Sad news as RSPCA redundancies announced and rescue centres close

Birker2020

Birker2020

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 October 2008
Messages
23,595
Visit site
SAW THIS ON F.B THIS MORNING:

We’re heartbroken to announce that, following a consultation period, we are having to make redundancies across our services, including the closure of Lockwood Equine Centre, Putney Animal Hospital, South Godstone Animal Centre, Southall Cattery, and Southall Clinic. Southall Clinic has now closed, Putney Animal Hospital will close to the public on 28/08/2020, and Lockwood, South Godstone and Southall Cattery will close on 30/09/2020.

Unfortunately, we have had to make extremely difficult decisions due to our financial situation as our overall deficit is forecasted to be £20-25m this year. Without significant changes such as these, the deficit is anticipated to rise to £47m over the next three years. This obviously isn’t sustainable and if closures and redundancies aren’t made, we could cease to exist in the future.

We’re disappointed to have had to make these decisions and to lose talented and dedicated members of staff and establishments.

We are contacting anyone likely to be affected by the closures, including fosterers and clients. Any animals in these centres will be relocated to other premises, and anyone currently in the process of rehoming a specific animal from one of these sites should still be able to do so.

RSPCA inspectors will continue to help animals in greatest need in these areas, utilising vets, other RSPCA establishments, and local wildlife rehabilitators when animals need veterinary treatment.

You can find out more about the other changes we're having to make here: https://bit.ly/3isjpWW
 
It always makes me chuckle that we had an RSPCA officer called out to us when our laminitic shetland through an abscess (the usual, fine in the morning - hoping lame by tea time) within 24 hrs of symptoms showing (hot tubbed, polticed, rang farrier, etc) but the starving horses you see left in bare fields with no water and belly deep in ragwort never even get a second glance.
 
Honestly the sooner they and their incompetent higher ups go out of business, the better for everyone.

I wonder how many animals their new headquarters could have saved? How long the Peel case Arabs could have been supported for rather than shot? How much good they could have done instead of jumping into bed with Blair and his cronies?

They don’t stick to their charter and they like to play God. Try getting them to actually come out and see a lame pony in a field of ragwort and you’ll get nowhere. Utterly useless.

And forget the idea they might ever help a wild animal that you find injured.
 
Snowfilly said:
Honestly the sooner they and their incompetent higher ups go out of business, the better for everyone.

I wonder how many animals their new headquarters could have saved? How long the Peel case Arabs could have been supported for rather than shot? How much good they could have done instead of jumping into bed with Blair and his cronies?

They don’t stick to their charter and they like to play God. Try getting them to actually come out and see a lame pony in a field of ragwort and you’ll get nowhere. Utterly useless.

And forget the idea they might ever help a wild animal that you find injured.
Click to expand...


these are pretty much my feelings of them. Not fit for purpose and greedy.
 
they should cull at the top!!!!! they are the ones who decided to go into politics and waste thousands on ridiculous court cases. i feel sorry for the people on the front line who really do care even though their horse knowledge is not the best....the rspca lost my support when they changed and i think they would have lost any support that they did have from the countryside community when the hunting fiasco started.....
 
Theskebaldmare said:
:( poor animals in the rescues that are closing
Click to expand...
Yes despite them saying these will be moved to other centres I still think most will be culled. They need to spend more on education.

I also think there should be some sort of rule in force to prevent the continual breeding of pedigrees for money. I know someone whose bitches are continually pregnant with her posting cute puppy photos all over FB, when I know not more than a few miles away the local rehoming centre will be pts healthy but unwanted dogs.

In 2018 alone 1400 were pts as unwanted. And in 2017 1.5m pts in America unwanted. I've also seen ridiculous prices for dachshund puppies of 3k on Gumtree and 2k for a beagle when you can proudly rehome one from Beagle Welfare for £200 and know you have changed the life of that dog.

I've never had dealings with the RSPCA but from what I believe I think their front line staff work hard in underfunded and over crowded conditions and they have my respect.
 
Sad for the people and animals affected but it would be great if they now changed their focus to actually help animals. Get rid of that ego head quarters or sublet most of it and refocus on core activities which doesn't include political donations.

I am closely involved with a third sector organisation and everyone member of staff earning over a certain amount has taken a 30% pay cut - respect to them for taking such action. Has this been done at the RSPCA? I used to work in a charity that was losing money and we needed to restructure. When I suggested that a vastly downsized organisation wouldn't need a CEO of gazillion £ per annum, I was vilified.
 
I dont get why everyone is on about their HQ building? Maybe the area they wanted to locate their staff to had limited buildings to choose from that would have accommodated everyone. If it was built for them maybe that is the standard cost of buildings these days.

A 722 room student accomodation for example is around 45m. Maybe their hands were tied in building choice/design/location/price?
 
The building is an obscene building for a charity. It looks like a huge corporate head quarters for an American software company and they had it built - there is photo further up the page. They are based in the Gatwick diamond so land is expensive but there are vacant offices available locally.
 
The Bouncing Bog Trotter said:
The building is an obscene building for a charity. It looks like a huge corporate head quarters for an American software company and they had it built - there is photo further up the page. They are based in the Gatwick diamond so land is expensive but there are vacant offices available locally.
Click to expand...
Oh I see. Sorry I didn't realise. That seems extravagant in that case.
 
The RSPCA is not poor, this what really sticks in my craw. Constantly begging on TV, if you watch enough daytime TV you will know the ads are constantly on, and the whole, we will give your dog a home for life if you die, but for how long? These are obviously targeted at a certain demographic.

Their accounts are eye watering, in 2018 they spent over £28m on fundraising, and their legacy income was over £80m. Page 19 overview. Yet support to local branches is just over £19m
https://www.rspca.org.uk/documents/...3-2485-9300-6058-1108409f014a?t=1560511878538

I have no idea if the money is well spent, to be honest my view is coloured to by a trip to an RSPCA centre with the school, (1960's) where they had a separate building where they then electrocuted animals to PTS.
 
This RSPCA centre in Shropshire is fabulous. It was purpose built with monies from a bequest which had quite tight conditions attached to it, so I hope it will be safe. The equine staff are very professional, and were very supportive during my two fosters.

There are all sorts of other animals there, too, but I haven’t looked round those facilities.

https://www.rspca.org.uk/local/gonsal-farm-animal-centre
 
I've seen an FB post today which suggests the equine branch (lock wood?) has found homes for all but 2 3years olds in there care. It's a shame the same effort couldn't be put in to rehoming animals sooner. Would of kept costs down and made room for other animals in need.
 
Tiddlypom said:
This RSPCA centre in Shropshire is fabulous. It was purpose built with monies from a bequest which had quite tight conditions attached to it, so I hope it will be safe. The equine staff are very professional, and were very supportive during my two fosters.

There are all sorts of other animals there, too, but I haven’t looked round those facilities.

https://www.rspca.org.uk/local/gonsal-farm-animal-centre
Click to expand...

I fostered a cat from gnosal once. Went in to get a dog microchipped and ended up with a home viewing to rehome a cat (you know how these things go). Leo the cat had been there 18 months after coming in as a stray with a smashed up pelvis following an altercation with a car. They had fixed him up beautifully and kept him well all that time. When their system works, it works beautifully, but HQ seem to have lost their way and could do with getting their heads out of their arses.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top