Rspca !!!!

geri1965_2

Deep_In_Debt wrote: »

I have a couple of rescue cats from my local RSPCA shelter - I adopted them years ago and I think they do a good job and don't have a lot of money. I left a donation as they assured me the money would be used at the shelter which is where I wanted it to stay.

However, my mother did some voluntary work at the RSPCA head offices a few years ago, but left after about a week as she was disgusted with the way they spent their money - business lunches, new cars, etc etc when they knew that local shelters were struggling and didn't seem to be bothered.

As a result, we have both stopped supporting them as we don't feel that our money is going to animal welfare.

There's nothing to stop you carrying on supporting the local shelters directly though - I assume you could set up a DD/standing order to go to them directly rather than nationally, or you could take down donations of food.

Deep_In_Debt

I do take food to the local shelters whenever I can but I am loathe to set up DD/SO in case the money goes to head office! But I do go and leave a donation with them when I can afford to.

I also help by occasionally volunteering there and walking dogs and just general help but I don't have a lot of time so only do it when I can.

Have nothing against the local shelters as I think they do a great job, they are understaffed and work very hard and workers are very dedicated and do it for the love of the animals.

olias

Been reading this thread with interest. The Problem exists with any large charity.

The larger any charity gets the higher paid the 'execs' are and therefore the better offices they expect etc etc etc and those at the front line are left wallowing.

I have experience of both a friend who was an inspector in the RSPCA. They were working in a portacabin in a car park with second hand furniture and very poor equipment.

The bosses meanwhile were spending over £30 million (!) on their new headquarters with £1000 seats in their offices and ornamental ponds in the grounds!

Similarly I have worked for a well known charity where the papers were always full of mr and mrs blogs raising £50 for them with a car boot sale etc. The bosses meanwhile had company cars including A mercedes, Audi TT, Saab, Jaguar! and were giving out the top well paid jobs to friends and family.

I meanwhile was working out of a shipping container in the corner of a carpark on minimum wage! and had to virtually beg if I needed a new Bic biro!!

Olias

geri1965_2

Deep_In_Debt wrote: »

I do take food to the local shelters whenever I can but I am loathe to set up DD/SO in case the money goes to head office! But I do go and leave a donation with them when I can afford to.

I think it will do if you do it online or whatever - just wondering if local branches have separate accounts or not.

dollydoodah

geri1965 wrote: »

I think it will do if you do it online or whatever - just wondering if local branches have separate accounts or not.

They do indeed.

Take a look here to see figures from your local branch

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/ShowCharity/RegisterOfCharities/SearchMatchList.aspx

geri1965_2

Thanks for that. I give money to the RSPCA because they operated on my cat not long after I had her, when she wasn't insured and we were poor. I set up a standing order afterwards as a way of thanks, but I probably should have done it to the local branch really.

GotToChange

I recently had cause to contact the RSPCA (or so I thought, in a knee-jerk recation kind of way) - to come and "rescue" a parakeet who had been simply left in his cage, moved to the garage when his home burnt almost to the ground. I knew that the owner had to go and live quite far away and no provision had been made for the bird's care. I don't know what I was thinking really.....
After four days, no-one had been to him from the RSPCA - I went round and cleaned out his cage (which was filthy, I don't think he was too well cared for before the fire tbh), gave him seed and grapes and kiwi and toys and got quite attached I'm afraid. I called the RSPCA a good few days later and was told in no unertain terms to butt out and that I must wait fro them to let me know what happened which they might do in a few weeks (!). I tried to withdraw my request that they "rescue" the bird and was told that I couldn't do that either.
Another few days later, the RSPCA Inspector called me to ask what the state of play was with regard to the bird. I ask you!! I told her that the matter was resolved and his owner was attending to him. She wasn't but I carried on taking care and then a family member showed up and took him away. I just hope he gets a bit better care than he used to - or set free...... (I actually can't bear to see birds (any animal - but birds especially) in cages.)
Seems to me that the RSPCA need a camera crew following to make it worth their while attending.

Equally though, I spent a few years working for what started as a local animal sanctuary (unpaid). The community loved this place and supported it to the nth degree. It grew and grew and somehow a brand new bungalow was built on site, animals were actually purchased rather than surrendered and the last straw for me was when a stallion was being used to cover mares and stud fee being paid. Particularly as the stallion was not of the best nature and one mare gave birth to a foal who was loopy and jumped through a (shouldn't have been) glass stable window and killed herself (I was long gone when this happened).

Seems to me there's no winning - everyone is in it for what they can get out of it - big or small.

hethmar

Have to agree. I used to fund raise (as one of a group of volunteers) for one of the biggest dog rescues. After we had raised (this was a group who had worked for over a decade) enough money along with donations for the rescue to buy out the boarding kennels it had rented AND wed all had a party with a celeb opening said kennels - it was like they didnt want to know us any more. We were a bit of an impediment to what their plans were.

I would mention that the claim of some of the big rescues never to put down an animal who is fit is true only in that they cherry pick the animals they will take into their rescues for rehoming.

Some of these people had dedicated every spare moment of their lives for the dogs - we then saw the salaries being advertised for management staff and were horrified.

We all started raising funds for the small independent rescues where in many cases the owners are going without even the tiniest luxury in order to keep the animals alive and well.

Great shame that organisations get too big and unweildy and the money ends up in the wrong places.

If any of you want to donate to the smaller charities where every penny goes to the animals, have a google for places like Many Tears, Tail Ends and of course Rochdale Dog Rescue - places where everyone is a volunteer and the animals welfare is the most important thing.