The RSPCA

[B00]

Following on from a post by vivandron in home & garden....does anyone have ANYTHING good to say about the RSPCA?

We always assume that the RSPCA will help any animal in distress, yet my own experiences with them and from posts on here,they honestly do not seem to care about animals at all. In-fact im almost certain in 90% of cases they don't even bother investigating calls received from the public about an animal that may be in distress.

So- anyone had any good dealings with them? Found them to be what they say they're about? Putting the welfare of animals first?

I'm at work all day (yay, I hear you say!) so if I get any replies, i'll respond then.

Toodles
Boo

[daffy654]

I have had to contact the RSPCA on a couple of occasions and they never bothered investigating at all.

One time was in Hull 11 or so years ago, it had snowed really badly and my neighbour who was elderly had gone to visit his daughter and have left his dog tied up outside the front door as he always did. This in itself was bad enough but the dog usually had food and water (most often from me). This time the owner hadn't come home because he was snowed in at his daughter's home and the poor dog was left outside for 2 days. I couldn't take the dog in (baby and cat at home) but I kept going to sit with him and got him a blanket to lie on. The rspca were contacted on the first night and they told me as long as the dog was being fed and watered he was fine. I eventually found another neighbour to take the dog.

[puternut]

Two occasions when I have rung RSPCA - one good, one not so good (don't want to say bad)

Used to live a couple of hundred yards from a river and found a very young duckling walking along on its own. Rung RSPCA whose only advice was to take duckling to river and leave it there. The fact that the parents might not find it fell on deaf ears.

On other occasion, I worked for local council and was taking part in an eviction and tenant had done a flit leaving behind a cat. Called RSPCA who arranged for an officer to call at the office for new keys and they went in and cared for cat then after a few days took it for re-homing as the owner did not show up again.

[ethandron]

what we need to remember is that the rspca is a charity. i'm sure it always does it's best but like many organisations, sometimes falls short of what people expect from it. none of us has any idea what the reality of being an rspb worker is like but i don't think for one minute they would deliberately, and without good reason, allow an animal to suffer. they don't have a finite amount of money and have to make judgement calls every time on how to respond to an incident.
for all the bad incidents i'm sure there are many more good incidents but as with everything, it's the bad ones which get talked about.

[B00]

Perhaps if their bosses weren't on super wages they'd have more money to spend on what is supposed to matter?

[Nosha123]

hmm its obviously a common experience with them.. rather disappointing too! Esp as I donate to them!

I called them as I found a cat (or rather it found us).. couldnt keep it as we were about to take in my parents cat permanently.... he was very affectionate yet when you picked him up - he would struggle breathing and was obviously somehting very wrong.

after pestering them to come and get him and check him over.... turns out.. local vet inspection said he would have died had he not been seen that night. He had been hit or kicked so hard.. his diaphram was up inside his chest cavity making it hard to breath...
I heard he got a new home with one of the nurses at the vets...
He was lucky to survive - but the RSPCA were really loathe to come out and help the poor cat

[B00]

"*RSPCA: Mark Watts, chief executive, received £105,500 in pay and perks in the year to April 2009"

Wow, just wow!

[jules77]

Well apart from they werent much use when I reported some stray horses roaming the streets, but have to say neither were anyone else, I have found the RSPCA to act very swiftly whenever I have called for help with a stray or injured animal.

[B00]

Great to hear jules. Just when I was beginning to think they really did nothing at all :-)

[welshlibranr]

I'm relieved to hear that some folk have had a positive response from the RSPCA when they've asked for help for a distressed animal, sadly my experience was far from it! After seeing a young cat beig hit by a car, and bolting into a field, I found it, and rang the RSPCA, they promised to attend within half an hour, after 2 hours on the roadside with the poor little thing if sadly died, I found the owner, and broke the sad news, then rang the RSPCA back telling them that it was too late now, they just weren't interested, didn't even say that someone was on the way...............the nearest RSPCA centre is only 20mins away!............just wish they'd said at the offset that they wouldn't be able to attend...........I would have taken the cat to the nearest vet immeadiatley!..............

[boxtops]

Welsh, thankfully that's what a kind person did with my cat when she was struck by a car - mercifully killed outright, but a passerby kindly took her to the vet where they identified her by the microchip. I wouldn't hesitate to do the same for someone else now - but as you say, you thought the RSCPA were coming.
My only direct experience with the RSCPA was when a live magpie was brought into the house by the cats - rang them to ask what I should do, and they said "wear gloves" - yeah, right.

[B00]

awww welsh, sad story :-(

Excellent advice you got from them eh Boxtops?

[helpmepls]

Boo-what an excellent question!

I agree with eveything you say! I was told the RSPCA are one of the riches companies!! Work that out?

I have had bad experiences only-many times I rang to report an animal in pain or dying. They are useless!!

I NEVER give money to this charity, I always give to local rescue homes.

A similar "CHARITY"? is Cancer Research!

[B00]

I used to helpmepls until like most folk, i found they wouldn't help me when I called them. Infact they were even reluctant to offer advice.

I'd dearly love to be proven wrong on this one, and hear endless stories of how fantastic they are- think im in for a long wait?

[helpmepls]

Boo-sad to say but think you are in for a long wait.......I think all the negative stories of RSPCA will always out do the positives!

Sad very sad & Wrong!

[joanne]

some years ago a dog near us got out of the garden,the owner found him and me and a couple of neighbours had to listen to the dog being thrashed,i phoned RSPCA and was told because we hadn't actually seen it there was nothing they could do.the next time i saw him i told him i wish i had a lead in my hand to give him the same treatment

[garner]

Apart from the fact that they do not investigate every time, I cannot see any justification in them spending 6 million yes, 6 million on their head office and then come on the television begging for donations.

[jakep]

No TV camera, no RSPCA inspector.

[flump1]

Hi Boo long time no see, as to the rspca total waste of space when I needed help with a trapped moggie , hope you are ok x

[JustJenni]

Every time i have called the RSPCA they don't want to know, i live right on the edge of some woods and my cat always brings back thing, and ive also had a few stray dogs on my street and everytime i have called to ask them to come and collect something i never get threw or they just say its fine and let it go. But thankfully i have a wonderful animal charity where i live and they will take anything and everything any time of day or night and they are amazing.

[vivandorron]

Hi B00... It's only now that I have stumbled upon your question, which you posted almost a fortnight ago.

Certainly very few people have a good word to say about the RSPCA. In fact, I am very cynical about a lot of charitable organisations. A lot of them have titled people listed as Patrons and I have been led to believe that the individuals (Lord Sleaze; Lady Muck; etc) are paid a fee for their names being printed on letterheads.

Thanks for drawing further attention to my original disgust on the matter.

Kind regards ...Ron.