Wednesday 7 February 2007

Large animal charities

We have been surprised at the positive response to our articles regarding CD and the horses starved to death. It seems that there are a lot of people unhappy with the way that both the RSPCA and the SSPCA are run. This is your chance to give us your feedback.

Here is one of the stories we have featured about the Scottish SPCA failing in their duty to protect animals subjected to cruelty

28 comments:

EQUINEMAD said...

HAVING BEEN INVOLVED IN BOTH HORSE AND DOG WELFARE, I HAVE FOUND OVER THE YEARS THAT THE S.S.P.C.A. ARE APPAULING. ANIMALS CANNOT RELY ON THEM ! I WAS HORRIFIED TO READ ABOUT THE 2 HORSES IN LARKHALL, THAT DIED RECENTLY, DESPITE NUMEROUS PHONECALLS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO THE SSPCA.THESE POOR HORSES, ONE OF WHICH WAS ONLY A FOAL, STARVED TO DEATH. WHAT A LONG, AGONISING DEATH ! THE INSPECTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR LETTING THESE ANIMALS DOWN, OBVIOUSLY DONT HAVE A CONSIENCE .I WOULD NEVER SUPPORT NOR DONATE A PENNY TO THEM. THERE ARE OTHER WORTH WHILE ANIMAL CHARITIES WHO DO A LOT OF FABULOUS WORK, AND MANY OF THEM ARE VOLUNTEERS......

A Dog's Life said...
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A Dog's Life said...

All organisations with an SPCA suffix share the same
characteristics. The Irish SPCA, RSPCA of England & Wales, Australia snd Canada and , of course, the Scottish SPCA. They are formed with the sole purpose of raising money
to subsidise their expense accounts, cover private health insurance and, in the case of the RSPCA, provide a subsidised restaurant for their staff.
A similar case was publicised on BBC News 15th December 2006. Five horses were visited by an RSPCA Inspector in a field near Welshpool. A grey mare was lying on its side and the inspector admitted that there was nothing there for them to eat. Apparently the inspector tried to feed the mare and raise it to its feet, not sure if this was before or after a vet was called.
The RSPCA then left the site and returned TWO WEEKS later to find a
ginger and white foal had died. The vet, David Martin, stated that the
animals were malnourished and suffering from varying degrees of parasitic infections. So this is a sad indictment of both the vet and the RSPCA inspector, Phil Lewis. Why were the police not called to remove them and save them from certain death. Two other ponies had died and one had to be put to sleep. As is to be expected whenever a case comes to court the RSPCA issue the following
" This is one of the worst cases of neglect we have ever seen"
We would like a pound for every time we hear that. Of course, a distressing picture of the dead foal was published which adds to the uncaring image of the RSPCA. Last year the RSPCA spent £14M on raising funds, how many small rescues could that have helped, how many more animals could have been saved. All the SPCAs bleat that they are not government funded but can they name a rescue that is? CAWC did receive £75,000 grant from Defra
How dare they admit to being dedicated to helping animals. We find it disturbing that the Scottish Charity Commission are not so open as the English C.C. Past accounts cannot be downloaded, which gives the impression that they have something to hide.

concerned said...

With SSPCA's TV ads & their claims of working for animal welfare & protection that is far from being the truth. The are 'animal selective' that means that they 'pick' what animals they want to help & that didnt include these horses & foal that were reported to them & left to die, also the abandoned dog they have know about for years in renfrew they refuse to take action. How many more animals have SSPCA ignored, neglected, abandoned & left to die. All SSPCA are concerned about is getting more money from the public to pay their expenses,equip their offices, pay directors, pay for these TV ads when they plead poverty etc.
SSPCA have the animal welfare act, resources & the finance to work with but chose NOT to, it would take up time & money they prefer to spend on themselfs not on the animals. They have no interest in animal welfare/protection, they are non caring non action animal welfare society their excues they come up with a feeble & pathetic. hypocrites...fraud. They rely on the public for donations & substations so are answerable to them so its time the public started asking questions on how they are run, how the money is used, as they have a 'kill' policy how many animals are destoryed & time period etc etc etc. Remember this when you next donate to them, as a rescue they work office hours,are paid, have pension, holidays/days off/sick leave etc the smaller rescues are on call 27/7 52 weeks of the year & dont have what SSPCA have. SSPCAs neglect of duty is NOT acceptable

bedazzled1 said...

I have been appalled for years due to the lack of care and respect that is not given to our companion animals and our world's wild animals. The agencies (SPCA's) that are supposed to aid in the care of neglected and injured animals has disapointed me many times in my own city! I am not surprised that this same non-professionalism occurs around the the world!
I believe all animal neglect cases, and caring for injured animals should be handled by educated animal activists and rehabilitators who now do this for free. There is now no pay, or even donations of supplies from the Government to help people who run rehablitation clinics. This contry does not respect our wildlife, or companion animals. If they did they would support the people who do the caring out of love, not for money.
Either stricter enforcement and observations of the paid SPCA officials must be implemented, or the Government needs to fund the people who really care for animals to do the job right!

Doodie said...

The most confusing thing is why the media seem to protect them and don't appear to be willing to publish any material that shows them in a negative light.
In the situation of the starved horses and CD they are clearly failing in their duty and in using the new powers that they have been granted, to help animals in desperate situations.
What is the point of bringing in new legislation if the only people that have the powers to use it don't?
Will someone please explain!!

Unknown said...

I am involved directly in the fight to free CD and have seen him with my own eyes, therefore I know 100% that the SSPCA are lying in their statements saying CD lives a nice, fluffy life thanks to them! The SSPCA also said that the pictures taken by german shepherd rescue were misleading and greatly inaccurate - this is pure lies.

The SSPCA simply interpret the law to suit themselves. How the inspectors and vet could leave those starving horses beggars belief! The whole organisation is an utter scam.

aliviel said...

Living on the east coast of Scotland there have been many occasions when I have called out the SSPCA. They do eventually come but only if we have first managed to capture the animal or bird which is injured. I was told there were only two inspectors for this area which covers Tayside to Inverness. Too often they quote the legal side of things. If an animal is in distress you just get in there and get them out of the situation. Stuff the legal side...

Anonymous said...
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Flash67 said...

The SSPCA rescues 13,000 animals each year, educates tens of thousands of school children on animal welfare, campaigns for new laws on animal cruelty and prosecutes many dozens for animsl cruelty.
How many here can claim to do this kind of good work on this kind of scale? It's very easy to sit by your comfy comuters and criticise the staff who do this.. try abseiling down a cliff in the pouring rain to rescue a stuck lamb. Try knocking on doors in a neighbourhood full of drug dealers to tell a 6 foot drunk man that he might not be looking after an animal properly. Try convincing a vet to certify suffering when they know the 'accused' personally.
Not one of you realise that any action taken by the SSPCA Inspectors HAS to be backed up by a vet, and MUST stand up to cross examination in court. Try putting up with a verdict of 'Not Guilty' when you can SEE the animal is suffering.. eg http://www.scottishspca.org/SingleNews.aspx?NewsId=105

The staff AND HUNDREDS of volunteers who work for this organisation are obviously, in your professional eyes, all callous animal haters. Not one of you realises the restraints on an organisation that has to work within the law...
"If an animal is in distress you just get in there and get them out of the situation. Stuff the legal side... " - Yes, and see the ability of the SSPCA Inspectors to take cruelty cases directly to the Fiscal taken away. And just HOW many cases of animal cruelty do you think the police would report if that happened?

But of course most posters here have just got an axe to grind about one poor dog whose condition was bad, but not enough to secure a conviction... Oh, but of course - most posters here are experts in animal cruelty cases in court too, aren't you? Don't you think that the Inspectors' are gutted when they don't get the needed paperwork from a vet to take action, or the Fiscal is not interested?

And yes, I am involved with the SSPCA - I have given my whole life to helping animals of all kinds, and it makes me sick to hear such ill thought remarks that can only serve to harm the overall welfare of animals in Scotland

Do you have room in this blog for dissent, or will this be censored? I wonder...

Doodie said...

There will be no censorship here, the only comments that will be removed are those that are offensive or those containing foul language. You have a right to have your say too.
Have you actually read the the new Animal Welfare Act? This was sent by someone who has looked at the act in great detail:
Under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 there is no actual need to issue a care order.
'Section 19(1)9a) is the offence of causing unnecessary suffering.
Section 19(1)(b) is the offence of failing to take reasonable steps to care for a protected animal. These offences do not allow for a care order to be issued.
Section 24(1) is the offence of failing to care for the needs of a protected animal.
Section 25(1)(a) & (b) covers the issuing of care notices for offences committed under Section 24 for of the Act. However it should be noted that the Inspector MAY issue such a notice.
What is important here is to note that there is no actual legal requirement for the issue of a care notice and that an offence under Section 19 does not allow for the issuing of a care notice.
It is abundantly obvious that the Scottish SPA are interpreting the legislation to their own policies and procedures. However that is not the law. Further should an Inspector fail to ensure the end of suffering to an animal then it may be deemed that he is aiding and abetting a criminal act for which he may also be prosecuted. I would suggest that the person who sent you this email actually read the legislation and understand this. As the conditions have been shown how this animal is being kept there can be no doubt that an Inspector could charge the owner under section 19 as the actions are causing unnecessary suffering.'

If you believe that this is not correct please let us know.

Anonymous said...

We have had many experiences over the years with the SSPCA that have left us frustrated. On several occasions we have found that they have not followed up on cases that we have reported. From an Aberdeen prospective we are very concerned with the reports from vets concerning the number of animals brought in by SSPCA inspectors that are automatically put to sleep rather than being given a chance. It is our feeling that it would have been possible for the SSPCA to have collaborated with other organisations to save those horses. The Animal welfare act (Scotland)2006 gives the SSPCA greater powers to act in the interests of the animal and we are concerned that these powers have been left unused in this case. The SSPCA needs to utilise the full extent of the powers that have been extended to it to act for animal welfare and for the protection of animals in Scotland.

A Dog's Life said...

Abseiling down a cliff to rescue a lamb? Strange that that story isn't on your website? There is, however, one of a Collie falling over a cliff but the SSPCA Inspector also happens to be a coastguard volunteer who abseiled down the cliff. Was this done in the pouring rain too? The dog and rescuer were hauled to safety by the Fire Service & Coastguards. We experienced a similar case in Cardiff where a bird became impaled on the roof of a hospital, the RSPCA refused to come out but offered to pay £500 to the fire service to rescue it. They, in turn, would only attend if accompanied by an RSPCA Inspector. The bird died several hours later and the carcass remained there for three weeks.
SPCAs are very good at issuing bland statements to the press that have no seemingly evidential backup. The Sun newspaper covered a story and picture of a Yorkshire Terrier that had apparently been killed by having a bottle pushed down its throat. We contacted the Sun and aked a few probing questions to which the RSPCA did not have answers. No more was published about this story. So, with the SSPCA they have been receiving regular calls on deer attacks and it seems they are having difficulty in catching the culprits as it is "very very difficult". They do not state exactly how many calls they have received nor the period of time , nor how many deer have been attacked.
Now they are launching the second phase of their campaign to end puppy farming. Question:- when was the first held? Why was this not included in the AWB at an earlier stage? Do they imagine that hard hitting leaflets and an education campaign will really end this horrendous trade? January 2005 a meeting was held between the RSPCA, Kennel Club and Dogs Trust as they were also wanting to head a puppy farm debate. First on the agender was the definition of a puppy farm and second was to form a strategy.
Were any more meetings held? Who knows. It just proves that all SPCAs have to be seen to be doing something but usually leave all the hard work to the small organisations and then jump on the lucrative bandwagon.
Our concern is that there is no mention on the SSPCAs website as to how many admin staff are employed. what their annual income is and the salary of their Director General.

Unknown said...

Nice one to all here, your all making their job alot harder, you have no idea whatsoever the crap they have to put up with. My wife and my sister foster long term sick dogs and cats for the sspca. One of my dogs and one one my cats were both hand reared by sspca staff and thats no easy task. I am an ex dog warden, ex police officer and an ex countryside ranger. all through my working life i had to put up with comments like,"are you going to do ANYTHING ABOUT THAT" or " so youve done nothing " . It is not a case of the sspca not caring or not doing their job properly they can only work within the law, as I did. Do you all seriously think that they sat on their arses and ate donuts, or is it a case that you think that they should stap on their swat gear and kick the gates down to CDs yard and helicopter him away - get a grip people. Even as a Police officer i was restricted in my duties when ever i was asked to investegate alligations of cruelty, either due to lack of evidence, backing from the law or lack of interest by the procurator fiscal. In 1994 I was assisting the Stirling inspector in his attempts to have a horse removed from a field that was neglected. I was there because the owner had previous. He was a nasty piece of work . However the vet would not issue a certificate to certify that the horse was starved due to neglet - why? because the horse owner was a client of his. Now i personally wanted to kick the shit out of the horse owner, and the vet. Eventually we got another vet from edinburgh to give a statement. This is the crap that they have to face. i know some of these people you are all bad mouthing here. These are good people working in poor conditions, many working with crap pay, long hours and often without any thanks. they do not get overtime, health insurance or any benefits and while you are all sitting comftably in front of your screens one of these people will be out either up to their knees in shit or pulling a bag of kittens out of the canal. I support all of the charities, Dogs Trust, Hesslehead, SSPCA etc and instead of sitting here bitching about them because they havent heeded to your demands try and give some sort of support. I await your collective backlash, hit me with !!!

A Dog's Life said...

Flash67 also mentioned an instance where a vet was in collusion with an
owner of a horse that was suffering, is this the same case? If the SSPCA had
evidence of malfeasance why was it not reported to the RCVS? I'm sure such
a revered body as the RCVS would head a disciplinary action against a vet
when reported by such an august body as the SSPCA. Or are we to understand
that this is all pie in the sky again?

Doodie said...

'Hamish' is obviously under the impression that the law does not allow the Scottish SPCA to act when in fact it does. Many of the people we have contact with have also rescued animals, worked as police officers, hand reared sick animals. The serious problem is that the writer does not know the law and should go and read what it says. If he was as good as he claims then he would know this and once he has read and UNDERSTOOD the law then he would be able to have a formed opinion and not a hysterical rant.

Press GSR said...

In response firstly to FLASH67 I appreciate and respect your points, nonetheless I feel you should consider our (German Shepherd Rescue) point of view.

If we had the funds and man-power then of course we would help on the scale of the SSPCA, but sadly we have absolutely zero funding and only voluntary man-power, subsequently when it comes to situations when we do not have the resources we call on the larger organisations, like the SSPCA. We are not disputing that the SSPCA do a great deal of good work, but our personal experience of the SSPCA has been less than satisfactory. We have called the SSPCA for help, advice and to offer to help rehome their rescued german shepherds on numerous occasions, unfortunately each time there is always a reason why the SSPCA will not cooperate or assist us.

You are misinformed when it comes to the law, as inspectors now have the right to remove an animal themselves without a vet certificate. Which is why the case of the two horses starving to death was so appalling, the public asked for help but none was given. Both animals were dead within days of an SSPCA visit. The law states that an SSPCA inspector can now remove an animal WITHOUT a vets certificate. Could you have walked away in such a situation when you knew the law was on your side?

You may defend this story by saying you can't save them all, as you implied when you stated that 'most posters here have just got an axe to grind about one poor dog'. Does the welfare of one dog or two horses not matter? If you agree with this argument then you would also have to agree that one child starving to death due to NHS neglect on a hospital ward is completely fine, because the NHS helps loads of other people. Can you see our point? It is not about having an axe to grind, it is about the animals.

And just to let you know we have consulted a specialist in animal welfare law just to clarify that we were in the right - that the 'one dog' you mention could legally be removed from its situation by the SSPCA and indeed we are right.

Secondly in response to Hamish you are grossly misinformed on animal welfare law, however I do commend your wife and sister for the help they provide to the SSPCA, it's just a shame they aren't on the massive salaries the SSPCA executives receive.

horselover said...

i am a horse/animal lover who has had a very bad experience with sspca, he John Burns came to our livery yard to see a severely underweight horse i owned, 1st i heard of it, the horse was infact an TBx up to weight with a large grass belly, my partner was astonished that he had even bothered to advise feeding this horse to keep the weight on this was the middle of summer and the horse actually needed to lose weight. 2nd time my foal and its friends had strayed into the burn 3inch deep something she did regularly in the summer the ponies was all very happy and once again he made a very big deal of it. 3rd time he came to my field and said he was there to see another extremely underweight horse with long feet once again clearly not one of mine but to keep record straight i got farrier to write a report on the same horses feet he was appalled at the accusation as he managed a rasp and that was at a push. 4th time same again he phoned to say my horse was running loose on investigation it wasnt even my horse but he kept phoning saying it was mine. 5th time it was about a very old 13h pony fit and healthy without a rug on in april the problem this time was "unloved and unrugged" neither applied 6th time he came it was for the same pony that was once again extremely thin and once again it was clearly very healthy and happy. now the most shocking thing ever, i split my very expensive mare and foal up after 8 months together the foal was put in a small paddock 28.1.07 very big healthy foal and pics available he was put in with a heavy shetland and my 18month old foal all got on well together and over the next few days were fed hardfeed and hay. all had rugs on barr the foal as he kept putting his leg through the straps. on day number 7 i had a phone call to say sspca were at field(i was 45 mls away with kids) with police cos foal was lying down immediately i called 2 qualified AI s to go to field assess situ and call the relevant vet but on entering the field they were ignored by sspca and vet on call although both girls were known to them. with no warning or idication the vet (small animal vet only) destroyed the foal despite objections by the girls to take it to local equine vet or at least to call him out. i was at this point on phone screaming not to let him die. sspca officer told them horse only had 1 hour to live and he was being destroyed. no examination or tests were carried out the vet didnt even have a bag with him in the field. but could diagnose kidney failure on just staring at him. the girls were devastated as was i on the other side of the phone. SSPCA SUPPOSED TO HELP MY FOOT THEY WANT TO PROSECUTE AND PERSICUTE ANYONE. the foal was siezed and taken for p.m. at glasgow vet school they asked for photos of the foal which i had then i heard nothing since that was nearly 7 weeks ago. i have pictures from 2 days before of a healthy foal and now he is dead. SSPCA refusing to answer lawyer, vet now denying being there, vet school wont comment, to make matters worse the SSPCA officer is stalking me outside my home (WITNESSED) and pulling out in front of me when driving his wee blue van (WITNESSED) now i have been caution for failing to produce a vet but in actual fact i did send 2 adults more qualified than him or the apprentice vet to deal with it. its shocking no one should give these people money. he has also advised me that he cannot be prosecuted for putting down the animal cos he is a SSPCA officer and his decision is final this statement witnessed by 4 people is shocking. i was not able to go out house for 3 weeks after this happened i would swerve and crash my car before i even killed a frog in the road never mind hurt an innocent animal. these people should b stopped before they kill anymore peoples pets please email me at alexandra_stewuk@yahoo.co.uk

horselover said...

i am a horse/animal lover who has had a very bad experience with sspca, he John Burns came to our livery yard to see a severely underweight horse i owned, 1st i heard of it, the horse was infact an TBx up to weight with a large grass belly, my partner was astonished that he had even bothered to advise feeding this horse to keep the weight on this was the middle of summer and the horse actually needed to lose weight. 2nd time my foal and its friends had strayed into the burn 3inch deep something she did regularly in the summer the ponies was all very happy and once again he made a very big deal of it. 3rd time he came to my field and said he was there to see another extremely underweight horse with long feet once again clearly not one of mine but to keep record straight i got farrier to write a report on the same horses feet he was appalled at the accusation as he managed a rasp and that was at a push. 4th time same again he phoned to say my horse was running loose on investigation it wasnt even my horse but he kept phoning saying it was mine. 5th time it was about a very old 13h pony fit and healthy without a rug on in april the problem this time was "unloved and unrugged" neither applied 6th time he came it was for the same pony that was once again extremely thin and once again it was clearly very healthy and happy. now the most shocking thing ever, i split my very expensive mare and foal up after 8 months together the foal was put in a small paddock 28.1.07 very big healthy foal and pics available he was put in with a heavy shetland and my 18month old foal all got on well together and over the next few days were fed hardfeed and hay. all had rugs on barr the foal as he kept putting his leg through the straps. on day number 7 i had a phone call to say sspca were at field(i was 45 mls away with kids) with police cos foal was lying down immediately i called 2 qualified AI s to go to field assess situ and call the relevant vet but on entering the field they were ignored by sspca and vet on call although both girls were known to them. with no warning or idication the vet (small animal vet only) destroyed the foal despite objections by the girls to take it to local equine vet or at least to call him out. i was at this point on phone screaming not to let him die. sspca officer told them horse only had 1 hour to live and he was being destroyed. no examination or tests were carried out the vet didnt even have a bag with him in the field. but could diagnose kidney failure on just staring at him. the girls were devastated as was i on the other side of the phone. SSPCA SUPPOSED TO HELP MY FOOT THEY WANT TO PROSECUTE AND PERSICUTE ANYONE. the foal was siezed and taken for p.m. at glasgow vet school they asked for photos of the foal which i had then i heard nothing since that was nearly 7 weeks ago. i have pictures from 2 days before of a healthy foal and now he is dead. SSPCA refusing to answer lawyer, vet now denying being there, vet school wont comment, to make matters worse the SSPCA officer is stalking me outside my home (WITNESSED) and pulling out in front of me when driving his wee blue van (WITNESSED) now i have been caution for failing to produce a vet but in actual fact i did send 2 adults more qualified than him or the apprentice vet to deal with it. its shocking no one should give these people money. he has also advised me that he cannot be prosecuted for putting down the animal cos he is a SSPCA officer and his decision is final this statement witnessed by 4 people is shocking. i was not able to go out house for 3 weeks after this happened i would swerve and crash my car before i even killed a frog in the road never mind hurt an innocent animal. these people should b stopped before they kill anymore peoples pets please email me at alexandra_stewuk@yahoo.co.uk

Carol Middleton said...

What a joke the SSPCA the RSPCA are. They say they care about animals, and yet they leave this poor dog CD in this pitiful state. They are just wonderful when you see them on TV programmes, rushing about in front of the cameras helping animals in distress, in reality they do diddly squat. If you need help for an animal 'phone people that really care, because it's obvious from this poor dogs plight that they couldn't give a damn.

Harmony said...

I work for one of the "Large Animal Charities" and I am stunned by the vitriolic content of these posts. I cannot comment on any of the animal complaints mentioned as I have no knowledge of them and am unwillingly to make a snap decision based on an obviously biased opinion!
I am very surprised at the stance the GSR has taken. By all means voice your opinions but to stoop to insult and sarcasm only belittles your organisation.
I am also personally insulted by the inference that these welfare charities are only out to make money and that we are unfeeling and callous.
My work is a huge part of my life and previous to my employment with animal welfare I volunteered for many years. I strive to do my best every day and care deeply for any animal in my care.
I DO take my hat off to the GSR for pursuing matters which they may FEEL are not being attended to adequately but this should not be done to the detriment of other organisations. There are ways to tackle problems but to alienate your organisation by insulting others must only hurt the GSR in the long run.
Do none of you realise that we ARE actually on the same side and the only ones being damaged by this type of crusader nonsense are the animals. There is strength in numbers, it is not a case of divde and conquer.
What puzzles me most is that animal welfare staff are insulted daily by members of the public; we expect this owing to ignorance of animal welfare and the law. I am shocked to be insulted by the GSR, an organisation I PREVIOUSLY held some high regard for. Shame on you.
As flash67 rightly pointed out the SSPCA rescue about 13,000 animals a year, hardly shambolic is it!
I do wish you the best for any future ventures and I hope you continue to have every success with your German Shepherd rescue.
Perhaps for future reference a little tact and diplomacy may serve you well when having to deal with other aniaml welfare organisations.

Unknown said...

This is shocking, My husband works for the SSPCA. He doesn’t get paid much, does not have health insurance, and never has. He works many hours a day, well outwith his normal working hours with out pay, dealing with cruelty, neglect and abusive members of the public on a daily basis. He has witnessed, and dealt with the most outrageous acts of cruelty to animals, to the extend that he will not allow me to view photographs in his office of cases he has dealt with.
Yes, that’s my husband in the uniform that many of you are judging so badly without any idea of who he is, or what he has to face every morning . If he sees this he would have a fit. ( He is also not aware that I am responding to these comments )
Its all very well quoting the law here, or thinking that you know best because "we checked up" Try being in the position of actually enforcing the law. The courts are not interested in animal cruelty. In court circles animal welfare organisations are known as the “bloody woof woof brigade” . My husband has been verbally abused, physically assaulted, including having battery acid thrown over him by members of the public when he responds to a complaint. It is extremely nice of you all to comment about these organisations whilst sitting in your nice comfy seats. To go to the extent of accusing those charities of only being in it to make money is quite frankly an insult to ALL CHARITY workers and volunteers slogging their guts out day and day out. Perhaps if GSD Rescue became slightly more professional and a little less hysterical then more money may come their way.

As for the comments about Hamish’s hysterical rants, they are not productive and the responses are relatively negative . Obviously a person who has been dealing with arses for most of his working life………..most of which seam to be here on this comments post.

Unknown said...

I came across this blogg as I was seeking info on the new animal welfare act, not because i have any particular axe to grind with the s.p.c.a. However I am shocked at how closely the incident with kyle mirrors one which is taking place at the present moment(hence my seeking clarification of the new act) to my knowledge a number of complaints have been made to the s.pc.a.concerning the well being or lack of of the same two large breed dogs the local dog wardens have also attended these premises on a number of occasions. An inspector from the s.p.c.a has been at the premises within the last two weeks when the owner was given a week to SHOW SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT in the dogs conditions A follow up phone call to the s.pc.a. on the matter was met with the response that this case is now closed. No indication was given that there would be a follow up visit to make sure that the dogs condition HAD improved. Despite the foregoing these dogs are still being kept in the same manner as before there are photographs which in my opinion show these dogs to be under nourished and a drinking container which was covered in green slime the area in which the dogs are kept was badly soiled with loose stools showing a large amount of blood surely any inspector could have noticed this and taken the animals to a vet for inspection in stead of CLOSING THE CASE.While the s.p.c.a. may have seen fit to close this case I have not and will be on their case until it is resolved one way or the other i.e the animals checked by an independant vet as to their well being and general health or lack of as may be the case. As regards the visits by the local council dog wardens it would seem that they regard their hands as being tied as the local council Have seen fit NOT to give these wardens full powers under the new act as they are at liberty to do however I will also be seeking clarification of this from my local council

There is another case going on at the moment which again involved the s.p.c.a. concerning an alledged puppy farmer in the Stirling area the s.p.c.a.inpector called at the premises involved again could find no reason to act and that was that as far as they were concerned, however the dog warden employed by stirling council using the powers given within the new act saw fit to remove a large number of large breed dogs, some of them in whelp from these premises and place them in a suitable environment this case again is still on going and these dogs are now waiting on the result of a disposal order at present going through the law courts

It seems strange to me that one council should give their employees full powers under the act while another does not thus seeming to hinder their own employees However, i would subit that both these cases illustrate a failure on the part of the s.p.c.a.to take action under the new act which they are so proud to trumpet about as to just how much imput they had in it,s inception, unfortunately this in no way helps the animals which are STILL subject to the same conditions as they were before the s.p.c.a inspection

concerned said...

If you have a complaint re SSPCA a usefull contact to have is email animadversion@webtribe.net 01559 371 031 (Anne & Ernest) which i got throughthis interesting site http://www.webtribe.net/%7Eanimadversion/ They willing to help & pass on contacts in scotland

liz said...

Disgusting reading about the poor horses Why was this allowed to happen Another sad story What sort of people are you employing they certainly do not have a lot of care towards animals to let this happen.Any more publicity like this and your donations will go down and where will you be then.

gabby said...

I work for the scottish spca and have for a number of years in one of the animal welfare centres. I cant comment on any of the cases mentioned here as im not an inspector and as such am not privy to the ins and out of these cases. I do however help care for the animals in the centres on a day to day basis along with the other dedicated members of staff. I am distressed to read that it is thought that, to quote 'they have no interest in animal welfare/protection, they are non caring non action animal welfare society' On a day to day basis the staff within the larger centres can care for well over 100 animals in each centre each day (dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, various birds, rats, hamster etc). Have any of you actually worked within any of the centres - no?? To say were are non caring in unfair - it is heartbreaking for all the staff every day when we see animals that come through our door that have been neglected, abused or lets face it thrown out either because their owner has just had enough and cant be bothered anymore or worse throw their ill/sick animals out because they dont want to pay a vet bill.

There are thousands of animals that are rehomed from the centres each year but yet this seems to be forgotten. There are also hundreds of cruelty case animals that come into the centres that are cared for and rehomed once they have recovered - again this is never mentioned.

One last thing while your all enjoying your christmas dinner i would just like to say to Carol Middleton i wont be doing 'diddly squat' but instead helping other dedicated, caring members of staff care for over 100 animals!!!!

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Diane said...

It's just happened again in Brechin! I reported a horse which was in poor condition and the SSPCA made lots of excuses including the one about the vet saying that there was no evidence the horse was neglected and that it wasn't suffering. Four days before it died, I rang the SSPCA again and pleaded with them to ensure that the animal was put out of its misery because there was no longer any hope that it would survive! They did not even do that! It was found on the ground by a neighbour writhing and squealing in agony. The neighbour had to call her own vet to end it's misery! I feel very bitter that I had to watch a horse starve to death and my neighbour had to see it die. We are both still traumatized by the whole sorry affair! I have written to the SSPCA and have got the usual excuses. I would be very grateful for any suggestions as to how I might get some justice for this poor animal.