RSPCA - good or bad?

[djackso]

Are the RSPCA any use whatsoever when it comes to helping with wildlife? Does helpfulness vary depending on region?

I have had to resort to calling them on occasion. Advice has been poor. The advice for an injured woodpigeon was to leave it outside for the cats to get it!

I’ve had bad experiences in London and Liverpool.

I read on this forum they were ok with cats and dogs – not so in my experience (unless leaving the cats the injured woodpigeon was being good to cats!!!)
But I am reliably informed that they can pay for the treatment of injured wildlife.

Does anyone else have experience of their service? Does anybody work for them and can you explain their policies?

[Rob_D]

Well I don't condone comments like that about leaving an injured animal for cats. In general though I think the RSPCA do a great job.

[nightshade]

I have revised my opinion of the RSPCA locally as during my bat rescues
they have been very helpful with injured bats, as with all large organisations
there are always "bad-'uns" some are officious to the point where you could cheerfully swing for them others are so friendly and helpful you could weep in gratitude

[dampflippers]

Click on this link:
RSPCA || About the RSPCA

"Charitable status
The RSPCA is a registered charity (no. 219099) that receives no lottery or state aid. Its £82 million annual running costs are funded exclusively by voluntary donations and legacies."
I think in general the RSPCA do a great job considering it receives no official funding. They only have limited resources and limited rescue facilities. Maybe the advice about the pigeon wasn't too good- maybe they could have suggested a local wildife rescue centre that might have taken it.....but they are usually very short of resources too.

Vet, by law I believe, are meant to treat wild aminals (and presumably birds) free, even if it means putting them to sleep.

[lincs lass]

The RSPCA are wonderful if the TV cameras are there, however try to call them on the 24hr helpline and you get nowhere. They have a limit as to how much they will pay for a cat or dog at the vets, most wildlife would be PTS.

If I find injured wildlife, I go straight to my vet, they will do what they can and then contact people who take in wildlife.

[wizzard]

On the whole I think the country would be a worse place without the RSPCA. I've had only good experiences with them with regards to wildlife and I've had to call them a few times (actually the SSPCA), but the whole RSPCA stamp on food fiasco has tainted my views on them and their spokeswoman on the matter made me madder than a bag full of angry bees. They should not be simply selling their approval to companies, no matter what.

[deer boy]

Today i went out looking for badger setts in a wood near my village & as i was looking at some holes to see if they were in use i noticed something moving at the top of the wood.
I hid behind a tree half expecting a fox to come running down the wood but soon realized what ever it was,was trapped.
As i approached i could see it was a badger with barbed wire rapped around it's neck,as soon as he saw me he started hissing so i went home for help.
My dad phoned the RSPCA & within 35 minutes the man was at the door,I took him to the badger & we cut it free.
Because the wire was so deep he had to take the badger with him,but he gave me a number to contact them on & find out how the little fella get's on.
Apart from the lady on the phone asking what colour it was i would say they did a great job.
As we drove to the woods i chatted to the RSPCA man & he told me he had come 35 miles outside his area because there was no one else to deal with it.
As i say couldn't fault them,they did a great job,i now hope the little fella makes a fall recovery but sadley i don't think he will

[mrs fish]

I don't have any complaints about the RSPCA, they have always been very helpful with all my dealings with them.

[bendog]

I have only once rung the RSPCA for help and that was when a fox that was obviously very unwell came to lie down in our garden. When I rang, they told me that they did not treat foxes and would just come out to put her to sleep! I then found the number of the local wildlife rescue place and they came out within minutes. Unfortunately, they were about 30 seconds too late as she died while we were beside her. They did, however, take her body to investigate why she had died.

[TORTUGA]

My experiences with a RSPCA have been good and bad. They have taken in ill Hedgehogs for me etc on occasions however, Whilst a Senior Courts Custody Officer I did on occasions have people turn up for court appearances with a Dog in-tow.

They would tie the Dog up on some railings outside of court, and find themselves being sent to Prison. The first thing they would say to me is "my Dog is outside, what should I do"?

I would try their friends to see if anyone would take it for a few months, however on occasions no-one would. The prisoner would then suggest it be re-homed then as they didn't want it left teathered to a railing for 3 months or so.

So here we go, call to the RSPCA, I tell them there is a Dog tied to railings outside the court. RSPCA were not interested as they would say the Dog is not in danger or suffering. I would then say that it will be though soon as the owner is off to Prison and will be back in 3 months. The RSPCA would then say that it is the responsibility of the owner to sort out accomodation or re-homing, I would explain that this is not possible because the person is going to be locked up for 3 months. They would then say that if the Dog suffered tied to the railings they would prosecute the owner. As you can see it was a mad situation.
I even had someone sent to prison who said "I have a Dog and Cat locked in my flat and no family or friends to take them, what do I do"?
I again contacted the RSPCA and went through the whole frustrating process again with them saying nothing we can do as the animals are not suffering, however if they do we will take them to court.

I was always under the impression that prevention is better than cure, the owners did not want their animals suffering and were prepared to re-home, the RSPCA did not want to know until a crime had been committed, but in my eyes they were prepared to let the situation get to the point of animal suffering until they got involved. This to me is not the actions of an organisation which claims to care about animal welfare.