RSPCA blog

[forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa)]

how come they say they dont take in strays but on some of the cats info records it says reason for admitance : stray :  ??????????

[Ela]

job and the animals are incidental.

 I think that is why most people in other rescues are more caring as many rescues have unpaid slaves volunteers and they do it because they want to make a difference and not remuneration. I know Cats Protection alone  has over 260 branches all run by unpaid volunteers.

[DaveD]

From all I've read and heard there are many good people involved with the RSPCA, and they are being betrayed by those to whom it's just a job and the animals are incidental. The problem is that the way it's organized allows this.

[Ela]

get to know what is happening in our local centre

You are lucky to be inviolved with perhaps a caring center, but that does not alter the fact that they don't take in strays which are usually the most needy.

didnt like everyone on my back lol  its sore as it is

The comments are not personal but aimed on the society as a whole. We cannot say they are wonderful when in actual fact they fail so many.

[alison67]

i am sorry about all the things that i have read on here and we shop managers dont get told all the hq stuff we only get to know what is happening in our local centre
i do support my shop because we try and make not just for the rspca but also for the community getting a bargain  we have only good stock that even every bit of clothing we get gets steamed before puttin out

i have done charity shop work for long time and like to think of not only helpin the charity but also us the people

didnt like everyone on my back lol its sore as it is

[Ela]

It has got to the point where I wanted a CD in the Faversham shop on Saturday

I know what you are saying Mark but don't cut of your nose to spite your face (if you know what I mean). If they have something you really want don't feel guilty about buying it. After all they do some good sometimes. I have been into our RSPCA shop a couple of times, (never seen anything worth buying though) but to  it stinks awful.

[Mark]

I would like a watchdog for the RSPCA - although I am sure they do some good things, I have heard some terrible stories about healthy animals being PTS because of policy. This isn't a small struggling charity. They have millions of pounds in reserve. It has got to the point where I wanted a CD in the Faversham shop on Saturday and wondered if it was a good or bad thing buying from their shops. For too long they have been a law unto themselves & beyond reproach. As has been said already, the people that work on the frontline are doing their best for the animals but I cannot support a charity that would kill healthy or treatable animals.

[Ela]

3 inspectors

Wow, yet have you ever tried to ring about a problem and been told there is only 1 Inspector covering 5 counties. The others were possibly running around in front of Rolf Harris and the cameras. Although I have heard that he has fallen out with them now about an incident when filming.  I am not sure if that is true or not.

[Ela]

bury-oldham branch - dep manager of one of their shops

I don't wish to be rude but we have a Charity shop and the unpaid volunteers (we don't have paid staff), in all honesty don't know  much about the rescue side of things. I would only imagine a shop worker would only know what really happens if they had worked at the centre, even then, I know for sure ask too many questions and you are out.

their policy is if you take in the cat they will re-home it but if its a stray they cant

Exactly why many people are not impressed, this policy puts enormous strain on all other rescues. If other rescues   just        dealt with gifted cats their task would be much easier as these cats tend to be family cats, also when rescues  take in strays their temperament is unpredictable and they can take a very long time before they settle down and of course until we know the temperament of a cat we are unable to home it, the strays tend to need more vet attention, many are in a terrible state when they come to us. Some of the strays are elderly and it is almost impossible to re-home them. Most other rescues have a no destruction policy (except very ill cats who the vet thinks will suffer), as they  have this policy they never know when a space will become available for another cat therefore, they always have a list of cats waiting to come in, however if a stray cat is ill and needs to see a vet we and I am sure other rescues arrange for it to do so. Also we don't have a £50 limit if a cat needs £500 spending on it we will do so if it gives the little one a chance of life. Every year our vets ask us to take in cats that have had the first £50 authorised by the RSPCA but they will not pay any more, how can we refuse when for the sake of a few hundred pounds their precious life can be saved.
Also it is not all cats that they take in they regime, e.g FeLV, FIV.

Our local RSPCA put people on to us when they want help neutering/spaying. I don't mind however.

Please don't think I am getting at you I am not, but I cannot see the RSPCA through rose coloured spectacles. Not necessarily a persons fault as the powers that be will only tell a person what they want them to know.

RSPCA the P stands for Prevention yet when they are phoned about a situation that is potential and for sure will happen you are told we can't do anything about it till it has happened. I think the powers that be need to watch Animal Planet about the rescue Police in parts of America.

Oh! don't get me started I could write a book. Although to be fair I have to say that they do a lot of good but they could do lot more.

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

their policies especially about strays and the pts policy of FIV cats which even you cannot defend   

100% agree !

and look at the case i told on here -
RTA of a cat who was picked up by RSPCA and when found that it had a broken pelvis the RSPCA authorised PTS!!
Lucky the cat was saved when "animates" said they would foot the bill.
Cat has now recovered and been reunited with his owner - left to the RSPCA he would be dead

[fuzziesdad]

If you knew me well enough alison you would know I have never had any problem with RSPCA rescues or shelters its with the HQ and their policies especially about strays and the pts policy of FIV cats which even you cannot defend,the case I mentioned is on going but be assured they did break her door down 3 inspectors 6 police and several council officials and NO WARRANT how can they justify that 70 years old and disabled I am sure you might take notice if it were your mother or grandmother.
Yes you are right I do have a problem with the RSPCA all the time this sort of thing is going on its not just one case but hundreds ask anyone who knows me well how many years I have been complaining about this sort of thing and now they have virtually become the animal police I would have thought that their behavior would have improved but is has not.
we live it a free country and I am entitled to my opinion this is it and I am not the only one that has it there are more than you might think.
   

[Desley (booktigger)]

Thanks for clearing that up Alison, I now know what to do next time someone closer to the RSPCA than us ask us to help a stray!!  It does puzzle me how that works with what the initials stand for, but c'est la vie!!

[alison67]

their polciy is if you take in the cat they will rehome it but if its a stray they cant

i know when there was a dog tied to back gate of shop the other week i had to phone inspector up but he had to take it to police station rather than to centre

but they normally do take them in if you take them to centre

[Desley (booktigger)]

Thought it would be - so you actually work for a shop rather than the centre then? Just curious with you adopting through us. I had heard the Oldham branch was doing free neutering, didn't know about the others though. Have to say, we take a lot of calls when they wont help though.

[alison67]

bury-oldham branch - dep manager of one of their shops

[Desley (booktigger)]

Which RSPCA centre do you work for Alison?

[Beccles]

That blog looks like a really dodgy proposition tbh - accusations without any facts to back them up are never a good sign.

I have mixed feelings about the RSPCA. When it comes to legislation and the big legal stuff they're second to none. I think that their actual name says a lot "Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals" - that's their remit, preventing cruelty. Not looking after strays, or rehoming them, or doing the right thing by that nice old puss that might take months or a year to find the right set of new humans. They do not let animals suffer, but that's it. I think the best branches are those that work alongside other animal orgs and have the sense to delegate out 'specialities' to CPL, Dogs Trust, Cinnamon etc - the worst, of course, are those that see numbers before individual little animal souls and end up euthanising many.

They are very good at their 'thing' - the legislative stuff, public information etc - and I think we need to remember that. It is immensely valuable, even if it means that there are other things that we wish they did better.

[alison67]

so you seem to have a problem with the rspca  the centre i work for does and always have done their best for the animals

in the next weeks they are supplying free health check worth £20, free nueturing and also free microchipping

they home check all possible new homes

[fuzziesdad]

air your views on the RSPCA.
http://sowhatsyourtakeontherspca.blogspot.com/