancer. When her sister promised to take in the young dog, she finally agreed, knowing that “Charlie II” would be deeply loved and well cared for after her passing. He was. Animals forge profound bonds, with one another, with us, and between us.

When Sybil passed away a decade ago, her family believed that establishing an animal law scholarship was the most fitting way to honour her life: her devotion to animals, her compassion, and her unwavering desire to protect them from harm. Since its inception, the scholarship has helped to support many students, researchers and legal professionals to carry out valuable work on a variety of animal welfare issues. Importantly it has brought much needed attention to animal welfare issues and supported projects and activities that may not otherwise attract funding

RSPCA Scholarship

Find out more about the RSPCA Australia Sybil Emslie Law Scholarship

This Scholarship celebrates the life-long dedication and advocacy that Sybil Emslie provided to the care and protection of animals in Australia. It aims to support the work of animal law undergraduate, Masters and PhD students and practising lawyers through the provision of a $2,500 cash grant.

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