AIBU in feeling harassed?

[KungFuPandaWorksOut20]

In the middle of March, RSPCA had knocked on our door. They had a complaint stating an animal was lay in the window not moving they presumed the animal was dead.

Understandably RSPCA came right around. The guy was very amused in finding not a dead dog on the windowsill, but our dog happily sun bathing. My dog gave a half hearted wag of the tail, looked at him and went straight back to sunbathing and watching the world go by.

RSPCA obviously said no more action needed. So imagine my surprise 6 days later when a female RSPCA worker showed up, her attitude was absolutely horrific.

The complaint this time was a lethargic dog on the windowsill with the suspicion of the dog being drugged, because of how unresponsive it was.

I told the Lady she could happily come in and have a look at our dog, just like her colleague had.

She refused and said she can see clearly from the window that the dog looks lethargic, not active and started asking what medication I give the dog that makes him so placid.

I told her he's on no medication, he's sat chilling at the window he's hardly gonna be active when he's lay down! She told me I need to hand over the dogs vet details, and she will discuss everything with my vet, and she can do monthly check ins with my vet making sure my dogs condition improves.


I told her he had no condition, she has no right to my dogs vet records and I will not be handing them over or giving consent. She told me that's suspicious and I would make it easier on myself by giving consent, if not she will get the police to return with her, so she can remove the dog!


I told her conversation was over with, I will happily deal with another colleague but not her, I also phoned RSPCA notifying them of this, and began the complaints procedure online in regards to her.


Thursday we went out for a walk with the dog, when returning home we had missed a calling card from the RSPCA. We called, and they said the inspector on the case will call back.

It was the first gentlemen from last time, he informed us the same complaint had been put in again but apparently the complainer had gone to the window to illicit a response from him and nothing.

They had placed 4 calls within the space of 2 days, and several photos of the dog asleep on the windowsill.

He sounded apologetic, but explained his hands are tied and he can't just close the case like the past 2 times, due to the amount of phone calls and photos sent across.

He claims RSPCA sent the photos over to an independent vet and the vet is showing concern over the "lethargic demeanor" he is displaying in the photos.


He has asked for us to book him into the vets ASAP and give him the report and then he can mark this down as malicious for a year.


I'm really horrified at the thought of someone coming into my garden taking photos through my living room window.


My issue isn't with the RSPCA they are just doing their job, it's whoever is doing this. He confirmed it was the same caller!


I honestly don't know why they are being malicious and acting like this. My anxiety has been sky high since finding out, is someone watching my house? How often are they coming into my garden taking photos? Do they get photos of Myself, two children and DN?

It's not like he barks, my Husband has worked from home since the start of the pandemic. So that is definitely ruled out.


My husband has suggested just stopping him from being on the front windowsill but in my opinion that doesn't solve the issue at all!


We are looking into getting cameras, but is that even legal someone taking photos through my window? Or am I being dramatic and someone is just trying to do a good deed.

[KungFuPandaWorksOut20]

@Aprilshowersandhail

Could it be your postie op?

Unless my post lady is offended by Chopsys mug in the morning looking back at her, she has no reason to complain 😂 He doesn't bark, run at the door or anything when she's delivering.

[Aprilshowersandhail]

Was trying to think of who could legitimately get close enough without looking like a potential burglar entering your garden..

[andweallsingalong]

Ffs I don't understand all the hate at the RSPCA.

Yes there are times when they get it spectacularly wrong, but reading our local paper shows at least a dozen damn good RSPCA prosecutions with well deserved criminal records and banning orders for the owners.

OP's dog has been spotted not moving for long periods of time and is unrousable when banging on the window. Pooch is fine, just loves chilling in the window. It could so easily be genuinely lethargic and need medical attention, no one knows except OP and the vet. The RSPCA are right to want to check and not take OP's word for it, because almost all of the cases that go to court have had prior concerns that the "owners" have talked their way out of.

Pretty shit for OP, but once the vet verifies DDog is okay, once, then the initial inspector said it will be marked as malicious, closed and no further reports acted on for a year by which time the person should have moved on. Surely better that 100 OP's have a trip to the vet than genuinely distressed and neglected animals are left for fear of annoying their owners.

[rosiejaune]

It's a shame reactive behaviour in dogs is so normalised they think a non-barking dog is out of the ordinary.

I'd think it was a good thing if they felt secure enough not to bark at people passing.

[KungFuPandaWorksOut20]

@andweallsingalong

Ffs I don't understand all the hate at the RSPCA.

Yes there are times when they get it spectacularly wrong, but reading our local paper shows at least a dozen damn good RSPCA prosecutions with well deserved criminal records and banning orders for the owners.

OP's dog has been spotted not moving for long periods of time and is unrousable when banging on the window. Pooch is fine, just loves chilling in the window. It could so easily be genuinely lethargic and need medical attention, no one knows except OP and the vet. The RSPCA are right to want to check and not take OP's word for it, because almost all of the cases that go to court have had prior concerns that the "owners" have talked their way out of.

Pretty shit for OP, but once the vet verifies DDog is okay, once, then the initial inspector said it will be marked as malicious, closed and no further reports acted on for a year by which time the person should have moved on. Surely better that 100 OP's have a trip to the vet than genuinely distressed and neglected animals are left for fear of annoying their owners.

Who mentioned banging on my window? They've tried to get a response from my dog by going up to my window. Please don't tweak stuff so it fits in with your RSPCA praise story. RSPCA in my eyes have not painted themselves good in this scenario at all.

[cabingirl]

@andweallsingalong

Ffs I don't understand all the hate at the RSPCA.

Yes there are times when they get it spectacularly wrong, but reading our local paper shows at least a dozen damn good RSPCA prosecutions with well deserved criminal records and banning orders for the owners.

OP's dog has been spotted not moving for long periods of time and is unrousable when banging on the window. Pooch is fine, just loves chilling in the window. It could so easily be genuinely lethargic and need medical attention, no one knows except OP and the vet. The RSPCA are right to want to check and not take OP's word for it, because almost all of the cases that go to court have had prior concerns that the "owners" have talked their way out of.

Pretty shit for OP, but once the vet verifies DDog is okay, once, then the initial inspector said it will be marked as malicious, closed and no further reports acted on for a year by which time the person should have moved on. Surely better that 100 OP's have a trip to the vet than genuinely distressed and neglected animals are left for fear of annoying their owners.

But then why didn't the second inspector come inside - get the owner to call the dog off the window so she could see what it was like moving around - take a look at how it was being cared for - where water was, food etc. Ask a little bit about daily routines and get a feel for how the owner was taking care of the dog.

[CattingTime]

Sometimes my cat will be sunbathing and not move for hours and hours. I go and poke him to check he's not dead. He's just a lazy lazy bastard.

[HoneysuckIejasmine]

I hope your camera answers the "who" question, and then it's just to figure out "why". So sorry OP, very worrying.

[andweallsingalong]

Sorry OP, I guess I assumed coming up to your window and trying to get the dogs attention as involving some banging or tapping on the window.

I don't think RSPCA are perfect, but surely being rigorous and wrong is better than taking pet owners word and missing abused pets. I totally believe you're a good owner but can you imagine the headlines if your dog was neglected and the rspca did nothing despite being sent dozens of pictures of it "unresponsive".

[andweallsingalong]

I'd guess because OP says the inspector told her the pics had been sent to a vet who was concerned and so the RSPCAs concern level had increased.

The inspector is less qualified than the qualified vet so it surely makes sense for the dog to be checked by a qualified vet to allay their concerns. Just like if social services had been given medical concerns about a child the social worker might want them to see a medical professional rather than just give them a once over themselves.

[ThouShallNotPass]

I won't donate to the RSPCA either.


Many years ago I was working away at weekends (Late Friday night to Sunday afternoon) for a short time so had a sitter going in to the dog, cats, parrot and goldfish a few times a day.
Someone kept maliciously reporting me. RSPCA kept coming round twice every weekend to put tamper tape over my door (permanently damaging it) and leaving notes. And every time my sitter or I had to break the tape, phone them up and told them she was seeing to the animals for the next month of weekends. Not ideal but honestly the dog was ancient and didn't give a single fuck.

The RSPCA inspector came round when I was home, saw the happy, healthy menagerie of pets and agreed that they had no cause for concern and that my animals had adequate care for when I was working away.

And yet they returned. Again and again.
And again.

Apparently one report said I had been beating my dog. Clearly bollocks.

Another said that my cats were starving. (No, they were very well fed and healthy looking but one was a greedy cow who was happy to take meals in other peoples houses before coming home to puke 🤢 after being over fed.)

I also was told I was abandoning them despite having the sitter call them every damn time they taped up my door within an hour or two. Maybe it's just coincidence but it was also a female inspector who was very rude and aggressive. The fella was completely understanding and agreed that the animals did have adequate shelter, food, water and exercise.

It took a good number of visits and eventually them getting told to fuck off and for them to tell the malicious caller that they can fuck off too.

[Beseigedbykillersquirrels]

The RSPCA is a disgrace. It is not fit for purpose. They have lost funding left, right and centre because of their awful practices. They are only interested if they have the potential to get lots of money in court. That's why they support so many prosecutions and will disputes. They are politically and money driven and they don't actually care about individual animals. Their uniform, meant to resemble the police uniform, is laughable and shows they are way above their station.

[Thelnebriati]

I think you have to be gormless or malicious to accuse someone of repeatedly displaying a drugged/dead dog in the front window.

[DoomPoodle]

My old nobhead neighbours reported me to the RSPCA for cruelty and neglect of my dog. The RSPCA inspector woman was an arsehole about it, even when we showed her ddog was fine and dandy. I caught her again a few days later after another malicious complaint, looking over my back gate, so I sent her packing with a flea in her ear.

They are only interested in cases where they think they can make money out of it by fining owners. If they get hold of your animal they will destroy it, or rehome it, even if they have no actual grounds to take it. An aquaintance of mine had a much loved family pet removed by the RSPCA. I was an unusual animal but kept legally. The regulations changed (this animal can no longer be bought legally, but if they were held before "date" it's still allowed) and they insisted that the animal had been obtained after the change, when they had proof that they owned it before. Animal was "rehomed" to what appears to be a private zoo. The family can't afford the legal fees to fight to get the animal back.

I have no time whatsoever for the RSPCA

[ImNotThatPathetic]

As a teenager I called them about at least 40 hedgehogs if not a good dozen more, trapped in a neighbour's car pit (remember when garages had a huge hole the mechanics worked in instead of lifting the car?)
Christ knows how they got in there or if they were just breeding in there, living off rain puddles and maggots from all the dead hedgehogs but it was like a horror film.
Live hedgehogs crawling over rotting corpses of their kin. I called. My friend called. My friends mum even called. They never showed. No one rescued the hedgehogs. No way was I going in there in the maggot infested pit of horror. I guess the RSPCA thought the same.

[BathshebaKnickerStickers]

I’m just here for the pic of lazy sleepy Chopsy...!

[BlueDahlia69]

@ImNotThatPathetic

As a teenager I called them about at least 40 hedgehogs if not a good dozen more, trapped in a neighbour's car pit (remember when garages had a huge hole the mechanics worked in instead of lifting the car?)
Christ knows how they got in there or if they were just breeding in there, living off rain puddles and maggots from all the dead hedgehogs but it was like a horror film.
Live hedgehogs crawling over rotting corpses of their kin. I called. My friend called. My friends mum even called. They never showed. No one rescued the hedgehogs. No way was I going in there in the maggot infested pit of horror. I guess the RSPCA thought the same.

this is disturbing and shocking

[FictionalCharacter]

@KungFuPandaWorksOut20 I’m not convinced by their claim that they “have to” investigate each time because the person tweaks the story slightly. They are being played by this person. They can’t insist on a vet’s report either. If you did provide one it would be of limited value. A report today saying the dog is healthy doesn’t prove you didn’t feed him gin and sleeping pills yesterday!

They really seem to have lost the plot. Half the dog owners on Twitter could be accused of having drugged up unresponsive dogs if photos are evidence.

[LondonStone]

Wow I’ve spent a while reading this entire thread tonight! Glad to see your updates OP.

Please do come back if you spot the culprit on camera or if you have any updates. This is a crazy situation and you’re handling it really well.

[PomBearWithoutHerOFRS]

It might be worth dropping an email to the R.C.V.S and just enquiring if it is possible, and what their professional and ethical opinion is on a vet diagnosing from a photograph of a condition with no visible symptoms/indicators.
They might reply with something useful, and if they don't you're no worse off.

[FictionalCharacter]

@PomBearWithoutHerOFRS

It might be worth dropping an email to the R.C.V.S and just enquiring if it is possible, and what their professional and ethical opinion is on a vet diagnosing from a photograph of a condition with no visible symptoms/indicators.
They might reply with something useful, and if they don't you're no worse off.

That’s a great point.

[MenopausalMargot]

@Hadalifeonce

I would love to know how any vet can tell whether a dog is lethargic, dead or just resting from a photograph?

Yes, this!!

I don't believe a word she is saying. No vet would seriously claim to be able to recognise a sedated dog from a photograph.

[HeyDemonsItsYaGirl]

I imagine the "inspector" sent a photo to the vet and asked if the dog could be drugged. Of course, it is possible so the vet said yes.

[MenopausalMargot]

@HeyDemonsItsYaGirl

I imagine the "inspector" sent a photo to the vet and asked if the dog could be drugged. Of course, it is possible so the vet said yes.

Well yes. But it's equally possible that the dog in the photo could have been a perfect example of excellent taxidermy. It's still life. There are endless photos of me, DH and DS. Were we drugged because we weren't moving? No.

Which makes the RPCA's Inspector's claims rather dubious. Does she actually have written evidence that a real life, qualified vet has reviewed a photo of a sleeping animal and has judged it to be possibly sedated? Because that isn't any veterinary surgery that I would trust with my animals.

Blimey, when our cat goes to sleep she is absolutely sparko. You can't move her or wake her. She is absolutely out for the count. You can only tell she's alive because she snores.

And yes, don't donate to the RSPCA. They are a bunch of money grabbing twats. If you want to donate to animal welfare try the PDSA, who do great work caring for the pets of people on very low incomes, or a local animal charity.

[prawntoastie]

Taking photos of the inside of a home can be considered harrassment along with the malicious calls to the Rscpa.

Report to police for harrassment they can get in touch with the rspca and take your dog to a vet to prove there is nothing wrong with it.

So bizarre, my cat sunbathe on the windowsill too it’s a normal thing for animals