Slightly dodgy? In your opinion?

LaurenyLou

LaurenyLou

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I took on a little 11hh pony as a companion from a lovely lady local to me in Kent. Little bit of background: Lovely lady had taken said pony on from a 'sanctuary' as felt sorry for him but things changed and she wanted to find him a new loving home without sending him back to the sanctuary.

So, up to mine he came. The sanctuary did a 'home check' before authorising the change of home, and whilst at my house did nothing but slate the current owner? Thought it was slightly odd. Mentioned she lived in a caravan but had a brand new car. Maybe irrelevant..

Anyway, lovely lady had paid a rehoming fee for the pony, which now the sanctuary are asking me for. I have said that's fine, please send your bank details and charity number (as don't want to be scammed!) and I will pay. Lady said they don't have a charity number? Looked into it a little and have found out that they have almost 50 horses on a VERY small acreage, the Daughter has her own competition horse having private lessons and clinics paid directly out of the ''charity fund''. The RSPCA are investigating them etc etc and WHW have been down there and are trying to push things further to possibly close or prosecute?? Not sure what to do! Do I pay or do I not?! It's only under £200 but don't want to be paying for BSJA training for someone else!

Is it legal to advertise as a charity if you are not one?!
 
No idea of the legal standing, but until you manage to get the proper legal standing, I'd just re-iterate that you'll pay on production of a charity number, & a contract/receipt to say what you are paying for.
 
If they are the actual owners rather than the pony officially belonging to a charity could you maybe offer to buy the pony for the amount specified instead?
 
There's a lot of this about at the moment unfortunately, businesses posing as charities.

Personally, I wouldn't pay until she comes up with a charity number. She's unlikely to take the pony back as she'd then have to pay for its keep herself.
 
She won't sell I don't think. She has been described by an ACTUAL charity as a kleptomaniac ( I had to google it too!)
 
Billie1007 said:
Don't pay. She is unlikely to whip it back to her 'yard'. Ditto repetition of request for charity number....
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Actually, you're caught between a bit of a rock and hard placed - because they don't have to be a charity to charge a re-homing fee. And as this pony is theirs, and you want it, I would stump up.

As for the legalities of stating you're a charity when you're not - yes, it's illegal.
 
Not sure where you are in Kent but I heard something very similar Hawkinge/Ashford/Folkestone area, apparently they move about a bit. The issues I heard of was that a person offered to rehome any unwanted equines and then 'loaned or leased' them to new homes. PM me is you want more info, would not want to post anything too precise on here!
 
Dovorian said:
Not sure where you are in Kent but I heard something very similar Hawkinge/Ashford/Folkestone area, apparently they move about a bit. The issues I heard of was that a person offered to rehome any unwanted equines and then 'loaned or leased' them to new homes. PM me is you want more info, would not want to post anything too precise on here!
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If this is the one I think they were also selling the horses they were supposed to be offering a lifelong home to. I believe they now describe themselves as a 'private run rescue' rather than a charity.
 
Thinking about this again it sounds more trouble than it's worth, plenty of 11hh ponies out there needing homes and cheap too, both of mine cost less than that rehoming fee
 
If they are describing themselves as a charity and can't produce a number then I would speak to trading standards and the charity commission as they may be committing an offence. However they do not have to be a charity to run a rescue/sanctury/shelter.

What you do comes down to how much the pony is worth to you. If you genuinely just want a companion and that is all this pony is then I would offer to buy the pony for a nominal sum and if accepted make sure you have it in writing that it is a sale not a loan. If rejected then I would give the sanctury notice that they should collect the pony and that if it isn't gone by x date you will start charging them livery. They will either collect or not, if they do then you go and buy a cheap pony from the sales or off pre-loved or offer a retirement home to a pony from your local RS/RDA or rehome from a "proper" charity. If they don't collect it then it will soon get to the stage where they owe you more in keep that the rehoming fee and you can offer to buy the pony in exchange for writing off the debt.

WHW, Blue Cross, Redwings, The Horse Trust, The Donkey Sanctury etc all have rehoming schemes and are often inundated with small ponies needing companion homes. At the moment the sanctury need you more than you need them.
 
Thank you everyone.

The pony is solely a companion, possibly something to break in over the summer and use for my Daughter when she is old enough but other than that nothing else. I agree that I could pick one up for £50 or rehome one from a genuine charity if this one isn't playing it fairly.

I think I will offer to buy him, but not sure how to word things? She doesn't really talk on the phone which doesn't help so it will have to be via text (at least then I can save it too). I have a passport as she wouldn't let the old owner have one to transport him so they just had one made, and had a microchip put in, also in their name.

How can I word this without being rude? I know she hasn't got the space to take him back but am prepared to have to let him go if she kicks off a bit.
 
Dovorian said:
Not sure where you are in Kent but I heard something very similar Hawkinge/Ashford/Folkestone area, apparently they move about a bit. The issues I heard of was that a person offered to rehome any unwanted equines and then 'loaned or leased' them to new homes. PM me is you want more info, would not want to post anything too precise on here!
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Definitely sounds like her doesnt it.
very dodgy.
 
The OP can't simply 'not pay', though. She has to come to some sort of arrangement and agreement with this horses owner. To do otherwise would have legal ramifications.
 
If they said they were a charity, and quite clearly are not then I don't think there would be any fault on my part for offering payment for the horse to puchase, but refusing to pay a rehoming fee. If she doesn't agree to the purchase of him then she is welcome to take him back. I am not witholding him.
 
Could you foster for WHW or the RSPCA , ie take an a young one until its old enough to be broken and rehomed ?
It's a very worth while thing to do.
This sounds well dodgy but I do feel for the pony.
 
I too feel for the pony, but equally don't want money going into the wrong hands. As much as I would like to I can't save every horse and I am sure that between myself, his previous loan home, the ''charity'' and WHW who are currently investigating the place the pony will be protected. He is a little heinz 57 who is happy anywhere as long as there is grass so not at risk of losing condition stressing over moving.
 
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