Angrywith the RSPCA/Council dog wardens

A question about : Angrywith the RSPCA/Council dog wardens

This morning when driving back from school I saw an old english sheepdog dog in distress at the side of the road. I pulled up to see if he was OK, and it seemed he was a stray, half starved and unable to support himself on his back legs. I didnt have my mobile with me so I put the dog in my car and took him home, then I called the rspca. The lady on the phone said they could not collect the dog and to call the council dog wardens - so I call the council dog wardens and they wont come because they are moving offices today!!! So I said, ok RSPCA won't come and you guys cant come, what am I going to do with this injured stray dog? And the reply - take it to the vets yourself you have a car!

So, I got to the vets, and told them what had happened, they looked at me like they didn't believe me, they were just going to cage the dog and wait for the wardens to collect the next day - I insisted it needed treatment - they said they wouldn't treat until they had located the owners - I said what it if it dies in the meantime - they said that sometimes happens we can't treat an animal without payment -

So guess what? Muggins here has had to shell out for it Ј25 for the consultation not to mention whatever else I'll be billed for tommorow (my own dogs go to this vets so they know me)

I think its disgusting and I am absolutely sickened that nobody wanted to take responsibility for that poor animal

And what has annoyed me further is the vet said, dog will now be sent to the wardens who will put it down if its not collected after 7 days. I said no way is that happening, I will collect him after his treatment and look after him myself (don't think my hubby would like this) and the vet said, no, you can't do that it's illegal, he'll have to go to the kennals and if you want him you will have to pay the Ј40 - like I am not shelling out enough!

I have always given the RSPCA a fiver a month and will be stopping it - if this is the level of assistance they provide and will be writing to my local rag about this I am absolutely furious

Rant over.

MM

Best answers:

• Oh that's awful, lucky dog that had you to help it. Hopefully somebody might be looking for him now, although by what you described it doesnt sound likely. I would have done the same as you. I have no advice just wanted to say how nice I think you are xxxx
• My car is covered in blood and poo and I'm supposed to be working but not done a single thing yet. I'm having that dog for myself, believe me, when I set my mind to something I always get it.
• Well it doesnt sound like anybody else wants him so go for it. Like you said contact local paper, you might find that there will be sympathetic readers that will send in donations to help pay for his treatment etc. Good luck x
• Its nice to know that somebody cares.
  Am disgusted with RSPCA and dog warden.
  GOOD LUCK
• Thats absolutely terrible that RSPCA treated you like that and also not saying much for your own Vet.I would ditch him too if there is another one roundabout.Certainly get in touch with the papers as they are always looking for stories like that and would at least get someones backside kicked
• I did some volunteer work at an RSPCA kennels when I was younger and remember the staff going out to collect a dog on many occassions. Can only assume that they have decided (for monetary reasons) to concentrate solely on cruelty cases (which TBH this sounds like) where they can get involved with enforcement.
  Very sad, but a good example of why the dogs' trust and the blue cross etc need everyone's support.
  https://www.bluecross.org.uk/web/site/home/home.asp
  https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/topnavigation/about_us/
  Maybe if you were to contact one of them, they may be able to help.
• I'm not really overly bothered now about the money now I've calmed down a bit - and I'm sure it won't be much more than £500 max (I hope!) the thing that concerns me is if the dog is chipped or if it goes back to the owner and is mistreated again (or perhaps he just ran off and got lost who knows). Also I suppose the vet is right about getting him once he's been in the kennels, there could be some heartbroken kiddies somewhere - anyway hubby says if he needs a home he's got one, we already have two dogs and three kids - one more won't do any harm.
  If I can keep him for myself I will call him MORTGAGEDOGGY, as I will probably have to remortgage for his vets bill
• your're lucky we found a cat that had been hit by a car and had founf tis way onto my step, and the series of events ran like this.
  1. Called RSPCA no answer
  2. Called again 6 times when I got thru was told not to touch it someone would be out within 30mins to remove
  3. 30mins came and went so phoned again was told to take it to the vet myself if so bothered by it (it was dragging its back legs along behind it along with some inardy bits and blood all the way up the street to my door)
  4. Called again and told then there was no way I would be able to move it as I have 2 young children, they said' just deal with it love, we are quite busy you know'
  5. I scooped the cat up and took her to the vets who said that she was heavily pregnant and they would have to do the only thing the could which was to remove the kittens and put the cat to sleep, the vet did say that if she had been seen earlier they could have maybe saved her but she had bled too much.
  I now have two of her kittens and they are beautiful.
  As a result I have completely lost my faith in RSPCA because of the fact that they used to help all animals not just the ones that are treated badly by their owners.
  I too, used to give them £5 a month but wrote to them and explained why I would not be doing this anymore, and they didn't seem too bothered by it, yet they are more than hasppy to write to me each month and stopme in the street asking if I would like to send the money again.
• I haven't read all the replies here yet but can I just say that you actually have no proof this dog has been neglected or mistreated.
  My friend's dad's dog disappeared while out on a walk. He searched for hours and hours, days and days and couldn't find her. His only crumb of comfort is that if something happened to her, that someone like the OP picked her up and made sure she was cared for. If she had been found after a few days then no doubt she would have looked uncared for but nothing could be further from the truth.
  So lets not judge the owners until or unless the truth is uncovered but congratulations to the OP on being so caring and compassionate. I gave up on the RSPCA a long time ago and could tell you stories to make your toes curl. Now I only donate food to them, so at least I know it goes to the animals.
• MortgageMamma, do you know who your local kennels are? Please, please don't hand him in if they will send him to Leigh 'Sanctuary'. He would have little chance of coming out again.
  There are ways around the 7 day rule.
  If you need help or advice with him try
  https://www.therefuge.org.uk/
  or
  https://www.dogpages.org.uk/
  or PM me and I will get you names and numbers to try.
  Both have lots of rescues that post there and someone will be able to help you with him. Even if you definitely want to keep him, they can help you with support, advice etc.
  But please don't let them take him to Leigh :-(
• Just like to say that you done a wonderful thing MortgageMamma to help a animal in distress like that and kindly shell out your own money, well done.
  Its a shame that the RSPCA havent helped in this instance, sadly I have heard on occasions when they havent helped people in the past, hopefully it isnt common.
• Wardens don't send dogs to sanctuaries, they can only send them to a pound. I know Rochdale rescue have people based in Oswaldtwistle, they are very active up there.
  If you hear the vet has sent him to Leigh, we can make sure the local rescues know there is a home for him and maybe get a guarantee for his vet bills so he has a fighting chance.
  Unfortunately dogs that need medical care don't always make it to 7 days at Leigh.
  You could also post his details on
  https://www.doglost.co.uk
  in case he has been stolen and dumped. Dogs can end up miles from their original homes.
• Ive had the same sort of problems from the RSPCA and local authorities...
  I work in a taxi office and one night a driver radioed to say there was a deer wondering around a local street. I searched in RSPCA's website for an out-of-hours number, which was incorrect. When I finally found a number I was told that as the animal was not injured they would not come out! Even thou as it was in the middle of a street it was obviously out of place, probably stressed and scared, and with cars going by, might have been in danger!
  They told me to call the local police, which I did, who told me they would send someone if they had someone available (which meant they wouldnt bother!)