Tighter regulation on animal/horse welfare/rescue groups?

Baggybreeches

Baggybreeches

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Just pondering as yet more nonsense has cropped up on my facebook news feed about XYZ welfare group or rescue centre.
Is it time we had tighter regulation and higher standards on what actually qualifies as a sanctuary/re-homing/rescue centre? It seems to me that anybody who collects one too many horses and then realises they can't afford them goes round rattling a tin expecting other people to cough up. The next step is to apply for charity status and then lo and behold they are legally allowed to beg!
In reality the vast majority of these places are horribly overcrowded with substandard stabling and grazing staffed by volunteers who usually lack the intelligence to question the surroundings of the animals they are 'caring' for.
Is it not far better to give the horses/animals the ultimate gift when they are past their best and their owners don't want them rather than leave them lingering around in less than idyllic surroundings being kept alive by charity donors goodwill?
 
I think any group who want to run as a rescue should have to be licenced, there are too many 'rescues' out there where the animals are in a worse state than before they were 'rescued':mad:
 
Surely the intelligent qeustion would be to ask why the sanctuaries are at bursting point. Shouldn't the spotlight be turned on the owners of the horses that end up there in the first place?

If a dog is for life and not just for Christmas, then why do so many people feel that it doesn't also apply to a horse? It sickens me to read that people are contemplating sending their horse to a sanctuary or being euthanised when it is 'past it's best', old , injured or difficult.

If one buys a horse then the owner has a responsibility to do the best for that horse, regardless of how ill-advised or unfortunate that choice may turn out to be. To contemplate 'gving' him to a sanctuary or having him euthanised because they 'don't want him to be sent from pillar to post' is irresponsible and immoral.

Sanctuaries shouldn't be condemned for trying to save real cases of abuse and neglect. The real root of the overflowing sanctuaries is selfishness and greed.
 
baggybreeches I totally agree
IF The Licensing of Equine Establishments ever gets through then these places will all have to be licenced. At the moment this is a document and needs to be taken up by Gov. to add to Animal Welfare Act 2006.
 
Couldn't agree more Baggybreeches, it is far too easy for animal collectors to call themselves "rescue" or "sanctuary".
Classicalfan, I would far rather people pts their horses when they were old, injured etc. If God forbid my circumstances change and I am unable to keep my oldies they will definitely be pts. I am not sure how you can say that someone is doing their best for a horse if their choice is ill advised, seems a bit of a contradiction.
 
Well a good first step would be for people only to donate to actual registered charities. Most of the worst offenders are not registered charities, and at least with those that are there is a mechanism for complaint.

I hate to hear these stories of appeals for funds by sanctuaries that aren't charities, you don't know where your money is going. Personally my money goes to one of the big names or stays in my pocket, BHS, WHW, and The Brooke and that is pretty much it....
 
Classicalfan I agree.

Owners find an animal no longer able to be ridden or retire them without taking the responsibility, afterall if they pay livery then this just becomes an expense they possibly can't afford once purchasing another animal and having to pay that also.

It seems to me that these places have become dumping grounds, and likely more so in this current economic climate.

Sad really. I don't go on facebook must be one of the only people who don't!

It's as usual, the horses who suffer still.
 
The problem with the big charities is that they can afford to market themselves. Myself and OH give monthly donations to ILPH and the Brooke, but I do like to give a few quid to The Alternative Animal Sanctuary and the MAre and Foal sanctuary. It's hard where do you start and where do you stop?

I have today received our 3rd b***y china cup and saucer from the Humane Society - I also was sent uninvited an animal feeding fork (cat or dog meat) a few months ago. It made me so angry - I returned the packaged 'GIFTS' with a snotty note stating that if they could afford to do such an aggressive marketing campain as to send out uninvited goods to people then they would NEVER get my money.
This is the problem with the established charities - they have such huge coffers of funds they could run for several years on those with no marketing campaign for more donations!!
 
it seems to be that if you wander down to your local pony sale, buy up all the sorry looking ponies ready for the meat man,half starve the horses because you cant actually afford them, and then declare yourself a rescue centre and get other people to pay for your animals.

Wont even get started on the RSPCA.
 
The larger charities also have the advantages of economies of scale hence many charities now looking to merge to help keep costs down. I dislike the aggressive marketing campaigns too and for that reason I don't participate with charities who do chugging etc. I have never been sent unsolicited gifts, although my mum gets the foot and mouth christmas cards every year.

Not all of the smaller charities are "bad" but you have to use your own knowledge and common sense about which you support.

I agree that licensing would be a good thing.
 
I think it would be necessary to differentiate between charities and private owners who choose to call themselves a rescue or a sanctuary? I think most of the places you are talking about are just private horse owners who have chosen to give themselves a label and start collecting. So that would mean some sort of regulation of all owners.
Thinking about it further, I think what we need is some sort of regulation of anyone who wants to raise money for the support of animals. This to apply to those who are registered as charities or not. It would scoop up all the private animal collectors who set up their begging bowls, and also cover cases like Minxy's owner.
So... who is going to fund it? How can we call for the government to pay for something like this in the current economic climate?
 
YasandCrystal said:
The problem with the big charities is that they can afford to market themselves. Myself and OH give monthly donations to ILPH and the Brooke, but I do like to give a few quid to The Alternative Animal Sanctuary and the MAre and Foal sanctuary. It's hard where do you start and where do you stop?

I have today received our 3rd b***y china cup and saucer from the Humane Society - I also was sent uninvited an animal feeding fork (cat or dog meat) a few months ago. It made me so angry - I returned the packaged 'GIFTS' with a snotty note stating that if they could afford to do such an aggressive marketing campain as to send out uninvited goods to people then they would NEVER get my money.
This is the problem with the established charities - they have such huge coffers of funds they could run for several years on those with no marketing campaign for more donations!!
Click to expand...

I hope you didn't use their freepost envelope to return the gifts ;)

Marketing might not seem like a very virtuous use of donated money, but unfortunately it is completely necessary. Charities may be able to get by for a while using their marketing spend for direct action, but eventually the pot would dry up.

Marketing is hugely important to recruit new donors and to increase the value of existing donors. Its the lifeblood of these organisations.

I grant you, sending gifts does sound rather excessive - but they wouldn't keep doing it if they weren't getting a good return on investment, so it must be working for them.


On the OP - I totally agree, nobody should be able to just beg for money from people unless they are a properly run, licensed establishment!
 
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