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[Guest]

Ian, mum and I were chatting about Molly today. I adore her and can't believe how well she's settling in, anyway...

 

We got her from an RSPCA dog shelter. I have never been to a dog shelter before, maybe they are all like this I don't know but I found it really upsetting.

 

I don't want to discourage anyone from getting a dog from the RSPCA, the poor things need a home and some love but...

 

The cages they were in were totally barren, cold, concrete things except for a plastic bed but no blanket or bedding to make it comfy.

 

Where they slept (inside) was the same arrangement, just with heating.

 

Molls had been there a week and she was filthy, smelly and her coat all matted. We couldn't understand why they didn't bath her and why did they leave her in that condition?

 

Almost all of the dogs had kennel cough. When we picked Moll up they said she had the onset of it and we could either leave her there to be treated or take her home and have her treated at our own expense. We took her home, there was no way we wanted her to spend another night there. She went to the vets today and had an antibiotic shot. We told the vet what they'd said and he wasn't impressed, he said they have their own vets who should have and could have given her an injection.

 

While we were at the vets, she was given the once over and they said she had a slight heart murmur (which just needs monitoring, no treatment) and a dodgy tooth which might need to come out when we get her neutered.

 

None of this was picked up while she was in the shelter.

 

I know they have an awful lot of dogs come and go but if a dog is there for a week, surely there's time to bath it and do some basic checks?

 

I'm not going to complain to the RSPCA as overall i think what they do is better than a lot of other countries do for stray dogs, but it just upset me to think even basic things aren;t done for the comfort of the animal

 

Oh, by the way, we paid £120 for her so surely that covers the cost of a bit of basic care? Maybe not

 

Maybe all dog homes are like this and I'm being unfair but I have nothing to compare my experience with.

 

Anyway, not sure why I'm posting this other than to get it off my chest...

[Patricia W]

It would be interesting to compare the conditions you found at your RSPCA shelter with others from across the country, and with other charities. The one that the media seem to use is Battersea Dog's home - which from the programmes I have seen seems to be a million miles away from your experience - or is that an illusion for TV?

 

I think you should say something though, Poet. Unless organisations get feedback they become complacent. I'd say it may be worth sending a carefully crafted note of "thank you but you might like some feedback" to the local and copied maybe to the regional or national level?

 

Not necessarily a letter of complaint, but a genuine response to help them improve. My impression of the RSPCA ( gleaned only from the press so not necessarily the right one) is that perhaps they could do with improving their management arrangements. It's not good enough to rescue animals unless you have a basic level of care available. In fact, who inspects them??

 

But I am so pleased you've found Molly - and I bet she's glad she found you!

 

Tricia

[Redwing]

We had a cat from an RSPCA home when I was a child, my father was ill with cancer and we wanted a pet to keep him company in the day. We collected our cat and was told that he had been vaccinated and neutered.

 

We susequently had to have him neutered as on his first trip up the stairs we could see that he certainly was not a neutered cat

 

He also got cat flu and nearly died

 

Luckily he did go on to be a lovely loyal companion until my dad died.

 

Two other people close to me have had similar problems with RSPCA animals from different shelters

 

£120 for a couple of weeks kennel keep? They could easily have spent some money on poor Molly

 

Maybe they think if they keep them in poor conditions we will feel more sorry for them and pay up (or am I being cynical )

 

It must be awful for the animal lovers working in such places

 

I believe they have big money mismanagement problems - they are not a poor charity.

[Karen & co.]

It's a shame she was so unloved when you got her Both of our dogs came from the Warrington Branch of the Manchester Dogs Home, Holly is reasonably long haired and was very timid when we got her but she was clean and had toys and blankets in her quite large run area, when we were looking around they were bathing a dog that had come in, they said they did it to any dog that needed it, some most days!!! They were walked daily or let out to run in an enclosed area.

 

Rescue kennels are dreadfully sad places, but they also seem to vary a lot There should be at least a basic standard they keep to.

 

Molly is a very lucky dog now she has you

 

Karen x

[Tulip]

In response to Patricia, I used to volunteer at Battersea (I have the cat-scars to prove it!) and I have to say, what you see on the TV is exactly how it is..... Yes, the dog pens are concrete so easy to clean, but they do have comfy beds with lots of blankets and toys - you take one of the blankets home with you (well, the cats do, anyway) as a comforter for the animal. Kennel cough dogs are always kept in a separate kennel block to prevent the spread of infection. Cat pens are small but they get let out to play every day and are spoilt rotten!

 

The best thing about Battersea is that they have over 300 volunteers - enough to walk and socialise every dog and cat every day. Getting week-old kittens used to being handled is such fun and the team do some amazing work. Last year we had a huuuuuuuge cat (Gizmo) brought in with a common story - her late elderly owner gave her too many treats and not enough exercise. Giz was a grumpy mare - especially when they put her on a diet - and had a bit of a temper. It took 7 months, but after a strict diet, lots of careful attention from the volunteers and plenty of running up and down the corridor she was a happy friendly, healthy girl and found a new home - honestly, I cried when I saw the pics of her with her new owner.

 

Sorry, gone wildly off topic there brought back lots of lovely memories.

 

Back to Poet.... I'm surprised at Molly being in such a state after a week in a 'sanctuary' Thank goodness she's home with you guys now.

[Karen & co.]

I'd forgotten about bringing blankets and toys home with our dogs

 

Karen x

[poachedegg]

We got Ruby from the same RSPCA as you Poet, was told she was healthy, however when we got her home and took her to the vets for a once over we found her skin was infected which took a considerable length of time, products and expense to get under control (and will be on steroids and piriton, probably for the rest of her life) and more worryingly mammary lumps which resulted in blood tests, biopsy and eventual removal.

 

Both these conditions were picked up immediately within a week of us collecting her from the RSPCA and the vet said would have been obvious to any vet examining her. She had also been returned twice to the RSPCA prior to us taking her, so presumably should have been vet checked on each return?

 

Ruby was also smelly and ungroomed.

 

I don't have any experience with other rescue homes, however we weren't impressed with this one and has cost us a considerable amount of expense (over £800) to get her healthy.

Edited April 5, 2009 by Guest

[Seagazer]

When we got Sally and Honey from Battersea they were both checked over by the vet before we were allowed to leave with them. We were present at the time. We were told that Sally had mild kennel cough and would need to see our vet.

 

Battersea has had its kennels modernised in between getting Sally and Honey and they were much better but because of the nature of dogs it can only be a concrete type shell really because of the calls of nature. They did have beds, blankets and toys though.

 

I should have thought the RSPCA could have bathed Molly though, that doesn't seem right at all. Surely thats against their animal rights ethos, she must have been uncomfortable with knots etc.

 

At least she has a lovely home now.

[Shirl]

My sister got a Springer from Battersea. They told her what a great family dog she would be and she has turned out to have skin & temperament problems. Her OH was adament the dog should go back but my sis is a real soft touch. It does mean that my sis can't leave the house for more than an hour because the dog wrecks it (she tried a cage and the dog injured itself trying to get out).

 

Personally I'd never get a rescue dog. I had one in the past and it too was a house wrecker when left alone. I know they aren't all like that but as most have had a rough time of some sort it is bound to take its toll on them.

[Patricia W]

Interesting that Battersea use volunteers. My daughter has moved nearby and misses our animals so I must tell her.

 

Poet, it seems that you may not be alone with your experience at that particular shelter.

 

I think you can't generalise about rescue dogs either. We found one many years ago, the police advised us not to take him to the RSPCA. We searched for his owners, but they never appeared - and he stayed for 12 years- and was the most wonderful dog ever.

 

Tricia

[chickweed]

The RSPCA will do anything for an animal providing there is a TV crew filming, showing how "wonderful" the organisation is.

I no longer make donations to this charity. I would much rather give to my local rescue centre.

[dancing cloud]

Not RSPCA, but as you know I have recently taken in Cleo from the local cat shelter and must say it has greatly improved since I adopted Loki from there 16 months ago. It was then rather bleak and institutional, but now looks much more comfortable .

 

They have built a whole new block with multi layered cat pens so they can choose whether to socialise or not. There are far more toys and individual scratching posts for all of them, and each cat had its own hand-crocheted blanket in its bed (Cleo brought hers home, and has happily ignored it since ).

 

I too think a nice letter to say how well Molly is and how grateful she is for their care, with a bit of feedback about presentation and accuracy especially re health issues. It can't do any harm and it may well nudge them in the right direction

 

Bet Molly's ecstatically happy with her new home!

[Tessa the Duchess]

We are currently looking for a new dog to rescue and last week we went to The Dogs Trust in Uxbridge, in the past we have used Battersea but the parking there is impossible so we decided on The Dogs Trust this time. The rescue centre is beautiful, set in rolling countryside, the staff were very nice and helpful. The dogs are kept in concrete shells, no bars but have perspex fronts with holes so you can 'talk' to the dogs. They all had beds and blankets and toys and were kept two dogs to a shell. Each shell had a door which led to an outside area where they were free to go whenever they wanted. The Dogs Trust have a team of 'Canine Carers' who are volunteers who take the dogs out for walks every day, they have two big field areas to run around in. I was actually quite impressed, although it was still very hard to go round and look into all those sad doggie eyes We didn't find a dog this time, we are going back next week. I rescued two dogs from Battersea when they were still using cages, it was heartbreaking, our two dogs were checked over by the vet with us present, they were both reasonably clean and very healthy and lived to a ripe old age.

 

I agree Poet that the RSPCA really should have given Molly a bath and tried to groom her, I think Battersea charge £85 for a dog and more for a pedigree, I have no idea what The Dogs Trust charges, but I hope I will soon find out

 

Tessa

[yvonne]

Really don't know how the RSPCA seems to have come to this !

They certainly are not a charity with no cash, but somehow seem to have lost sight of the aim to put animals first.

When I got my rescue dog a few years ago, I went to the RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Battersea and a couple of small rescue centres. Dogs Trust and Battersea were by far the best in terms of attitude and general conditions.

PLEASE do not be put of rescueing a dog by this thread, there are many, many wonderful dogs out there needing homes and many shelters well equiped to help you get the right dog for you.

Dogs Trust were great, lots of advise and genuine care that the dog got the right home, and no health problems even though our dog was an ex-stray.

I have also heard about the RSPCA from people who have worked for them who were well paid (!!) but found that some vets did not treat the animals very well - won't say any more than that on a public forum, but I certainly would not donate to the RSPCA.

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

The RSPCA will do anything for an animal providing there is a TV crew filming, showing how "wonderful" the organisation is.

I no longer make donations to this charity. I would much rather give to my local rescue centre.

 

I so agree.

 

I feel about the RSPCA the way you feel about horse racing, Poet. They are, for me, a sham organisation with their bleeding heart TV ads.

 

The reality of how they operate is shameful. I had a dog left on my doorstep (not my dog at all - totally random) and spent over three hours on call hold trying to contact them. Never got an answer. They didn't pick up. They were happy to take my call money while telling me my call was important and not answering or telling me where I was in the queue - if they hadn't just gone home and left the phone lines on.

 

I note that if you call their 'donate to us now' TV ad numbers they pick up straight away. Hypocrites.

 

A former landlady had a dog from them and it was ill for the first eight weeks. They make my blood boil. They know people give to animal charities, and I think they've lost their way. I would imagine a large chunk of cash goes on PR, ads and wages. Basic care? Too much like hard work.

 

I WOULD complain if I were you because so many people feel guilty about slagging off the RSPCA because they supposedly do so much good work for poor ickle furry creatures. But if they truly did the work, the animals wouldn't be in ill health and the conditions would be good wouldn't they?

 

Grrrrr they make me fume! Sorry for the rant but I HATE this kind of hypocrisy possibly more than outright animal neglect. The lack of shame and morality in such double standards AS WELL as, effectively, neglect. Gah!