Really upset with RSPCA

Mandy_557

Thank you Meritaten for your reply. I have not meant to offend anyone on here that is not my way, i do not take things personally, i was just stating my opinion. It is a sad world that we have to fundraise in the first place and very sad that people like yourself think it inhuman. I do not enjoy being phoned, stopped in the street etc by people bullying you into giving money to charities, but like everything nowadays charities pay companies to employ people who work on commission to get the public to sign up to charities. I dont agree with this, its just how this world is going. Basically gone are the days of sitting outside shops with a charity box and one of my rescue dogs all day just to collect £5.00. All i meant to point out was the fact that it would not have been a local RSPCA branch. There are always going to be complaints about the way the RSPCA work, maybe if people were a bit kinder to each other and helped each other then charities would not be needed.

GemJar_2

Okay lets clear a few things up here, I did not expect the RSPCA to find my cat for me, and I wasn't expecting them to "work wonders" I phoned them and visited them with a photograph of him because I am aware people take injured strays and strays to their centers and I thought that they could give me a ring if they thought they had him, I did this with all the local vets / catteries.

As for the phone call, there was no need for them to open their pitch with my missing cat, they got my hopes up (yes after all this time I'm still hoping someone out there has him and he might somehow be returned to me). If they would've opened with "You recently requested our services as do many people and this costs money ect ect" then I would've been a lot more open to what they had to request, although suprisingly I DO already donate to the RSPCA when I can, although being on a low wage this can not be a monthly payment.

I respect that the people on the frontline of the RSPCA are absolute stars and give a fantastic service but their cold calling techniques need a serious review.

thistledome

Mandy_557 wrote: »

I work for the RSPCA and that call definately did NOT come from your local branch. It would have come from some cold calling centre. People expect so much from us, they lose a pet and hey the rspca must be able to find it, thats what they are there for surely? Life doesnt happen like that, im very sorry for anyone who loses their animals but we cant work wonders. The people i work with are very kind and caring, looking after animals that have been abused by people, 24 hours a day. As for any bad press, well to be honest the RSPCA is a charity and at the end of the day any animal we end up helping is a bonus, no one has a right to run us down, unless you are able to do the job yourself better.

If you only meant to say that it wasn't a call from the local RSPCA you could have done so, without the nasty little jibes aimed at the OP.

I remember her thread about her lost cat and she was extremely distressed about him going missing, as any animal lover would be. Her loss should not be used as a cynical marketing tool, no matter how worthy the cause. OP's details have obviously been passed onto "some cold calling centre" (your words).

The RSPCA may do good work for animals, but they can't afford to treat people with such contempt - it's people that provide their funding.

Gingham_Ribbon

Disgraceful tactic by the RSPCA and I hope it is not something we'll be seeing more charities trying on.

I can see it now:

We heard that your [family member] is dying of [disease]. We thought you'd like to donate to our charity to prevent other people from going through this.

Pretty hideous and I can't believe there's someone from this charity on the thread defending this behaviour and condemning the OP for being naturally very upset.

I hope your cat comes home.

Sagz_2

I have worked all my life for a charity so I know that bringing money in is vital - but to mention someone's missing cat in a fundraising call is not right at all.
This was not a cold call, as Mandy said it was, it may have been made from a call centre but that call centre operative was armed with background information that was used in a disgraceful way.

OP I urge you to complain to the RSPCA Head Office, there is a chance that they are not aware of the tactics that the call centre is using, if they are then they need to hear how upset you were to be contacted in this way.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Mandy_557 wrote: »

I work for the RSPCA and that call definately did NOT come from your local branch. It would have come from some cold calling centre. People expect so much from us, they lose a pet and hey the rspca must be able to find it, thats what they are there for surely? Life doesnt happen like that, im very sorry for anyone who loses their animals but we cant work wonders. The people i work with are very kind and caring, looking after animals that have been abused by people, 24 hours a day. As for any bad press, well to be honest the RSPCA is a charity and at the end of the day any animal we end up helping is a bonus, no one has a right to run us down, unless you are able to do the job yourself better.

Well, other charities do manage the job better. They just don't have the same marketing and PR machine in place - probably because they don't stoop to the 'donate to us now or this little puppy dog gets it' or 'you're going to die soon and your pets will DIE without us' techniques your organisation does.

Jeaniebean

Sorry to hear about your cat Jemjar.

Don't give up hope. Our cat Bossboots disappeared for 6 months, and one day just turned up.

Not very tactful by the RSPCA!!! Awful.

Jeanie

GemJar_2

Jeaniebean wrote: »

Sorry to hear about your cat Jemjar.

Don't give up hope. Our cat Bossboots disappeared for 6 months, and one day just turned up.

Not very tactful by the RSPCA!!! Awful.

Jeanie

Like I said I'm still keeping my fingers crossed- he's never going out again if he does turn back up!!

I may complain to RSPCA HR, I have been considering it but have been put off because I know they'll be having a lot to deal with, being cold and around christmas time. I may wait until after the new year... what do you think?

RacyRed

GemJar wrote: »

Like I said I'm still keeping my fingers crossed- he's never going out again if he does turn back up!!

I may complain to RSPCA HR, I have been considering it but have been put off because I know they'll be having a lot to deal with, being cold and around christmas time. I may wait until after the new year... what do you think?

Complain now.

Don't forget the RSPCA policy change where they no longer take in strays. They only keep animals who hve been subjected to cruelty these days, keeping them alive to aid the prosecution and their publicity. They also operate a destroy policy.

There is at least one instance where RSPCA headquarters ordered a local grass roots affiliate rescue centre to introduce a destruction policy for un-adopted cats. When this was refused the RSPCA advised that they were going to collect the animals and take them away for destruction.

The rescuer concerned ended up personally adopting all of the threatened animals and ending her association with the RSPCA.

That is just a single instance.

The RSPCA have really lost the plot. It is such a shame.

Fundraising in this way is another example of the wrong steps the organisation have taken.

Gemjar, I hope your kitty comes back home soon (((hugs)))

Mandy_557

RacyRed wrote: »

Complain now.

Don't forget the RSPCA policy change where they no longer take in strays. They only keep animals who hve been subjected to cruelty these days, keeping them alive to aid the prosecution and their publicity. They also operate a destroy policy.

There is at least one instance where RSPCA headquarters ordered a local grass roots affiliate rescue centre to introduce a destruction policy for un-adopted cats. When this was refused the RSPCA advised that they were going to collect the animals and take them away for destruction.

The rescuer concerned ended up personally adopting all of the threatened animals and ending her association with the RSPCA.

That is just a single instance.

The RSPCA have really lost the plot. It is such a shame.

Fundraising in this way is another example of the wrong steps the organisation have taken.

Gemjar, I hope your kitty comes back home soon (((hugs)))

As you point out about the strays, what you dont complain about is just how many strays there are and WHO puts those poor animals onto the streets. You have all said just how bad the RSPCA are, well if there wasnt any cruel and very unkind people in the world they wouldnt be needed. These are my personal feelings and im not representing the RSCPA as stated by one person on here. As you all have such strong feelings about them, why dont you set up a forum about how to make things better instead of just agreeing how bad they are. Racyred, why dont you put a thread on here about the lout who put hamsters in microwaves to see them blown up, he thought it would be a laugh, or the dog who was starved to death, cats that are burnt, tortured and left to die painful deaths. My feelings are strong about these things as ive seen with my own eyes the cruelty some people will do, and just how grateful animals are to be rescued and looked after. The newspapers do not make us look too good, i agree. But they fail to report about the helpers who work hands on, who on seeing animals being brought into the shelter being taken home by them and being nursed in a caring loving home and not put into kennels etc as the animal could not cope in that enviroment. As you cannot tell my tone of typing i would like to point out that im just stating my opinion and not trying to upset anyone on here.