Dead animal in pool

[Poolproblems]

We have a 15ft above ground pool in our garden (in UK). For various reasons the pool hasn't been used since last year. It can't be seen from the house due to garden layout and for various MH reasons I've not been in the garden until the last week or so.

At some point the cover has come off the pool which is now half full of stagnant water, and a dead animal (we think badger). I called the council but they are unable to remove it, Rentokil only remove animals from inside. The only company I can find want £450, and can't guarantee removal. Which I will have to pay unless I can find an alternative although it is twice what the pool cost!

Do I just need to suck it up?

@Poolproblems

Sadly nowhere near Hampshire but that is very kind.

I think it's probably a fox if not a badger. We have more foxes than cats locally.

Having spoken to my children they have asked that we pay to get it removed. I misread the pool co's response. It is £200 just to remove. We'd have to drain it ourselves, I can get a pump locally for £50 though. So same difference I guess.

The children are happy to lose the pool entirely though I feel bad about it, they've barely ever had chance to use it for one reason and another.

I don't understand how it can be a fox if two burly men can't remove it, foxes are the size of a small dog, a large male is generally less than 7kg. I regularly lift and carry 30kg Labradors (and heavier dead dogs, they're easier, they don't wriggle!) so can't logically see this being a fox (or a cat unless it's one of Carole Baskin's)

Im sorry its nor helping your mental health but surely you can agree that a dead animal in stagnant water for over a week in this weather is a health and safety hazard?

If you're going to drain the water then do it ASAP and get the council people back to move it out of the pool.

You cannot leave it there for a week that's just not a option.

I think they couldn't get it into the net rather than it necessarily being too heavy to lift out. Obviously they were at the side of pool leaning over which I guess makes it harder in terms of angle etc.

I don't think you deserve some of these shitty comments OP, remember this always happens on MN so don't take it personally.

At least no one has suggested the 'sucking on a hosepipe' trick to empty it 🤮🤮🤮

I don't know how long it has been there, it could be months already. This is making me feel incredibly anxious and frankly with all this haranguing me and my concerns that the company won't remove it properly or something will go wrong or someone will report me I now feel like just staying in my house and never using the garden again

If you can't cope with pool maintenance then you shouldn't have got one. Lone parents can and do manage these things and keep them safe for animals and children.

As to why I think it might have been there a while, I contacted my children's dad to beg his help. He said that he'd seen it was uncovered and full of water back in Feb/ March but didn't tell me. He said there might have been something floating in it, he doesn't remember. Either way, he isn't helping though. Which is what I expected but I thought I'd ask.

Buy a water pump, we have one for the paddling pool, it will take forever but it will do the job.

How about this? Buy a net, i.e. A piece of netting, the sort used to cover a fish pond. Hang the large net into the water, would need two people, one on either side of the pool. Pull the netting under the animal and drag out. Would this work? Large netting is easily available i.e. Amazon.

Could you give your teenager a Stanley knife to cut a hole in the side of the pool.
Water drains out and soaks away into the ground.
Dead animal then easily accessible to the council men.

Don’t panic though OP. You’re trying your best, it’ll be OK whatever happens. It’s one dead animal, it’s not going to cause a public health emergency. In this weather, once it isn’t submerged, the flies will sort out any soft flesh within a couple of days and it’ll just be hair and bones.

I can't. I work, I have a house to maintain too. I thought by draining and covering it I was doing the right thing. I struggle with going into the garden so didn't check it weekly or however often since then. I'm sorry for my children that other people clearly do a better job of parenting than me, I feel I let them down constantly and this just reinforces it.

You can't leave it for 7-10 days ! Offer the Pool people more to come sooner or ask the RSPCA if they know of any Companies/contacts that would do it.

So you have left it for 6 months?!
These drip feeds are not making you look any better OP.

Once it's empty it's going to need an extremely thorough clean before your DCs can use it.

It'll be full of germs and god knows what. I can't see how a badger would have got in but they can be massive.

Ffs leave the OP alone. She’s struggling and asking for help. Be kind.

I've not drip fed. I said in my OP we drained and covered the pool last year and I'd not been in my garden since then, until the last week when we discovered it. Today I contacted my Ex and he said that it was full of water when HE was in the garden in Feb/ March. I'd not been in the garden or seen the pool since we emptied it last Sept.

Surely it's a dog. Near me a dog was found in a paddling pool :( Badgers dont climb....

OP are you on Next Door? There’s always loads of people in my area looking for odd jobs or garden maintenance.
You wouldn’t have to make a post that might attract unwanted comments, just scroll until you find someone offering their services and send them a private message. I’m sure someone out of work would bite your arm off and do it for £50

Maybe it's one of those mysterious uk big cats?!

Sorry i realise my comment comes across quite harsh. I would start again and get rid if its been 6 months. Hope you get on ok.

@seenbeensbean

So you have left it for 6 months?!
These drip feeds are not making you look any better OP.

I don't think 'looking good' is her objective! She stated in her OP that she has mental ill health .. so sod off 😠

Jeez, some people are nasty pasties

@Poolproblems .. I like the idea of slashing the sides, letting it drain, bundling it all up and getting it collected. Please don't worry, even if you ignore it totally .. it's not the end if the world!

Sorry people are being unkind OP. I say get yourself on A local fb group and offer the job for £100. I’m sure that you will get a taker.

Just pay the £450, I don’t think it’s too bad for such a horrible job

My money is on a large rat. Bodies swell up a lot in water.

@Letthemysterybe

Sorry people are being unkind OP. I say get yourself on A local fb group and offer the job for £100. I’m sure that you will get a taker.

I agree with this! Pop something on one of your local Facebook pages and I’m sure someone will come and remove it for you :) I don’t think I would be able to do it. I struggled when rats ended up in my horses water bucket 🤮