RSPCA need to be more thoughtful...long sorry

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rushyj

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One of the worst experiences of my life has just been almost repeated to a friend of mine. To cut a very long story short I had moved to a new yard. I had two horses at the time one of which was an ex racer. Within a week he had slipped and fallen tearing a lot of ligaments in his back. My vet was called out and we put him on box rest. The horse was a raving lunatic on box rest so as it was mid summer my vet suggested I turned him away in the field 24/7 with his friend and I fed him twice daily. He was on very good grazing with 8 acres just for the two of them.

Needless to say the horse who never held weight well at the best of times dropped quite a lot of weight, my vet checked him and said this was normal as he was still quite sore frome the injury. The yard were fully aware of all that had happened to this horse.

Then one of the delightful liveries called the RSPCA out due to the horse being underweight!!! The man arrived when I was not at the yard checked my horse over then left his card with nearly everyone on that yard saying he had grave concerns and could they get me to call him. He made sure everyone knew who he was why he was there and whos horse he was checking. I got given the number and called him the very first thing next morning. I was so angry I could not speak to him just gave him the number of my vet and told him to speak to him. My vet told him exactly why the horse was out and why he had lost condition. Then I heard nothing. There was no phone call from the officer to say all was well nothing. I had to call him!!!! Then to make matters worse when I said would he be contacting the person who made the complaint to say I had done nothing wrong I got told only if they had requested follow up!!!

I was given no way to clear my name and my reputation. I had to move yards in the end as I was getting feeding tips left on my stable door.

Surely the RSPCA must be aware the damage a visit like this causes to someone who has done nothing wrong in a new yard and to make it so public then give no way to clear your name is just wrong. I agree they have a very important job to do (allthough it is my opinion other horse welfare agencies do it much better) but surely when someone has not done anything wrong they should be able to clear themselves as publically as the finger was pointed at them....
 
I understand your frustration and your embarassment but personally would be touched that your previous yard cared enough to call the RSPCA and to write down feeding tips. Okay I concede they should have just spoken to you directly, but some people are shy about confrontation. As for the RSPCA officer, he was only doing his job, and better to embarass the owner of a healthy horse than ignore the welfare of a neglected one? Sorry but I don't really agree with your point
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I agree.

The RSPCA should respond to concerns about the care of animals, but should also be big enough to be as public in the explanation of the conditions when they do not have to take any action. fair's fair.

I suppose they could be held for 'slander/character assination' or something like that if they didn't put the correct story in the public domain.
 
It's all about communication - all the RSPCA had to do was send a letter make a phone call to the complainant with an explanation to clear somebody's name. We hear about the bad owners, but we don't hear the RSPCA saying that THIS person has got it right.
 
I am sorry Ali but surely the fact they knew my vet had been in attendance 5 times in the previous two weeks to this horse and they had given me the field due to the nature of the horses problem proves they knew full well I was taking care of this horse. They saw the condition he arrived in (well and fit) and his weight loss immediately after the injury. The RSPCA were called out by another RSPCA officer who was a livery on the yard (hence why they could not deal with it) surely a person of this standing would have been able to talk to me personally before calling them out????

As for how it was dealt with when he was at that yard. How hard would it have been for him to call one of the 4 phone numbers I had on my stable rather than speak to every person on that yard... Don't get me wrong every case should be investigated and that is not my concern my concern is the way they slunk away with no thought of the damage that had been caused..
 
[ QUOTE ]
when an insp goes out to a job they will call the caller who reported and let them no the outcome on what has happened so the person who reported it will be aware unless she remained anonymous on a call !

[/ QUOTE ]

In general, no, they do not.

OP, I would be more upset that someone on your own yard called them, surely they know the circumstances or could just have a word with you about their concerns?
 
That is what I thought. It really is the most horrible experience for someone who loves thier horses and treats them with total care. I would not have minded at all someone calling them who had maybe walked past and seen him like that. I could understand that and would have indeed encouraged it if I had seen him that way without knowing the story.

The laughable thing is I used to loan a lot of horses fom the ILPH who used to do field checks on me all the time and were always happy. Don't get me wrong if anyone sees a horse they think is being mistreated of course report it, but it should be investigated in a much more tactful way and the person given the chance to clear themselves. Even a letter stating from the RSPCA that all is well.
 
I have lost all faith in the rspca after i have rehomed a dog and 8 weeks later it is now blind due to a hereditry illness that they didnt notice, and there answer....just give him back!!never mind the fact that i love the little mite!!grrrrrr.
Anyway i think its awful that they should be allowed to discuss it to other people uninvolved it should be dicreet unless further action is needed IMO
 
Did you post in all about dogs?? Just to say that it took you 8 weeks to notice the sight problem it may not have been evident whilst at the kennels and if there is no treatment what do you want the kennels to say? They have offered to take it back....!! Really in some peoples opinions the rspca can't do right for doing wrong!!!

As far as this case is concerned if the phone numbers were evident on the stale then it would have been more tactful to call direct (although if the horses were out did the inspector know which your stables were in order to find the numbers?) I'd be more concerned that no one at the yard spoke in your defense to explain the circumstances. The inspector isn't going to know an animals history on arrival so can only act on what they see there and then until they are able to get the full picture from the owner and/or vet. You wanted to be publically cleared but the other liveries etc at the yard know the history so what is to clear.
 
Someone once called the RSPCA to a horse in my care. He had dropped weight dramatically over winter, and looked awful, but was on various supplements and under vet care. It didn't stop some of the bitchier liveries making snide comments, but ultimately, I was in the right, and told them I was more than happy to call the vet up to share their theories on it if they liked (producing mobile). Funnily not a single one took me up on it, and it blew over as soon as the spring grass came through.

The RSPCA can only do so much, and I don't think asking the liveries whose horse it is / to please contact him on a certain number etc is out of order. All you need to do to clear your name is point out the RSPCA officer was satisfied by your and your vet's account of the situation, and that the matter has been dropped.
 
I once had someone report me to RSPCA for ''painting'' my horse.
It was actually purple spray never heard off them again but RSPCA are worse than crap IMO.
 
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