Well I am no great fan of the RSPCA as with both dealings I have had with them have not been good, they refused to take my one dog as she was not an emergency case and it took them 6 weeks to get out to a report of cruelty that myself and a couple of neighbours had reported.

However they are doing wot they can and that's all that matters, as with all other rescues they are by no means perfect.

Just had this emailed to me:-

Every time I read these reports we get the same response from the RSPCA, that it is not true, OR we deny that this is the case. Why in this case would the Council lie? Just look at these threads with the odd exception, very few people have had positive dealings with this organisation. I cannot go along with the idea that they are not perfect but it the only one we have got. That really is not good enough when we are talking about abuse pain and distress in animals second best is not an option. This is Britain's largest animal charity and gets in millions every year. The millions bequeathed to them is expected to go to animal welfare not on left wing political lobbying. Yet every professional I speak to and the ones quoted below Vets, Dog Wardens, Rescue Societies etc to a man hasn't a good word to say about them.

Council may buy dog ambulance for strays Feb 9 2005

By Sarah Probert, Birmingham Post


Birmingham City Council could invest in a dog ambulance after officers accused the RSPCA of failing to rescue strays injured in road accidents.

Council animal officers said they were being called out to as many as five accidents a week and, together with a surge in strays across the city, the incidents were placing a strain on their resources.

Local vets, who have a duty to care for sick and injured animals, have been left puzzled as to which organisation should foot the bill for caring for stray dogs.

Yesterday vet Rory Lydon, of Lydon Vets in Kingstanding, said the RSPCA, which had in the past offered £50 towards the cost of treatment, had refused to do so and said the local authority should pay.

Mr Lydon, who on average treats one injured stray a month, said: "The council is having a dispute about who is responsible for the costs of treating a stray. One or the other is responsible but I am left in the middle.

"The cost in itself isn't huge but when an initial arrangement seems to be altered we would like to know what is in its place."

Graham Taylor, animal welfare officer at the council, said it was considering buying its own ambulance to deal with an increase in accidents involving strays.

He said the number of strays had risen from 778 in 2003 to 967 in 2004, an increase of 24 per cent.

"We don't run an ambulance service. We have got three dog wardens and three vehicles but we don't have the equipment needed for road accidents.

"If somebody phones the RSPCA about an injured animal in the road which is a stray, the RSPCA will tell them to phone us.

"If the dog is walking wounded we will pick it up and take it to a vet or the dogs home but if it is more serious the RSPCA is better equipped to deal with it.

"We have five accidents a week and some of those require ambulances and they are refusing to go out and deal with it so we are looking at the costs of providing an ambulance and the possibility of additional staff to run it," Mr Taylor said.

Vikki Allwood, senior dog warden at the council, added: "The RSPCA get a tremendous amount of revenue from the public and it is not doing what people think it is doing and it is a great source of frustration."

Mr Taylor said he was concerned at the steep rise in strays and feared new laws, which will stop police stations from taking in animals, could put added pressure on the dog warden team.

"It is quite a steep increase.

I don't believe that is because we have had an extra dog warden last year. I believe it is more to do with the general society and the way that some dog owners don't want to recognise their responsibilities."

He added: "We anticipate a point when the Association of Chief Police Officers demand that they are going to close police stations for receiving dogs. At the moment we have about 600 dogs taken to police stations and there will be a vacuum period where we are going to have to pick up another 600."

However, a spokeswoman for the RSPCA denied the organisation had refused to attend accidents.

She added: " The legal responsibility for stray dogs falls with the local authority and police. However, when it comes to injured stray dogs and those involved with accidents we help where we can."

She said the charity provided a 24-hour service in Birmingham to attend to dogs involved in accidents and all animals collected by the RSPCA were treated at its own hospital, with the vet bill sent to the police.


Stan

Shouldnt there be some proactive actions rather than reactive actions taken to the above item though ?

I mean shouldnt something be done by all the relevant authorities as to WHY so many stray dogs are being involved in accidents ?

Try and prevent it in the first case rather than throwing funds at treating it

(hope that makes sense)

Remember a while back the 'breeder' that had over 100 Shih Tzu, Lhasa and a few other breeds. The RSPCA took the lot. The RSPCA refused to accept the offer of already vetted homes from the breed rescue societies.

A friend has one of these dogs, was told it is a Shih Tzu but it is clearly a Lhasa. They brought it to me in a smelly, matted state to be clipped off. I was quite suprised to find a pair of testicles on this dog - aren't they supposed to be neutered before rehoming? The RSPCA didn't do it or offer to have the op done by them at a later date.

At least all the TV crews brought in lots of lovely publicity which allowed them to sell more dogs.

I think people have a problem with the RSPCA because what they preach and what they actually do are 2 very seperate things.

If the RSPCA gets donations for looking after animals why do they spend so much on political agenda, surely they should divide these 2 arms and run the political wing like any other political party?

Hi Snazy

Good post, when I talk to fellow professionals to a man/woman they all decry this organisation. And they echo almost exactly what you have said.

When the cameras are rolling and Rolf is about they look the most helpful and caring organisation imaginable. As soon as the crew move out it is back on your heads and the we don't do that answers.

This cynical manipulation of media and taking credit for what other organisations have done is monstrous.

As you have stated they should have a seperate arm for their political agenda, and the money for that should be seperate from the charitable monies paid to them for animal welfare.

Lets actually see who then allows their donations to go to the political arm of this organisation. And what goes to welfare. I think I know which one will suffer don't you?

Stan

:smt102 Some will remember a few years ago the case of the ladies who owned several shelties and had them removed by the RSPCA. This included the top stud dog of the breed. He was castrated and rehomed, friends in the breed were not allowed to have him.

Yes I remeber that They got involved with two elderly sisters, who were sheltie breeders it was about 5 yrs ago. Instead of letting the breed rescue get involved, they took the dogs and rehomed them. Among these shelties was one of the top stud dogs in the breed , they wouldn’t let rescue have him, they neutered him and rehomed him themselves. A great loss to the breed.

Very recently a couple whose dog has been missing for 11 days. they had done all they can to try and ensure that every doggy orientated organisation is aware that Ben is missing. And postered shops, offices and factories.
A couple of weeks ago they went to RSPCA Barnes Hill. This centre has rehoming kennels and a hospital on site. The owners were allowed to check in the hospital to see if Ben was one of their injured or sick. He wasn’t. So they approached the kennels, they explained their plight and they were refused access. They would have to fill in an application form for rehoming and then if a dog filled their criteria, the staff would call them to arrange a viewing. Again the couple explained that they didn’t want to rehome, they were looking for Ben.

RSPCA told them as of 1st Feb, the law was passed stating that they were no longer allowed to have the public wandering in the kennels. Ben’s owners asked if they could make a special appointment to view and this was refused too. So who made this law and just how stupid do the jobworths look and how will it affect the charitable monies if this ludicrous behaviour is published.

Those who think that the RSPCA should have more powers may wish to rethink their opinion when they see just how silly this organisation has become. The Chairwoman and overall boss of this organisation Jackie Ballard is a failed MP that knows nothing about animals or charities or rescues or running any type of organisation. She is used to making quango's and lunatic rules. And that just about says it all

Stan

Whats an AB !!!!

its an American Bulldog

Although I agree that the particular breed rescues should've been involved these dogs were kept in disgusting conditions and to be honest I was glad to see them removed from the premises. May be a great loss to the breed but I'm sure they'll get over it!