Ummmm my post stated -
as the saying goes charity begins at home - so on that note if 'people' stopped paying stupid prices for designer mutts then throwing them away as they don't drag themselves up to be Lassie or Pudsey then maybe the 'breeders' would stop breeding for profit and only the ones that cared about the recognised breeds would continue for the good of the breed and not of their bank balance

Where am I having a go at the owners of any dog that cares for them and have a friend for life ??

I find this bit horrific:

" Last year, spinster Georgina Langley, 67, of West Hougham, Kent, was raided at her home by the RSPCA and had five of her 13 cats put down.

The charity prosecuted her for neglect, but Mr Smith, 62, came to her aid. After sending two of the cats’ bodies to the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) for an independent post-mortem, he said: ‘There appears to be no good reason why the RSPCA allowed these animals to be put to sleep.

‘The RVC post-mortems concluded the cats were healthy, with no signs of incorrect feeding or major problems with fleas or other illnesses.

‘They were very heavy-handed with an elderly lady and kept her standing out in her garden in the rain for hours while they searched her house."


Those cats were in a home and looked after - why were they put to sleep? Imagine what that 67 year old lady went through along with the other 8 cats. This could happen to anyone. How many people take their cats to the vet for a flea allergy? I don't - I just buy the flea treatment and treat them.

I also find it terrible that they still use guns to destroy dogs - I thought that had stopped after the case of the GSD's dragged out of a house and shot with bolt guns?

Sue

Hi my take on this,is why hasnt the story caused more of a stir, I would have thought a lot of people would be baying for blood especially with a well known Institute,they took away Harrods royal insignia,people have nearly brought the KC to its knees,but this has gone quite unnoticed, I did send the link to Paul O'Grady,but no reply as yet. It just amazes me,that something potentialy so big has gone down like a lead balloon crystalgirl

It is a sad truth that people prefer not to see. Paul O'Grady has done a huge amount to raise awareness of canine welfare, but he knows he cannot save them all. Those of us that help with rescues, know that, we know that we are only making a small ripple on a huge pond, but to quote an advertiser on this site "every little helps". It is unresponsible owners and breeders that are the problem, in the same way that I strongly believe there is no such thing as a bad dog - just a bad owner. By bringing them into the world and/or into our homes we have a duty of care that includes appropriate training and healthcare, respponsible breeding (we don't want breeds to disappear!). It is much to a big a problem for a single person or even organisation to tackle totally, but if all of us who care about dogs do a bit, even if its only buying a raffle ticket or making a donation when selling on ebay, together we can make a bigger difference.

As I mentioned in my previous response the Blue Cross have picked up on the need to educate the public. That is the long term solution, those of us who help at rescue charities (including P O'G) know that all we are doing at the moment is fire fighting. Please don't be dissapointed that you have not had a reply from the P O'G machine, he is probably busy helping at Battersea! and gets lots of mailings like yours every day, I am sure he continues to do his bit, along with other celebrities that lend their names, money and faces to other animal charities up and down the country.

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A BIGGER DIFFERENCE!!!

As a child I raised money for the RSPCA I also bussed to help out at a centre as a teenager, then I found out about some of their policies. They do do some good in some areas. The destruction policy has been going on for years and years, it is not new - that is why there is not a public or celibrity outrage. Some readers feel outraged because it is new to them/you. Please turn that anger to some good. Find out about other charities and support one that you agree with any way you can!

this kind of thing does not help either !

http://www.dogworld.co.uk/product.ph...es_kc_concern_

it's unbelievable that the NFU continue to see the breeding of dogs are the same as any other kind of livestock

Excellent post. I think most who've worked with rescues come to the same conclusion. I did. You can't save them all and you sometimes wonder if you are even making much difference when the volume of unwanted and ill treated animals is so huge.

You can do what you can - I don't work hands on with them anymore but still support those I worked with and others financially and with fund raising. And you can make sure your own animals are cared for to the best of your ability and 'spread the word'.

No animal lover likes to hear about healthy animals being put down. But just complaining about a problem rarely gets any results - unless you have some realistic alternative SOLUTION to put forward. This is one of my mantras in life - not just where animal welfare is concerned.

And I think the publicity given to the KC was about a totally different aspect - breeding - as I recall. Not about dogs being put to death in great numbers.

Hi I have always supported animal charities not one particular one,As I was a chartered Accountant,offer my services for free to help charities get the best out of any monies recvd,RSPCa I did give them an idea on running a lottery,a lot of other charities are doing this on there website,but there is a cost to setting one up a Gaming Licence,have written to the assembley to try and see if charities could be made exempt,under the present law,they are exempted from producing Accounts, I know I cant physically help,although if there is an urgent call,I will go and do my best,or standing for hours giving out leaflets to ferry passenger going to the Republic of Ireland or coming back.All these things are very small compared to hands on,or actually working for a rescue.They are the ones that make the differance,and it is there morale,when a big institute like RSPCA doesn't play the game and break the rules, it could make them think twice,why should we bother,would be a question that will be asked undoing all the good work crystalgirl

A very good post, but just wanted to comment on the highlighted sentence.

I think that I have already written this on another thread but feel that it warrants another airing on this one! A gentleman up the road went to the local RSPCA kennels looking for a dog after his last dear soul died........he found one that was just the ticket, and the dog seemed to like him too. It was fairly young and in glowing good health. The chap signed the necessary forms and was told that he would hear when he could collect the dog over the next day or two. He heard nothing. After five days he went back to the kennels to see what was going on, having got everything ready for the new arrival...........only to find that not only "his" dog was missing, but many of the others that had been there too. It turned out that the dog had been put to sleep the day after this chap agreed to adopt it because it's allotted week was up; the same went for the other dogs. He was disgusted and livid and will never deal with, or support, the RSPCA ever again.

This incident merely reinforced my own very low opinion of them.

Going back nearly 40 years, I went to the RSPCA for a kitten - paid them £2 and signed that I would have her [I specifically wanted a female] spayed when old enough. They told me she, and the other kittens with her, were eight weeks old and fully weaned.

I brought her home and she could not eat, so phoned my vet - who was a family friend - he came straight round and said she was four weeks old maximum. He gave me some milk substitute and loads of help and instructions, and she was still going strong when I left England and the people who moved into out house adopted her. She did not care who fed her as that was her home.

But the RSPCA had told me she was eight weeks old when according to my vet she was not.

Hi If I was in the position of any society who are there to help and be a safety net for people who for whatever reason cannot keep there pets,I would think twice about sending my pet to a society. In the States at least they state whether they have a kill policy or not,but I feel that here in the UK,the society who state that they prevent the cruelty of all animals, in that statement they are telling people that they do not put animals to sleep . Why can'tthey have a list of foster parents who will look after an animal for a specific period until they can find a forever home,this would take the pressure of the society
crystalgirl