Rant about RSPCA

[tuppencesmum]

My 17 year old Russian Blue cat went missing on saturday night - totally out of character. When he wasn't in when I got up on Sunday, I was devastated, fearing the worst, trawling the streets, talking to neighbours. Did everything suggested on this forum's lost cat advice. Anyway, I'd rung the local cat shelter and they said they would call me if they got any news about a cat matching his description. Then about 2pm they rang to say that someone had posted on their site about a lost and distressed cat in my area. They had also posted a photo and I was overjoyed when I saw it was definitely my Boris. A lovely woman then rang me to say that he had been found wandering about in a road several streets away and some neighbours had taken him in as he seemed so distressed and was wandering into the road. I can't explain how relieved and overjoyed I was. When I went and collected him, the lovely people told me he had been there since about 5pm on the previous day and they had rung several groups for advice including the RSPCA who told them that they should put Boris back on the street as he was clearly an unwanted stray. To say that I am angry is an understatement. If he hadn't been picked up by people with such a sense of responsibility I don't think I'd ever have seen him again - he was way too far away to find his way home. I am going to kick up the biggest stink about this, They at least should have advised them to try to keep him safe in an out building and take him for a micro-chip scan (he is chipped)! To advise them to put him into the street when he is clearly a very well cared for pedigree cat is just outrageous. Sorry for the long post - just needed to vent.

[Lilith]

Don't blame you!

I think most of us have had bad experiences with the 'Reluctant' Society...

So glad Boris found help from those good people and got back home fast

[Kay]

most people's experience of the RSPCA, I'm afraid, is that they will always pass the buck, rather than do anything themselves, unless there is cruelty involved and they have a chance of prosecuting someone

it infuriates me that despite all their millions they refer desperate people trying to help animals in distress to small voluntary charities who struggle all the time to pay vet bills

I'm so glad you have got Boris back home, and that your local cat shelter and good neighbours played their part

[meriad]

So pleased you got your Boris back - what a worry that must have been; esp given his age.

I'm really lucky in that my local RSPCA branch is great, but they definitely seem to be one of the few that is. I hear so many horror stories of what the RSPCA did / how they handled some situations it's scary, downright terrifying in some instances

As a matter of interest, do you know if any of the other groups that were contacted advised to chip check? It's the first thing anyone should suggest.

Fusses to your boy

[Grace56]

What an awful thing to suggest! Poor Boris. I'd be damned angry as well.

So pleased you now have him back with you.

Give him a fuss from...

Grace.

[booktigger]

So glad you got him back, it does annoy me that they don't recommend checking for a chip - I had someone ring the other week who had found a cat a few hundred yards from the RSPCA, so she drove there, and despite having the cat in the car with her, the advice was to put it back - it was found in a multi storey car park with few houses nearby. No offer of checking for a chip.

[bobbys girl]

The RSPCA is, like WWF, no longer fit for purpose. It should lose it's royal warrant.

So pleased you got Boris back.

[Lilith]

The RSPCA is, like WWF, no longer fit for purpose.

It never was. Sorry - I know I've had one go at them already and I shouldn't go on and on, but this memory has been with me all morning.

This happened around 1980, before the days of chipping. My cats roamed then and one stayed out all night and was run over; somehow we found out that the RSPCA had been called out to her and had taken her to a town 12 miles away. I phoned the inspector and was told that Katie was dying, no point bothering to collect her. I said I'd still come over to fetch her, so we went, and found her in a basket on this guy's back step. No attempt at veterinary help or even painkillers, not even a proper pen or a drink of water, an RSPCA inspector, and he'd dumped her on the back doorstep to die. When Katie saw us she lifted her head and croaked out a mew. Straight to the vet's where she was treated for a fractured jaw and eventually returned to perfect health.

I'm still so angry I can scarcely type.

[MarkB]

I know at a local level, they do a lot of good work, but also that HQ always tell people not to feed strays - the opposite of the advice given by Cats Protection. In fact, they always 'threaten' people by saying that if they do feed, they are assuming ownership. When I was a volunteer with CP, we had a woman that phoned the RSPCA to tell them about a pregnant stray in her garden. They told her not to feed it and that it would 'move along' if there was no food available!!! - she pointed out that not only was it pregnant, but it was windy and pouring with rain outside. She was told that 'cats are very resourceful' - luckily she didn't take their 'advice', instead she phoned CP, who took the cat in straight away. Being pregnant,it was considered high priority.

[meriad]

The RSPCA is, like WWF, no longer fit for purpose.

It never was. Sorry - I know I've had one go at them already and I shouldn't go on and on, but this memory has been with me all morning.

This happened around 1980, before the days of chipping. My cats roamed then and one stayed out all night and was run over; somehow we found out that the RSPCA had been called out to her and had taken her to a town 12 miles away. I phoned the inspector and was told that Katie was dying, no point bothering to collect her. I said I'd still come over to fetch her, so we went, and found her in a basket on this guy's back step. No attempt at veterinary help or even painkillers, not even a proper pen or a drink of water, an RSPCA inspector, and he'd dumped her on the back doorstep to die. When Katie saw us she lifted her head and croaked out a mew. Straight to the vet's where she was treated for a fractured jaw and eventually returned to perfect health.

I'm still so angry I can scarcely type.

Jeez Lilith, that's just horrendous - I'd be in prison for murder if that had been one of my cats.

[Crewella]

Wow, that is awful - I would be absolutely spitting feathers if that had been my cat!! I'm so glad you got him back safely, and well done to the good people who helped, bless them.

Liliths story is equally horrific - the RSPCA head office policy is an outrage.

[bobbys girl]

Years ago I contacted them re. gypsy ponies in a tiny field, full of rubbish and barbed wire and no access to water. Their response was 'call the police'. I called the police 'call the RSPCA'.

In the end it was a friend of a friend with ILPH contacts who saved the day - and the ponies!

[alanc]

Good Grief! Its worrying enough when our precious cats go missing (as I can still remember from 17 years ago) but to have the RSPCA acting so irresponsibly adds an extra horror. They seem to have forgotten what their initials represent. Dumping a cat back on the street to starve is cruelty. As for the behavior Lilith reports, it beggars belief. I can hardly believe anyone employed to prevent cruelty could behave in such a fashion.
Anyway, I am very glad that your lad is home safe and sound, in spite of the RSPCA. The joy when you get them back almost makes up for the worry while they are away!

[Ruth B]

So glad you got Boris back safe and well, I've never had one go missing for long but even a few hours is torture.

As for the RSPCA, I am sure there are good people working for the organisation and that they are short on cash, but that doesn't excuse the fact that i have very rarely heard a good word said about them. It's why I only give to small local charities, at least you know exactly where the money goes and what they are doing with it.

I as feel that in this day and age it is wrong to have to rely on a charity when it comes to animal cruelty, it should be treated the same as any other crime and funded properly. (I may be wrong but in my understanding, the RSPCA are the only ones that can bring about an animal cruelty prosecution).

[tuppencesmum]

Thanks for all your lovely messages and Lileth - that makes me so angry! What a disgrace. My boy is acting as if nothing has happened and is standing at the now locked cat flap with his hands on his hips and shouting at me!

I followed the instructions on the rspca website to make a complaint where it says you first have to complain to the local centre. So I rang yesterday morning to speak to the manager and they told me first he was busy, then when I said I would ring back, they said he was in meetings all day. So I gave them my number. The receptionist rang me 10 minutes later to say that the manager would not be available for 2 weeks and I should write an email. I sure will and if I don't get a reply and a decent explanation I will be taking this a lot further. I have been in tears thinking about what might have happened to Boris and I know I need to be grateful to get him back, but if the lovely people who found him had taken the Rspca's advice, God alone knows what would have happened.

[tuppencesmum]

Boris_Nov2012 (480x640).jpg (107.71 KiB) Viewed 5635 times

Boris doing his scary Halloween cat impersonation

[Lilith]

Lol! Bless him! He's a gorgeous boy Doesn't sound as if his 'adventure' bothered him, thank goodness.

Katie was very like him - she was only a moggy but she was a proper blue; it's that that reminded me of her. At the time of her accident I just gave the RSPCA inspector the benefit of the doubt; stupidly, thought, oh, he'd made a mistake, my mind was on the cat, but with hindsight...my god! I wonder what sort of training he'd had? What would have happened to her if I hadn't gone to collect her 'body'? As Alan says, it beggars belief that that could have happened. It was kind of the neighbour (don't remember who it was or how we found out where Katie was) to try to help by ringing the RSPCA but ...

Just once I did have a good experience of the RSPCA, when a neighbour's rabbit had been abandoned, but we'd all kept feeding and cleaning him and he was rehomable so they took him in fast, but there have been various occasions when I've asked for help and they've been downright rude. I once knew a cat rescue worker who told me an even worse story than Boris's and Katie's.

I think the RSPCA are like some other long-established organisations; they rest on their laurels and rely on their popular image but their actual efficiency is mythical. Animal rescue workers, relying on their own fundraising and efforts, work far harder and do far more good. And yes, as Ruth says, why do animals have to rely on a charity to prosecute in cases of cruelty?

But, anyway, welcome back Boris!

[Anonymous]

This is the email I've sent to the RSPCA local center - they had better reply

Hello

On Saturday evening, my elderly (17 year old) cat went missing. On sunday morning, I set about trying to find him by contacting yourselves (I was referred to the web-site); cat's shelter; combing the streets near my house; speaking to as many neighbours as I could and leafleting all the houses in my street and those paralllel to and backing on to it. To cut a very long story short, thanks to Cat’s shelter Facebook page, they were able to put me in touch with some people who lived several streets away who had found my cat in a very distressed state. They had very kindly taken him in off the street because he was walking in front of cars and I was thankfully and joyfully reunited with him on Sunday afternoon.

I was very concerned to hear from Boris's rescuers that they had contacted your centre to be advised by the person they spoke to that Boris was obviously a stray and that they should return him to the street where they found him. I need hardly tell you that this is extremely irresponsible advice. He had been in their street less than 24 hours; was clearly distressed; clearly elderly and clearly well cared for. A responsible response from your advisor would have been to have kept him safe (in a container or outhouse) until such time he could be taken to the nearest vet to be scanned for a chip (he is microchipped).

If the people who rescued Boris had heeded your advice, I doubt I would ever have seen him again. I am frankly disgusted. I donate to the RSPCA every month but in light of this incident, will be immediately withdrawing my standing order. My cat is thankfully at home with me and no worse off for his ordeal. Thank God there are people in this world with more sense and compassion than the charity apparently set up to prevent animals from suffering.

I hope that you will look into this matter and I would be grateful to receive your comments about it.

[meriad]

A well written and to the point email - and much more polite than I'd have been

I do hope they at least show you the courtesy of a response; will be interesting what - if anything - they say

[Lilith]

Seconded

[Crewella]

Erm ..... thirded. Excellent email.

[MarkB]

Well said!

[alanc]

Agree with everyone else. I hope you get a decent reply. On a happier note, I love the photo of Boris. Not surprised he has been confined to barracks, though. Have you any idea what caused him to wander so far away?

[bobbys girl]

Very good, I hope you get some response!

How could anyone mistake Boris for a street cat?

[tuppencesmum]

Thanks all - alanc - I think that he must have followed me when I went out on saturday. Unusually, he was sat a few doors down and I said to my oh - don't engage him in eye contact or look back at him, I don't want him to follow us. But - given where he was found and where we were walking, I think he must have followed for some way, then got scared and obviously disoriented! I am buying a loc8or tracking device.

[Grace56]

Boris is beautiful. Thank goodness for those lovely people who rescued him.

Do let us know when, and if you get a reply from RSPCA.

Best wishes and fusses to dear Boris,

Grace and meow from Dave.

[Anonymous]

Just got this reply from the RSPCA centre manager:

I am glad to hear that Boris is home safe but am sorry to hear about the the advice given to his finder.

We, as you would imagine, receive many enquiries every day from members of the public that have found cats that they believe are stray or abandoned. Our advice is always the following:

If the cat is sick or injured take it to a vet yourself if possible or call the RSPCA Inspectors who will take it to a vet when they are able to get an officer to you. The RSPCA will fund the emergency first aid.

If the cat is not sick or injured inform your neighbours, take it to an establishment where it can be scanned for a microchip, fill in a found animal report via our website so that we can put the finder in touch with owner should we receive a corresponding lost animal report and, if the cat was found, add it to our rehoming waiting list so that (eventually) a permanent new home can be found should the owner fail to come forward.

Would it be possible to put me in touch with Boris's rescuers so I can establish when this advice was given so that I can identify the source of the misinformation to make sure that it is not repeated.

Kind regards


I realise there is probably little else he can say but it's going to boil down to a miscommunication write-off - i.e. that's what his rescuers heard not what was said. But there are so many people who have had similar experiences with the RSPCA that I cannot believe it's the case that people are misunderstanding their advice. Whatever - they have a problem with respect to how they are communicating that advice if people are not understanding it or following it. I sent this reply to the email (I also included Boris's rescuers' contact details but obviously haven't copied those here):



"I'm just thinking about your reply and it strikes me that your centre obviously doesn't keep a log of who rings in, from where, what they report and their contact details or you would have the details of Boris's rescuers yourself. Do you not think it is important to log all enquiries? It is surely a very straightforward matter to have centre staff complete a standard call log when anyone rings in?

I would be most interested to know what you find out from your enquiries into this incident but what I would say is irrespective of that, the RSPCA clearly has a communication problem. This is not the first time that I or someone else has found the RSPCA to be unhelpful when they have rung in about something. Now whether that is a case of people not understanding what they are being told is irrelevant - it seems that at times your advisors' communications are not working so it is something your organization really needs to think about. While I appreciate you do an incredibly difficult job in trying and distressing circumstances and with limited financial resources, you really do not do yourselves any favours with the public at times, who seem, at least from the people I have spoken to, not to have a good impression of the RSPCA based on their contact with them.

Overall, and taking everything into consideration, including the possibility of communication crossed wires, I am really disappointed about this whole thing and while I know I should just be grateful that I got Boris home, I shudder to think what might have happened had it not been for cat rescue centre. I therefore feel that my monthly donation would be better offered to a local small charity like theirs, than to a big institution like yourselves.

Best wishes"

[Ruth B]

Glad you got a response from the RSPCA, and I can't say that I am surprised at it. Mis-communicaton is an easy one to blame and doesn't blame anyone in particular. As far as call logging goes, while I do agree that it would be a good idea I can see why is isn't done, my OH works in a call centre and when there are numerous calls waiting it is hard not to hurry the one you are on. I don't know how many staff the RSPCA have but I have a feeling that there are not enough to answer all the calls properly. Don't think I am condoning what happened, I'm not, but when I hear of the problems each day from my OH it gives a different view of a call centre, or even a busy office where there are too many calls for the number of staff. I don't know if they have a message on the telephone systems directing you to the website to register a found cat and to take it to be checked for a chip, but, while i don't like automated messages, I think there is a time and place for them.

The RSPCA aren't the only ones with this type of problem. Reading this has brought back memories. Not long after I finally settled down in my own home I had 2 cats from what was then the CPL. A few months later one became ill. I was in a very low paid job, and my partner had just lost his job and was claiming income support. While we don't normally look to charity, we decided in this case he would contact the PDSA. He contacted them and was told he didn't qualify even though he was on income support the very basic level of benefit.

We couldn't leave her to suffer so we took her to the vets where we had gone to have the initial check up and vaccinations done. A course of antibiotics and she was right as rain. Things were a bit thin for us for a few weeks though.

Neither of us will ever donate to PDSA since then, its not just that they weren't there when we needed them, its that they weren't there when our cat needed them.

[booktigger]

I'm glad you got a reply, even though it seems a bit of a fob off. I can also see why call logging isn't done, I've done reception work where we had to log each incoming call, and it was hard to do it accurately, and it wasn't a busy reception.

[Lilith]

I'm glad they responded so quickly but agree it was a shall we say slippery reply. Good on you to keep after them!

Hi Ruth, I too have experienced the PDSA as rude and unhelpful after being redirected to them after, on the instructions of another cat charity, rescuing a litter of feral kittens and taking them in to my house to await collection. Then the first charity ducked out, but I must say that they did take them in the end though. The PDSA woman was ruder than rude, even though I was too damn polite. No need is there? I wouldn't donate to them either now.