RSPCA no longer taking in strays.

[Claire_smc]

From what I've understood from what other people have said, unless there is outright cruelty then the RSPCA won't investigate neglect if the animal is being fed and watered anyway? So a cat could be living in absolute filth, with fleas and worms etc, but as long as they get fed then they're not going to do anything about it. Will this change in direction also lead to a revision of policies like this?

[madkittyrescue]

have to admit I'm not surprised by this statement to be honest only a matter of time as they been policing small rescues and shutting them down like little hitlers.

What I'd like to know is - of the £119 million they took in 2008 - where did the other £108 million go???

"The RSPCA is Britain’s eighth largest charity, with an income of £119 million in 2008 It spent £11.1 million on prosecutions in 2008, "

oh yes its £75 million on wages adn advertising - surely cuts should be made here before the animals suffer

Wonder how long it will be before the beloved SSPCA follow suit north of the border

as usual makes me sick!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

The trouble is BC I dont think it will make more work for them cos they are very selective in what cases they investigate, its just the animals that will suffer and HQ have been ignoring many of these type of cases for a long time by telling people to not feed and cat or kitten will go away etc and they have caused cruelty to happen in my view.

[blackcat]

The difficulty in this decision lies in the fact that loss of options for disposing of unwanted animals will lead to an increase in animal cruelty (by neglect at any rate) so they are really just making more work for themselves - what a ridiculously short-sighted approach!!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

 

My concern is also for the small branches who are running under the RSPCA banner and do work like helping MIkey and they get no mention from HQat all and the public needs to know about these branches .

I just wonder why they use the RSPCA banner, cos they get no finance and exist on donations, seems to me that now RSPCA have put their cards on the table, these little branches that do loads of good could end up losing donations if people have watcged HQs statement in the misbelief that they will no longer be operating.

Seems like a right bloomin mess and the losers are the cats and the volunteers.

[Angiew]

 

arent the cats at HQ aready fat and contented from using up all the donations that were given to help little cats out there!  Of course I am talking about the human fatcats 

and I thought I was cynical

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

arent the cats at HQ aready fat and contented from using up all the donations that were given to help little cats out there!  Of course I am talking about the human fatcats 

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

So what exactly will the RSPCA be doing then ?

Lets face it, there don't do alot anymore 

[Angiew]

As someone said to me today, the RSPCA will soon be full of fat contented cats who owners are being prosecuted while strays starve in the streets!

[The Duchess]

and when you think how much their recent advertising campaign must have cost  I bet people that donated thought their money was going to help stray cats and dogs - that's certainly the impression that was given

[Rosella moggy]

I watched this on Channel 4 News tonight.  RSPCA came across very badly indeed.  The gleaming head office facilities highlighted where a lot of funds raised nationally seem to be allocated, instead of animal welfare activities.

We donate monthly to local branch of RSPCA (amongst other cat rescues) as we want to help other cats in their care, having homed our Freddie from there and Gandolf RIP before him.  I believe the woman who runs our local branch does her best given the poor facilities she inherited and she tries to raise awareness in local media to raise funds to rebuild a better rehoming centre.  We won't be stopping our donation as it would directly impact on the cats at our local branch.  I will however be writing to RSPCA head office about this decision.   

I would love to see TV/radio advertising campaigns aimed at shaming back street breeders and those that do not neuter their cats and dogs. I'm sure the likes of Joanna Lumley/Ricky Gervais and other well loved personalities would give time to such campaigns.  Perhaps aimed to influence children/young people into wanting to adopt from rescues generally. There's nothing like peer pressure to influence kids.   It doesn't even have to be done under the name of RSPCA.  If they are serious about caring for animals, it shouldn't matter that other animal rescues benefit from such advertising.

[Claire_smc]

The thing is as well, is that a lot of people don't know about local independent rescues and believe the only rehoming centres are the likes of RSPCA, so if they're no longer rehoming will there be an increase in people who buy animals from breeders instead?

[Millys Mum]

Like JS the nearest centre to me has for some time only taken from inspectors and other branches, they advise to just put the animal out and it will fend for itself
Its about time these underhand policies come out into the view of the general public.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

i am ple4ased tghis is now fully in the public domain cos now oeeps will hopefullty think before they donate,

sorry typing sideaways grrrrrr lol

I wonder ifr this means all the small branches will  be closed or forced to act in a certain way now, what will happen to cats like MIkey.

The RSPCA cannot prose3cute without a case going through the CPS as we all know cos of the Willow case and CPS would not allow a prosecution!

I think the RSPCA  on the whole is just a joke and tthe policing of the really stupid welfare act is the excuse they needed to get out of looking after animals that really need their help.

It seems to me that vets are just going to be asked to put more and more animals to sleep and we are going to see a massive up turn in RTAs, feral populations and stray cats with no homes.

I cant comment on dogs but assume their will be more and more strays pts, whether domesticated dogs will eventually turn wild and run in packs, I dont know.

[JackSpratt]

Not really sure what they're for in all honesty. Our local branch of the RSPCA hasn't taken strays for years now. And as for the fact that most of the time it's the RSPCA pressing charges with cruelty cases I've yet to see immediate evidence, because word of mouth isn't that to me.

I was talking to my partner about this and he said it was ludicrous, and I likened it to the fire service choosing only to put out fires caused by arsonists or something similar. They make me fume.

[Angiew]

my reply on CC (and the times thing if its published!)

While I am sorry that the amount of rescue places is going to be reduced, I am not sad that they are doing this and in fact welcome it. I have always thought they should not be in the rehoming business as their policies do not set a good example of how animals should be treated - pts feral , ill, old hard to home etc - sets a bad example to the population.
They should spend more time concentrating of legislation, prosecuting and educating.
I am surprised by the move as it will eat into the legacies they get - but hopefully that will be an increase for us local rescues who work as hard with limited resources.

[Tiggy's Mum]

The police & councils should be responsible for cruelty cases 

Of course but in most cases it's actually the RSPCA that prosecute not the Police. The article talks as though people going in with a stray cat/rabbit/budgie will simply be told to ring the Police/Council/Vet.

[Mark]

The police & councils should be responsible for cruelty cases 

The RSPCA have a lot to answer for. It is just a money making corporation and the animals are secondary 

I hope people vote with their pockets!

[LesleyW]

I know my vets, since beng taken over by a national company, now refuse to take in strays unless they have an RSPCA log no.  Seeing they are not likely to get this log number now, I suspect I will get more calls from my vet - that is where my last stray kitty came from.

[Tiggy's Mum]

That's absolutely ridiculous  I know the RSPCA aren't exactly loved but this will mean even more animals will suffer, not to mention the independent rescues like yours struggling to keep their heads above water 

Unfortunate visitors holding the animal will be told to contact the police, the local council, or a vet.

I know the Police and Council will not be able to do anything and how ridiculous to even suggest it, I'd imagine vets will be the same.

[LesleyW]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article7102322.ece

Just found this link on CC.

Just imagine how this will affect private rescues.