To ask about your opinion on the RSPCA after Brian May resignation

[Meadowlands]

He has resigned because the RSPCA's response to poor animal welfare was completely inadequate.
When I reported an animal in distress, they refused to investigate, and it was left to my local animal shelter -which is struggling for money - to come to the rescue.
I find it all extremely concerning. Does anyone else have any experiences?

I once had a run in with the RSPCA, a beautiful feral cat adopted us. I contacted them and they told me to take it to my local vet. Easier said than done with a feral who won't come near you. We continued to feed it and a couple of weeks later it turned up with an abscess, back to the RSPCA who weren't at all interested until a neighbour reported us for neglect, then they came out. They managed to catch the cat but were totally hostile insisting that because we had fed it it was our cat, our neglect and threatened to prosecute us. I've never been so devastated in my life. I tried to help that cat and ended up getting threatened with prosecution for it. I will never donate to them again after that. The RSPB on the other hand came out straight away for a baby pigeon I found in the road.

I wont support the RSPCA after reading this article years ago.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2726348/Why-RSPCA-killing-pets-taking-loving-owners-court-Statistics-charity-destroying-half-animals-comes-contact-with.html

Indeed.

Indeed it was at the time, the second time I had a visit the inspector was clearly just looking for something. Hence the muzzle apparently not allowing him access to water, not very impressed when I took it off and there was grass on the inside and a very obvious hole, put it back on and fed him a handful of hay through it. I'm not even sure I was actually reported a second time, I think they were chancing it.

I have a feeling had I not been so, shall we say, feisty and knowledgeable, then they'd have pushed harder, they did ask if I wanted to surrender him, which obviously I declined, in no uncertain terms.

I can certainly see how vulnerable people could be treated by them as pp have described, low hanging fruit.

What pissed me off the most was there were tethered ponies on common land very close by, overgrown feet, no shelter from bad weather or shade in hot weather, thin with poor coats, hammered around the streets in carts. But no intervention there. Despite reports.

No issues at all with being reported and then having an inspector visit and make sure all is well, nothing to hide and I think most reports that are made are from people that genuinely are concerned about the animal, even if it's misguided as it was in my case, I'd rather they visited people like me and found no issue, than other animals that are being neglected or abused go unreported. Unfortunately though it would seem that the RSPCA doesn't act when they should and gets heavy handed when they don't need to - as just about every poster has said, after prosecution and media worthy pics and sound bytes.

I know someone who was neglecting their dog. Dog was very poorly, and after family really pressured them to take the dog to vet, the vet was so concerned and wanted to admit the dog immediately for treatment. Owner refused, so the vet called the RSCPA. The RSPCA gave the owner vouchers to get the dog treated, with a time limit. After that, the dog would be seized. Sadly, in that time, the poor dog died (and owner binned the vouchers anyway).

Sounds like the 'low-hanging fruit' that PP mentioned upthread. An aggressive, threatening, violent man is allowed to get away with it, because they simply don't want the aggro; but a vulnerable little old lady who struggles to cope and needs compassion and help in rehoming an animal can have both barrels with no mercy.

I once phoned as we had seen an injured muntjac

"What do you want us to do about it" was the reply

does anyone at the MoJ review their prosecution powers? Some of these stories are so awful that I don’t understand how they are allowed to hound vulnerable people through the courts

Thank you everyone for reporting your experiences. I am so disheartened to hear how so many suffering animals have been so badly let down by a charity that people give money to in good faith.

I truly hope that a journalist picks up on this thread, I for one would be prepared to hand over the full details of my story. If the vet that committed the crime of cropping his dog's ears was investigated properly, evidence could be proved.

When the RSPCA officer went to the vet practice to see the vet, the practice manager backed up the vet's lies and told the RSPCA inspector that the dog in question had been imported with cropped ears and docked tail. Turns out she was the vet's secret affair, so of course she would back up his story.

I now send my donations to support animals to Fripps Farm, they rescue so many animals and do their absolute best to give them a happy life.

I worked for their financial advisers they invested millions of £ and had millions more in their staff pension fund. Yet somehow they don’t have capacity to help any animals?

I was also going to mention Fripps Farm. Jodie Marsh does an amazing job yet she is hounded by trolls and I have often wondered if some are RSPCA staff. We have a local cat rescue that I support with food donations and they never turn anybody down. The RSPCA absolutely disgust me. They should be in investigated.

I can never understand the hate for Jodie. I have followed her for years and she seems to have dedicated her life to helping abused and neglected animals. I can never see anything other than a true animal lover there.

@ArnieandBob I agree! There are some vile people around making her life very difficult. I don't get it either. It's truly grim.

The thing that really upsets me is that when the RSPCA refuse to help, it is left to the small animal charities - most of whom are struggling financially - to go to the rescue.
I believe the RSPCA annual income is over
£150, 000,000.

In this country it is easier for animal charities to raise money than children's. I think it is a bit of a jobs for the boys arena.

I will gladly give money to any animal charity EXCEPT the rspca. They are the worst. They spent millions of pounds on a new HQ that went unused for years…. All the while refusing to help the public if they had found an injured animal unless the person called them BEFORE they get to the vets! Having worked in veterinary for years- we used to have to get clients to hand the injured animal to us, and then get them to leave the building and call rspca and LIE to them to say they were on their way to us! They are a shambles

I used to donate to RSPCA but I cancelled my direct debit; various instances on our local facebook page of people asking for their help for an injured animal and they haven't wanted to know. It finally dawned on me that they are only interested in doing anything when there is a TV camera on site

They didnt want to know about a snake that had gotten into our flat which was nothing to do with us and when we mentioned we had an elderly cat STILL couldnt care less but couldnt wait to interfere when someone reported our cat for being too skinny. She had a thyroid problem and was taken to the vet regularly. DH was able to produce a thick pile of medical records when an RSPCA inspector came round to our flat. DH told the vet what had happened and the vet said to tell the RSPCA to contact him and he would put them straight/ Re. your experience with them and laminitis .......our cat was wearing a grey plastic collar for a dermatological condition. Had to be renewed every three months and this inspector had no idea what it was Asked DH what the piece of plastic was for. 🙄

Someone I know- their next door neighbour went away and left dog in the house with no food/water. Dog howling and scratching at the window. RSPCA wouldn't come.
In desperation, she posted the picture of the dog at the window and eventually enough people tagged in the RSPCA and they came out. Did nothing.

Any animal "charity" that can afford all those TV and media adverts isn't spending their money in the right way.
I used to work in a veterinary practice and we'd only ever contact them if all other avenues (ie. Local charities/shelters) couldn't help.
Called them re a cat in a barn with a broken leg and they said they couldn't help but they turned up at someone's door cos they'd been reported that their dog looked mangy - said dog was already receiving treatment.
I donate to locally run rescues who truly care about the plight of the animals.

CUNTS!!!

No. They are utter wankers.

my family member died. He left blue cross £50k and ask them to take care of his dog, who was the utter love of his life. blue Cross pocketed the cash and kept suggesting the dog should be put down,

apparantly at 9yo, she was too old to re home. No one would want her. Only families wanted dogs and she wasn’t known with kids (despite refusing to re home any animal to a house with kids).

they also claime the dogs frequent vet visits showed she had poor health. In reality, she was my family members true love. He had the money and the time, so if she had a slightest sniffle, he took her to the vet as money was no object

ill never forgive them, we had to re home her ourselves no they refused to have any input whatsoever.

Yes i had the same buck passing too.

Friend reported 3 dogs at a property where an old man had had to go into hospital as an emergency. Reported several times, nothing done. Friend had to alert police in the end that he was going to break in in order to feed and water them and clear up any mess/let them out to pee etc.

RSPCA did bugger all. I have lost faith in them and only donate to local rescues now. Appears they have some issues with their farm quality mark as well.

I think they have lost the original reason, like Oxfam, there's a lot of money going in exec pockets and not enough spent on ground work.I don't doubt that there are some sincere people working for them but sadly too many bad experiences outweighing the good just now.

Shame on you RSPCA.