Interesting view of RSPCA

I think you have to take this with a very large pinch of salt - it's made by people with grievances against the RSPCA and defence lawyers whose job it is to undermine the credibilty of the RSPCA. It does not seem to be actually backed up by any evidence. The link leads you nowhere relevant.

If they really were abusing process they would not get successful prosecutions and could be prosecuted themselves.

People believe what they want to believe.
 
Twice I have had very bad dealings with the rspca. One of which I ended up having to phone the police (nothing to do with horses). The other is ongoing.

I have seen first hand that they are abusing the process. No time for them at all. They are only useful in cases where you don't want to waste whw or bhs time imo.
 
If you look at a number of old threads on these boards, you will find that on many occasions supporters of the RSPCA have also given the impression that the RSPCA have a right of entry to private property. This has often been in direct argument with posters who have said that they don't. This has then led to the 'if you have nothing to hide, then why not let them in?' questions. This misses the point that there are legal ways of doing things, if one person/organisation should, then shouldn't they all? Otherwise it becomes only following the laws that you choose to.
 
Patterdale said:
The new leader of the RSPCA is taking them in a dangerous direction.
If they carry on how they are, they risk losing their charitable status.
Google their recent court cases.
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They are in danger of moving into the animal rights arena when the people who donate to them have an animal welfare agenda IMO.
 
Yorksg I have given this impression previously (although not a supporter). Worryingly I thought I'd incorrectly remembered it from college so went through my handouts... My college said that they did have these rights, introduced with the act in 2007. Not the case and a little concerned that i was actually taught this!

My latest beef is that they were not just tresspassing through to see horses, they caused criminal damage on the way in. On a previous visit they collared someone over a lame horse in the field. When questioned on which one was lame they failed to point one out.
 
Have we got bored with the barefoot posts and moved on to endless posts bashing the RSPCA now ?

For the disgruntled, a tip. Don't strive for the demise of the RSPCA until you have something with enough infrastructure and expertise to replace it with.

Those little private guinea pig and cat rescues in the back gardens of semi's are great, but with the best will in the world, those lovely ladies couldn't replace the RSPCA, imperfect though it may be.

Stop whinging and be constructive on ways to improve the service.
 
horserider said:
Have we got bored with the barefoot posts and moved on to endless posts bashing the RSPCA now ?

For the disgruntled, a tip. Don't strive for the demise of the RSPCA until you have something with enough infrastructure and expertise to replace it with.

Those little private guinea pig and cat rescues in the back gardens of semi's are great, but with the best will in the world, those lovely ladies couldn't replace the RSPCA, imperfect though it may be.

Stop whinging and be constructive on ways to improve the service.
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Considering the rspca are a law unto themselves and do what they like, to who they like and when they like, just HOW DO you think anyone could be constructive in suggesting improvements?
The rot has set in far too deep to be rectified, clear the deck completely and start again.
 
I'm not a fan of the rspca. As a reptile keeper and member on a reptile forum I hear no end of trouble they cause reptile owners.

If they turned up on my door asking to come in they would be told, politely, to go away.
 
horserider said:
Have we got bored with the barefoot posts and moved on to endless posts bashing the RSPCA now ?

For the disgruntled, a tip. Don't strive for the demise of the RSPCA until you have something with enough infrastructure and expertise to replace it with.

Those little private guinea pig and cat rescues in the back gardens of semi's are great, but with the best will in the world, those lovely ladies couldn't replace the RSPCA, imperfect though it may be.

Stop whinging and be constructive on ways to improve the service.
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This ^^ Pig sick of people using every opportunity or animal welfare thread to bash the RSPCA. Yes, it gets things wrong sometimes but at the moment it IS the only welfare organisation that has the ability and resources to bring about successful prosecutions.
 
Wagtail said:
This ^^ Pig sick of people using every opportunity or animal welfare thread to bash the RSPCA. Yes, it gets things wrong sometimes but at the moment it IS the only welfare organisation that has the ability and resources to bring about successful prosecutions.
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removed because i cant be arssed to discuss this!
 
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Wagtail said:
This ^^ Pig sick of people using every opportunity or animal welfare thread to bash the RSPCA. Yes, it gets things wrong sometimes but at the moment it IS the only welfare organisation that has the ability and resources to bring about successful prosecutions.
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Couldnt get the previous quote in that Wagtail was referring to ... damm but do take umbrage that other rescues are simply 1 woman in a semi. There are some like that, very few and far between but the majority are far bigger than that.

No one wants to get rid of the RSPCA, what people are (generally) saying it that this organisation should be more open and more back into welfare and leave animals rights out. Or split the charity so it is clear. I can understand how errors can be genuinely made with specialist animals, such as horses or reptiles so perhaps they could have inspectors with specialisation. I will not, under any circumstances, support an organisation that will prosecute hunts. I do support animal welfare, and do help fund raise for stafford welfare over various shows in the year but I do this knowing that my time and efforts will raise money and I know how it is being spent.
 
If quite happily see the end of the RSPCA tbh but I do agree something else needs to come up in its place to take on it'd role.

Maybe actually the ideal would be of the RSPCA split into two organisations one dealing with the welfare situations the other doing the political stuff they do.

Don't think it can be denied thought that the RSPCA are abusing their charitable status. The do not have power of entry or power to remove animals unless they have been signed over to them. That power remains with the police.
 
We are all entitled to our own opinions but in mine they are a waste of space!!!! I have had dealings with them last year over my very elderly dog who was under vets care for severe artiritis. He escaped out the garden one afternoon and i was told that they had found him and he had been hit by a car as someone had seen it. Went to a house nearby and was told by the lady who found him that he walked in a way that he looked like he had been hit by a car but she hadnt seen anything !!!! The officer told me he HAD been hit by a car and the people that found him had seen it she Clearly lied!! She was rude, barged in my house, and told me she was concerned for the welfare of my other two healthy Dogs!!!!!!!
Another incident when he escaped again (he was a terror for escaping) the RSPCA picked him up and took him the kennels. When i traced him they said that he had been looked at by their vet and broke his leg. I rushed to pick him up, went straight to my vets and he hadn't broke a leg!!????When i complained to the RSPCA about this they said "the vet had looked at him through the bars of a cage" and said his leg was broken without actually examining him!!
 
horserider said:
Have we got bored with the barefoot posts and moved on to endless posts bashing the RSPCA now ?

For the disgruntled, a tip. Don't strive for the demise of the RSPCA until you have something with enough infrastructure and expertise to replace it with.

Those little private guinea pig and cat rescues in the back gardens of semi's are great, but with the best will in the world, those lovely ladies couldn't replace the RSPCA, imperfect though it may be.

Stop whinging and be constructive on ways to improve the service.
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The point is that the RSPCA has demised in its original form. It was formed to "Prevent Cruelty to Animals". It has moved in recent years so far away from this as to be unrecognisable.

It is now more well know for its political agenda relating to animal rights. I am sure there should be an element of overlap between the two, in that people that advocate animal rights should be against animal cruelty (not that you'd notice form the way some anti hunt people behave to hounds and horses).

However the desire to prevent cruelty does necessarily mean that you advocate animal "rights" to the same extent. I would happily give to a society that aims to prevent deliberate cruelty and or involuntary cruelty (ie the role the PDSA takes), I will not support an organisation that perpetuates cruelty by supporting animal rights at the expense of their welfare.

At the moment due to the RSPCA's movement towards animal rights there is no national charity that I can contribute to in order to prevent cruelty, the government needs to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and tell the RSPCA to return to its roots or lose its charitable status.

It could then choose to split into two wings but contributions must be kept separate for its two purposes.
 
horserider said:
Have we got bored with the barefoot posts and moved on to endless posts bashing the RSPCA now ?

For the disgruntled, a tip. Don't strive for the demise of the RSPCA until you have something with enough infrastructure and expertise to replace it with.

Those little private guinea pig and cat rescues in the back gardens of semi's are great, but with the best will in the world, those lovely ladies couldn't replace the RSPCA, imperfect though it may be.

Stop whinging and be constructive on ways to improve the service.
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Very well put horserider, love the RSPCA or loath the society they are the only ones that can take to court. As the society stands at the moment it is a shambles.
 
justabob said:
Very well put horserider, love the RSPCA or loath the society they are the only ones that can take to court. As the society stands at the moment it is a shambles.
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That's not true - the RSPCA do not have any powers of prosection that you, I or any other organisation do not also have. The issue is purely one of money - a large organisation such as this can afford to prosecute; a lesser one might not be able to. If the RSPCA goes the way it looks as though it might, it may well be that current donations are sent to other charities but each one may not receive a sufficient portion of the total to afford prosecutions.
 
camilla4 said:
That's not true - the RSPCA do not have any powers of prosection that you, I or any other organisation do not also have. The issue is purely one of money - a large organisation such as this can afford to prosecute; a lesser one might not be able to. If the RSPCA goes the way it looks as though it might, it may well be that current donations are sent to other charities but each one may not receive a sufficient portion of the total to afford prosecutions.
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Exactly right and we have a thing in this country called the police and CPS, we don't expect the NSPCC to prosecute child abusers do we.
 
Goldenstar said:
Exactly right and we have a thing in this country called the police and CPS, we don't expect the NSPCC to prosecute child abusers do we.
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Just playing Devil's advocate here (I'm no fan of the RSPCA and never donate to them!), the sad truth is that child abuse cases don't (generally) need to be prosecuted privately - the state deals with this much better than animal abuse cases. I have no issue with any charity prosecuting welfare cases if the CPS are not going ahead but I do have a major issue with organisations using funds for political campaigning when (my view!) they would be better spent of education/re-education and rescue cases.
 
justabob said:
Very well put horserider, love the RSPCA or loath the society they are the only ones that can take to court. As the society stands at the moment it is a shambles.
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They are not the only ones who can take to court, they are the only ones who can afford to take to court. They take out a private prosecution, which any individual or group can do, if they have the funds to. If they prosecuted cruelty, rather than taking political prosections they would be able to afford great deal more. If they had not contributed to party political funding, they may be able to work better towards re-homing. If they changed their stance on re-homing, on dogs living outside, on dogs living in households with more than one dog, if they changed their policy on re-homing dogs to people who worked, they may find that people had more respect for them.
 
camilla4 said:
Just playing Devil's advocate here (I'm no fan of the RSPCA and never donate to them!), the sad truth is that child abuse cases don't (generally) need to be prosecuted privately - the state deals with this much better than animal abuse cases. I have no issue with any charity prosecuting welfare cases if the CPS are not going ahead but I do have a major issue with organisations using funds for political campaigning when (my view!) they would be better spent of education/re-education and rescue cases.
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Breaking animal welfare laws is the same as breaking any law and the police can investigate if they chose to we have got our selves into a situation when the massive bulk of animal welfare prosecutions is being done by a charity with its own agenda that's not healthy IMO.
 
Goldenstar said:
Breaking animal welfare laws is the same as breaking any law and the police can investigate if they chose to we have got our selves into a situation when the massive bulk of animal welfare prosecutions is being done by a charity with its own agenda that's not healthy IMO.
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Er - you do realise that I'm actually agreeing with most of what you say?!!!! The problem is that the CPS do not prosecute all cases of animal abuse and I have no issue with anyone picking up the slack, as it were. The issue currently is that the RSPCA are cherry-picking cases that suit their political agenda (the Heythrop case for example). I quite agree that prosecution should be a CPS issue but what do we do if that leaves so many cases unprosecuted?
 
justabob said:
they are the only ones that can take to court.
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Just to be clear, if I wanted to take someone to court I am perfectly entitled to make a private prosecution, all I need is the money

(I actually don't even need any evidence - I can bring the prosecution and just loose if I don't present sufficient information). The police have to present their case to the CPS and the CPS then decide whether a case is 'in the public interest'.

Other charities choose to spend their money in other ways, I suspect the only way to change the behaviour of the RSPCA is to not donate, and make it clear why not, so they don't have the funds to prosecute.

We should be talking/ writing to our PM's/ central govenrment to give more funding to the police to allow them to investigate and prosecute animal cruelty cases where appropriate. I do believe the police have better systems for starting court cases.
 
Having found the RSPCA not very good with equines, twelve months ago I was shocked when they said they had received a complaint about my horses and wanted to visit. I happily allowed them as I had nothing to hide. The Inspector did give the impression he had the right to do many things, but in actual fact they have very little rights. What did suprise me was how good the Inspector was, giving me physical help to sort a few things I had become too weak to do. So I have changed my mind to a certain extent, although his 'frightening' tactics on arrival I think would scare many.

PS. Horses are in ideal condition etc
 
I do wonder if more people complained to the charities commission about the spending behaviour of the 'charity' that more might be done to section off financies that are donated for the animals in their care and funding raised for political activities. Sorry but I think their behaviour in many ways is fraudulent if they are gaining money by deception. In other words the adverts they run show kittens and puppies and animals that have suffered neglect but it never says anything about taking hunts to court or political aspirations that have a financial cost to the charity. Any other one would have their accounts carefully scrutinised and I see no reason why the RSPCA should be any different.

If I donate I want to know that it is going to feed and re-home animals not that it is going to be wasted on ridiculous acts which could be resolved in better ways.

This might be worth a read! Not that they can do much.
http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publications/cc47.aspx

Seems a petition has been raised http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/43807

We ask the government to investigate the RSPCA's activities, especially where they infringe civl or legal rights.

Responsible department: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The RSPCA use "bully boy" tactics against innocent members of the public to bring prosecutions. They often infringe on citizens civil and legal rights.
They misuse funds which have been donated by members of the public specifically for animal welfare for their own political gain in bringing these often vexatious prosecutions. This petition asks that the government investigate fully the actions of the RSPCA, ensure that they are unable to prosecute anyone as that is the remit of the CPS and ensure tighter rules are in place from the charities commission to prevent registered charities from using funds for political lobbying or bringing private prosecutions.

Not sure I agree with the written content in full but I do about misusing funds meant for rehoming animals.
 
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Lizzie.
There are lots of larger animal welfare charities/rescues. They tend to be more targeted though, ie just dogs/cats/rabbits etc. I don't know of any as a broad range though. Lots of wildlife ones local to me too. Not just small back garden jobbies :)

I won't be paying a penny toward rspca again. Fine had they approched us for entry and discussed the situation but on one count they caused criminal damage gaining access to horses. On another occasion when I'd reported animals to them I had the owner of the animals brought round by the rspca (after being assured we would be anonymous as he was very violent) the police had to be called after the rspca lady tried to enter with him and he then got nasty when we declined. On that occasion it was regarding a large amount of cats not cared for. We ended up taking a litter of kittens and denying their knowledge after the rspca refused there was a problem and that we'd be in trouble if their condition declined! The vet bills were extortionate and the vet found the rspca diagnosis of no flies (crawling in them) and just a little case of mange a joke. We were totally up front with the vets and they kindly helped with the costs.

Id like to say that this was one rogue rubbish person but these two events happened in different counties.
 
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