RSPCA and the Prince affair

It's fine to decline to donate, and also fine to express your dislike of a charity, and give general reasons. But IMO utterly bizarre to go into one case in particular, the details of which you only know via a stranger on the internet.

I supported Jess in her care of Prince, and it seems to me that she gave the old lad a bit of love and comfort in his final months which was a wonderful thing. The RSPCA all along appeared to feel he might be better being PTS and in the end Jess agreed with that point of view. :(

I'm not quite certain why people are so angry with the RSPCA in the Prince story, of which we've only heard a little of one side anyway.
 
competitiondiva said:
In comparison to all charities of equal size is it actually any higher????
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It's quite right that upper management of all charities take home a healthy salary. Their skilled employees have as much right to their pay as their peers in business, and a charity will not attract the best staff (and therefore be well run) unless it pays them appropriately.
 
Had this, cat was hit and dying so wanted someone to come and PTS, it had to have a vet to it- you don't want to know. Took them 2 hrs and then had the nerve to ask me just like you a couple of days later. Inspector said he could not find cat. Someone had kindly removed from road and left it on the roadside so owner knew.
 
Facts from there own website!
Yes they obviously do help other animals that don't always get them in the news it was abit of a sweeping statement. But they have turned a blind eye to some high profile cases in the passed but as soon as it's made the big news they swept in and taken all the credit.
Some of the workers are in it for the right reasons and actualy want to help all animals. I've had friends who have worked for the RSPCA but have left to work for other charitys after they have seen what realy goes on and the RSPCAs real agenda at times.
 
Jessi&Magic said:
Whats the other side to the story?
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I applaud the great job you did with Prince, and have said so all along. However we don't know what the RSPCA viewpoint was, and there's no reason we should. :) My only point is it's an odd thing to do to have a go at a charity collector about a case he or she will know nothing about, on the basis of something you read on a forum. :)
 
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Highlands said:
Had this, cat was hit and dying so wanted someone to come and PTS, it had to have a vet to it- you don't want to know. Took them 2 hrs and then had the nerve to ask me just like you a couple of days later. Inspector said he could not find cat. Someone had kindly removed from road and left it on the roadside so owner knew.
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But to be fair, the inspectors cover a very wide area and he could easily have been two hours away. Why was the RSPCA needed for a road accident?
 
LauraWheeler said:
Facts from there own website!
Yes they obviously do help other animals that don't always get them in the news it was abit of a sweeping statement. But they have turned a blind eye to some high profile cases in the passed but as soon as it's made the big news they swept in and taken all the credit.
Some of the workers are in it for the right reasons and actualy want to help all animals. I've had friends who have worked for the RSPCA but have left to work for other charitys after they have seen what realy goes on and the RSPCAs real agenda at times.
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But this is my point whenever I read anti RSPCA threads, they constantly give sweeping statements and ignore everything else!
 
sussexbythesea said:
Of course they ask why, this is normal for any charity especially if you have previously given. Knowing why helps them to understand if they are doing something people don't like. If enough people say the same thing then they might need to review their policies and strategies.

Also agree with some of the other posters that there is no need to be rude to charity collectors. I did a door to door years ago for a children's charity and it was horrible how nasty people can be.
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Fair enough ask but when I declined they kept pushing and pushing. Surely you can afford just £5 more!!! No No I can't. Thats why I say MORONS
 
FionaM12 said:
I applaud the great job you did with Prince, and have said so all along. However we don't know what the RSPCA viewpoint was, and there's no reason we should. :) My only point is it's an odd thing to do to have a go at a charity collector about a case he or she will know nothing about, on the basis of something you read on a forum. :)
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I haven't actually got a problem with the RSPCA. I infact worked for them for a bit when i was at college. The RSPCA do a lot of good for various animals. They failed Prince, but I'm sure their successes outweigh their failures. I don't know what this thread has to do with Prince.

I wanted to know what millymoomin thought was the 'other side of the story'. No ones told me, so if someone knows then i'd like to know too.
 
I too have invited an RSPCA doorknocker into my home and had a 'chat' explaining why I would not be giving to his charity. If he had accepted my initial polite refusal to donate he wouldn't have got both barrels from me, as it was, I objected to being told that I would have the blood of children on my hands if I didn't donate, as it is proven that animal abusers go on to abuse and murder children.

Vile little man.
 
Highlands said:
Had this, cat was hit and dying so wanted someone to come and PTS, it had to have a vet to it- you don't want to know. Took them 2 hrs and then had the nerve to ask me just like you a couple of days later. Inspector said he could not find cat. Someone had kindly removed from road and left it on the roadside so owner knew.
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Got lost with this story, are you saying it took them 2 hours to attend? If so, the RSPCA is a charity, yet your complaining as if they are a government service! Why couldn't you take it to a vet? They have (from that link I put previously) about 360 field staff out there covering the whole of Britain. 2 hours at a guess I'd say is pretty good based on that! (especially when you split that over a 24 hour roster)
 
competitiondiva said:
Got lost with this story, are you saying it took them 2 hours to attend? If so, the RSPCA is a charity, yet your complaining as if they are a government service! Why couldn't you take it to a vet? They have (from that link I put previously) about 360 field staff out there covering the whole of Britain. 2 hours at a guess I'd say is pretty good based on that! (especially when you split that over a 24 hour roster)
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I have to agree.
 
MrsElle said:
I too have invited an RSPCA doorknocker into my home and had a 'chat' explaining why I would not be giving to his charity. If he had accepted my initial polite refusal to donate he wouldn't have got both barrels from me, as it was, I objected to being told that I would have the blood of children on my hands if I didn't donate, as it is proven that animal abusers go on to abuse and murder children.

Vile little man.
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:O as said earlier, mostly these people are employed by a firm specialising in this area. I would have asked for the name of that company and sent a letter of complaint to them. I'd also be sending a letter to RSPCA to let them know of the tactics being used....
 
competitiondiva said:
Got lost with this story, are you saying it took them 2 hours to attend? If so, the RSPCA is a charity, yet your complaining as if they are a government service! Why couldn't you take it to a vet? They have (from that link I put previously) about 360 field staff out there covering the whole of Britain. 2 hours at a guess I'd say is pretty good based on that! (especially when you split that over a 24 hour roster)
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Don't be ridiculous CD - the inspector should have flown there by helicopter...tut.
 
At 6.30 am in the morning my vet did not want to know, unless there is an owner there the RSPCA is the next call. Sadly the cat had lost its back end on a busy A road. I was going the other way with barriers up a slip road. I could not stop as no where to pull in and at 60 mph it was impossible. I rang vets and then RSPCA. I was prepared to pay for cat to be PTS, hardly being callous . Sorry who else would you call? 2 hours is a long time when you are in central England ok 6.30 am in the morning is hard but at least I made the effort.... No one else did.
 
"Door knockers" can be unpaid volunteers quite uninvolved with the charity. I've been phoned by several well known charities (who I'm entirely unconnected to) over the years and asked would I do a door-to-door collection. I did agree to do one some years ago, for Greenpeace, but I hated doing it and decided door-to-door collecting was not for me.

Had I been rude to anyone when I did that collection, like MrsElle's "vile little man" was, it would not have been anything to do with Greenpeace.
 
Highlands said:
At 6.30 am in the morning my vet did not want to know, unless there is an owner there the RSPCA is the next call. Sadly the cat had lost its back end on a busy A road. I was going the other way with barriers up a slip road. I could not stop as no where to pull in and at 60 mph it was impossible. I rang vets and then RSPCA. I was prepared to pay for cat to be PTS, hardly being callous . Sorry who else would you call? 2 hours is a long time when you are in central England ok 6.30 am in the morning is hard but at least I made the effort.... No one else did.
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Errm so where is your criticism of the vet who didn't want to know, even though you would pay them. Also, just to make you aware, RSPCA officers are only allowed to pts wildlife, not domestics. So said cat would have been taken to the vet anyway for pts. Most likely the very same vet you called.
 
FionaM12 said:
"Door knockers" can be unpaid volunteers quite uninvolved with the charity. I've been phoned by several well known charities (who I'm entirely unconnected to) over the years and asked would I do a door-to-door collection. I did agree to do one some years ago, for Greenpeace, but I hated doing it and decided door-to-door collecting was not for me.

Had I been rude to anyone when I did that collection, like MrsElle's "vile little man" was, it would not have been anything to do with Greenpeace.
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The door to door collectors are employed by a completely separate company - they are definately NOT the RSPCA workers themselves.
 
Highlands said:
At 6.30 am in the morning my vet did not want to know, unless there is an owner there the RSPCA is the next call. Sadly the cat had lost its back end on a busy A road. I was going the other way with barriers up a slip road. I could not stop as no where to pull in and at 60 mph it was impossible. I rang vets and then RSPCA. I was prepared to pay for cat to be PTS, hardly being callous . Sorry who else would you call? 2 hours is a long time when you are in central England ok 6.30 am in the morning is hard but at least I made the effort.... No one else did.
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In that case I'd be p****d off with the vets not a charity that did what they could!!! I'd have contacted the RCVS about the refusal from the vet to attend? And if what you say is right that the RSPCA is the only other resource out there to help, don't bad mouth them for doing what they could, help them increase their resources by donating???
 
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Highlands said:
At 6.30 am in the morning my vet did not want to know, unless there is an owner there the RSPCA is the next call. Sadly the cat had lost its back end on a busy A road. I was going the other way with barriers up a slip road. I could not stop as no where to pull in and at 60 mph it was impossible. I rang vets and then RSPCA. I was prepared to pay for cat to be PTS, hardly being callous . Sorry who else would you call? 2 hours is a long time when you are in central England ok 6.30 am in the morning is hard but at least I made the effort.... No one else did.
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Fair enough but if the nearest inspector was 2 hours away, they could hardly get there any sooner. Like I say, they cover a large area so it's hard for them to provide an emergency service.
 
Moomin1 said:
The door to door collectors are employed by a completely separate company - they are definately NOT the RSPCA workers themselves.
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I see that. I'm just saying that I've done that, not for a company, but as an unpaid volunteer. Either way, their behaviour isn't really the charity's fault, nor is there any point ranting at them or being delighted if your dog's sick at their feet. ;)
 
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I must admit I have lost a bit of respect for them after an incident with a swan. We were told someone would be there in 30mins, fab! So we waited...and waited...and waited for over an hour, so we called back "Sorry, no one is coming"

The swan had a plastic bag around it's neck, which was pulling it under the water.
I saved the bloomin' animal with a stick!

Then they had the cheek to call and ask if we were satisfied and if we would like to donate, NO thank you!

That said, they used to be really good when we randomly had an influx of dogs arriving at our door (3 I think, in a short space of time!)
 
FionaM12 said:
I see that. I'm just saying that I've done that, not for a company, but as an unpaid volunteer. Either way, their behaviour isn't really the charity's fault, nor is there any point ranting at them or being delighted if your dog's sick as their feet. ;)
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Sorry Fiona - I was agreeing with you, I think we cross posted at the wrong time!! ;-)
 
I'm quite open in my dislike of the RSPCA as an organisation. I have told chuggers and doorstep collectors why in a (hopefully) polite manner but each and every time they have argued with me using 'facts' that I know are disingenuous at best or totally incorrect.

My experiences with their inspectors have also been disappointing - I have met a few with common sense but only a few. The majority were authoritarian with no good reason and prone to uttering complete and utter bs with the intention of intimidating people and trying to give the impression of having a lot more power than they do. If it was one or two members of their staff that acted like that you'd surmise that they had a few bad apples but IME 80%+ of their inspectors do this so I have to assume that they are trained like that. I don't like the material and scripts that they use to fund raise as IMHO they are bordering on dishonest and as a point of principle, will not donate to any charity that doesn't have an ethos of openness.

My choice of course as it is for anyone who supports them but I do feel that they have alienated the people who could and would provide practical help as well as financial support for political reasons and because as a charity, they think that it's their way or the highway.

I also very strongly feel that they have no business bringing private prosecutions - that is the job of the Government and the CPS despite their apparent unwillingness to do so. If they were to campaign to change that policy I would support them wholeheartedly. I have written to my MP on the subject.

I supported Jess in her care of Prince, and it seems to me that she gave the old lad a bit of love and comfort in his final months which was a wonderful thing. The RSPCA all along appeared to feel he might be better being PTS and in the end Jess agreed with that point of view.
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Fiona,

I just need to say that Prince was "no longer a welfare case" according to Jess's vet when he was PTS and she was happy to report that to the RSPCA. He was PTS because he had ailments that weren't fixable and could have deteriorated rapidly at any time. The decision was hers and hers alone - sorry but I think that's an important distinction.

Jess,

Milliemoomin and Moomin1 have both implied that they know more than they're prepared to say in the past few days. I don't know (or care frankly :rolleyes: ) if it's about Prince but really, if someones not prepared to be open it's not worth wondering about!
 
Highlands said:
Birmingham is 20 mins away, surely they could ring a local vet , I did give a name of one to the call centre.
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I doubt they could call a vet for an animal they haven't even seen. And the inspector might have been based in Birmingham, but could have been anywhere at the time of the call or had numerous other equally urgent incidents to balance. Two hours doesn't seem unreasonable, although very sad for the cat that no-one nearer could help. :(
 
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