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?

Not your fault at all OP.

But that's over with now, I think you could get it out yourself, you just need to drain the pool first. Or call a few handymen type people. I'd be getting rid of the pool and buying a new one with the £450 you were going to spend.

Can you get a couple more companies to quote.

Jesus, just junk the pool, fgs! Who's going to get into it after a dead animal has rotted in there for months??

Seriously, don't worry about all of the unhelpful comments. You've explained yourself well and this was clearly unintended.

Options

1. Ask the council if they will come back and remove it if it is no longer in the pool
2. Ask on facebook for a couple of local strong people to come and remove it and have a large tarpaulin ready to put it on. Suggest they may want waders and will need to clean themselves carefully afterwards
3. if the council won't take it, their environmental health should be able to tell you how else it is disposed of
4. Get a pump and pump it out down a sewer drain. I agree don't cut it or let the water empty into your garden
5. I'm sure it could clean up, but if you really don't want it, then as pp said offer it free to anyone who will come and take it away

I wouldn't care if I saw a picture. God knows why some people are getting so uppity about this. It just needs practical solutions.

If it potentially has been there for months then you really just need to get rid of the pool. No amount of disinfectant and cleaning would be enough. Theres jollno way you would allow your children to play ij it again surely?

Please just drain it and get the council men to come back this week to remove the animal once its drained. It really is the best option.

At least then you wont have to worry about it again, it sounds like it will remove some stress and allow you to focus on everything else you have going on.

Pay the money and get it drained and cleaned. My cousin caught legionnaires from stagnate water years ago, he removed covers from a pool. Wouldn't go near it

@gypsywater

How would a badger climb into a pool? That's ridiculous. Also, if you're that negligent, you need to get a grip and get it out yourself.

If it's a 15ft pool I'm assuming it's at least 5ft from the ground to the lip off the pool? There's absolutely no way a badger could climb up the sheer side of a plastic pool

How would a badger climb into a pool? That's ridiculous. Also, if you're that negligent, you need to get a grip and get it out yourself

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

Badgers are pretty good climbers.

I'm not sure why people are so convinced a badger doesn't climb but a dog somehow does? As long as they have something to cling on to (steps, supports, something nearby) they can climb quite a few feet as any farmers will tell you.

I just can't envisage what's happening here. Post on Facebook or phone a pest control company.

OP there are companies who collect dead livestock at farms - one of them could be an option but you’d need to have the pool empty.

I think you’d need to be disposing of the lining whatever else happens so either offer the pool up for sale/free to collect making it clear it won’t come with a liner or order a new one yourself.

Absolutely no advice but this is grim

Jesus Christ, some of you really need to to get out the house and get some fresh air rather than a haranguing a stranger on the internet struggling with mental health issues.

OP there are companies who collect dead livestock at farms You have to formally sign up to them. We are part of this www.nfsco.co.uk/

Omg ! Are people just thick or deliberately goady? How many times does she need to say SHE CANNOT DO IT HERSELF

Backinthebox - yeah maybe not my most thoughtful moment but I wasn’t suggesting she tipped it in the woods near your house - I suggested somewhere wild. There are huge areas of land by me with no houses for miles and miles and miles. An elephant could decompose without an issue - I wouldn’t leave that in its bag either.

Am not sure op why people are so bothered about your pool management failure - you would hardly expect anything to jump in and the cover could collapse around them even if it was on. Just get a Facebook bloke to sort it - I bet £50 would do it. The clean/reline and pray for Sun.

@Poolproblems

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

At the end of the day, whatever it is is dead, a week isn't going to change that. Worst case scenario it decomposes a bit more and there's a bit of a stench but it sounds like the garden is big enough that you probably wouldn't notice?

If, in the absolute worst case scenario, it is someone's cat or dog, make sure it's scanned for a microchip so the owners get some closure, although I think it's unlikely. I've had cases where very sadly, pets have been found drowned in a neighbours ground level pond. Never a raised swimming pool though.

Your ex sounds like a bit of a twat. Who sees something floating in a swimming pool and says nothing?

Genuinely don't understand why someone would suggest the council coming out to provide a service they charge for is wasting tax payer money

Could you contact environmental health and see what they can suggest? I do think 10 days is a bit long to wait if possible not to.

Just pay the money!! If you can afford a pool you can afford the money

grim, and this is the first time you have looked in the pool?

sorry op, you did explain,

OK this is what I would do:

Find someone on FB willing to deal with dead beast.

Ask them to bury it in the garden. It'll need to be quite deep. Put a nice bush on top.

Drain pool.

Clean pool. Very well. You might be able to get beast remover to do this, or at least the first really awful part of the cleaning.

Refill pool.

Or just get someone to haul out the beast and bury it and then get rid of the pool.

@VeggieSausageRoll

Mine are all accounted for

It won’t be a badger. I don’t think a badger could get into that pool if it is the same as the one in the pic. It will be a fox or a cat. 😢
Pretty distressing end for an animal.
I agree to asking child or neighbour to puncture the pool near the bottom, then it will drain and the body will be easier to get rid of. While it is full of water other animals could drown in there. Can’t you go out and stab it with a knife ? Would take a few seconds.

You’ll 100% find someone that’ll do it on Facebook. It’s exactly the type of thing my university boyfriend would have done for a quick £50 during the summer break.

OP you could try the type of company that does filthy and verminous cleans for the Council - the Council might be able to tell you who they use? They’ll have dealt with much worse than a dead animal in pool I promise you!

I understand you have had MH issues, but you own teens have not been in the garden or near the pool in 6mths also??? Is there not a requirement to have fencing around a pool to prevent children falling??? Luckily its only an animal that has fallen in.

Surely replacing the liner is the only option if you want to keep the pool? I agree with asking on nextdoor or FB in your area and I'm sure someone could help drain, remove then replace the liner.