RSPCA not doing anything about poor dog

chopandchange

OK this is a bit of a rant. I have called the RSPCA three times about a dog that is left tied up all day outside its owner's workplace. It's a gym that backs onto some playing fields near where I live and I see it nearly every day because I often walk my dog there. It's always tied to the fence. The first two times I called the RSPCA they asked, did the dog have access to water and food? Was it being left in direct sunlight? was it endangering anyone? etc, etc, bla bla bla. it was like they were doing some kind of computer checklist. So having answered that, yes, the owners leave a water bowl out for it (although it often kicks it over) and yes, they leave food out for it, and yes, there is a patch of shade where it can lie, (although there's loads and loads of poo scattered around because they can't be bothered to pick it up) they informed me that it wasn't illegal to tether a dog in the UK and that the owners were fulfilling all the main things you're meant to provide a dog with, so they had no reason to intervene. They said I could "monitor" it if I liked. Well I have just called them back to tell them that when I was walking past the dog today it started barking madly at me and my dog as usual (as it does with anyone who walks past it, because it's bored out of its brains and probably thinks, great, a person! Something to do! I'll bark at them!) and someone came out of the back door of the gym, told it off in a low voice, and twisted the dog's nose/top lip upwards in a horrible way to make it shut up. It whimpered and was quiet.They are always coming out and telling it off for barking but I've never seen them do that before. Well I got really angry and upset and called the RSPCA again. Maybe this is "acceptable" form of punishment to some people, but it's not to me. The lady I spoke to today sounded impatient, annoyed, and not in the least bit concerned about the welfare of this dog. She sounded like she was really wishing I hadn't called her at all. From what she told me it sounds like even with this latest piece of information the RSPCA are not going to rescue this poor dog. Apparently an officer is going to "analyse" the information I have given them and "decide on the best cause of action" (which translates as: do nothing).

Since when has the RSPCA been affected by this bloody awful "political correctness" that's affecting all other UK organisations? Can't we just use a bit of COMMON SENSE?

Why can't this poor dog be taken away from those selfish owners and given to someone who has the time to care for it, if not on the grounds of cruelty or starvation, on the grounds of BOREDOM! The poor dog sits there ALL DAY tied to a fence! It's not much of a life, is it?

Realistically, I suppose the same thing is happening to millions of dogs in Britain every day whose owners have full-time jobs. It's just that they don't get tied up in fields - they get left shut up in houses instead. I know the RSPCA can't go confiscating people's dogs just on the grounds of "you don't spend enough time with your dog" but it just makes me upset.

picklepick

Yes unfortunately if the dogs owner isnt breaking any laws the RSPCA's hands are tied. Have you tried calling your local dog warden? To a passer-by does it look abandoned?

MaximumImpact

When will people ever ever learn that the RSPCA only do something when Rolf is in tow????

Sorry but my experiences of that pathetic organisation are all negative. Contact your local dog warden and ask for some proper advice and help....they are far better and far more compassionate....oh and they give useful information!!!

PrincessPlaty

Agree with the above posters dont even bother with the RSPCA you may have seen my post earlier this week about 'Angry Cat' i got pretty much the same response as you did although eventually they did send someone out not that they did a great deal!! :rolleyes:

Sunnyday

I`m afraid that i am another with a very poor view of the rspca.

A course of action could include a letter of complaint to the gym, and maybe even better a letter and a photo to the local paper.

Is all the dog mess on public land? if so a nice fine may dissuade the owner from leaving the dog in such a place and being nasty to it.

It would be best sorted out now before it ends up freezing to death in winter.

I wish you the very best of luck.

SD

chopandchange

Thank you for your suggestions. I will go and google dog wardens in this area.

picklepick wrote: »

Yes unfortunately if the dogs owner isnt breaking any laws the RSPCA's hands are tied. Have you tried calling your local dog warden? To a passer-by does it look abandoned?

Yes, it does look abandoned. In fact, the first time I saw it I instantly assumed it had been abandoned and went over to fuss it and was considering untying it and taking it home with me and phoning a dog shelter. But there was a lady sitting nearby talking on her mobile and smoking, and she sort of looked at me in a funny way and I asked her, is that your dog? She just nodded and carried on talking on her phone as if she couldn't care less. Obviously she was on a break and had come out the back of the gym for a fag and a gossip on her phone (never mind fussing her poor dog or taking it for a wee walk, of course). Although in fairness on a few occasions I have seen someone (not sure if it was her) jog around the field for a few laps with the dog on the lead.

Another thing that bothers me is the way it's tied up. It's on a long rope but they seem to have tied a rope harness around its BELLY, so every time it barks and tries to run towards a passerby, the rope jerks on its belly. I thought harnesses were meant to take the strain on the shoulders and I feel sorry for it. I wouldn't like a rope digging into my tummy.

Dave101t

hows it a poor dog if, as stated in the op, it has food, water, not in direct sunlight etc.
your sensibilities must be more sensitive than mine! not a criticism!

ClareEmily

yes definetely call your local dog warden/animal welfare officer.

I used to do work experience with one, and he used to deal with situations like this, they would at the very least speak to the owner.

chopandchange

Sunnyday wrote: »

I`m afraid that i am another with a very poor view of the rspca.

A course of action could include a letter of complaint to the gym, and maybe even better a letter and a photo to the local paper.

Is all the dog mess on public land? if so a nice fine may dissuade the owner from leaving the dog in such a place and being nasty to it.

It would be best sorted out now before it ends up freezing to death in winter.

I wish you the very best of luck.

SD

Well, it's a tricky one because the gym belongs to the RAF, (I suspect this may be one reason the RSPCA don't want to intervene) but technically is not actually within the camp because members of the public can access that area of land without having to go through the barrier where the guards are. However there is a sign up saying NO DOGS allowed on the field, and yes, the poo they leave covers quite a wide area of the RAF playing field because they've got the dog on a long rope so it has quite a range to poo within. On this field there are supposed to be no dogs but loads and loads of people, myself included, walk their dogs there, even though I've seen notices up in the RAF information office that say something along the lines of, "NO DOGS ALLOWED at any time on RAF playing fields. If you are found walking your dog there you may be removed from the camp immediately." They never, ever seem to enforce this rule and since everyone else takes their dog there I also take mine (I am quite obsessive about picking up his poo though).

MrsTinks

Unless it's mistreated - and by this I mean as per the letter of the laws regarding animal welfare and mistreatment - then what exactly do you expect the RSPCA to do? If according to law they have provided the animal with the care needed then the RSPCA can't do a darned thing about it. It's not their fault the laws in this country are nothing more than empty words. If you want to be angry then be angry with the policy makers in government. If you want to do something constructive then start petitioning them instead of complaining about the RSPCA and their "laziness"... it's not that they don't want to... it's that 95% of the time they CAN'T do anything because the laws are so weak and rubbish that they have no power to do anything.

I'm not saying the conditions the dog is kept in is acceptable, just that the RSPCA couldn't remove the dog, if they did they'd probably have to hand it back to the owner if it went to court and all it would acchieve is to cost a lot of legal fees and maybe stress the dog out even more having been removed from what it knows, no matter if it's actually quite gross and horrible in our eyes...

Apply critisism by all means - but direct it at those responcible... not the enforcers of a useless set of rules with no bite to them...

splott2000

I rang the RSPCA last year for advice on my dog and to this day I am still awaiting a reply. They are just bloody useless.