Pets are being Mistreated in Rented House

youth_leader

That's good Cptralls.  I will always regret not reporting a neighbour who kept his rottie chained to a pile of concrete, when I did complain, he threatened me.  So cruel to keep pack animals caged without any social contact, and probably insufficient food and shelter.

LippyDoodle

TheJP said:

sheramber said:

Trouble is the RSPCA need proof of ongoing conditions before they can act. They cannot use somebody else 's word.

The owner will probably have been asked to contact RSPCA as well.

If there is no contact and they comeback and conditions are the same then they can act.

They have to abide by the law the same as you or me. They have to have grounds to  enable them to get a  warrant to seize the animals. The police are needed to force entry if necessary.

it is never a quick solution despite being distressing for the animals and those concerned about their welfare.

RSPCA rescue centres operate independently  from the main organisation who have the inspectors. They have to do their own fund raising. they get no support from donations  to RSPCA.

Some are better than others.

 

Many of the comments or assumptions in this thread regarding the RSPCA are untrue or out of context. 

1. As others have said their main aim is the welfare of an animal, yes conditions may not be great but if the animal is not in immediate risk they have to give the owner a chance to rectify. They do thinks like tape seal doors to see if the owner has returned to the property within a certain time, track the owner down and make contact and explain the process.

2. It isn't as simple as deciding to take the animal, there is a legal process from a warrant from the police and then a vet signing off that the animals health is a risk.

3. Then the inspector has to decide if there is enough evidence to prosecute.

4.They are understaffed, the only investigative charity of its kind, rely on donations and their workload is controlled by a remote center and they have large areas to cover.

5. I find the comment someone said that they only came out because the bird was rare to be untrue.

6. Yes that is correct the rehoming center's are independent and rely on donations just like the RSPCA however the RSPCA own the land/buildings etc in many areas. The staff that run them live there rent free. 

There will always be people who think they don't do enough or should do more but just don't know the facts and rely on social media to gain their information.

*Husband of an active RSPCA inspector 

I can assure you I'm no liar and I'm not happy that you think I am. Stick up for your husband/wife by all means but don't disrespect others when you were not there to witness it.

TheJP

LippyDoodle said:

TheJP said:

sheramber said:

Trouble is the RSPCA need proof of ongoing conditions before they can act. They cannot use somebody else 's word.

The owner will probably have been asked to contact RSPCA as well.

If there is no contact and they comeback and conditions are the same then they can act.

They have to abide by the law the same as you or me. They have to have grounds to  enable them to get a  warrant to seize the animals. The police are needed to force entry if necessary.

it is never a quick solution despite being distressing for the animals and those concerned about their welfare.

RSPCA rescue centres operate independently  from the main organisation who have the inspectors. They have to do their own fund raising. they get no support from donations  to RSPCA.

Some are better than others.

 

Many of the comments or assumptions in this thread regarding the RSPCA are untrue or out of context. 

1. As others have said their main aim is the welfare of an animal, yes conditions may not be great but if the animal is not in immediate risk they have to give the owner a chance to rectify. They do thinks like tape seal doors to see if the owner has returned to the property within a certain time, track the owner down and make contact and explain the process.

2. It isn't as simple as deciding to take the animal, there is a legal process from a warrant from the police and then a vet signing off that the animals health is a risk.

3. Then the inspector has to decide if there is enough evidence to prosecute.

4.They are understaffed, the only investigative charity of its kind, rely on donations and their workload is controlled by a remote center and they have large areas to cover.

5. I find the comment someone said that they only came out because the bird was rare to be untrue.

6. Yes that is correct the rehoming center's are independent and rely on donations just like the RSPCA however the RSPCA own the land/buildings etc in many areas. The staff that run them live there rent free. 

There will always be people who think they don't do enough or should do more but just don't know the facts and rely on social media to gain their information.

*Husband of an active RSPCA inspector 

I can assure you I'm no liar and I'm not happy that you think I am. Stick up for your husband/wife by all means but don't disrespect others when you were not there to witness it.

Im not trying to offend you and I can have an opinion on something based on experience. I do accept that some staff will do things differently but i can assure you that out of the 10 inspectors i know none would take that stance. I will however accept that there can be bad eggs out there so apologies. 

GDB2222

LippyDoodle said:

GDB2222 said:

LippyDoodle said:

gozaimasu said:

Your uncle is being impatient regarding the action. The dogs barking must be really annoying. Maybe the tenants have died and will never return. As mentioned previously, the RSPCA will have given the tenants a timeframe in which to make improvements, and if they aren't made, then the animals will be seized. They would have to get the police present if the property was still empty and the tenants were missing, or in this case I suppose they would be able to get the landlord to allow access since they're aware of the situaton.

LippyDoodle said:

Ask another animal organisation what the RSPCA should be doing. You could send a private message to the RSPCA on fb if you use it. See what they say. I don't understand why they haven't taken any further action if they have been and assessed the situation and deemed unacceptable, but I'm not a big fan of them to be honest. 

Why aren't you a big fan of the RSPCA?

From personal experience when reporting animal cruelty or when wild life needs help. Having a stray cat come through the kitchen window who didn't want to leave. It was Friday evening, everywhere was near closing, after calling every cat organisation I finally called the RSPCA. I told them the cat was covered in ticks, had a lot of cuts from what looked like fights, was very hungry. I had no transport so couldn't get him to a vets to check to see if chiped. That said I couldn't get him in a pet carrier because he was so scared that one minuet he was rubbing his head around my legs next minuet hissing and spitting. I told them that I was putting a blanket on the floor for him to lay on when he came in between me and the blanket, panicked, lashed out at me, stuck all 5 claws in my hand then jumped on the work top with me still attached. As I started to unhook his claws from my hand he then bite me. I was then told that I didnt want a cat like that in my house, just open the door and let him out. I said he won't go. I was then told to get a brush and push him out. I was gobsmacked. 

They don't keep a record of lost and found cats, not even for those they have rehomed. Their reason, because you never know if the cat is lost or a stray. 

Inspector came to my house to collect an injured Sparrow Hawk. She said it's rare to get one of these but we do like to go that extra mile when something special is in need. 

I think that they gave you the right advice about the cat, as you were in danger of further injury. Plus, you had no idea what diseases it had. 

what you really needed was someone with full protective gear to come round within a couple of minutes, before you got hurt again. As they probably didn’t have an inspector just round the corner from you, I’m not surprised that they didn’t want to take responsibility. 

what do you think they ought to have told you?

My concern was for the cat. It was ovbious he was either lost or abandoned. I like many others can't leave animals in need in the hope they wonder off and find someone else who can help them. My gripe with the RSPCA is they don't come to check on a cat unless it's injured. This cat could have been one they had rehomed. Just to come and scan the cat would have been something. 

Gaulet gloves would have been good and a good knowledge of cat behaviour was all that was needed. He just didn't trust people. No idea where he'd who or how he'd come across as there are many who dislike cats. 

I thought he was here to stay. Almost 4 hours later he went out through the window when I put the microwave on. Could tell in his eyes that really spooked him. Never seen him since 

The cat may simply be one that is used to living in the wild. Perhaps, he was happy enough to eat some food you gave him, but he wasn’t craving human company.  It’s quite likely that he was normally perfectly capable of looking after himself, and maybe he’d just come off badly in a fight with another cat. 

I certainly don’t think you should be beating yourself up because you weren’t able to tame him, and it’s not at all clear that he was tameable? Or even that was even a good idea. 

LippyDoodle

GDB2222 said:

LippyDoodle said:

GDB2222 said:

LippyDoodle said:

gozaimasu said:

Your uncle is being impatient regarding the action. The dogs barking must be really annoying. Maybe the tenants have died and will never return. As mentioned previously, the RSPCA will have given the tenants a timeframe in which to make improvements, and if they aren't made, then the animals will be seized. They would have to get the police present if the property was still empty and the tenants were missing, or in this case I suppose they would be able to get the landlord to allow access since they're aware of the situaton.

LippyDoodle said:

Ask another animal organisation what the RSPCA should be doing. You could send a private message to the RSPCA on fb if you use it. See what they say. I don't understand why they haven't taken any further action if they have been and assessed the situation and deemed unacceptable, but I'm not a big fan of them to be honest. 

Why aren't you a big fan of the RSPCA?

From personal experience when reporting animal cruelty or when wild life needs help. Having a stray cat come through the kitchen window who didn't want to leave. It was Friday evening, everywhere was near closing, after calling every cat organisation I finally called the RSPCA. I told them the cat was covered in ticks, had a lot of cuts from what looked like fights, was very hungry. I had no transport so couldn't get him to a vets to check to see if chiped. That said I couldn't get him in a pet carrier because he was so scared that one minuet he was rubbing his head around my legs next minuet hissing and spitting. I told them that I was putting a blanket on the floor for him to lay on when he came in between me and the blanket, panicked, lashed out at me, stuck all 5 claws in my hand then jumped on the work top with me still attached. As I started to unhook his claws from my hand he then bite me. I was then told that I didnt want a cat like that in my house, just open the door and let him out. I said he won't go. I was then told to get a brush and push him out. I was gobsmacked. 

They don't keep a record of lost and found cats, not even for those they have rehomed. Their reason, because you never know if the cat is lost or a stray. 

Inspector came to my house to collect an injured Sparrow Hawk. She said it's rare to get one of these but we do like to go that extra mile when something special is in need. 

I think that they gave you the right advice about the cat, as you were in danger of further injury. Plus, you had no idea what diseases it had. 

what you really needed was someone with full protective gear to come round within a couple of minutes, before you got hurt again. As they probably didn’t have an inspector just round the corner from you, I’m not surprised that they didn’t want to take responsibility. 

what do you think they ought to have told you?

My concern was for the cat. It was ovbious he was either lost or abandoned. I like many others can't leave animals in need in the hope they wonder off and find someone else who can help them. My gripe with the RSPCA is they don't come to check on a cat unless it's injured. This cat could have been one they had rehomed. Just to come and scan the cat would have been something. 

Gaulet gloves would have been good and a good knowledge of cat behaviour was all that was needed. He just didn't trust people. No idea where he'd who or how he'd come across as there are many who dislike cats. 

I thought he was here to stay. Almost 4 hours later he went out through the window when I put the microwave on. Could tell in his eyes that really spooked him. Never seen him since 

The cat may simply be one that is used to living in the wild. Perhaps, he was happy enough to eat some food you gave him, but he wasn’t craving human company.  It’s quite likely that he was normally perfectly capable of looking after himself, and maybe he’d just come off badly in a fight with another cat. 

I certainly don’t think you should be beating yourself up because you weren’t able to tame him, and it’s not at all clear that he was tameable? Or even that was even a good idea. 

Thanks for that. He wasn't feral. I love cats (love all animals) but I think cats get a raw deal. I think they greatly misunderstood. While I agree that some cats who have been living out for sometimes are not able to settle in a home and who would rather keep humans at arms length, this cat wasn't one of those. He was just very scared and while I was the one keeping my distance from him, he was the one following me around the kitchen and initiating contact. 

LippyDoodle

TheJP said:

LippyDoodle said:

TheJP said:

sheramber said:

Trouble is the RSPCA need proof of ongoing conditions before they can act. They cannot use somebody else 's word.

The owner will probably have been asked to contact RSPCA as well.

If there is no contact and they comeback and conditions are the same then they can act.

They have to abide by the law the same as you or me. They have to have grounds to  enable them to get a  warrant to seize the animals. The police are needed to force entry if necessary.

it is never a quick solution despite being distressing for the animals and those concerned about their welfare.

RSPCA rescue centres operate independently  from the main organisation who have the inspectors. They have to do their own fund raising. they get no support from donations  to RSPCA.

Some are better than others.

 

Many of the comments or assumptions in this thread regarding the RSPCA are untrue or out of context. 

1. As others have said their main aim is the welfare of an animal, yes conditions may not be great but if the animal is not in immediate risk they have to give the owner a chance to rectify. They do thinks like tape seal doors to see if the owner has returned to the property within a certain time, track the owner down and make contact and explain the process.

2. It isn't as simple as deciding to take the animal, there is a legal process from a warrant from the police and then a vet signing off that the animals health is a risk.

3. Then the inspector has to decide if there is enough evidence to prosecute.

4.They are understaffed, the only investigative charity of its kind, rely on donations and their workload is controlled by a remote center and they have large areas to cover.

5. I find the comment someone said that they only came out because the bird was rare to be untrue.

6. Yes that is correct the rehoming center's are independent and rely on donations just like the RSPCA however the RSPCA own the land/buildings etc in many areas. The staff that run them live there rent free. 

There will always be people who think they don't do enough or should do more but just don't know the facts and rely on social media to gain their information.

*Husband of an active RSPCA inspector 

I can assure you I'm no liar and I'm not happy that you think I am. Stick up for your husband/wife by all means but don't disrespect others when you were not there to witness it.

Im not trying to offend you and I can have an opinion on something based on experience. I do accept that some staff will do things differently but i can assure you that out of the 10 inspectors i know none would take that stance. I will however accept that there can be bad eggs out there so apologies. 

Thank you, I appreciate that and I agree with you. I'm not saying the whole of the RSPCA employees are bad. I imagine a lot get upset and frustrated by the restrictions of what they can do. I also want to point out that it's those on the helpline that have to put the details through to inspectors in the first place. 

elsien

There is very little action that the landlord can take, to be honest. He can threaten them with eviction but that is going to take them well into next year, at the earliest. 

Other than that, it’s their home and although he can request an inspection, even if there’s a houseful of animals there’s not a lot he can do about it on a practical level. He has no remit to instruct them to act on anyone’s advice. 

Cptralls

elsien said:

There is very little action that the landlord can take, to be honest. He can threaten them with eviction but that is going to take them well into next year, at the earliest. 

Other than that, it’s their home and although he can request an inspection, even if there’s a houseful of animals there’s not a lot he can do about it on a practical level. He has no remit to instruct them to act on anyone’s advice. 

The house has been inspected by the landlord as of today. My uncle spoke to her and the house internally and externally is in quite a state of disrepair. The garden is practically a rubbish tip and there is subletting going on with someone renting the tent in the garden. The landlord has said right or wrong, there's very little she can do. 

CJDogsbody

TheJP said:

sheramber said:

Trouble is the RSPCA need proof of ongoing conditions before they can act. They cannot use somebody else 's word.

The owner will probably have been asked to contact RSPCA as well.

If there is no contact and they comeback and conditions are the same then they can act.

They have to abide by the law the same as you or me. They have to have grounds to  enable them to get a  warrant to seize the animals. The police are needed to force entry if necessary.

it is never a quick solution despite being distressing for the animals and those concerned about their welfare.

RSPCA rescue centres operate independently  from the main organisation who have the inspectors. They have to do their own fund raising. they get no support from donations  to RSPCA.

Some are better than others.

 

Many of the comments or assumptions in this thread regarding the RSPCA are untrue or out of context. 

1. As others have said their main aim is the welfare of an animal, yes conditions may not be great but if the animal is not in immediate risk they have to give the owner a chance to rectify. They do thinks like tape seal doors to see if the owner has returned to the property within a certain time, track the owner down and make contact and explain the process.

2. It isn't as simple as deciding to take the animal, there is a legal process from a warrant from the police and then a vet signing off that the animals health is a risk.

3. Then the inspector has to decide if there is enough evidence to prosecute.

4.They are understaffed, the only investigative charity of its kind, rely on donations and their workload is controlled by a remote center and they have large areas to cover.

5. I find the comment someone said that they only came out because the bird was rare to be untrue.

6. Yes that is correct the rehoming center's are independent and rely on donations just like the RSPCA however the RSPCA own the land/buildings etc in many areas. The staff that run them live there rent free. 

There will always be people who think they don't do enough or should do more but just don't know the facts and rely on social media to gain their information.

*Husband of an active RSPCA inspector 

 The RSPCAA only have to look over into the garden, and please don't say that they need a warrant because they have been known to go to neighbours and ask to look over the fence or even borrow  ladder to do so.

Once they have seen anything they can go to the police and ask them to get a warrant.  Unfortunately, although magistrates are supposed to find out what the claimed evidence is etc, they usually just grant whatever is asked for.  The protections do not work.

The RSPCA have a selection of vets who they regularly call on who will say that animals need seizing.  

The "inspector"  who isn't an inspector empowered by the Animal Welfare Act 2006, sends a report off tho the prosecutions department who decide whether they can get a successful prosecution.  Don't imagine that all of this is impartial.  Despite being fined and ending up with a criminal record for disciplining an inspector who didn't  prosecute enough, the RSPCA have given awards to inspectors who were the most prolific prosecutors.

The local branches are effectively run s franchises using the name RSPCA.  hey have to obey the rules of HQ.  Even down to not taking in animals locally because the RSPCA decided that in future only "RSPCA Generated animals would be allowed.  

CJDogsbody

ANGLICANPAT said:

Strikes me its the legal  teeth that the RSPCA should be given  that need to be looked at.   Some funds should be spent on campaigning for more powers . Its ridiculous the amount of time the law allows animals to suffer whilst owners are given 'warnings' etc. Think its going to be something more LL's come across  now that its been made difficult to  stop tenants having pets . 

 The Animal Welfare Act 2006 empowered the police and a local authority (if the latter has created inspector under the act).  They have wide ranging powers.  They prefer to leave enforcement to a charity bringing private prosecutions.  Now think about how the post office abused that power.  

Go and look at the Wooler report and the Justice Committee report on private prosecutions.  It is adisgrace that criminal law is being policed by a charity which has its own agenda.  Remember that the RSPCA was forced by the Charity Commission to change its governance and back in the seventies told by them that if it dod not withdraw from the charter on Animal Rights it would lose its charity status.  The RSPCA preferred the cash benefits of being a charity but did not change its spots.