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Really upset - horrible petting farm u/d great news!

Lucy-Lou

Mama Doe
I'm sorry if this is in the wrong section but I thought if I put it in chat, more people will see this and might have a suggestion on what I can do.

Went to our local farm/petting zoo today, walked around and the outdoor animals all looked happy and kept in good conditions, then went into the petting barn and my heart sank. There are rabbits, ferrets and guinea pigs being kept in awful conditions :cry:

There's no toys and nowhere to hide (as "they get picked up and cuddled, they don't need toys") the sawdust they are on is filthy, the water bottles are dirty, the guinea pigs are in with the rabbits, the ferrets are in a small hutch right next to the GPs/rabbits, they are all being fed the same muesli too. They have no hay and there was loads around, I asked them to put some in but they refused very rudely and said I didn't know what I was talking about "they get it in the mornings and that's all they need"

They had one small guinea pig on its own in a tiny hamster tank, it looked poorly, all scruffy and skinny, and so scared and miserable :cry:

Asked if they vaccinate and was told "they don't believe in putting chemicals into their animals" FFS! Worried my rabbits are at risk now cause I've been around unvaccinated ones :evil:

Rang the RWAF and the lady was really shocked and said ring the RSPCA, spoke to them and they basically sounded like they didn't give a :censored:, said they were too busy to check it out and could I ring the council?! What's the point of them if they won't help?! The council won't care what the conditions are like as long as the animals are getting very basic care will they?

I was in tears on the way home thinking about those poor animals :cry: The manager and staff were so rude to me and pig-headed, said they're sick of "people like me" who think they know better.

I'm so angry with the RSPCA, I understand they're a charity and short on staff/funding but they're supposedly here to step in and care for animals when the public can't do anything, and the guy on the phone just sounded so bored and brushed me off like it didn't matter. If it was dogs or cats would he be more bothered??
 
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I don't want anyone to think I'm having a go at RSPCA staff who work in animal rescues/sanctuaries, I know they work really hard for their animals under tough conditions. I'm just furious that the main organisation won't step in and help when help is needed. If I go up to that place again suggesting things or handing out rabbit care leaflets I think I might get a smack, they were really unpleasant and angry :(
 
oh no I hate things like this it's so heartbreaking isn't it. I have been escorted out of places before :?

The RSPCA cannot do much the law just isn't on their side as long as they have food and water (if any didn't then ring them back) there is nothing they can do. Because it's a public place then it is the council who need to be contacted so it's worth reporting them to your local council as a visit from them may get them to improve things. The council can shut them down. Where are you? I'm wondering if you can speak to your local RSPCA branch and see if they can help you out such as contacting the place and trying to educate them. Also it's really helpful to get some pictures. I always do this before approaching any of the staff because you have them then as evidence.
 
Oh my! Where was this awful place?

You know it really gets my goat when people think they know anything and everything about rabbits. I know I know a lot now but I would never be angry at someone for trying to help or give me advice! Its simply rude! :(

Poor bunnies, poor animals! The RSPCA are :censored: useless excuse my french....I've had so many horrible answers from them now I've completely given up even trying to ring them. They think as long as the animals are fed they are OK. (although I did ring them about a starving horse three times and they simply didn't bother turning up and the poor thing is STILL there now and its very skinny)

I find it shocking that they dont think they need hay all the time, they obviously know nothing! I don't know what to suggest :(
 
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Oh my! Where was this awful place?

You know it really gets my goat when people think they know anything and everything about rabbits. I know I know a lot now but I would never be angry at someone for trying to help or give me advice! Its simply rude! :(

Poor bunnies, poor animals! The RSPCA are :censored: useless excuse my french....I've had so many horrible answers from them now I've completely given up even trying to ring them. They think as long as the animals are fed they are OK. (although I did ring them about a starving horse three times and they simply didn't bother turning up and the poor thing is STILL there now and its very skinny)

I find it shocking that they dont think they need hay all the time, they obviously know nothing! I don't know what to suggest :(

Sarah it's the law that is lacking....the RSPCA can't do anything as they can't break the law. People complain all the time about them but when you spend lots of your free time doing work for the RSPCA doing everything you can for animals and people say things like that it's not very nice. RSPCA inspectors need more power and the law needs to change for animals only then are they going to be able to do anything.
 
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Sarah it's the law that is lacking....the RSPCA can't do anything as they can't break the law. People complain all the time about them but when you spend lots of your free time doing work for the RSPCA doing everything you can for animals and people say things like that it's not very nice. RSPCA inspectors need more power and the law needs to change for animals only then are they going to be able to do anything.

They could have done something when the old lady next door to me had a huge seagull stuck in the fence next to her house and it was screeching in pain. They basically told us to leave it because it would ''get out by itself or die''

I don't believe for as second there was absolutely nothing could be done there...i'm sorry. And as for the horses that have been starving on the field accross from where I work...I thought the RSPCA had the authority to take away seriously suffering animals?
 
oh no I hate things like this it's so heartbreaking isn't it. I have been escorted out of places before :?

The RSPCA cannot do much the law just isn't on their side as long as they have food and water (if any didn't then ring them back) there is nothing they can do. Because it's a public place then it is the council who need to be contacted so it's worth reporting them to your local council as a visit from them may get them to improve things. The council can shut them down. Where are you? I'm wondering if you can speak to your local RSPCA branch and see if they can help you out such as contacting the place and trying to educate them. Also it's really helpful to get some pictures. I always do this before approaching any of the staff because you have them then as evidence.

I know, I didn't think to take pictures at the time :( The RWAF lady said that too, I feel like such an idiot.

My local RSPCA branch are really good so I might try speaking to them, although I don't think the farm would want 'educating' at all - I'll bet the only way anything will change is if they are forced to.
 
Sarah it's the law that is lacking....the RSPCA can't do anything as they can't break the law. People complain all the time about them but when you spend lots of your free time doing work for the RSPCA doing everything you can for animals and people say things like that it's not very nice. RSPCA inspectors need more power and the law needs to change for animals only then are they going to be able to do anything.

The RSPCA have the power to visit initially surely? That might be enough to put the frighteners on the staff and get them to improve the conditions, even if they can't seize any animals.

I totally understand that the RSPCA staff at a local level are fantastic and do all they can, and I would never suggest they don't care, the problem I have is when I call up the main organisation and they sound utterly unconcerned. I had to push to even get him to take down my details and the details of the place!
 
The RSPCA have the power to visit initially surely? That might be enough to put the frighteners on the staff and get them to improve the conditions, even if they can't seize any animals.

I totally understand that the RSPCA staff at a local level are fantastic and do all they can, and I would never suggest they don't care, the problem I have is when I call up the main organisation and they sound utterly unconcerned. I had to push to even get him to take down my details and the details of the place!

This is my thought exactly, both times I rang for what I thought was a really serious thing they seemed totally disinterested! I'm not saying for a second that they all are bad! I'm sure there are great people out there but my personal experiences of them have been utterly terrible.
 
Call the council, they'll particularly be interested if the conditions are dirty/unhygenic as those are issues that can effect people too. I'm not sure on the legal requirements for petting zoos but it might be they are even licensed by the council, it probably depends on which animals are kept.
 
Oh for gods sake :censored:

I rang the RSPCA who told me to ring the council, the council told me to ring DEFRA, and DEFRA have told me to ring the RSPCA!! No one will take any responsibility for looking at this :(
 
I know, I didn't think to take pictures at the time :( The RWAF lady said that too, I feel like such an idiot.

Can you get someone to go back and take some pictures? Where is it and whats the place called maybe someone on here can visit and get some pictures.

My local RSPCA branch are really good so I might try speaking to them, although I don't think the farm would want 'educating' at all - I'll bet the only way anything will change is if they are forced to.

Some people are just stubborn especially when it comes to looking after rabbits they don't realise so much has changed and get offended - I get this all the time. Hopefully if you can get your local RSPCA to try and educate them and give them some info to read they may listen it's worth a go.
 
Yep get in touch with Julia at Action For Rabbits

I know Julia is really busy at the moment but if you can join the facebook page and post information on there i.e where the place is then maybe we can get some other members to visit the place and suggest ways to educate them
 
They could have done something when the old lady next door to me had a huge seagull stuck in the fence next to her house and it was screeching in pain. They basically told us to leave it because it would ''get out by itself or die''

Remember you are speaking to a call operator who is not even employed by the RSPCA that's often the problem. Could you not have helped the bird yourself was it out of reach? For wildlife I never ring the RSPCA but try and get the animal myself out of danger and speak to one of my local wildlife sanctuaries.
I don't believe for as second there was absolutely nothing could be done there...i'm sorry. And as for the horses that have been starving on the field accross from where I work...I thought the RSPCA had the authority to take away seriously suffering animals?
Have you taken pictures of the horses. I cannot believe if a horse is being starved and there is evidence of this they will not come out. Unfortunately it's very difficult for them to actually remove animals. I know an ex inspector who used to get so frustrated at the fact she couldn't by law remove animals that were in dire need of removing.
 
Oh for gods sake :censored:

I rang the RSPCA who told me to ring the council, the council told me to ring DEFRA, and DEFRA have told me to ring the RSPCA!! No one will take any responsibility for looking at this :(

If it's a place which is open to the public it's the councils responsibility if it's a private place then call the RSPCA. No idea about defra and what is there responsibility!
 
Remember you are speaking to a call operator who is not even employed by the RSPCA that's often the problem. Could you not have helped the bird yourself was it out of reach? For wildlife I never ring the RSPCA but try and get the animal myself out of danger and speak to one of my local wildlife sanctuaries.

Have you taken pictures of the horses. I cannot believe if a horse is being starved and there is evidence of this they will not come out. Unfortunately it's very difficult for them to actually remove animals. I know an ex inspector who used to get so frustrated at the fact she couldn't by law remove animals that were in dire need of removing.

I couldn't get pictures as they are behind locked gates now, I've seen them once or twice but they only rarely get put on the grass outside where I work. Its not as easy as that to get pictures of them. Their water buckets are always tipped over and they are left in the sun without water.

Apart from calling there is not a lot I can do? And why would they not come out after I phoned them, surely there is no point in having a cruelty line if they don't believe anything anyone tells them?
 
If it's a place which is open to the public it's the councils responsibility if it's a private place then call the RSPCA. No idea about defra and what is there responsibility!

I rang the RSPCA back and spoke to a more sympathetic person, she said that they are just so swamped with complaints at the moment they are only dealing with extremely urgent cases which I can understand. The council don't deal with it apparently, all the animal welfare/standards stuff is under DEFRA's local office and they deal with everything on behalf of the council. DEFRA have said it needs to be seen by the RSPCA because they can't do anything!

I'm so frustrated, I can't believe an animal can be left without food and clean water and no one will get involved :(
 
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