Have you ever been reported to the RSPCA?!

R2R

R2R

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After my reporting yesterday http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/5377268/an/0/page/4#5377268 I was wondering if anyone else had been reported to the RSPCA, and if so, what for?

Also - how do you think I can prevent this in future? Above everything, it is an utter waste of time for everyone involved (and the inspector said so herself yesterday) My yard is 400m up from the field gate, but no one came up to ask. My liveries have told me (now!!) of a couple of recent incidences of people stopping them and telling them they are mean or cruel for turning out in the rain or for their horses having muddy feet.

FYI, all of the yard horses look well and are immaculately turned out, trimmed, muscled, and the ones in work look fit. Coats are gleaming etc (you get the idea). My fields are post and electric taped, and have lots of grass for this time of year and minimal mud. The yard is 'rustic' but again immaculate! I am a bit peeved that a horse whinnying has caused this much drama!!!
 
i was reported to the RSPCA for clipping one of my horses fully out and turning her out without rugs!
they rang and spoke to my YO who put them in the full picture that she hated rus as they kept her too warm (inlcuding rain sheets)
 
Ha.

My issue is I am the y/o...do you think putting my number on the field gate is asking for trouble?
 
If your happy the horses are ok, then laugh it off, youve nothing to be concerned about.
We had a neighbour call at our shop to buy from us 4 apples and 4 carrots for my 4 starving horses in our back field.....apart from the fact they are mostly obese, did she really expect to save the world with 4 carotts?????
 
A number of years ago now I did a friend a favour and took in two horses of hers as she couldn't cope with them for a while. Both of them were old, but there was nothing wrong with them apart from this. One of them had had problems with his teeth and was quidding a bit with his food, the other was a bit sway backed and wouldn't keep weight on very well.

The owner sent the vet out regularly to see them and make sure that they were OK and the decision to PTS hadn't got to made imminently. On several occasions the vet was here twice a week, and on each occasion he gave both horses a clean bill of health. (Note from me to myself: I should have got something from the vet in WRITING to cover my own back).

About this time I had a slight dispute with a local farmer about something minor, nothing serious; he then stormed out of my yard with his arse in his hand, grumbling about people with "bloody horses".

Within a day of two, to my surprise - and exceeding embarrassment - there was an RSPCA van parked outside my place and an inspector was down in the yard looking at these two horses, saying he'd had a "cruelty" complaint about them being too thin. I said they weren't actually mine, but I knew that the vet had been on the place regularly and that each time he'd given them the OK and gave him the number of the vets so he could find out for himself. I also gave them the name of the owner so he could verify that the vet was in regular attendance.

Well, I didn't hear anything more from the RSPCA, thank goodness, and the two horses went back to their owner eventually and lived another good few years.

But where were they when there was a huge horse welfare case fairly recently and they'd been told about it repeatedly and done sweet FA?

The RSPCA seem to be good at dealing with little fluffy kittens and suchlike on "animal rescue" programmes on TV but when it comes to getting their hands dirty where they should do, they sit back and do nothing.
 
We once got reported for apparently keeping a goose in the back garden. We weren't but the RSPCA man said he still needed to check, so took a massive net in the garden for a look. No sign of a goose, just an over excited labrador
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Never been reported, but during that very cold spell back in January one little old lady in our village was terribly concerned that I was taking my poor doggie out without a coat and didn't I think it was cruel? It's a Labrador.....
 
Not sure if I was actually reported but there was gossip in the village that I should be for keeping two "poor skinny" ponies out 24/7 over winter with no hay or feed (other than 8 acres of grass that is).

I had them at home one day at about that time for the farrier and my vet came round for something else and I showed the "skinny" ponies to him. He was practically howling with laughter at the sight of them, one's an old boy in his twenties and without his rug on you could see he was getting on for being overweight and as for my young mare, she looked positively chubby. Neither of us could work out why anyone would think that either of them would need any extra feed.

Whether the RSPCA came, had a look and thought it was pointless contacting me or whether they just didn't bother I've no idea.
 
no i dont at all.
I found someone was taking the muzzle of my pony a few years back. I attached signs on the gate with my mobile number on stating that if they felt there was a problem with my horses to ring me. I also put a little card attached to her grazing muzzle expplaining she needed it on and if they were going to take it off to ring me first!
 
I have been reported twice - heartless and cruel person that I am ! The first time for keeping a seriously over weight horse in a huge field that had been ploughed up and left, so not much grass - I only had the choice of 2 fields and the other one was full of grass so he was moved to try and get the weight off him. The inspector came round and said he was clearly being starved and when I asked if he couldn't see that the horse was obese he replied that he had a huge swollen tummy like the starving children you see in Africa ! In the end we agreed to get a vet out with whoever the vet siding with not have to pay the bill - the vet came and laughed at the inspector !
The other occasion was someone was reported for hitting a chestnut horse for messing about crossing a busy road junction - it wasn't me but when I said I might have done the same thing if the situation arose they tried to make a case against me despite having no eveidence at all that it was me bar the fact that I owned a chestnut horse. Needless to say they got nowhere but wasted alot of money anyway.
I have had other dealings with the RSPCA and never met any of them yet that knew one end of an animal to the other ....
 
Actually yes, when I was a about 15 we owned two ponies, both geldings, a 14.2 and a 12.2. They were turned out in a paddock with no grass. It was a very dry paddock, they were rugged and had water. Three times a day they were fed hay etc. Someone reported to the RSPCA that a mare and foal were being starved. They came and inspected the ponies and said they were in excellent condition and no cause for concern. I was very upset about it at the time. But you do get people who know nothing about horses making assumptions.
 
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Actually yes, when I was a about 15 we owned two ponies, both geldings, a 14.2 and a 12.2. They were turned out in a paddock with no grass. It was a very dry paddock, they were rugged and had water. Three times a day they were fed hay etc. Someone reported to the RSPCA that a mare and foal were being starved. They came and inspected the ponies and said they were in excellent condition and no cause for concern. I was very upset about it at the time. But you do get people who know nothing about horses making assumptions.

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How ridiculous!

And upsetting and embarrasing for you.
 
Mentioning people.......We have a public footpath which runs adjacent to our top paddock. Husband was putting hay away after collecting it and some guy shouted over, hubby approached him and this man started saying how he was disgusted at the mud in the top paddock, did we realise our horses had to walk through that and it was a mess to look at. Hubby said well yes but we have had almost two months of rain throughout October and November and 3 ft of snow throughout December/January which has just melted, the ground hasn't had a chance to dry out but the horses have another 6 acres which is fine and hardstanding outside the shelters, man replies Oh that's not good enough I might report you, Hubby told him to go ahead. We are still waiting but what can you do? This Winter has been horrendous and the snow has been back again for the last week. Unless anyone can lend me a magic mud fairy!!
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I think people see things and presume it is cruel without the knowledge otherwise.
 
yes. I was reported for neglecting cows! I don't own cows, never have, and doubt I ever will. Sadly the cows were on the farm at the time, so they were obviously mine, just because I walked the dogs through the field!!! They were not kept very well, and 2 cows died, one of which died during calfing. I had nothing to do with it, but I guess I was there so it might have been obvious to some outsiders. The RSPCA said they could do nothing with the dead cows (dead is dead right!?) As it turned out nothing was done. The local farmer felt sorry for the rest and took them in. Original Owner is still unknown to me.
(There is now have a new batch of cows, and I do know the owner!)
 
yeah I had an old horse who wouldnt keep weight on, he was v skinny even though he ate like a horse lol

They came had a look said he looks well cared for and left, just a nosey neighbour
 
Yes.

As is often the case, by trespassing, pink, fluffy, tree hugging, know-nothing-do-gooding ramblers, can you tell I have no time for tresspassers? Too sodding lazy to walk 100m along my perimeter fence to the stile on to the mountain so climbed over my gate (ignoring my "In event of emergency/concern, please contact #" engraved sign on gate) and saw some bedraggled ponies sheltering by a stone wall.

The usual story of a straw filled barn, stuffed hayrack and ponies doing what they do in the rain, looking miserable and ignoring their bedroom.

Yet, as is often the way it seems, in what I did consider a valid call, they didn't even bother to show up for an injured fox, but advised me to get the local HUNTSMAN out to dispatch it, they even gave me the number!
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Hypocrits.
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I have no time for any RSPCA Inspector I have ever met, professionally, or socially. I am sure part of their course is entitled "How to be as patronising and arrogant as I possibly can, at all times".
I am quite sure that there are decent Inspectors out there, somewhere.
 
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Yes.

As is often the case, by trespassing, pink, fluffy, tree hugging, know-nothing-do-gooding ramblers, can you tell I have no time for tresspassers? Too sodding lazy to walk around my perimeter fence to the stile on to the mountain so climbed over my gate (ignoring my " In event of emergency/concern, please contact #" engraved sign on gate) and saw some bedraggled ponies sheltering by a stone wall.

We call ramblers wildebeest cos they are allways in herds.
The pennine way runs right through my mother in laws farm yard and she is often finding them in her back garden gawping through her kitchen window! Mind you she had a bit of a shock the other year when that that naked rambler strolled past with a cheery "hello, nice day isnt it!" Think it scarred her to be honest.
Anyway, back to the point!
I have been reported to the RSPCA for a youngster with a "badly infected eye that I wasnt attended to" He was perfectly fine, just had white membranes around one of his eyes!
 
lmao some great tales and none of them a surprise!!! On the other hand,

The YO of a previous yard I was on told me of her experience with the rspca being called out. They already had her phone number from a past incident (don't know, didn't ask!) and one day called her to say they'd had a report that a bay mare was tied up in the electric fencing and unable to get out (40mm tape).

YO said 'well, I can't get there I'm busy' To which the inspector replied that she couldn't get there either. Thney agreed she was probably fine but YO would have a ring round and see if anyone was free to have a look.

1. YO knew I was not usually too far away, neither was the friend I share horses with.

2. She was only shopping in the next town, 4 miles away hich is around 12 mins tops in car.

3. She didn't phone anyone anyway.

The mare wasn't fine, and was still tangled up 5 hours later, when YO finally decided to go to yard. Sadly, on this yard, this sort of thing is nothing new and the YO thinks the whole world owes her.
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I'm sure the inspector could have got there at some point within 5 hours, and didn't even ring to find out if anything had been done!

I'm afraid I'd have dropped everything and come home to check there and then. But then I suppose there is a world of difference between 'people who own horses' and horse lovers!!
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I have, and to the donkey sanctuary. Apparently they were not getting enough feed!! they are all well covered, always have been, not overweight but just right. Every single horse in the area has been reported, some repeatedlym for various 'offences' Non have needed to be reported as all have been absolutely fine. We just have an ignorant busy-body who knows nothing about horses and just doesn't know or cannot see what is going on.

sadly, you can do nothing about this sort of person
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when I was at uni I had a rescue cat from cats protection league, who cam with a list of things as long as your arm that he had been investigated for and a list of medication almost as long that he couldn't have in future. He had a thyroid tumour and looked like he was underfed despite eating 6 full tins of kitten food (at approx 9yo, as its highest calorie) per day.

I had 2 tenants, one of whom was a right royal pain in the proverbial and when I kicked him out for non-payment of rent he called the RSPCA as I wasn't feeding my cat (allegedly). rspca woman took one look at him and recognised him (there aren't that many pure white short haired cats) and asked me why I thought the guy had reported me. laughed it off and that was that.

The same guy also called environmental health as we allegedly had an infestation of some deadly insect.... the cat liked bringing woodlice in from the garden.
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I was reported to the RSPCA years ago, for leaving my staffie in the back of my van, as I took him to work (although they reported me at my house!) and for him being a pitball

When they came to inspect, they told me the only thing they could do me for was spoiling him! My van had been converted at the back with a secure cage, a bed covered the whole area of the cage & we had made him a higher platform so he could get a proper look at the world AND I had an electric fan attached into the roof purely for him

They put on my record that it was malicious phonecalls, so never had to come out for him again
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When they came to inspect, they told me the only thing they could do me for was spoiling him! My van had been converted at the back with a secure cage, a bed covered the whole area of the cage & we had made him a higher platform so he could get a proper look at the world AND I had an electric fan attached into the roof purely for him

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not just my friend that did this then! her 4 agility dogs (2 collies and 2 labs) have the back of a transit van to themselves complete with waterbowls attached to the side so they can't knock them over. van is split in 2 and they're in pairs with a bed bit and a raised bit and vents in. she's even got a thing made up so that she can lock the van but with the back door just slightly ajar to help with ventilation!
 
I was once verbally abused by some people who said it was cruel to ride a horse on the road.

Next door's yard have some badly laminitic ponies they look after, so they have to be kept in a bare paddock in the summer. They get regular, small quantities of hay, and frequent vets visits, etc, but they've been reported to the RSPCA loads of times. It's very upsetting because the owners of the yard are correctly looking after and caring for these little ponies, which if left to their own devices in a lush grass meadow would rapidly deteriorate.
 
My parents received a visit from the RSPCA as someone had reported them for starving their dog.

She was a very fit and healthy Jack Russel and when the inspector saw her he just laughed. He said people were so used to seeing elderly people with little fat JRT's wobbling along behind them they didn't know what they were supposed to look like!

He was actually a very nice man, didn't even complain when said Jack Russel sunk her teeth into him when he went to pat her on the way out of the door
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I was verbally abused by a woman for having an "emaciated horse". He was thin, but I had only had him 3-4 weeks, and he had raced for 11 years so you can imagine after a winter with no rug on how he looked. I took to hacking him out in an extra large exercise sheet so nobody could say anything I was so paranoid
 
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not just my friend that did this then! her 4 agility dogs (2 collies and 2 labs) have the back of a transit van to themselves complete with waterbowls attached to the side so they can't knock them over. van is split in 2 and they're in pairs with a bed bit and a raised bit and vents in. she's even got a thing made up so that she can lock the van but with the back door just slightly ajar to help with ventilation!

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lol - no, it is an agility thing - I pinched the idea from my agility friend, but did it for my staffie just because I loved him! Sounds very similar to my set up, but I only had the 1 cage. I also changed my locking system so that I could leave the tail gate open in the summer, and had a HUGE locking system on the cage door, so no one could steal him
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Yes during the snow in January. Someone called the RSPCA claiming that the horses looked miserable and had no shelter.

The fact that horses sleep standing up, so don't always look happy. And also that all of them were double rugged, we live in the middle of the fens so there is a serious lack of 'natural shelter' They are all fed twice a day, and have 2 slices of Haylage from large bales per day and always have fresh water. The Inspector laughed it off, but I was a little annoyed.

No one rang anybody to complain that some poor lass was trudging around in the snow feeding and watering her horses and really should take shelter. LOL!!!
 
We had one livery who I asked to leave after unreasonable behaviour and low and behold the SPCA appeared a few weeks later. Let herself down though as she has a very distinctive accent and inspector and I had a nice natter for 10 mins before he left. What a waste of charity resources though.
 
Yup- for my "yellow" ( had to laugh when they said that) pony because apparently he never has a rug on and is underweight
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He does generally always! have a rug of an appropriate weight on as he is very old but on a nice afternoon i take it off so he can have a good role/scratch..apparently this is cruel?
He is also not underweight, bit to much of a belly infact
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They also visited once because a walker had said one of the cows looked off colour and "pale" ...well duhh! thats its coat colour
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But when i found a sheep once out hacking that had been shredded to pieces by a dog and needed urgent attention the RSPCA were nowhere to be seen
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despite the fact they had much better resources for finding its owner and providing treatment (vet understandably didnt want to treat without owner)
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...it did make a full recovery and we finally found the owners no thanks to the RSPCA!
 
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