RSPCA - your experience?

Whenever I have had a problem with an animal in neglect and I have called the RSPCA they have never responded. Even when I worked for the police and we had a swan on site with a broken wing that we'd managed to secure in the old dog kennels they still wouldn't come out saying they didn't have enough people. There is a horrid pet shop in Crewes Hill, Enfield who had a dead puppy in a cage that the staff hadn't noticed the RSPCA finally inspected but still these people are up and running.

Sorry not attacking honestly, its hard to put this across in a well structured way without sounding nasty. Its just the RSPCA never seem to have animals welfare in mind. I had to listen to my two baby buns screaming whilst being killed by a ferret and then deal with the ferret myself because they wouldn't come and help. I'll never get over that, seeing my lovely babies eyes shining in the moon light with that cold dead stare. I'd phoned for help 45mins beforehand as the ferret was running around the garden and terrorising my parents dogs. But they just wouldn't come out. Eventually the lovely people at the Blue Cross came to help but it was too late.

I'm afraid I have only experience with the USPCA, but it runs along similar lines to the RSPCA as we are only across a large puddle really!:lol:

Phones numerous times about various neglected horses, one when one had severe rain scald was any action taken. However, the horses were not removed, despite being extremely thin. Currently I have been on their backs complaining about a horse equivalant of a puppy mill, anything been done? NO! :roll:

I have reported various other situations, including a kitten who was skin and bones, but as of yet, they have never removed an animal I have reported.:roll:

Kay said:

Sorry not attacking honestly, its hard to put this across in a well structured way without sounding nasty. Its just the RSPCA never seem to have animals welfare in mind. I had to listen to my two baby buns screaming whilst being killed by a ferret and then deal with the ferret myself because they wouldn't come and help. I'll never get over that, seeing my lovely babies eyes shining in the moon light with that cold dead stare. I'd phoned for help 45mins beforehand as the ferret was running around the garden and terrorising my parents dogs. But they just wouldn't come out. Eventually the lovely people at the Blue Cross came to help but it was too late.

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Don't mean to send your thread off on a tangent but can you please explain how the ferret had access to your bunnies?

i had similar experience with an animal rescue organisation. A bun was being kept in a 3 foot by one foot hutch and never got out. Half the time had no water. i phoned on 3 occasions and was told they had been out to it, the hutch was large and was being taken care of excellently. Also the inspector turned on me and said how did i know it wasnt getting out - did i have cctv on the hutch 24 hours a day and not to call back again. i told the inspector i had no intention of phoning back to be treated like that and pity the animals. 20 mins later the police were at my door to give me a warning - they had a call from the inspector to tell me not to phone again. Poor policeman was more embarrassed than me. Angry could not describe how i felt. Was told my "continuous" calls (3 calls in as many months) would get me in trouble. A couple of months ago that bun disappeared. Who knows what happened to it. I had to pass by that house several times a day and to this day i still feel guilty about that rabbit. So be warned when you are trying to do a good deed. You may turn out to be the villian. I did complain formally but was told that the inspector didnt phone the police. Obviously lies as the occupants of the house couldnt have as all calls are confidential and they are not allowed to tell them. the police must have used their super sense and just guessed what had happened and where i lived. amazing. Oh and about the size of hutch. inspector informed me it was large compared to some you get in pets at home. Its nice to know where she gets her information on rabbit welfare.

Kay said:

Whenever I have had a problem with an animal in neglect and I have called the RSPCA they have never responded. Even when I worked for the police and we had a swan on site with a broken wing that we'd managed to secure in the old dog kennels they still wouldn't come out saying they didn't have enough people. There is a horrid pet shop in Crewes Hill, Enfield who had a dead puppy in a cage that the staff hadn't noticed the RSPCA finally inspected but still these people are up and running.

Sorry not attacking honestly, its hard to put this across in a well structured way without sounding nasty. Its just the RSPCA never seem to have animals welfare in mind. I had to listen to my two baby buns screaming whilst being killed by a ferret and then deal with the ferret myself because they wouldn't come and help. I'll never get over that, seeing my lovely babies eyes shining in the moon light with that cold dead stare. I'd phoned for help 45mins beforehand as the ferret was running around the garden and terrorising my parents dogs. But they just wouldn't come out. Eventually the lovely people at the Blue Cross came to help but it was too late.

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Thats sounds awful, The only experience I have has with the RSPCA was when I called them out for a injured bird about 3 years ago and they took 24 hrs to come out. I had them out 3 weeks ago for another injured bird and to thier credit they were here in a hour. But I know alot of people that have called them out before and they have been useless.
Sallyx

Unfortunately I have only had poor responses from the RSPCA when reporting Rabbits in distress.
As far as I am concerned the organisation needs a complete overhaul. As it is at the moment it is not fit for purpose.
I would like to say so much more but I dont think I am allowed to on this Forum

Janex

Minimallow said:

inspector informed me it was large compared to some you get in pets at home.

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This inspector sounds like a compulsive liar :lol:

The smallest hutch IS a 3ft...Perhaps he was thinking of some these other places that sell 2ft hutches and is getting 'confused'? :roll:

Not called them about rabbits (although I would love to about next door's).

However, I did call them about a pony in a field near me that had a split hoof. I don't think anything was done about it and there are still ponies in the field, one is a pregnant mare .

I think it's really sad, I would imagine that most RSPCA officers go into it because they want to make a difference but sadly, they don't seem very able to.

I work for the Blue Cross, so hear a lot of comments on other rescue organisations from the public and other animal welfare orgs.

I'm not defending any organisation here, but would like to set straight the fact that every day rescue organisations get *hundreds* of calls for help in either rehoming or rescuing, and there are not enough resources to go around

I know that is little comfort to people who are in need of assistance, but believe me when I say that when we are not able to help, it is with a heavy heart.

It is proven on a daily basis that the law has no teeth in terms of animal welfare, and often it is not worth the small resources of welfare organisations to persue cruelty cases, for example, but better to spend the funds on education and treating animals to veterinary assistance.

I still find it hard to have to say "no", but each organisation can only cope with so much before the quality of care it provides starts to be eroded.

I'd say that the best way forward is to take the positive approach. Fund raise for which ever animal charity you support, volunteer your time and energy to a rescue (every little bit helps), and educate people along the way

Until a few months ago, legally the rspca could do nothing about a rabbit kept in a 3' hutch or not getting any exercise. I think the issue is with what people expect the rspca to be able to do. Often they are disappointed because their expectations aren't realistic. Hopefully the new laws will now give them the power to actually do some of the things people expect.

Tam

I reported the horrible place i got Lionel from and i had a call from the inspector to say they would visit and someone else had also complained, they said they would call me and let me know what happened but never did, i don't think they were that bothered tbh

I would like to know how the RSPCA prioritise because I do appreciate that they will be getting hundreds of calls and many I suspect will be over dramatised by members of the public. It does seem they spring into action at the wrong times; a friend of mine breeds guineas (yes I know - I'm working on it) and they are kept in cages that are too small but she looks after them well. Her neighbour told her that someone was going to report her and the RSPCA turned up the next day. They left happy. But for more serious cases of abuse or neglect it seems to take them forever to find someone to visit.

Another thing I would like to know is how does the whole working for the RSPCA work? I mean if each of us volunteered an hour a week to help do inspections or visitations that would be 5000 additional man hours - is that a wacky or possible idea?

I reported a pet shop to the rspca, they did explain that they could not get there until the next day. They called me back after the visit and explained what had happened My neighbour also called them out when she found a pigeon in her garden when the bird flu was rife. She came round to us to have a look as the rspca could not come straight away due to an urgent case of an rta involving a dog so I can see that they have to prioritise which case comes first when the calls come in but, they did eventually arrive late in the evening and took the pigeon My sister has also reported things and had responses from them so I have not really had a bad experience with them really Perhaps it depends on your area, what cases come in that they have to prioritise and the amount of inspectors they have on duty:?

I have had excellent experience of the RSPCA. I have not used them to complain about animlas being mistreated, but twice recently I have rung them about an animal in distress. Once was absolutely heart breaking (i wrote about it on this forum at the time) - a wild rabbit had been horrifically injured on the roads and needed putting to sleep. I rang them and they sent somebody out to do the deed. I couldnt' believe that they would send somebody in a van to help a wild rabbit die quickly, but they did (although in the end the rabbit died before they came anyway). The other time I found a very weak, young hedgehog, which I now know only needed feeding and a little TLC so I wish I'd kept it, but at the time I thought it was desperately ill and I couldn't get to a vet so they came within 1/2 an hour and took it away.

I understand that these cases are actually easier for them to knock off than a complaint where they will have to face an unwilling person and undoubtedly fill in many forms and do loads of things before they can actually go and knock on a door. But when I have needed them they've been there.

CrazyBun said:

I understand that these cases are actually easier for them to knock off than a complaint where they will have to face an unwilling person and undoubtedly fill in many forms and do loads of things before they can actually go and knock on a door. But when I have needed them they've been there.

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That's an interesting point about types of cases/requests for help. I sometimes wonder if the size of animal/facilities they have makes a difference. I'd guess they're all set up to rescue a dog or cat but a horse, once you've got it, where would you put it?

When I received Harley, my first real 'rescue' but I was not rescueing at the time he was in an awful state. I called the RSPCA and they offered to send an inspector round to collect him. It turned out he would be PTS rather than treated so I declined the offer and took him to my own vets.

I called them about a crow and was told to take that to my own vets (broken wing) where it was PTS.

I called them about 3 orphaned squirrels and they couldnt help, nor could any vets. I had to OD one myself to put it out of its misery and handrear the others with only the internet for help.

I have heard a lot of negative reports from people who have adopted rabbits, from wrong information to downright rude attitudes.

Make of that what you will.

Hi Jill in answer to your question my buns had an amazing set up. They were in a 7ftx3ftx3ft hutch, fully secured but with permanent access to a fully enclosed concrete run measuring 15ft x 9ft plus 6ft in height. All built for me by my Dad, as my own Bunny Palace. It was fully covered but Dad had nailed the roof on to the 8 wooden posts and wired the lid to the sides. The ferret climbed up the post and squeezed itself between a 1.5” gap in between the roof and the sides. It climbed down the pole and had easy access then to my buns. We had protected them against foxes and cats by having a tube running into the hutch instead of a door however a thin ferret and no trouble making its way up the tube. If there was anything we could have done to prevent it happening I would like to know! This is what now really worries me about future buns having permanent access to a run.

The ferret by the way had escaped from a nearby farm.

Probably the best way to actually find out what happens ... how it happens and whats going on at these places is to actually do some volunteer work and find out first hand.

I been meaning to do this myself... and will..

Like many here I have so many 'whys'.... I want to direct there way.

Kay said:

Hi Jill in answer to your question my buns had an amazing set up. They were in a 7ftx3ftx3ft hutch, fully secured but with permanent access to a fully enclosed concrete run measuring 15ft x 9ft plus 6ft in height. All built for me by my Dad, as my own Bunny Palace. It was fully covered but Dad had nailed the roof on to the 8 wooden posts and wired the lid to the sides. The ferret climbed up the post and squeezed itself between a 1.5” gap in between the roof and the sides. It climbed down the pole and had easy access then to my buns. We had protected them against foxes and cats by having a tube running into the hutch instead of a door however a thin ferret and no trouble making its way up the tube. If there was anything we could have done to prevent it happening I would like to know! This is what now really worries me about future buns having permanent access to a run.

The ferret by the way had escaped from a nearby farm.

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:shock: :shock: That is so scary! I have never thought of ferrets as being a problem as they're not that common. Was it a pet ferret or does the farm breed them? (I'm hoping it's the latter or else that's something else for me to stress about )

Hiya, no sadly the ferret was a pet of the farmers son. The area I live in is fairly rural, so now I panic about alsorts like weasles as well. They are smaller than a ferret but still capable of killing a rabbit especially little 12 week old like mine were

The farm was about 1mile away.

The awful thing was the ferret couldn't get out again so we were stuck dealing with it hissing and spitting at us. Hence the call to the RSPCA who asked my Dad if he had a gun, which he didn't. Instead they told him to hit it with a sledge hammer as it would attack us!! I was only 12 at the time and in absolute hysterics, my Mum had to slap me to calm me down. I'll never forget hearing the high pitched scream my buns made :shock: