Colleague reported me to RSPCA

[wobblymum1]

Not sure what to do with this one…..
I work for a big company and have been taking my dog to work with me
this week as my usual dog
walker is away. We’re in north Scotland so It’s not hot, I leave all the car windows open 1/3 way and come out hourly to check on her, offer water and a wee and walk her in my lunch hour.
oddly (to me) yesterday a colleague from a different department I don’t know at all was standing by
my car when I came for one the checks-
she told me she was reporting me for leaving my dog in the car all day, that I was an idiot and that I should be ashamed. I was so shocked I didn’t say anything, and today Found a note on my windscreen at the end of the day from RSPCA to say they’d had a welfare call about a dog locked in the car, they’d come and found her calm with windows open and had a chat with her thru the open window (?!) and were satisfied she was well cared for and NFA.

do I just leave it at that? Or try and find the name of the women who reported me and complain on basis of her being so rude? It all just seems so odd.

So if your child was ill you wouldn't be allowed to use annual leave to look after them? What would you do? Put them in the car?

I really can’t understand how you thought it would be better to keep the dog in the car than leave them at home. It’s a confined space, can heat up quickly even at fairly low temperatures, you have no control over what happens in the 55 mins in the hour you’re inside and the windows to your car are open. Anyone could get to your dog. How is that better than being in the safe and controlled environment of home?

If there is any question that you had mistreated your dog the RSPCA would not have left note, so unlike many posters, we'll done for keeping an eye on your dog and not leaving her at home on her own all day.

Your colleague did the right thing in reporting her concern, but was clearly wrong. Her attitude and rudeness stink btw.

If I was you, I'd let it go. Keep the note and place it somewhere visible near your desk in case she or anyone else wants to see what the RSPCA had to say. I'd also think about letting HR know just in case.

OP you leave your work once an HOUR! Now assuming that is a working day, 9-5, 7 working hours, let's say it's 15 minutes each time which realistically it probably is.

How is you working 40 minutes at home (bizarre set up) equatable to you wasting an hour a day?

This woman is progressing too. she is now aggressive and abusive rather than just wound you up by reporting you

You could go to HR but I doubt youd get very far. 'Shs called me an idiot cause I left my dog in the car all day'

No one could
step in at last
minute, it’s a one off solution for the week my dog walker is off sick. I think a happy dog being walked and checked on is quite different to a baby 🤦‍♀️

I think not killing the dog is the bare minimum though?

Stop it 😭 this thread is starting to get quite funny.

so you go to HR - tell them you left your dog in your car all day outside work and complain that your colleague called you an idiot because she was concerned about the welfare of your dog??

come on! You need to grow up. Your poor dog should not have been left in a car all day. Work will not want to get involved in this.

what do you want them to do about this. You get reprimanded for animal cruelty and bringing the form into disrepute, she gets told to be careful about her language when she challenges her colleagues for neglecting their pets?

Yeah..go to HR and dob yourself in for wasting company time ..

Never in a million years would I do this to my dog.

If there is any question that you had mistreated your dog the RSPCA would not have left note

Oh, I think it's been pretty well established to the power of 10,000 that the RSPCA did not, in fact, leave a note. 😅

Omg you cannot be serious

I think the issue is Op is the size of the car. If the dog was at home at least it could wonder round. Having it locked in the car it would struggle to stand/ turn round easily. Imagine being sat in your car all day with 5 min stretches every hour.

My work hours are 9-3 but with my mandatory lunch hour I’m on site 9-4, I Pop out for 5
mins every hour to see her (my office has my allocated parking space beside it), so i choose
to not take my
morning 20 min break and afternoon 20 min break but instead pop out hourly this week, but I also work on in her evenings
for
40 mins to ensure all is covered, not sure what’s hard to understand?

She did the right thing. Stop minimising your actions. You don't deserve to have a dog.

She’s a Maltese and it’s a big 4x4, she has a lot of room!

Your colleague did the right thing. Dogs left in cars can die and perhaps in the circumstances you describe he/she was not in immediate danger but being cooped up im a small space for several hours isn’t good for a dog.

Interesting point, not what the welare
officer thinks but thanks! I wonder what you think strangers deserve or don’t deserve 😬

My dog loves the car, don't know why. He used to get all upset if left him at home but totally happy in the car for hours.

I think he saw it like a crate.

However, I would not leave him in the summer months and not for a whole work day either. Although he probably would have liked it, especially with a walk in the middle.

I can see your thinking but I think you might just need to let this one go, as most people won't agree and you don't want to draw any attention to it. One SSPCA officer might draw a different conclusion to another.

HR won't tell your colleague off for acting entirely appropriately when concerned about an animal's welfare even if it's at the hands of her colleague. I would imagine they might call you in for a meeting anyway

It's not that we dont understand,.its that you play fast and loose with details.to suit you

Bit mean.

Oh my goodness OP, you're getting a lot of stick here for something that seems ok?

Welfare officer had no issues
Cool weather with windows down
Hourly checks and a walk
Dog used to long journeys and camping so lots of car time.

My pup is happier in the car (admittedly not for a work day, but I work shifts so entirely different) than he is stuck at home.

So many people crate their dogs when theyre out, with a half hour toilet break from a dog person to split the day, if theyre lucky.

To me, no, you are NOT being unreasonable.

I would leave it re the person you work with though - I would imagine she meant well, and obviously not knowing rhe history of your pup/perhaps not having seen you checking regularly on pup... benefit of the doubt and all that. However, if she makes another complaint/is aggressive next time you see her around, I'd hand her a copy of the welfare check (as suggested by a PP), and then third strike - involve work.

Hopefully it won't come to that though!

But My work is happy
with me bringing her! My concern is my colleague getting so worked up she’s wasted welfare
officer time and being abusive to me 🤷‍♀️

Ur concern is ur colleague being concerned about ur dog sitting in a small soace for the whole day?

Ur concern is her being "abusive", rather than u neglecting ur dog?