Angrywith the RSPCA/Council dog wardens

pboae

The local branches of the RSPCA (i.e. the ones that rehome dogs) are seperate from the national RSPCA and each local branch is independent in its own right too. Which is one of the reasons why people's experiences differ so much.

Personally I don't have much time for the national RSPCA, but some of the local branches do amazingly good work.

Regardless of that, I am aware that my anger when the RSPCA don't intervene is largely misplaced. It's not the RSPCA who are dumping dogs ready for Xmas puppies, it's not the RSPCA who are back yard breeding to make a quick buck, it's not the RSPCA who are tying dogs up outside with no food/water/shelter, with chains so tight around their necks that they will have to be surgically removed, or stubbing cigarettes out on them, or dumping puppies in boxes, or drowning them in bags.

The RSPCA might not be cleaning up the mess as effectively as we would all like, but they aren't the root cause, and that's where we need to look for solutions.

Oh, and I'm afraid the 15 Staffies advert is a no go. Despite frantic efforts to find rescue places, 13 of them were PTS today.

milkydrink

Contains_Mild_Peril wrote:

Unless the owner has a massive garden, that's not really an option for a big dog. If the owner keeps their dog on a lead in areas where it's likely to encounter children (and pboae's post gives me no reason to suspect that his/her dog is let off the lead in public parks) then it it not the owner's fault if parents fail to take the same sort of responsibility for their children. I was taught from a very early age not to approach strange dogs, and assumed that all kids were taught the same "rules": don't cross roads unsupervised, don't eat sweets you find in the street, don't go with strangers, don't approach strange dogs etc.

Perhaps people without massive gardens shouldn't have big dogs.

Hmmmmm small garden = small dog.

I hate seeing big dogs or just loads of animals squashed into flats & small houses.
I live in a semi, with a decent sized garden, I have ONE cat, not loads, I don't have the room for loads.
I in no way mean you poster, but some people really need to exercise common sense over what they have room for.
Kim

CheeseOnToast

What a great story hehe well done

roger56

MortgageMamma wrote:

.. the thing that concerns me is if the dog is chipped or if it goes back to the owner and is mistreated again (or perhaps he just ran off and got lost who knows)....:)

If the dog is chipped, the owner can be traced and then reported
Ask the vet to scan for a chip, my vet checks the chip each year with the checkup.

I too have found a very young pup in a ditch and had the dog warden suggest
I looked after it - paid £85 for vet bills including injections.
Pup is now re-homed and happy.

MortgageMamma

Nice to know there are still some decent people left in the world!

kenshaz

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

To be fair to the RSPCA, their main role is to prevent cruelty to animals - not to rescue lost, abandoned or sick pets/wild animals. There are others that do that - often some kind soul who does it for the sheer hell of it.

RSPCA do rehome - but it's usually animals that have been removed from their owners due to mistreatment/cruelty.

The main role is to prevent suffering of all animals,that covers lost sick and abandoned.

MortgageMamma

kenshaz wrote:

The main role is to prevent suffering of all animals,that covers lost sick and abandoned.

You could compare this to say, a trained voluntary first aider. Walking down the street and an old man is ran over. Would they walk past and say "It's not my problem?" or "sorry I don't deal with road accidents, its not in my contract with my conscience".

A human being would most likely not turn their back on another human being in need, so neither should a charitable organisation focused on animals.

Anyway. all the best for 2007 to anyone reading this.

MM

kenshaz

MortgageMamma wrote:

You could compare this to say, a trained voluntary first aider. Walking down the street and an old man is ran over. Would they walk past and say "It's not my problem?" or "sorry I don't deal with road accidents, its not in my contract with my conscience".

A human being would most likely not turn their back on another human being in need, so neither should a charitable organisation focused on animals.

Anyway. all the best for 2007 to anyone reading this.

MM

Yes all the best for a wonderful New Year.Goodwill to all ,human or animal,no one deserves to suffer.

3plus1

MortgageMamma wrote:

You could compare this to say, a trained voluntary first aider. Walking down the street and an old man is ran over. Would they walk past and say "It's not my problem?" or "sorry I don't deal with road accidents, its not in my contract with my conscience".

No, you could not make this comparison.

You're complaining about RSPCA officers who don't respond to public call outs whilst on duty. Why do they do this? Well, I'm willing to bet the reason is that they have to prioritise their work to ensure that they help the animals who are in the most need. I can't believe anyone joins the RSPCA without being an animal lover, and that an animal lover would ignore a call for help with an injured creature if there wan't a very good reason for doing so. The rude people on the phone are not necessarily the same people who come out - you could be dealing with a very bored and irritated office temp with little to do with the charity.

If an off duty RSPCA officer came across an injured creature, I'm confident they'd step in willingly, and probably uninsured.

If a member of the Red Cross attends to an accident whilst not on duty, as long as their qualifications are in date, they're fully insured to do what they think is necessary. So we're not really taking as big a risk as other good Samaritans. We help, because that's what any decent human being would do, but we help, safe in the knowledge that we're covered.

A couple of years ago, I visited a PDSA centre to present a cheque on behalf of a fundraising group, and was invited to look around the building. I spoke to one vet, who clearly was in the job for his love of animals, and he told me that there had been a huge drop in the level of local donations, as there was a children's charity trying to raise money, and whilst he was sad there wasn't enough money coming in to help the animals, he understood why people were giving money to the children's charity over the PDSA. I really felt for the man, because he obviously wanted the PDSA to do more locally, but was bound by the centre's income. He didn't feel able to promote the charity much because he didn't want to 'steal' money away from the children. Rock and a hard place.

All the staff were lovely and the caged animals clearly well treated. I did see a distressed cat, but everything was being done, and the staff were clearly upset they couldn't make the poor critter's treatment any more bearable. If you want to support an animal lovers' organisation other than the RSPCA, I'd recommend the PDSA. I've seen how things work on the inside, and I'd vouch for them.;)

PS MortageMamma, taking in that dog was a truly selfless act, and thinking of the woman who got her much loved pet back brings up fuzzy happy feelings.:) She must have thought it was fairly hopeless for a while there, and to actually get the dog back... Well, like others have said, it makes us all feel better knowing that there are still people who will put their necks out to help, just because they think it's the right thing. Good on you.

And a Happy New Year to all.:)

allycat999

Question to the OP have you changed your vet because of this?
If you contact a vet he is obliged to attend the animal and treat the animal, vets have to provide cover 24hrs a day 7 days a week. They make not be particulary happy about the call out, but they have to go. We treat all RTA's ect who have no owner free of charge, the problem we have is rehoming them, the local NCDL are always full and are never able to take a dog.