to be really scared and pissed off with the RSPCA.

[HelenaDove]

Last Weds night a snake found its way into my kitchen. It was on the wall above the cooker.

I heard the saucepans ding and saw it, I freaked out i called the RSPCA. They asked loads of questions. They said it was a corn snake Im incredibly phobic. They told me to go round all my neighbours at midnight and ask if its someones pet. They refused to come out. So did the police when i phoned them. In desperation i phoned the council and got my third refusal. So DH tried to catch it to put it outside It was too fast and got through a hole in the kitchen floor. We filled the holes at the instruction of the RSPCA. My 65 year old husband with a heart condition had to try and deal with it I was and still am a wreck. RSPCA phoned at 8.30 am the next morning (Thurs) to ask if it was still there after telling me to "leave it" (they didnt give a fuck about the cat i told them i have) Didnt ask whether i have young children or a baby in a cot. During The Thurs morn phone call she told me to call again if the snake comes back. Well at midnight DH saw it trying to get through the venty bit in the window of the communal hallway and managed to gently shove it outside.
Phoned RSPCA again who again told me that they cant come out at this hour and can only come out during the daytime. Ive been living in fear since last Weds. Woman on Thurs promised me they would come out if it appeared again.

The guy on the phone tonight warned me that if the snake gets hurt i would be prosecuted.
But they WONT come out Im petrified Snakes are nocturnal FFS! My nerves are fucking bad. DH has had to take extra GTN spray


I googled earlier and found this. And they had the cheek to tell this couple it was "crossed wires" And like this couple we are in Essex too.



www.express.co.uk/news/uk/493358/Man-removes-five-foot-snake-from-kitchen

[lunalelle]

Hi, Helena. If it is a corn snake, then they are really docile. Both my children held one at Longleat once.

Where do you live? Perhaps you could get in contact with the Reptile House at London Zoo or similar.

[GlitzAndGigglesx]

It sounds like someone's pet has escaped. The good news is they are non venomous and pretty tame, but I understand why you're upset and would freak out myself at finding a snake in my kitchen! Speak with a local pet shop to see if they can put you in touch with a reptile place or something

[Meandyou150]

Oh god I would hate this!!! Things always seem worse at night as well. Sorry OP but I could just imagine it slithering under my duvet!!! EEWWWW

[Meandyou150]

Sorry I've just noticed you said you called the police?!!! Why on earth did you do that?!!
There hardly going to send a blue lighted squad car because someone's pets escaped and is in your house somewhere!

[LaLaLaaaa]

A few things:

Corn snakes are diurnal.

They eat mice, not babies or children.

RSPCA are a CHARITY not a paid for government emergency service and they have very limited resources, so I bet what they told you was they can't come out unless you know where the snake is - as their officers have a job list as long as your arm which will include cruelty cases, road traffic accidents etc. If you're not sure where snake is then it's a massive waste of their time to come out and be looking for it. Instead did they ask you to contain if possible and they'd come get it?

I can understand a phobia, it's not nice if you're scare of snakes. But you're blaming a charity with limited resources who probably have dogs that have been beaten, starved horses and RTAs involving deer to deal with in same area as your harmless non venomous snake.

It's not very fair of you

[LaLaLaaaa]

If you know where snake is I would contain it as best as possible and give them another call. If they are unable to help due to being a short staffed charity then speak to your local reptile rescue

[gemdrop84]

Try Facebook to find a local wildlife centre, we have recently had two,yes TWO 6-8ft boa/python found slithering down the same main road within a couple of days, they had obviously been released by an owner due to their size Our local wildlife centre had to go and retrieve them after the police phoned them! They're with them temporarily until they can sort something out for them. It was in Guisborough Teesside if anyone wants to look it up, headline was "Snakes on a Lane"

[BigChocFrenzy]

That's a waking nightmare for a phobic, Helena, so don't feel bad about shaking & panicking.
I hope you were able to spend the rest of the night with friends, or at a cheap hotel.

The RSPCA will only be interested if they think you are likely to be cruel to the damn snake.
In working hours, I expect the Animal Warden at your local Council can deal with this properly. Your Council Tax at work.
If not, your Local Reptile & Amphibian Group - maybe one of their snake wranglers might pop round, or even one of their members is missing your slitherer and will collect it.

In the meantime, keep all food in sealed containers, so there is nothing interesting in your house for it.
It's probably already moved on, but I suggest each of you keep a long broom handy, just in case - you can shove the snake into a corner and then your DH can stick a bucket over it.

[Icimoi]

The RSPCA is not an emergency service and its function is to help animals, not people who are phobic of harmless animals. If your 65 year old husband with a heart condition had to work filling in holes, it's not their fault.

[maybebabybee]

Good lord OP, I am massively spider phobic but if I found a tarantula in my house I wouldn't call the police, talk about wasting their time :s

[Spadequeen]

The snake is more likely to be hurt by the cat.

I understand your phobic and are terrified, that comment wasn't supposed to belittle your fears, just know that you and your cat will be ok.

I also recommend putting something on a local Facebook page as its probably an escaped pet

[CuttedUpPear]

FFS they are a charity, not an emergency service.

Yes, YABU, since that is the question you asked.

[TellmeifIABU]

The housing association arent too happy either

Aren't happy with what?

[cariadlet]

YANBU to be scared - the snake is harmless, but you have a phobia that is not your fault and that you can't control.

YANBU to call the RSPCA in case they could help.

YABU to be angry that they didn't come out for you. They are an underfunded charity with a huge caseload. (btw I know they are a big charity, but considering how many cases of neglect and cruelty they are faced with, they don't have the funds to deal with everything that comes their way). They have to prioritise. If you've ever seen any of the fly-on-the wall documentaries about the RSPCA inspectors, or seen an item on the news about animals being rescued, you'll know the horrendous conditions that some animals are being kept in. This is what their time and money need to be spent on. Not on removing one harmless, albeit unwanted, snake.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

yabu.

It's a corn snake. harmless. poses no more a threat to your baby as a bee or a wasp or other native biting/stinging bug.

I'm sorry your phobic but you can't go calling the police because someone's pet found its way into your house.

at this point the snake didn't appear hurt so as nice as it would be that it was caught and placed in a better environment it's not currently hurt or in danger enough fir the rspca to come out. At this stage they can do no more than you can which is go door to door asking if it belongs to someone.

[poolsclosed]

You phoned the police! YABU for that alone.

[LostMySanityCanIBorrowYours]

The RSPCA are the UK's leading animal WELFARE charity (their words). As snakes are meant to kept within certain temps, they absolutely should be sending some to catch this snakes, however, unless the OP can get ITV interested in coming to film them doing their job, I doubt she will get much luck from them. Also if they insist on walking about in Police like uniforms, acting as if they have legal powers, then people like OP are going to continue to believe that they are a public service.

Where abouts are you OP? A smaller reptile rescue will help you if there are any close or perhaps a MNetter might know someone in your area who could help. I know a corn snake breeder who would come and help you if you are close.

YANBU to be upset, but it is irrational. A cornsnake cannot and will not harm you or your cat.

[MrsNippyCat]

Please ask your neighbours beyond your block - this is probably a much-loved pet and is being missed. Yes to posting in local FB groups and contacting a local reptile or exotic rescue.

He won't hurt you, he is probably as terrified of you as you are of him (or her).

[BalloonSlayer]

"The guy on the phone tonight warned me that if the snake gets hurt i would be prosecuted"


sigh


The RSPCA stands for

Royal
Society for the
Prevention of
Cruelty to
Animals

If you had hurt the snake - that would have been cruel, so they would have acted

If the snake was in your kitchen doing no harm, and incapable of doing harm owing to the fact that it is a Harmless snake, they will not act as there is no cruelty involved.*

The bottom line is, you rang the wrong people.

It's a common mistake. I have no idea who the right people are. A pet shop who might get a free snake out of it? I dunno.

But you need to understand what the RSPCA is for. What you did is a bit like ringing Battersea Dogs' Home and asking them to take your cat and getting all arsey when they won't, when actually the clue to what they do is in their name.

• You could have lied and said that it was in your shed and a strange and unidentified scary dog was trying to get at it and the snake was terrified. They might have come out to that. Then when they had arrived you could have said "oh it's gone in our kitchen, but while you're here can your remove it in case the dog comes back?" But I don't know whether this would have worked.

[AnnaFiveTowns]

The RSPCA are massively overstretched and underfunded - the social services of the animal world. There are many real cases of horrific cruelty going on that they lack the resources to deal with. YABVU if you expect them to turn up in the middle of the night to deal with your phobia of harmless snakes.

[Icimoi]

The housing association arent too happy either

Then they can do something about it. It's not the function of the RSPCA to keep your landlords happy.

[returningtotheuksoon]

Why is everyone calling the RSPCA rubbish here but there was outrage when the op in another thread didn't want to call them to deal with a pet locked in a shed?

[Janethegirl]

I feel sorry for the poor corn snake in this saga. It won't hurt you at all.

[patterkiller]

I assume return that the dog in the shed was dealing with a scared animal, this situation is very much dealing with a scared human. Which is not the responsibility of the rspca.