SSPCA visited me today :(

[TerraNotSoFirma]

I posted about this on a previous thread, but starting a new one as am hugely upset about it.
Apparently there was an anonymous call saying my two dogs and one cat are neglected. They are thin, the dogs live outside with no water and are never walked.

I thought the SSPCA officer had stopped for directions, but no she was coming to check on my animals :)

My cat is huge, I just handed him to her and she said "there is nothing thin about this one then, he's beautiful"

I opened the kitchen door and let the dogs through, she commented that you could feel my GSDs spine slightly...erm your supposed to aren't you?

And that the irish setter was very lean (he's an 11 month old puppy) and he has an eye infection...no, he has hayfever actually.

Se had a look outside, saw there were full water bowls and asked where the dogs went for shelter, I explained that we got rid of old kennel and shed while doing up the garden and haven't quite got round to building the new one yet ( waiting on payday to buy the roofing) she could see there was wood there ready to get it built.
And anyway, they don't LIVE outside.

The officer seemed to be happy enough with what she seen/heard and said she'd phone me in a couple of months to see if the shelter had been built.

I know for a fact that my animals are cared for, but I feel awful thinking that someone has looked at them and thought neglect. I think It must be someone in my street as my cat doesn't really venture past the street.

If they don't live outside why is she coming back to check on the shelter? My dog hasn't got a kennel / shelter in the garden why would you need one ? Have you upset your neighbours its quite a malicious thing for someone to do ,I'd be mortified . BTW your puppy is lovely !

I'm not sure, I think because we've halved the garden with a fence and gate to create a dog run so they can't just nip in and out of the kitchen as they please now.
The dogs have been in their garden a lot recently as we've been doing a lot of work in the garden, but we obviously take them in if its raining or really really hot x(highlands of Scotland so mainly rain)

I am totally mortified and really upset if someone has thought they were neglected, but furious to think that someone would do it just to get at me...I did call the police on neighbours a few weeks ago as they were having a loud loud party, but pretty sure I wasn't the only one in the street who called the police.

Puppy is lovely thank you floral.

Ahhhh - I think you have found your culprit.... They probably don't know you phoned the police about the party, but just suspect that it is you.
No matter how unreasonable some people are (Loud party's) - they think it is their god given right.
I am really sorry they have done this too you, I think you need to just (try) and put it behind you.

I'd phoned SSPCA last night to get some more info and the officer phoned back this morning, I offered to get all GSD's vet records and take them to the vet for a check up.
She was really nice on the phone and even said she would arrange for SSPCA to pay the consultation fees, I said I'd rather pay myself as I'm embarrassed enough.

Hi could someone advise me please. A lady I clean for asked me to feed her dog from time to time and paid me £5 per visit. She lived in the next road to me and I quite enjoyed it. The park gate was literally next door.

However, I soon started walking him as well. she has now moved a cycle ride away. I then, after feeding him, walk five minutes to the local park to let him have a run off the lead. In all it takes about an hour. She's going on holiday next week again it's the first time I would do it since her move.

I mentioned today I find it very difficult talking about money. That her house is further from me, so is the park. She asked what the going rate is for dog walking and I'm not sure. If I was walking three or four dogs I would be happy with £5 but at the moment it's below minimum wage. Any information/advice would be much appreciated. Thank you

An experienced, insured (you need public liability insurance) dog walker would charge about £8-£10 per hour per dog. But if she is going on holiday, surely she isn't leaving the dog at home on its own??

That's very helpful, thank you
Thought I was getting some support there...erm no.

eh?

Don't worry about the skinny comments. Someone commented to my local vets about my lab being skinny and concerns I wasn't feeding her.

The vet acerbically pointed out to the complaining party that my Lab was perfect, but just looked odd because of all the overweight ones

Sorry ŁEM, not aimed at you , was thinking someone had posted some words of wisdom and support only to see a random post about someone's dog walking.
Was feeling a bit over sensitive thinking no ones going to post because I've been reported to SSPCA ( a bit over dramatic, but am a bit overwrought at the moment) sorry ŁEM no offence meant.
And thanks to honey and beer tricks as well.

I'm trying to console myself with the fact that whoever has reported me has no clue about the irish setter breed.

Or that it's just a malicious git.

I would think no clue. The no water and no walks comments probably prove it as bull shit.

If you have an unwalked juvenile setter in the house you'd have holes in the walls and ceilings from him rebounding off them

We had the RSPCA called out to us a few years ago.
We had a huge kennel in the garden complete with run that we would put our dog in when I went out as she was a new rescue with destructive tendencies. I never went far, it was normally for the school run and the dog had a bed in the inside section and food and water.
So the RSPCA chap turns up to be met by a large GSDx at the front door. Apparently we had been reported for keeping a dog in a box in the garden. He was expecting some neglected small dog or puppy being kept in a cardboard box or tea chest or something.
He actually laughed, said she was in lovely condition and that our set up was lovely.

Seems we too had poisonous neighbours too.

Your dogs live in the house and are cared for, don't stress yourself about the kennels and don't go out of your way in any way. You don't need to.

She offered to pay the consultation fees, but I said I would..I don't want my vet knowing about SSPCA being called.
Although I'll prob end up telling them myself.she never asked me to take them to the vet, I phoned the next day and offered t do it along with getting copies of al the sheps health records.
So she could see I look after her, a neglectful owner wouldn't rush their dog to an emergency vet at 1am with suspected bloat, or spend £100s trying to treat recurring ear infections.

Someone once reported my two as abandoned to this very day I have no idea who.
It really upset me but also so did the RSPCA as they popped a card in door and I called them back to be told officer wasn't on duty he would get back to me. 5 days later I finally heard from officer all he said was someone said they were abandoned this obviously isn't the case, I will close it.
I mean surely he should of checked up on them, 5 days later is a long time my dogs are in excellent health but what if they were abandoned?

my extremely weird neighbour did this to me....luckily we were renting at the time

when we first moved in he reported us to letting agent within an hour of moving in because we had a dog (this had been agreed with land lord already)
our dog was a miniature jack Russel and genuinely didnt bark but he reported us every week to letting agent for our loud barking dog. (minature jack russel!)

in the end we left as soon as our initial tennancy was up. while we were moving between houses we left our dog at the old house during thr first trip as we could close her in the kitchen while we moved and she could access garden by dog flap the new house wasn't secure and I was worried about her escaping. by the time we came back about 3 hours later we had a dog warden at our house saying the neighbour had phoned to report we'd abandoned our dog...we'd been gone 3 hours we let the dog warden in and showed him our dog who was in no ways neglected (not to mention half our property was still there so she clearly hadn't been abandoned) and showed him emails between us and landlord about his harassment. they were happy that the call was malicious and said no further action needed.

strangely enough I still drive past the old house on my way to work and it seems to go up for let every 6-8months!

I'm guessing your neighbour has done it in retaliation as you called the police the other week. I'd just keep a note of any anti social behaviour from now on and Include this incident that way if they get worse and you report them again you can prove theyre anti social and calls are malicious.

Don't worry OP, some people are just bastards.

Many years ago someone reported seeing one of us kids poking our cat in the eye and blinding it. The RSPCA turned up and, sod's law, cat was out. Our other cat and dog were in, and they were all over this lady. She could see they were fed, watered and happy, and said she was happy that our animals were being looked after and wouldn't follow up - said it was probably 'some nasty neighbour' who'd reported.

Mum called her and made her come back to see our old girl - who'd been blind from birth - and was the sweetest, happiest cat.

Think I have figured out who reported me and its more about parking spaces than animal welfare. :(

There is a holiday home opposite us in the cul de sac who likes to use the parking space that we use all year round, when she comes here 3 times a year.you can see her get visibly annoyed when she arrives to find us already parked there.

Been here a year and a half and only met her a couple of weeks ago just as I was coming home with my GSD.
Got to talking and I asked did she have her setter with her as I'd seen it with her before, told her that I had a setter puppy.
She came over next day and asked to see the pup, cat was in the garden at this time also.

Here is why I think it's her,

When we moved in, GSD was in a hell of a state following a dog attack and was about half the size she is currently, anyone who had seen her then would see she has doubled in size. This woman only saw her for the first time just the other week.

Cat pretty much sticks to the cul de sac, no collar to say who he belongs to even if he did venture out of the street. So must be someone in the street.

Pup has def put on weight since brought him home in January at 4 months old, still skinny but def filling out a bit, neighbours who are familiar with him would know this.

Am 99.9% sure it's this woman.

I've put a photo of GSD on profile, does she look skinny to you?
Honest opinions welcome, worrying I now just think she's chubby next to the puppy.