Anyone had positive experience of the RSPCA?

[FionaM12]

Contrary to other people here, my limited experience of the RSPCA has been good. Years ago, I called them about the condition a neighbour's puppy which was being kept in their back yard. Its cries had drawn my attention to it.

The RSPCA went to their house within the hour. They didn't disclose my identity and persuaded the owner that she must keep the pup correctly or let them rehome. She did the latter.

The RSPCA officer called me later, said he'd taken the pup and there was going to be no problem finding a permenant home as after a little care it would be a delightful puppy. He said the neighbour was a stressed young mum who couldn't cope rather than someone who was delibrately cruel. No charges would be made.

The neighbour didn't get another pet as far as I'm aware.

People here seem to have had negative experience of the RSPCA. Has anyone else had positive ones?

 

[foxy1]

Nope, utterly useless.

 

[tasteofchristmaschaos]

Nope.

 

[teamsarazara]

Nope, as always there's people who report when not needed or in spite, they always seem to come out, horrible to you even when everythings okay.

 

[Spring Feather]

Yes. I told someone a few years ago that if they did not start caring for their horse properly that I would report them. They didn't so I did. The RSPCA did more than above the necessary visits and the owner was effectively ordered to do something or they would take the horse. The owner was basically pressured into selling the horse. A few years before this I visited a property where two young horses were in terrible distress. I told the owner that I would buy these young horses for a pitiful amount and if they didn't sell to me I would call the RSPCA. They sold to me but I have no hesitation in saying that they knew fine well the RSPCA would have dealt with them firmly had they not. I think it depends a lot on where about you live and what your relationship is with the RSPCA as to how they react to calls.

 

[Mare Stare]

Nope.

However, I've heard that they respond a lot better for cats, dogs and rabbits than horses and farm animals.

 

[Chestnut mare]

As a veterinary Proffesional we do not like the RSPCA. They expect everyone else to mop up after them. We have had numerous strays picked up and brought in the RSPCA will not collect them we are told to release them where they were found. Even if it's not in the animals best interest. I appreciate they are busy and there are far more needy cases. To them the stray cat is not a concern as it is warm and fed filling up our hospital ( at 1 point we had 3 strays in) we also had a severely injured dog dumped on us. We carried out major surgery on the animal at a cost to the practice. The RSPCA would not collect the dog became our responsibility to rehome the dog! They do not pay the bills but get millions of pounds of donations. I think it's the national control centre as the local branches work tirelessly with limited funds often from their own homes.

 

[quirky]

Yes, I managed to catch a semi wild rabbit that somebody had obviously turned out some months earlier.
It was last winter during the snow.

I took him home, as it was late night and rang them the next day.

Somebody came to fetch him within the hour.

He needed part of his ears removing and his teeth were in a bad way but they got him right and he went to a new home.

They named him Marble .

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

As a veterinary Proffesional we do not like the RSPCA. They expect everyone else to mop up after them. We have had numerous strays picked up and brought in the RSPCA will not collect them we are told to release them where they were found. Even if it's not in the animals best interest. I appreciate they are busy and there are far more needy cases. To them the stray cat is not a concern as it is warm and fed filling up our hospital ( at 1 point we had 3 strays in) we also had a severely injured dog dumped on us. We carried out major surgery on the animal at a cost to the practice. The RSPCA would not collect the dog became our responsibility to rehome the dog! They do not pay the bills but get millions of pounds of donations. I think it's the national control centre as the local branches work tirelessly with limited funds often from their own homes.

Same!! they expected one of our vets to go into a middle of a field and try to destroy a badger who was very angry and very injured! They are totally useless, even to the point someone reported me for hunting my horse that I chose to retire due to a heart murmur, I wasn't on him but a similar looking horse, RSPCA phoned me I gave them a piece of my mind about minding their own business and they did, to me if they were doing their job they would have followed it up????

Also will never ever forgive them for putting a 50 yr old Tortoise into a bucket of water and drowning it because they thought it was a Turtle!

 

[Bethie]

Have yet to get a satisfactory response from them in relation to farm animals or horses, although thankfully haven't had cause to report any for a good few years now. On the other hand we do have a RSPCA cat that they rehomed to us when a local charity wouldn't, based on our location - RSPCA home checker did actually come out and see our location rather than just look on a map and decide on that basis that we fell foul of their criteria.

 

[Shantara]

Yup! We found a lost dog and they scanned it...no chip. So they took it and assured us they'd either find the owner, or find a new owner. She was lovely and I felt very reassured the dog would find a good home

 

[Foxhunter49]

You say 'some years ago' and that was probably when things were very differently run.

Way back the RSPCA were hot to help and check things out and would follow through. Nowadays it is very different. I have no time for them at all.

One thing I will say slightly in their defence is that in today's age they have to stick to the rules. Way back both the RSPCA and RSPCC officers were mainly retired police and forces men. If a person was reported and one of these officers arrived at the door then there was no making excuses, they would, if necessary, strong arm their way in to check whatever there and then. Not many would argue with them. If things were wrong then something was done immediately without accepting any excuses.

 

[itsonlyme]

Nope. Had 2 gypsy horses die & 2 others who would have if it had been left up to them. I don't even bother phoning them now. :-\

 

[mulledwhine]

Nope never, several stray dogs, budgie, a drowning deer, all fell on deaf ears, and was left to me to sort!!!

Found loving homes for the dogs, kept budgie and got cold rescuing the deer.

Hopeless lot

 

[FionaM12]

You say 'some years ago' and that was probably when things were very differently run.

It was about 15 years ago so you could be right.

 

[wipeout]

The RSPCA don't deal with stray dogs, that is the job of the dog warden. If they are injured then they will respond.
I also don't see why they should be held responsible for paying for an op on an animal in a vets if they have no prior knowledge of the animal. Apologies if you are saying they knew in advance of the op, agreed to pay a bill and then backed out after the op.

 

[Spring Feather]

It was about 15 years ago so you could be right.

Ditto. Mine was quite a number of years ago too.

 

[mulledwhine]

They deal with strays and mostly anything else if there is a camera crew around!!

And I find it outrageous that a charity makes such huge profits ( into the millions) and only put it into central area, when local branches are crying out for help.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

In 'old times' have had no probs with RSPCA.

Rock on 15 yrs+ and now would rather involve BHS welfare if its an equine, or DEFRA if livestock - both of these DO act positively & decisively.

Last equine case I was involved in (on the sidelines) the RSPCA had been contacted but had not taken any action over 3 weeks. The vet who was then later involved worked with trading stds & police - & the 3 horses were removed within 24 hrs. Ironically - they ended up being taken to RSPCA centre as that was nearest for them....

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

Nope, despite re-homing a dog from them! That was a fuss and hoo haa! Went there, saw dog, liked dog, happened to have our other dogs with us, they all met, no problems. Had to have a house check, then a shop check as the dogs came to work with us (doesn't look good having the RSPCA turning up at a pet shop, even one that doesn't keep animals!), went to pick the dog up, and they said, 'he hasn't met all of your family twice'. Er, yes he has, there's only the two of us. 'But he hasn't met all of your dogs twice'. Ah, now you see Mr RSPCA, I consider my dogs to be my pets, maybe my friends, but I don't consider them to be my family! Had to go back home, pick up our dogs so they could all meet again.

We run a pet shop in a small moorland town, and tend to hear many stories of the RSPCA. I think the daftest one was the recently retired, very active couple who wanted to take on a dog. They'd had dogs before, and were happy to take an adult. They live in a typical cottage in our town, it has a secure back yard. The RSPCA wouldn't let them have a dog because there was no grass in the yard. They bought a Westie from a Welsh puppy farm, collected it at the services on the M5...

When I was a driving instructor, I was taking a pupil on a first lesson, and was using a massive (nearly empty!) car park to teach pulling away and stopping. There was a rabbit there with Mixy. Now, on my own, I would have lined it up with the tyre, and put it out of it's misery - obviously not possibly with a pupil in the car. The pupil was very upset at the obvious pain the rabbit was in - we stopped, and rang the RSPCA. They asked if I could put it in a box and bring it to them, no of course I couldn't, they were about 40 minutes drive away. They said there was nothing they could do. We left the car park.

 

[MrsElle]

I have called the RSPCA twice. Once due to a neglect case (extremely skinny dog that was kicked several times a day by its lovely owners) and once regarding a duck that got hit by a car in the village. Neither time were they bothered. My then OH ended up going to the dog owner and 'suggesting' that he hand the dog over to us, which he did and we duely rehomed when she was fit and healthy. We took the duck to the vets and got it treated at our own expense and released it back to the pond when it was sorted.

We also tried to rehome a dog from the RSPCA several years ago and after jumping through several hoops and trying to fulfill rediculous criteria we were turned down. We rescued our beautiful Lola from the rescue kennels that used to take the dogs from the dog warden. She lived seven happy years with us, despite us not having a 6' fence round the garden and despite the fact she was left without human contact (but with other dogs) for four hours a day while I was at work.

 

[LouandBee]

Yep - reported a wild animal I saw whilst on the train caught up in a chain link fence. Got a call back within the hour to say they had found it (was a deer - couldn't tell from the train), but was unfortunately long gone.

I personally donate to the RSPCA as they are one of the only organisations who will fund and pursue prosecutions for animal cruelty.

 

[rhino]

No, I have had a very negative experience indeed with the RSPCA with a neglected horse they deemed 'too ill to travel'. Well fair enough, but you need to do something, not leave it for days to die..


Have rehomed several dogs from them over the years

 

[Brigadoon]

Not recently. And I stopped donating as I know of 2 people who work for them and use the van like private transport. One takes it home with them and the other uses it morning, night and weekend to do their horse at a friends livery yard!!

 

[dukesmum]

Nope, not for any animal I have called for during the last 20 yrs wild or pet. They should be completely changed or got rid of. They are useless!

 

[HumBugsey]

Nope.

 

[mirage]

Nver the years we've found a lot of abandoned animals and the RSPCA never wanted to know.They were horrible to my friend when someone wrongly reported her elderly pony,and when she told them the pony was being treated by XXX vets [the best equine vet for miles] they bullied her and told her that she should be using a vet that the RSPCA recommended,not her own vets.I've no time for them at all.

 

[Tiffany]

Nope - used to do voluntary work for them but I soon realised there was a lot of red tape, plently of money in the bank and too much talking and not enough doing unless their was some publicity in it for them.

They may have changed and I'm sure not every region is the same?

I'm sure they do some good although I've not personally seen any evidence of it.

 

[FionaM12]

This is rather depressing! I really thought more people would have good things to say, balancing the negatives. But other than one or two (not always recent) positive experiences, it does look like no-one's got much that's good to say about their work.

 

[Boulty]

Nope I've had bad experiences with them relating to horses , cats, dogs, rabbits and wildlife so can't say it's a species thing!

In fact the best experience I've heard of is someone who used reporting someone to them as a threat to get someone to hand over 2 half-starved horses to her for free. These horses were got back up to weight and given the TLC they needed before being found homes.