To think what the RSPCA have done is completely out of order.

[HelenaDove]

.............not to mention bloody heartbreaking. This was totally unnecessary.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3567601/How-low-RSPCA-Animal-charity-seizes-nurse-s-cats-s-hospital-looks-pet-sheep-slaughtered-feed-hunting-dogs.html

Sounds like it's the sister. I do have my doubts about the RSPCA though, and their attitude to people they deem unsuitable animal owners and the animals they feel would be better off out of this world.

They're currently running a TV ad urging old people to sign a register so their pets can be taken care of after their deaths. It's all very tear-jerking with an officer cooing: 'Come on Molly' to a lonely, much-loved cat whose owner has presumably died. It must be very tempting to an old person, worried about what will happen to their pet after they've gone.

Every time I see it I wonder what Molly's fate might be. Reading stories like this doesn't give me more confidence. If you've signed that register and are taken into hospital, they'll take your pet and they won't give it back, will they?

Why don't you look for another online source of the story DailyFail? The scenario you've imagined is nothing like what's happened to this woman, and if you're going to comment on the thread you may as well find out what we're actually talking about.

Not hating. Just stating.

The family may well have contacted the RSPCA, but all the RSPCA had to do is check the cats' chips - they would have shown they were still registered to the Rescue. Ring the Rescue, the rescue take back those cats, and have also stated they would have cared for the other cats AND the sheep.

One phone call. That's all.

I'm going to draw up a living will for my animals. I'm not having this happen to mine.

TBF to the sister, the RSPCA probably came on pretty strong and she may well have believed they are a benign organisation. I don't think they are.

I also can't square the fact that they gave the carcasses of the sheep to the local hunt with their opposition to hunting.

Personally, I think that is a reasonable and practical solution to the disposal of the bodies of three large animals. But I have no strong views on hunting. I don't really approve but I haven't campaigned for it to be banned either. I don't know much about it. But I do know that it's a central plank of the RSPCA's ethos that they are vehemently opposed to hunting. They should not be supporting the hunt in any way and that includes feeding the dogs. Let them pay for disposal or have a funeral if they want. God knows, they have enough money.

I'm sure if the RSPCA had actually given a shit then they would've at least waited until Ms. Brown was well enough to speak for herself- rather than having the sheep shot, one cat put down and the rest permanently re-homed within hours just on the say-so of the sister.

I suspect they were told she wouldn't get better.

But I do know that it's a central plank of the RSPCA's ethos that they are vehemently opposed to hunting. They should not be supporting the hunt in any way and that includes feeding the dogs.

This. Absolutely 100% this. You're spot on limited

It's irrelevant Augusta. The sheep had care in place. There was no need to kill them. The cats mostly belonged to the Rescue. They legally should have gone back to the Rescue. The RSPCA have acted appallingly, and well outside their remit.

The statement by the owners of the cats, is incomplete, they don't seem conserned and aren't pushing to get the two cats that haven't been honed, back.

It does seem that the Sister has authoritised the killing of the sheep.

Irene Brown, the Woman in the OP, should have made definite arrangements with her neighbours, so they could step in.

If a person is found unconscious at home, as she was, then their NOK is informed and if there are animals, then the RSPCA, or another relevant charity is informed.

It's her Sister, who holds the blame and the RSPCA need to clarify what actually happened.

I'm glad the sheep went to feed the dogs, rather than being burned, tbh.

Not hating, just stating

Very catchy, well done. And your point is?

I made it clear that I made an assumption that the RSPCA has gone in and removed animals that already had care in place. Judging from further comments on the thread, this sounds as if this has been exactly what's happened. The rest of my comments have been about how bloody useless the RSPCA is - and I can say that from a position of direct experience stretching back over the last 10 years, through the support that I provide to two local rescues. One of whom has banned the RSPCA from setting foot on her property without a warrant. My local vet won't even allow a charity tin for the RSPCA on their counter, because they are so fed up with them misleading people as to what they actually do.

Rspca -useful as a chocolate teapot

""The sheep had care in place""

Not officially by Irene Brown and not according to her NOK.

It's something every single person should think about.

I'm Vegan, I just find it ridiculous the Status that Meateaters elevate an animal to, because someone classes it as their pet.

Someone had to take legal responsibility for care the sheep, there and then. The NOK did that and ok'd their disposal. They've feared a lot better than their peers have, in the slaughter house.

Same here Daily. Local wildlife placed won't have anything to do with them, vets have nothing good to say about them.

Fucking RSPCA actually got hold of my home phone number, and were handing it out to anyone who called about a wild animal in my vague vicinity (like a 2 hour radius), and telling them to ring me and I'd come and collect.

I've only ever done fostering for my local vet and the local wildlife sanctuary. Yet they'd been handing my phone no out without even the courtesy to ask me first.

I hate them. Passionately hate them.

Awful. I used to support them, but not any more.

The charity insists it did not ‘authorise’ the killing of the sheep, but witnesses said an RSPCA inspector stood by as they were killed.

An 81-year-old retired vet arrived at the property, accompanied by a licensed slaughterman from a local hunt – and the RSPCA inspector.

So they can't even admit they authorised it. Bad publicity?

Lisa Duffy, who keeps horses in an adjacent part of the field, couldn’t believe what she was seeing – especially as she had already agreed with Miss Brown’s sister to look after the sheep herself.

As I said, adequate, authorised care was in place for the sheep. Care the RSPCA were aware of.

I'm going to draw up a living will for my animals. I'm not having this happen to mine.

Good idea stratter5. But I wonder whether that might be enough to protect your pets from the attentions of keen animal lovers.

The RSPCA put down my sister's cat within hours of her being 'found' by a concerned citizen. The cat was old and not in the best of health, but being cared for and on medication. She had a shaved patch on her leg where she'd had some blood taken the day before, so it should have been obvious that she was being treated. The vet said she'd probably last about a year. My sister's plan was to let her go on and have her put down as soon as her condition deteriorated. She was also chipped.

It was her pleasure to drag her old bones into a patch of sunlight in the garden very close to the pavement and bask there all day. One day she went missing. My sister and her children were distraught and put up posters, knocked on doors and contacted vets.

To cut a long story short, it transpired that someone had spotted the cat, thought she was abandoned and had taken her to the RSPCA, were she was immediately put down. No attempt to contact my sister was made. It's not just that the cat was chipped, it's a small village and she was a distinctive cat. Everyone knew she was my sister's cat, which is how the truth came out. The person insisted that she hadn't found the cat in the garden (it's possible, but unlikely she'd have strayed) and didn't know who she belonged to (again unlikely - she was a very distinctive cat).

We think she thought my sister was not a fit person to own a cat and took matters into her own hands. That's as may be, and my sister has had words with her , but the RSPCA had no right to destroy the animal without contacting my sister. The very least they could have done was to say: 'the cat was in a very distressed state and we had to do it for her own good. Sorry. Her body is here waiting for you if you want to take her home.' They obviously felt the same way though.

I found a horse once with horrific injuries to both eyes, it must have been in so much pain. I called my horse vet who said try RSPCA as they couldn't do anything as I didn't own the horse. I told RSPCA on the phone that its an emergency and the horse needed to be seen immediately (what was left of the poor horses eyeballs were hanging out and if nothing else it desperately needed painkillers). They turned up THREE DAYS later! I had managed to trace the owners in an hour luckily so the horse was treated eventually.

Jeez limited, that's awful. And we have an elderly dog - fit and healthy, but with v bad anxiety issues that we are managing just fine. I'd hate to think of her falling into their hands.

Might have to talk to the solicitor on Tuesday,

I've heard horrendous stories about the RSPCA, but in this case it does seem to be the sister who is mostly at fault. She could have asked neighbours to feed the cats and sheep for a couple of weeks. They're not animals that need constant attention. Perhaps she told them that the owner was going to die, so the RSPCA took swift action.

Would the sheep have been fed to dogs if they were neglected or starved? Surely if they were maggot ridden or diseased they would have been disposed of carefully. It makes me doubt that the animals were neglected in any way.

The RSPCA have always been appalling!
I'm surprised each time a new horror story comes out people are shocked.
They have always been useless, their love of euthanasia is legendary!

I'm glad the sheep went to feed the dogs, rather than being burned, tbh.

I don't care either way. But I'm not ideologically opposed to hunting and I don't encourage people to give me money on that basis. It is wrong for the RSPCA to support hunting in any way. That includes feeding the dogs belonging to the local hunt.

ChubbyPolecat FlyingElbows
Unfortunately the world horse welfare, in many situations (like my example) just don't have the powers to be able to remove or prosecute, that the RSPCA have. There hands are bound. They are in despair at the horse I mentioned, because without the backing of the RSPCA they can do exactly zero for this horse. It's a very sad and long story.

especially as she had already agreed with Miss Brown’s sister to look after the sheep herself

So the sister had sorted care for the sheep. Next excuse?

Let's face it if the sheep hadnt gone to the hunt then the lady wouldn't have the replacement sheep the hunt gave her. Presumably the hunt didn't know there was no permission to kill the sheep.

It's not the hunt's fault. The fact that they tried to make amends shows them in a good light. Unlike the RSPCA.