The poster you're replying to is trying to upset you. This is the risk of posting anything personal on a public forum. There are plenty of wretched people out there who see weakness and exploit it. You need to understand and expect this risk before posting anything of this nature.

Look, you can argue with me until you are blue in the face. But what happened to my cat was disgraceful.

This happens everyday and people are afraid to speak up because they can't afford £8000 court fees, who can? The RSPCA, with the money we donate to protect suffering animals and they waste on prosecuting innocent people like myself.

All that 'inspector' had to do was speak to myself or a member of my family and she would have understood. Instead she trespassed into my garden and took my pet, because she assumed her uniform meant she could do no wrong. Well her assumption was fatal.

I find it hard to believe that you do not think this was poor practice. The RSPCA will forever continue to treat innocent people like this if nothing is done. And you will be defending them. I hope you don't have a beloved pet, because they are in the firing line too, and you won't realise until it's too late.

Mary I have signed. I had a similar horrible experience last summer with the RSPCA.

With the help of my vets we put together a letter of complaint but I haven't had a satisfactory response (just a brief letter saying they'd passed the matter on to someone else).

I would be happy to send you more details by PM and even send you a copy of the complaint letter, i just ask that my personal details are kept private.

Hi Pat,

Thanks for your support and advice.

I can only try and make people understand.

Mary.

I appreciate all of the help that I can get. To have people be willing to support me is everything and it is what will help make a difference.

I would like to hear of your ordeal, to help build a stronger case and get justice for our animals. Please do PM me and we can discuss this further.

Yes I will dig out the information, but please be patient, my OH is in hospital with pneumonia and I need to get some sleep as had 2 1/2 hours last night!

Of course, take the time that you need.

My deepest thoughts.

I will hear from you soon.

Mary.

Thank you for your concern x

Nearly 20 years ago, our cat went missing. Every day for 10 days I rang round all the cats' homes and the RSPCA, asking if they had had a little black and white cat brought in, described her, said where we lived. Every day for ten days the RSPCA categorically said no, no cats from that district and no black and white ones. On the tenth day, my son (then aged about 5) and more sharp eyed than us, saw a small postcard in a window in the next street to us, saying "If you have lost a small black and white cat, please knock on our door".

We did. Turned out they had been driving down their street (maybe 100 metres from our house as crow flies - cat hadn't gone far) and seen a car ahead of them full of boy racers run over a little black and white cat. The nice couple rushed her to the RSPCA - where they amputated her leg. They grew so attached to her even in that small car journey, saying even though she was in shock she was obviously an affectionate, nice cat that if no-one claimed her, they'd re-home her. Knowing they had effectively already 'sold' her, they denied having her in their hospital, every time we rang.

I rang again and this time when they denied having her, pushed it and said well I know she was brought into you and reluctantly, sheepishly, the woman at the end of the phone told me to come in and look and see if it was my cat. Of course it was. The second she saw me, she went into a huge purring fit and the woman said even she couldn't deny the cat recognised me. The cage they had her in for ten days was tiny. And just a cage. It was awful. But they knew she was 'sold' so they hung onto her, presumably to recoup the outlay. She had a collar on and one of those little barrels you slip your address/phone number on, on a piece of paper. We hadn't noticed the barrel had come unscrewed. She was also fully insured.

They knew she belonged to someone (collar) and will also probably have realised that if they sold her to this couple she would just walk home anyway. They'd have paid £50 for her but we'd have got her back within an hour of them having her, I reckon.


When we got her safely home, I rang them again to say could they send the x rays they took to my vet. I wanted to see if she should have had her leg amputated. (Cheapest option I'm guessing). They agreed. Mysteriously the xrays got 'lost in the post'.

I have no time for them. My neighbours now have a dog they neglect. It has never been walked in 18 months never played with in the garden. It gets left alone and howls for hours. They scream abuse at it. I know the RSPCA won't bother with it as it is (just about) fed and given water. They don't even come out for cases they should be coming out for. Local dog warden says on their website phone the RSPCA but everyone I have spoken to says they couldn't be arsed to come out, as neglect isn't cruelty. Total waste of space. And I agree with the kind of issues they campaign on but feel they have lost all credibility.

PS: Cat is now 20 (she was only 6 months old when run over). And still going strong. But stopped growing after her accident so tiny.

What utter crap.. im saying it as I see it. So don't presume to know what I'm doing.

Yes there are people on forums who post to upset, but I can guarantee you, I post what I think & feel..




The bottom line is...

The cat was picked up because it looked ill.. And it turns out it was... The cat has died & tragic as that is, ill cats die.. I just can't see what all the finger pointing is about.

They are absolutely heartless. I am so glad that you got her back! The fact she is small and old (like Sophie) is a ridiculous reason why the RSPCA will accuse you of cruelty, Keep her safe and keep up the good work!

As for them ignoring genuine animals, I am completely aware. As I explained, I have taken in injured animals for years, and infarct my expertise is with raptors. On one occasion we received a phone call from a member of the public explaining a Barn Owl was stuck in a tree by it's jesses. (For those who don't know, jesses are pieces of leather used to tie a bird to a falconry glove)

We rang the RSPCA for help to get it from the tree, however they responded with, 'The owl will die of natural circumstances, there is nothing we can do.'

Can somebody explain how jesses put on my a human being are a result of natural causes?

We ended up climbing the tree ourselves and getting her down. After contacting DEFRA and being unable to find an owner, she now lives with a male rescue barn own and they are very happy together.

That owl would be hanging dead in a tree somewhere now if they had there way. It's shameful.

Are you really that nieve? The RSPCA have to much to deal with to spend all hours standing by unattended pets waiting for people to come home.

Also what sort of people do you think they deal with on a day to day bases. You and the op appear to think that the RSPCA spend their time stealing the pets of lovely owners just to victimise them. Reality is far from that. Waiting for the owner in most cases will only result in a escalation of the situation perhapes in to violence to prevent the removal of animals from cruility.

I think you need to think more of the unfortunate situations which exist before continuing your destructive crusade.

I work in a small dog rescue and have had many dealings with RSPCA so no not naïve just know more than a care to know about a huge organisation that has somewhere along the line lost their compassion and decided to be pretendy police people ignoring the rights of the owners of animals. Actually I say pretend but they go much further than the police. Anyone with the police force know they are not allowed to enter property without a warrant but the RSPCA try to intimidate people into letting them in making them believe they have a right to enter property, and they don't.

yeah its obvious the cat was terminal and at some point was going to deteriorate quickly and die. Nobody can no for sure wither some stress brought it on or if it was going to happen at that point anyway.

It sounds like the vet has been very irresponsible with their comments and only put more stress on a not very sound structure. I highly doubt they would repeat their comments in court. They either know they can't be substantianted or a lot more has been made of them here than what was actually said.

I'm very sorry but you have to do some research. They deny suffering animals care everyday and ignore call outs. They waste time and money taking innocent owners pets. Time and money which could be saved, if they had a protocol in place to investigate the circumstances before taking action.

It takes a phone call, not a stake out. They wouldn't need to be waiting if they had a protocol to contact and owner before taking an animal. I assure you, the RSPCA's crusade is much more destructive than mine.

And as for the comment about what the vet had said. My cat was not in a state before the RSPCA took her. Was it just a coincidence the night they took her was the one she was going to deteriorate so quickly? They timed that right in 20 years.

I'm another very much disillusioned with the RSPCA. After rescuing a kitten I phoned the CPL who couldn't take her, I then phoned the RSPCA who turned up three days later! They then asked me to sign a form saying I gave permission for her to be put to sleep if not claimed within 7 days. How the hell can I do that, I'm not her owner, what if they were on holiday! I refused and the guy was really cheeky, senior management couldn't be arsed replying to my complaint.

The image left by Animal Hospital and the like is far from the reality,

That's awful. They simply don't care. I can tell you now, if I had joined the RSPCA with a genuine hope in my heart to make a difference, I'd have handed in my uniform the day they told me get permission to put down a healthy animal.

Can I ask what happened to her?

I feel quite sorry for many of them, if they do speak up or even leave they can face terrible bullying, I have a few ex RSPCA officers who help out with our rescue they have to even several years after leaving keep their heads down and not be seen by the organisation anyone employing them soon discovers that too.

She was rehomed through another charity. I had to keep her for a week or so til a place came up (which I didn't want to do as I would get attached and I have several dogs!). They rehomed her within days and probably the RSPCA would have too but I wouldn't take the chance. Their argument seemed to be when dealing with such a volume of animals hard choices have to be made without emotion. I have even heard stories of "ugly" animals being PTS to make way for ones that would be easier to rehome.

I don't understand how the OP's cat was picked up by the RSPCA. Did the RSPCA officer enter their garden and pick up the cat without anyone's permission? They are not allowed to do that.

You are right they aren't but they do, as I said they think they are the police but without the bother of getting a warrant.

I guess problem is if we saw a really bad cruelty case we would be saying why can't they just go in and take the animal.

@Mary Rudyard.

I for one don't believe you harmed your cat at all. Most elderly cats become scrawny due to not being able to digest their food sufficiently - the Vet and the RSPCA should have know that even if the general public don't - you should have see mine when they were elderly. This is not your fault and could happen to anyone who owns an elderly cat.

Fortunately, all my cats are house cats and are very happy before I get accused of being cruel to them.

The vet had no right in judging you without knowing the full picture and talking to you in that manner is a disgrace, you should have been contacted much earlier in my opinion. As as to the RSPCA, It's best best I keep my mouth shut there.

I am so sorry this has happened to you. Please take care.

@Mary Rudyard.

I for one don't believe you harmed your cat at all. Most elderly cats become scrawny due to not being able to digest their food sufficiently - the Vet and the RSPCA should have know that even if the general public don't - you should have see mine when they were elderly. This is not your fault and could happen to anyone who owns an elderly cat.

It's certainly a simple procedure, for those who know, procuring the approximate age of a cat. (One simply opens the cat's mouth and takes a little peek inside).

Fortunately, all my cats are house cats and are very happy before I get accused of being cruel to them.

The vet had no right judging you without knowing the full story and talking to you in that manner is a disgrace, you should have been contacted much earlier in my opinion. As as to the RSPCA, It's best best I keep my mouth shut there.

I am so sorry this has happened to you. Please take care.

I'm so happy to hear she found a home! It's amazing that you stopped them taking her despite the fact you already had your hands full caring for your dogs.

Thanks again for the support!

I completely understand what you mean. You are afraid people will judge you because they are uneducated to the fact that cats age as a human does.

Thanks for your support, it means very much to me!

Mary.