SHG Press Release - RSPCA Slaughter Ten German Shepherds with Bolt Pi

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Fenris

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The Self Help Group for Farmers, Pet Owners and Others
Experiencing Difficulties with the RSPCA (The SHG)

Press Release
For Immediate Release
30th August 2009




RSPCA Slaughter Ten German Shepherds with Bolt Pistol

Animal Lovers besiege RSPCA Facebook page in protest


The RSPCA's Facebook page has been inundated with posts from angry animal lovers protesting about the RSPCA slaughter of ten German Shepherd dogs using a bolt pistol.


According to RSPCA e-mail responses relatives contacted the RSPCA after the dog's owner died and the dogs were left living on their own.


An RSPCA inspector decided that the dogs were unsocialised, had a skin condition and therefore were unfit for rehoming and should be put down.


The RSPCA said that if the relatives could not find a rescue to take the dogs the RSPCA would take and euthanase them.

When there is a death in the family people have other, more pressing matters to deal with and are likely to be too distressed to think clearly. How are they going to find the local shelters in these circumstances?

A furious Jayne Shenstone of German Shepherd Rescue said:

"There is a large network of GSD rescues in the UK yet not one of us was contacted by either the owners or by the RSPCA. The fact that the RSPCA would not attempt to contact any other rescue suggests that they couldn't be bothered and that it was easier and cheaper to shoot the dogs."

"The GSD is naturally very protective and territorial so will guard home and owner. With regard to the ten, their owner had died so one would assume that they would be confused and frightened."

"To an inexperienced person they would have appeared aggressive."

"They should have been separated and they would have calmed down."

"If they had a skin condition what was it and why couldn't it be treated?"

"GSD's that come into rescue often need experienced help which is why even other non-GSD rescues will approach us for help with rehoming any that come into their care."


The SHG has accused the RSPCA of utter hypocrisy.

Anne Kasica of the SHG said:

"The RSPCA used the case of David Smith who shot unwanted greyhounds with a bolt pistol to promote a massive publicity campaign aimed at obtaining increased regulation of greyhound breeding, training and racing, despite the claims that the RSPCA made use of Mr. Smith's services."

"Either it is acceptable to shoot excess unwanted dogs or it is not."

"This is not the first time the RSPCA has been criticised for shooting dogs with a bolt pistol. They were fully aware after their shooting of two basset hounds in Ipswich in 2004 that the public do not find this acceptable practice."

"If the RSPCA believes it is acceptable to shoot dogs with captive bolt pistols then they should make it quite clear that this is what will happen to dogs that come into their care."

Ernest Vine also of the SHG asked:

"What qualifications does an inspector have to assess dogs in this situation? Is he a vet? The RSPCA uses the yardstick of 'failure to seek veterinary advice' in their prosecutions. How was it possible to assess the mental state of each dog in these circumstances?"

"We are told that a dog's mental capacity is that of the average two year old toddler. Imagine the reaction of a toddler who had been left alone like this and then faced with strangers. Would he be upset? Perhaps be aggressive and try to escape? Or maybe even bite? Could it be that too much is expected of dogs in difficult circumstances and that these dogs were far better behaved than they were given credit for?"

"We are calling for some check on what happens to animals that pass through large organisations like the RSPCA. Animals are killed before their owners have a chance to claim them. Owners are told their animals are not in RSPCA shelters when they are there and in the process of being rehomed."

"For these reasons the SHG wants a cooling off period for animal sign overs to the RSPCA similar to the protections provided when buying double glazing. Perhaps 28 days would give time for people to reflect on their actions. After all, if the dogs were in need of rehabilitation that would not be an excessive time period and nothing would stop prospective adopters from registering their interests."

"Could it be that the RSPCA is being driven by financial cuts (£54million) to seek the cheapest alternative without adequately considering the animal's welfare?"

Ends


Word Total: 720




Notes to Editors: -

References

The RSPCA facebook page can be viewed at
http://www.facebook.com/RSPCA
Should it be removed the SHG has saved a copy and will provide it on request.

The RSPCA Head of Inspectorate is Tim Wass whose e-mail is twass@rspca.org.uk

No justice for murdered greyhounds
http://www.greyhoundaction.org.uk/NoJustice.htm

RSPCA shoots basset hounds
http://www.germanshepherdrescue.freeforums.org/basset-hounds-shot-by-rspca-t590.html

10 German Shepherds slaughtered by captive bolt
http://www.germanshepherdrescue.freeforu...-bolt-t585.html

Information on Captive Bolt Pistols, types and uses
http://www.reference.com/browse/captive+bolt

Rusty alive despite being shot by captive bolt pistol
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/a-dogs-life-aint-what-it-used-to-be-486989.html

Better dead than fed PETA claims
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/06/23/EDG11DC9BK1.DTL

No Kill Now - Ingrid Newkirk should resign
http://www.nokillnow.com/PETAIngridNewkirkResign.htm

The petition to the Prime Minister for a public inquiry into the policies and running of the RSPCA obtained over 2,029 signatures and can be seen at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/rspcainquiry

RSPCA to reduce expenditure by £54million
http://www.charityfinance.co.uk/home/content.php?id=2837

Contacts:

Jayne Shenstone of German Shepherd Rescue can be contacted on 01568 797957 or
by e-mail at info@germanshepherdrescue.co.uk

For further comment from the SHG please contact Anne Kasica on 01559 371031 or Ernest Vine on 01559 370566. Mobile 07534 056634.
e-mail:shg@the-shg.org


The SHG was officially formed in June 1990 and has been helping people to defend themselves and their animals from the RSPCA ever since.


The national help line number is 0844 700 66 90


A copy of this and previous press releases from The SHG are online at
http://www.the-shg.org/SHGPressReleases.htm

Background information on the Self Help Group for Farmers Pet Owners and Other Experiencing Difficulties with the RSPCA can be found at
http://www.the-shg.org


Details of further criticisms of the RSPCA can be found at the RSPCA-Animadversion website: http://cheetah.webtribe.net/~animadversion
 
GSD Rescue have been on this for a while as mentioned.

There are lots of GSDs with skin conditions and who have been unsocialised - mine included! - it is entirely possible to turn both of these issues around relatively quickly with the right treatment and training.

Although having said that I do not agree with no-kill-at-all-costs policies and I do not agree with pretty much anything PETA says about anything
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Thanks for all the links.
 
I see no problem. The dogs were unsocialised and a danger to people. The RSPCA did the right thing. better a dead dog than an injured child.
 
Unsocialised does not automatically mean a danger to people.
Had they shown overt aggression towards humans then I would be inclined to agree, but there is no evidence for this that I can see.
And why use a bolt gun on a small animal? (I mean, compared to a cow).
 
I cannot see anywhere that is says the dogs were aggressive, just unsocialised, a totally different thing. What is so bad here is that the RSPCA did not call on a specialised GSD rescue organisation to assess/help with these dogs. For some reason they often seem to be reluctant to involve breed rescues, maybe they don't want to face up to the fact that other organisations probably know more about dogs than they do
tongue.gif
And lets face it, when involved with horse cases their knowledge often seems to be virtually non-existent.
 
Yes, one would think an organisation like the RSPCA would know something about retraining unsocialised animals.

Unsocialised, to me anyway, means they haven't been out of their home environment, been walked down a busy street, visited different places like the woods or the beach, haven't mixed with other dogs or animals properly.
Several of our dogs have been a bit like this when they arrived with us and they have all been very people-friendly, just needed gentle exposure to new situations and a bit of re-training.

There are hundreds and thousands of dogs like this in the UK, of all breeds, for one reason or another, it doesn't mean they are all unmitigated killing machines.
 
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I was cold called the other evening asking for donations to the RSPCA I was not amused!!

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This was probably a scam - if anyone rings you up asking for card / bank details NEVER give them over the phone. You don't know how they got your number or where the cash is going.
 
The RSPCA disgust me actually - I saw the CH5 (I think) prog the other day following the RSPCA and I was shocked and disgusted when they decided the only option for a young, fit and healthy cat they found in a house people had been evicted from was to have it PTS. The reason being "well we can't rehome it, it is aggressive (WTF?!) and who would want a cat that they couldn't pick up and stroke etc".

Honestly, WTF??? Have they ever heard of stable/farm cats?? I actually couldn't believe it, it was a lovely looking and young cat (therfeore chance ot actually make it more tame - it just takes time) and even if 'aggressive' it's not like a cat is a danger to humans is it.

The RSPCA is USELESSS. End of. I would never give them any money and neither would I call them if i thought i knew of/found an animal that needed help.
 
So it says in a newspaper - did they bother to have them checked by a behaviourist or any dog professional? No. They cannot be bothered. That is the attitude that comes across I am afraid. There seems to have been various different avenues they could have gone down or people they could have approached in an attempt to rehome the dogs but they didn't even try.
 
I don't know of this case but I do know that rescues are running at overflow capacity so to find space for 10 GSD's would be near impossible, if they were requiring specialist care that would add to the near impossibility of finding space, with regard to contacting other organisations, if an animal comes into rspca care other rescues may have very different policies from them which although may mean well actually can cause more mental suffering (such as non destructive policies, I've known of un-rehomeable dogs kept in kennels for life doped up to keep them from harming themselves etc) therefore they work closely with some agencies but can be reluctant to work with others.

With regard to bolting/shooting, what is the problem it is a recognised, instant, humane method of euthanasia especially for dogs that may not be able to be held down for injections etc.

Fenris you are openly anti rspca and you have worded this story in a very biased manner to instill similar opinions.

It is not an ideal world that we live in, and yes in an ideal world the rspca and other organisations would be able to find space and facilities to rehab all dogs etc unfortunately this is not the case.
 
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Honestly, WTF??? Have they ever heard of stable/farm cats?? I actually couldn't believe it, it was a lovely looking and young cat (therfeore chance ot actually make it more tame - it just takes time) and even if 'aggressive' it's not like a cat is a danger to humans is it.


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Just out of interest where do you suppose the cat to go whilst a farm home is located, which could take weeks? Should the cat have just been put out in the street where no one was going to feed it? And left hoping it would be able to fend for itself with no one responsible for it? Yes this could have been the better option, but if its lived in a house all its life and never hunted etc would this be fair to it?
 
QR.
Assuming that they were agressive (and it doesnt sound like the RSPCA took the time to find that out/investigate why or acess if it was something that oculd be sorted) why not contact the police/army?
GSD's are still a favorite breed for them,and they would have been with very experianced handlers that might have been able to offer them a working life.
 
Very good point NO - we have donated to the cops in the past.

Although if the case was that they were simply unsocialised (as was originally suggested, not aggressive), they may not have had the gameness, strength of character or courage needed for protection work.
 
Cats are rescued and rehomed every single day so I am sure there would have been plenty of places it could have been kept. I think cats are a lot easier to rehome than dogs to be honest and are naturally a lot better at living a 'wild' existence as they are competent hunters.

The cat in question had been living wild in the house anyway. Fortunately another one had managed to escape so didn't suffer the same fate. My sister took on two very wild cats who had been part of a bigger rescue from similar circumstances. They both live as hosue cats quite happily and, although nervy they are getting more confident and are perfectly content.

My point really was the RSPCA on a whole just seem to constantly come across as useless and a 'can't be bothered to help' attitude. Myself and my family have contacted the RSPCA in the past for abandoned/injured animals, injured wildlife etc and get the same answer being that it's "not their job". I would not contact them in the future.

I feel sorry for all animals the RSPCAS 'save' as in so many cases it just seems to be a death sentence unless other charities get involved. In the case ogf these GSDs they didn't even give any other charities the opportunity to help.
 
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Very good point NO - we have donated to the cops in the past.

Although if the case was that they were simply unsocialised (as was originally suggested, not aggressive), they may not have had the gameness, strength of character or courage needed for protection work.

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Oh completly agree,and it does sound like they needed some basic socialisation at the start and "they were too agressive" has been trotted out as justification for putting them down.
but I do know that out of the litter we had as children,one pup needed some extra TLC to be right in new situations,four were perfect anffgels and everything you would expect from a GSD and the last was far too agressive for a pet but had a wonderfull like with the police.

If it wasnt an excuse swiftly thought up to defend their actions,the forces could have given a first class home to a dog too agressive for a pet and they would not need to be defending themselves now.
Mind you,that would need some logical thought...and we are talking about the RSPCA
smirk.gif
 
I was only told about this yesterday on fb by a local animal rescue, no one knew about this or were given the opportunity to help beforehand - the village of Pontardawe is only 10 mins away from me. I have 3 generations of GSDs and have owned them for 30 years which gives me a fairly qualified opinion on the breed. Why the heck wasnt there an appeal put out, at least locally? Why a bolt gun, was lethal injection deemed too expensive for the RSPCA?

Angry and peeved
South Wales
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The problem is that this isn't the first case, many animals are being left in neglectful homes or just simply pts, these 10 dogs had just lost their owner had been in the house on their own, 8 strange men had just turned up, the dogs were probably more scared than aggressive and they were taken out into the garden as if going for a walk (so couldn't have been too aggressive) and then shot! they couldnt inject because they were suffering from a skin condition which would have made it difficult to shave there leg to inject!!! absolute nonsense,. An investigation needs to take place straight away into the activities of the RSPCA who are taking hard earned cash of of people and not using it for what people think.


http://www.petitiononline.com/bruno09/petition.html

for more stories visit
http://www.germanshepherdrescue.co.uk/our-dogs-gsds-shot-by-rspca.html
 
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Although having said that I do not agree with no-kill-at-all-costs policies and I do not agree with pretty much anything PETA says about anything
blush.gif


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PETA slaughters more animals than any other 'animal welfare' organisation. 95% of all animals they took in last year, whilst at the same time preaching 'total animal liberation'.

PETA kills

I hate them. Total hypocrites!
 
QR

Interesting that the vast majority of posters on this site ( I think) are generally in favour of having an animal PTS if there is not a realistic prospect of it going on to have a happy, healthy life in a secure home - but when the RSPCA take the pragmatic approach there are howls of complaint.

Hypocrites!
 
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QR

Interesting that the vast majority of posters on this site ( I think) are generally in favour of having an animal PTS if there is not a realistic prospect of it going on to have a happy, healthy life in a secure home - but when the RSPCA take the pragmatic approach there are howls of complaint.

Hypocrites!

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Well said!!!!
 
well, considering i live in pontardawe i can safely say that no attempt by the RSPCA was made to help these dogs. I train my dogs and know many of the dog trainer in pontardawe and i can safely say none of them were contacted asking for any help or assistance with these dogs. we only found out after the damage was done.
If the RSPCA took enough time to evaluate the dogs i would see no problem distroying them if they were a threat but the RSPCA did not have the decency to find out.
 
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