What are the RSPCA for?

[JUNO]

Opening the street door this evening to put the dustbin out, we saw two skinny dogs tied to the bus stop opposite our house. They were cold and hungry and howling with distress. One of the dogs then broke free and was hit by a car before running off into a nearby field.
Upon phoning the RSPCA to report the matter, we were amazed to be told that they will not come out. If it is not to rescue poor dumb animals in bad situations, then what are the RSPCA for?

[Mad Chick]

RSPCA stands for Really Sorry Pets, Can't Assist

[JUNO]

My husband and some neighbours are doing their best, but so far nobody from the council, police or RSPCA have turned up to help

[p.penn]

That is terrible.

I am so not impressed with the RSPCA of late. Perhaps I always thought they were better than they actually are.

[Totally Scrambled]

They certainly don't seem as proactive or willing to help as they used to be. We have regular dealings with them at work but mostly only when they call us to assist them, which isn't as often as it used to be.
My latest dealing with them was when we dealt with a chap last week who hadn't been seen since Christmas. Went to his house with the family, broke in and found he had died. His two dogs were inside and had got hungry. I won't say any more about that. The family were understandably upset and did not want to take the dogs on. The RSPCA said they would not take them as it was the family's job to look after them and if they couldn't to get them rehomed. We rang a couple of groups, who due to the circumstances wouldn't touch them. I explained graphically what the circumstances were to the RSPCA and they refused to come out. We offered to house them in our kennels, which we aren't supposed to do, until they could get to us but they still wouldn't.
In the end we took them to a vet and had them pts.
The dogs were nice dogs and only acted to survive so were no danger to anyone, but it just seemed to be in the too difficult box.
Dom

[Totally Scrambled]

Jen,
It's something you get used to. Which explains my warped sense of humour sometimes
Dom

[p.penn]

That is awful Dom. As already said - poor dogs. I would definitely eat a dead person too if I was starving. Mind you, I would try to cook it first.

[roddelmae]

The picture that TV programmes about the RSPCA paint is often far from the truth, I'm afraid, as illustrated ('scuse the pun) by the writings above.
It is more about getting money into the bank account of the organisation than doing what they are supposed to do for the welfare of animals. They are very keen on prosecuting owners for not caring for their pets properly, which is commendable, and to be fair, the woman who acted as a 'cat carer' from whom we got Lindy-Lou is very good, but they should look closer at some the things they do themselves, and maybe prosecute themselves!

[perchy]

Oh dear, I feel really bad now, I give to three charities a year, one animal, one children and one elderly, I have just signed up to the RSPCA for this year, after reading this I think I will cancel and adopt some ex batts

[stace]

Its disgusting! Thats why i dont take a great deal of notice when packaging etc states "RSPCA APPROVED" They dont give a toss!

[perchy]

Feel even worse now, they are deffo getting the chop, will definitely adopt some ex batts, until have the room to have some myself.

[Mallard]

I visit one or two forums that are countryside/animal orientated, and when this subject comes up, and it does quite regularly, the general opinion of the RSPCA is very low indeed!

[wendy]

They have always been the same, I am afraid. They aren't very high up on my list. What a shame about those poor dogs.
Battersea would have taken them and have done so in similar circumstances. But they are full to the gunnells. There is a waiting list to take them in. Never heard of it before.
Wendy

[bluebell]

They are good when it comes to people leaving money to them, but I do find that the RSPCA aren't that bothered about other things. Our Monty, who is now 9 years old, came into our practice to be put to sleep. He had been rehomed by RSPCA to a 79 year old gent who wasn't very good on his feet so could not take Monty out for walks, but rather just let him out onto the street all day. He told us if we would not PTS him that he would put him into the bath that afternoon and drown him. We got him to sign over Monty to us and I have had him since.

My colleague had rang RSPCA to explain that as they had rehomed the dog to give them option of coming to collect him, they didn't but day after I got him home they kept ringing me wanting guys details so that they could attempt to take him to court - I refused on the grounds that it was their ill-thought attempts at rehoming that had caused the problem. I gave the woman on the phone a really hard time and all she could do was make excuses and when I told her she was talking rubbish she just said that the RSPCA do a brilliant job, I just said I disagreed, she then had the nerve to ask would I care to make a donation to them for their excellent work, I declined, and told her that the PDSA or Dogs Trust, etc., were much more worthy of my donation.When I took Monty in the guy gave me his vaccination card, he had been rehomed 6 times by RSPCA and had had a total of 7 names - well we gave him another one, as a new start! He is a lovely dog, only problem I have with him is he barks a lot - but hey he is a dog!!!

[Lilo-Lil]

Jen,
It's something you get used to. Which explains my warped sense of humour sometimes
Dom

Sadly Dom, after 15 yrs of involvement with various rescues, it`s the type of I`ve also seen too often. This is why I prefer to be involved with smaller, local rescues as I find they often keep the personal touch. I`ve also worked with Battersea and other rehoming centres in the past, and they do a fab job.

The public dont always realise that each local branch of the RSPCA is responsible for its own funding. If you donate to such organisations the money goes into central funds unless you specifically ask for it to go to a local branch.

I`ve always said that the day I stop being affected by the cruelty and mistreatment of animals by people is the day I give up. Luckily for them, I`m still moved by the plight of abandoned and unwanted cats and dogs.