RSPCA's new strategy

RE: RSPCA's new strategy

Sal the 1st — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 12:52:44 GMT

yes I noticed that

RE: RSPCA's new strategy

molladog — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 09:54:38 GMT

Typical, TV coverage and publicity !

RE: RSPCA's new strategy

Ian M — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 09:34:00 GMT

Have a look at the BBC today. Someone's been out to check on the walrus seal in South Wales apparently....

RE: RSPCA's new strategy

molladog — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 09:25:16 GMT

I tried to get the RSPCA out to 3 starving pregnant mares in a bog of a field with no food but OH NO they couldn't come out because of lack of staff but Wait.....2 days later an inspector came out to rescue a canada goose stuck on a house roof just around the corner !!! Hopeless organisation.

RE: RSPCA's new strategy

Sal the 1st — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 09:09:18 GMT

[quote userid="31848" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/off-duty/32133/rspca-s-new-strategy/176923#176923"]And partnership working means getting other charities and agencies to do a huge chunk of the work and then conveniently leaving them out of press releases[/quote]

have seen this so many times. Also - and this I do find worrying - is animals left at backyard rescue centres that in turn become the subjects of investigation. Not sure how often this happens now but it used to happen quite a bit local to me.

[quote userid="31848" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/off-duty/32133/rspca-s-new-strategy/176923#176923"]pacifying a large proportion of its inspectorate who are stuck in their ways and want to spend 3 hours leaning on the counter at animal shelters gossiping when they have told their control centre they are busy and out on a job. [/quote]

one of my previous bosses used to say 'don't you dare put the kettle on - somebody has to crack on and do some bloody work'

RE: RSPCA's new strategy

Ian M — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 18:15:22 GMT

I've been involved with the RSPCA in various ways for over 30 years, having worked for them twice and also sat on a national committee. The charity remains broadly unfit for purpose because it is too busy being the RSPCA and pacifying a large proportion of its inspectorate who are stuck in their ways and want to spend 3 hours leaning on the counter at animal shelters gossiping when they have told their control centre they are busy and out on a job. They have failed to notice that the rest of the animal welfare world is innovating and adapting. Its branch structure is archaic and places unsuitable people in positions where they are making decisions requiring profession knowledge and training when they have none. The national society is busy running small local and regional pilots of schemes which other charities were doing years ago and then fundraising the backside off these to make it look like they are doing it countrywide. And partnership working means getting other charities and agencies to do a huge chunk of the work and then conveniently leaving them out of press releases.

I used to be an advocate of the Society and post on this site in their defence. Having seen them first hand recently, no more.

RE: RSPCA's new strategy

jenni99 — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 20:23:58 GMT

so it was reported to the RCVS, and the council and so on? I too have had issues with the RSPCA both locally and nationally and have been involved with policy meetings on a local and national level.

I just think its a sad sad day when the charity that speaks for those without a voice gives up on them.

RE: RSPCA's new strategy

Sal the 1st — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 16:45:11 GMT

with the to do list they have made for themselves I think the RSPCA are going to be spread awfully thin. To me they have become too political - too much emphasis on creating laws, which when it comes down to it are not being upheld. I am pleased they are dropping private prosecutions as I dread to think just how much money has been spent there over the years. I would like to see more involvement and funding on a local level. The RSPCA has had a lot of bad press in recent years some of it sadly not entirely undeserved (I number among my friends 2 ex RSPCA inspectors). Better local involvement might just get them back some of the goodwill they have lost.

Last summer a MOP out for a walk contacted the practice I worked at very distressed that she had seen a swan caught in some wire and sheep netting and struggling at the local reservoir. RSPCA said that they couldn't attend because of covid and that she should contact local vet, I tried to calm her down and said maybe they couldn't attend because there wasn't an inspector available in the area - but no - when I rang them I got the same story.

I don't drive and in any case our practice was working on less than 50% staff because of furlough so couldn't spare anybody anyway. The reservoir is near my village, is a huge area, and in the finish I mobilised 'Fulstow's Finest, some of the villagers who found and freed the swan safely both themselves and the bird and thankfully it didn't need to see a vet - but had it needed attention we would have seen it and somebody was prepared to bring it to us with an improvised bag. The RSPCA certainly lost face and support in our village that day - and no I didn't bad mouth them. It is things like this that people remember for a long time. A priority I feel would be getting back some of the support that has been lost and I don't think the difficulty of that should be underestimated. So many of the charities are struggling at the minute and they are all fighting for diminishing donations - making the best of what you have might mean that some of those ideals on the list might need to go on hold for the immediate future

4 paws vet clinic - people had been voicing concerns about the place for a very long time, certainly over a year, before anything was done. Between Jan 2017 and March 2018 4,600 imported dogs passed through the place, when you look at the pictures how much suffering does that equate to? Speak to the locals and it wasn't so much an heroic rescue as something that was long known about and long overdue.

I am not anti RSPCA by any means, I used to support them as a fundraiser, I just think they have lost their way a bit and anything that gets them back on track is to be welcomed.

RE: RSPCA's new strategy

jenni99 — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 22:01:49 GMT

Personally I think its a sad sad day when the charity that speaks for those without a voice gives up on them. People who cause suffering to 100s and 100s of animals (Spindles farm, Chrunchies, 4 Paws Veterinary Clinic. ) None of which would have been brought to light without the RSPCA

RE: RSPCA's new strategy

Olivia Coulton — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 12:50:03 GMT

Unfortunately as frustrating as it is they are well understaffed for the amount of animals there are in the country plus that is why one of their strategy points was for the inspectors to get statutory power in order to help more animals as it is the animal welfare act that prevents them from acting upon some cases in the veterinary practice as they are classed as in a place of care. The law is frustrating for both parts one for the inspectors as it limits the work they can do and for us as we feel they do not 'bother' in certain cases due to the law. If you do work or have worked for the RSPCA you will know how much is thrown at them just like us in the veterinary sector and how disheartening it is sometimes when you have no power to do anything about certain situations. I think the points they have laid out is good but in some light some will be very hard if not near impossible to achieve in 10 years but stranger things have happened in the world. In the light of private prosecutions I wouldn't trust anything a tabloid or newspaper says as they like to 'act' on it and play with peoples emotions by making it the 'fault' of the prosecutor without knowing the full story although I am all for it being passed over then they will hopefully will be able to prosecute more people as the evidence will have to be reviewed before going to court more thoroughly. Before anyone jumps on the ban wagon and say things about what I have said I have worked for the RSPCA and seen both their side and our side as veterinary professionals!

RE: RSPCA's new strategy

VetNurse Anon a/c — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 09:51:01 GMT

Hate to be the voice of negativity, but I find that I can never get support from the RSPCA when concerned about neglected/abused pets. It’s always “there’s nothing we can do because they’re getting veterinary attention”. Yes, often when it is far too late and these animals have been left to suffer or starve, or have mysterious injuries that the owners cannot explain.

Not saying this is entirely their fault, but incredibly frustrating, and the majority of people in the profession that I know don’t even bother anymore