# Who loves the RSPCA?? Opinions people?



## bellany (Feb 22, 2012)

Now I know that this is going to start a heated debate, but seeing its not about what we are doing I don't think there's going to be a spitting match I just want peoples opinions on what they think of the RSPCA, rather than each other?

My two meetings with them -
I got reported about not feeding my snakes every day (the snake in question had no 'food bowl' which was of a concern), but after much rolling of eyes and 'are you freakin kidding me?' it was sorted and I was told, good job darl, feed ur snake live stuff if thats what it ate before you bought it as its required by law that you continue feeding it what it is accustomed to. Her words peoples, not mine ..

Second time round I popped out to collect a possum and her baby in the dark bush at stupid oclock at night. On passing an incredible collection of torture devices and stunning antique weaponry (the size of this umm high powered cross bow with all the doohickys to make it pimped out was amazing), I commented on his nice collection and he was impressed and when I collected just the mum as the baby was 'gone' I noticed mumsy had been shishkabobbed by the very same cross bow. So stupid me declines the coffee and skedaddles out of there real quick, but not quick enough to notice bubs possum was chucked in the wheelie bin on the way out. So I rang the RSPCA and they said 'nope sorry, no law against shooting a possum with a crossbow', 'theres lots of possums anyway so killing one or two is not that bad' Id like to say here i stayed up all night with mum poss medicating her so that she would be comfortable as I can't euthanaise and if I called a vet out at midnight it was $400 callout and thats not counting the 'opening the vet office fees' and medication to euthanaise. 

But since then the RSPCA have been screaming my door down daily for me to take injured birds, almost dead birds and irate public that have the bird and they dont like the RSPCA so probly think i wont be much better. 

So whats everyones thoughts on the RSPCA? I think they don't care squat now anymore, sure a few of the 'people' that work there may still care but I havent met one yet..


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## Scleropages (Feb 22, 2012)

I guess you don't need a high IQ to help out at the local RSPCA ....


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## CrystalMoon (Feb 22, 2012)

From what I can understand(friends experiences etc not personal)It all depends on where and who runs the show....I think like a lot of departments easy cases are followed to the letter and those in the "too hard"basket get swept under the carpet. Most causes start out with the best of intentions then run out of heart(IMO) From what I have heard there can also be too many chiefs and not enough indians...... All I can do is commend you for taking care of the animals  and keep on keeping on


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## browny (Feb 22, 2012)

honest opinion?

I hate them, they are freaking useless from my encounters, which are all from when I lived back in W.A. and related to horses kept by 'my partner at that time in my life'.
Supposed experts but they had no idea what they were talking about in any aspect, I was astounded with one of them knowing what a horse actually was it was that bad... details would take pages and pages so I will stop there.


I have heard 3rd and 4th hand stories of how they do great work but yet to see it myself.


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## Boidae (Feb 22, 2012)

The RSPCA only likes animals that are fluffy and cute, dont expect them to care about reptiles..


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## Bedella (Feb 22, 2012)

Could you post the address of the @%[email protected]#$!$#%@%@!#@!$#% (very naughty words) who shot the possum so we can all go around and see how he likes to be shot with an arrow of compariable size? pleeeaaassseee 

we could use a javalin...


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## kr0nick (Feb 22, 2012)

Oscarslaw from youtube and facebook are alot better IMO, And the RSPCA is A joke.


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## Wrightpython (Feb 22, 2012)

IMO they only care if it a.) makes money for them or b.)is a real tear jerker for veiwing public and so creates donations which is also money for them. Should drop the R out of it as its now a Society For Making Money and there is nothing Royal about that. If you hurt a puddy tat they want your blood but the same people would shovel a rbb


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## PMyers (Feb 22, 2012)

If it's not cute, cuddly, fluffy, or likely to get them a nice spread in the news somewhere, they don't consider it worth their effort.


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## phantomreptiles (Feb 22, 2012)

RSPCA are a joke, the only ones that do care and work hard are the volunteers. 
I would not do a thing to help them. All their wildlife at night is referred to anyone else but them, they will not take strays, so people who do the right thing have to risk their own pets to look after it until the pound opens, or throw it back on the street.
They made someone who brought a baby bird to them, pick it up and take it to a busy emergency clinic, because "they where too busy to look after it".
They don't follow up complaints lodged with them.
Ok am ending my post as am getting angry, RSPCA pffftt


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## MathewB (Feb 22, 2012)

They gave us a kitten that had a tumour.

R.I.P. little kitty


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## junglelove (Feb 22, 2012)

wow im suprised that there isnt anyone that is on the rspca's side. i was expecting a big battle. 
though i am not on their side, i had someone aproach me on a dog lead free beach and asked how i control my dog off lead, we got talking they just got their first dog ever a 5yr old dalmation and the RSPCA told her a gentle leader/holty is cruel for dogs ***.
i think the majority of them think they are saving the world and dont actually have any official animal training/knowledge.
save the dogs and cat (feral animals mind you) but stuff native animals.


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## kakariki (Feb 22, 2012)

I can't give you my honest opinion of the RSPCA, it would get me booted from the site! (That should give you a clue)


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## mje772003 (Feb 22, 2012)

By the way has anyone seen on TV about RSPCA Pet insurance? I wonder if it covers reptiles?


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## phantomreptiles (Feb 22, 2012)

mje772003 said:


> By the way has anyone seen on TV about RSPCA Pet insurance? I wonder if it covers reptiles?


No pet insurance in Australia cover reptiles..........
There are a few companies in the UK that do, but that doesn't help us.


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## moosenoose (Feb 22, 2012)

I've got no time for the RSPCA. I think they are bloody useless.


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## phantomreptiles (Feb 23, 2012)

"Id like to say here i stayed up all night with mum poss medicating her so that she would be comfortable as I can't euthanaise and if I called a vet out at midnight it was $400 callout and thats not counting the 'opening the vet office fees' and medication to euthanaise. "

If you are able to drive, then there is an emergency centre at Springwood and one at Woolloongabba, both which accept wildlife and treat for free. (They will not be returned to you unless you are a registered carer and can produce proof)


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## LillyJaneee (Feb 23, 2012)

Its Good to know there are people that will go out of their way to help the *less favored* animals out there, My Spotted Python Noodle was rescued from her old owners that were treating her like crap! (she has scars on her belly to prove it.) 
and only a couple of months ago i was waiting for a train in Logan and a little dog was wandering on the train tracks, i called the RSPCA and they told me it would take them 5 hours to get out there seeing as they were too *busy*.... Bull******! if i had of left him there he would have died for sure, either by a train or a car! 
the RSPCA disgust me!


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## Sinners121 (Feb 23, 2012)

i have no time for the RSPCA they are uneducated and for that have to much power. they where also the people that said that we shouldn't be able to keep native animals as pets as they would just end up looking after them as we do not know how (thats the polite version). RSPCA also has idiotic items on their agenda just google it and you will discover


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## Bel03 (Feb 23, 2012)

boidae said:


> The RSPCA only likes animals that are fluffy and cute, dont expect them to care about reptiles..




It took me 2wks to get someone from the RSPCA to attend an address where a cute little fluffy dog had been left behind in a cage & was starving, so no, they dont even care alot of the time about the cute & fluffy! In the end they only attended after i got the police involved. I might add, well done to the police for helping me, as at the end of the day, that isnt their job!!



LillyJaneee said:


> the RSPCA disgust me!



& yet in the thread 'snake with 100 ticks' you said the op should have called them........:?


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## starr9 (Feb 23, 2012)

I saw a cat get thrown out a car window at about 60km's hr on the sunshine coast, made my other half pull over and we picked her up and got her fixed up. She was fine only a few small bumps! So I reported it gave full details on the rego of the car and all, and the story ended up in the paper (with a huge miss print saying the cat was thrown out with the car doing 100... I was never interviewed for the paper) Any way after talking to the RSPCA guy, he then said to me he thought I was the one who had done this horrible thing and that he was going to charge me! Well I was not happy at all and said so plus called a friend to help me out with the legal mined field it looked like I was getting thrown into!

Long story short I did not throw this cat out the window, I didnt get charged and the cat found an amazing forever home untill she passed away some yrs ago now. When asked why this RSPCA guy wanted to charge me when we all knew I was not the person he was after his response was " It was less paper work and running around. If only someone had said it was her, my day would of been a lot better. I could of gone home early." He was caught out saying this to an undercover cop who knew of me through friends. So the case was dropped against me, but the sad thing is the ACTUAL person who committed this crime was never caught. 

I saved a dog over 10yrs ago now who was tied up under a house, the owner had tryed to de-sex him himself with a pocket knife. The dog was left in its own blood and other dogs waste. I untied him and put him in the car and was turned away from 3 vets in Rockhampton. So I drove all the way back to the sunny coast and my old vet fitted me in right away. Long story short the dog got better and he stay with us till we found him a new home with close friends of mine. The same RSPCA guy with the cat situation also tryd to charge me with miss treating this dog. This was also thrown out due to the fact the ppl I gave the dog too where in the RSPCA down Nanago way and knew the hole story of how Id found this dog and what I had done to help it.

So LONG story short, Im not a fan, BUT I have seen some amazing work they have done. I have just been on the other side where this man was too lazy to find the correct person and thought he could blame me.


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## -Peter (Feb 23, 2012)

I've had experiences with all sides and levels of the RSPCA. They have been bad, ok, good and brilliant.


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## KaotikJezta (Feb 23, 2012)

I used to volunteer for their Yagoona shelter and all I can say is if people knew the half of it no-one would support them, believe me, they don't even care about the cute fluffy animals, they are completely heartless and you don't get paid employment at the shelter unless you have the same mindset.


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## Manda1032 (Feb 23, 2012)

My Mummy said if I don't have anything nice to say I should say nothing... So that's what I have to say about the RSPCA.
Lets just say if someone comes collecting donations for the RSPCA they get a door slammed in their face!


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## bellany (Feb 23, 2012)

thank you phantom for that info I could have really used it that night ! I'm in ippy and registered with ARROW so next time I'll be driving there for sure..

And Starr.... OH MY GOD ! ! ! thats freakin terrible on all accounts ! I would have been bloody livid with the guy, if he thought i was the violent one, I woulda given him a taste for sure ! Speaking of cute and fluffy, the last wild carers I was with in another location were so bad that if it wasn't cute, fluffy or a baby of some description they didn't want it. I had one woman who would literally turn her nose up when she got to the house and tell them she had no room, but could take babies etc. So of course my house was full of old decrepid birds and not a cute thing in site, because I took it no matter what (and to be honest, they were easier than the babies !) Also I was told I couldn't do reptiles because there was some 13 yr old kid who did them and they wanted to give him the chance (apparently only one person could do reptiles on the whole location, and his dad put in sizeable donations), tho it was amusing when I spoke to a local vet who had a kid bring in an injured snake and when the vet took one quick look he told the kid it was a rather large cranky tiger snake and that he should not be picking snakes up unless he is qualified and knew what the hell he was picking up ! (Note that I'm not qualified to pick up ven snakes but I have no problem in picking up all other reptiles to help the idiot group out with collections).. 

I'm very quickly finding that the people that do it for the position do it for the money, and the people that do it for the welfare of the animals getting treated like snit and paid nothing.. (I'd love to know how much bird feeding mixes I've been through in the past six months alone )


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## Ramsayi (Feb 23, 2012)

bellany said:


> i stayed up all night with mum poss medicating her so that she would be comfortable as I can't euthanaise and if I called a vet out at midnight it was $400 callout and thats not counting the 'opening the vet office fees' and medication to euthanaise.



What did you medicate this possum with?


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## Beard (Feb 23, 2012)

Ramsayi said:


> What did you medicate this possum with?




valium and wodka. Is there anything else?


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## AmandaD (Feb 23, 2012)

I have had 3 cases that still angers me to this day.

When I was a kid, my brothers and I were playing out the back yard with our 6 month old Rottweiler puppy. We were playing piggy in the middle with the dog who was barking playfully. My crazy neighbor decided that the barking was annoying and instead of asking for us to stop he shot my dog. (I don’t really remember it because I was very young, I only remember the street being completely filled and blocked off with police) The dog ran under the house and died. The rspca was called out to pick her up and do an autopsy in which the police were paying for. A bullet was found in the body (I don’t remember where). A cruelty case was started but the RSPCA dropped out and refused to help so the police in time gave up due to not being able to find a gun on the mans property. My mother being a single mother of four couldn’t afford to keep fighting so instead she decided to pack us up and move away, so we did.

With another Rottweiler (we seem to have bad luck with this breed) had some disease where fluid builds up on her organs, she looked very bloated and was in a severe amount of pain. After my mum searched for ways to come up with the money for the operation which had a low chance of working she decided it was best to put her down. On arrival the woman behind the counter said that the police didn’t pay for the autopsy of our previous dog and that my mother now has to pay for it before she puts the dog down. After a highly emotional time for all us family they decided to bill us later for the autopsy and we went through to the room. After she was put to sleep the woman said “pets are like children, you would of payed for your child to get better if they were sick”

We also dobbed our neighbor in for dog fighting/giving their dog steroids and nothing was done about it. They also didn’t come out to investigate when our pitbull somehow got out of a completely secure 6ft fenced yard and to the neighbours yard in which they must of “accidentally” fought. They said something along the lines of "he must of dug his way out" I didnt know my dog had jack hammers for feet and could lay perfectly good concrete, because hey, my back yard was concrete, which they knew from the photo we sent them. They came back with the statement "must of got through the house" I also didnt know my dog had keys and could unlock and open two doors. -___- USELESS

Maybe I just live in the wrong area ‘cause I swear by not ever going to Yagoona RSPCA for help.


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## disintegratus (Feb 23, 2012)

I hate the RSPCA with a passion, and have done for many years. I appreciate the efforts of those poor ****kickers on the bottom of the pile (read: volunteers who actually give a toss), but the company as a whole is disgusting. And they are no longer a charity organisation, haven't been for years, they are now a multi million dollar BUSINESS. 
Hugh Wirth is a (many many things that would certainly get me booted off this forum), and should be kicked squarely in the gonads at least 43 times a day, after being flayed alive and rolled in salt. 

A family friend of ours had a jack russell, and after their 3rd kid, it started getting nippy. I believe that they didn't teach the kids or the dog boundaries in regards to each other, so he took it to the RSPCA to get some help with it. They took his dog, actually refused to let him take it home, after telling him it would be euthed. 

A few years ago, I reported some ferrets at the local pet shop to them, they would have been around 3-4 weeks old, not even close to weaned yet, in a filthy cage with barely any water in it. They told me they couldn't do anything about it, yet a couple of years ago our awful neighbour (it was a war that ended in intervention orders and mediation before we finally moved), reported us because "we weren't feeding our dog". He was a growing pup, and was just about eating us out of house and home, and eating better than we were (he was getting premium dry food and home cooked meat/rice/veggie mix while we were eating maccas), and they attended the call within 2 days.

I HATE THEM!!!! just a side note though, if they collect a stray/brought in by council etc, they ALWAYS remove the collar, the idea being that while you're there you'll by a new one. ask them to see the basket with the collars in it, and you should get it back, or get an upgrade. Another reason they have given me for removing check chains found on wandering dogs is that they're "cruel", yet they use those same check chains to walk the dogs they have there.


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## FAY (Feb 23, 2012)

My experience with the RSPCA. This was at the Wollongong shelter.
We were after a small doggy to adopt. I know, not me at all. But thought we would give one a home, you know, do the right thing. We went there and had a look at all the dogs that were up for adoption. I did have a bit of an idea of the sort of dog that I would like. Smallish and female. There was only one that was suitable. Trying to get someone to talk to you was hard. Found a woman who worked there. We asked her about this dog, she would not even look at us...just said, that dog isn't ready to go yet.I Know, maybe I am weird, but the fact that someone was prepared to give a doggy a nice home, wouldn't you at least take their number and tell them that when this doggy is ready to be homed, we can give you a call?? Nope, not this person. So I just said 'stuff it' I would prefer to pay a fortune and go to a breeder and get the breed that we REALLY love and get treated properly. So, a Great Dane puppy was purchased and I would never , ever go to the RSPCA and try and adopt one again. I will go to the Great Dane Rescue instead.
In saying that, I do feel that the RSPCA is a great organisation and we do need it. Just some of their staff need a few people skills...


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## bellany (Feb 23, 2012)

God there are some horror stories out there about the RSPCA! On the business side of things, they have just completed a multimillion dollar super complex at darra/wacol, I've been meaning to go out and visit but chances are I'll just get cranky ! 

As for the possum medication, I was told by a macropod carer with my org to give it baby panadol, not sure how reliable it is but she's been caring for furries for years and I had no idea what to do so I'm not in a position to question ! 

I'm wondering how much longer the RSPCA will last when they are clearly so hated by so many, even my husband who isn't on this forum went balistic at the woman when we were talking about the possum.. He even went as far as to call the Australia Zoo which we used to live next door to and they said they hated the org aswell.. Sad when they should be working together for the common good of the creature.. I think RS is up there with my top five peeves.. Swerving to hit snakes is up there aswell, and I also dont like people that keep snakes to show off and treat them like 'I'm a badass cos I got snakes, and look at the awesome shiz this snake can do'.. sorry but i have had way too many mates that just keep them so that they can get drunk and either put the snakes head in their mouth or blow smoke in the snakes mouth... (This particular guy I reported to you guessed it....) but I ended up 'lightening' his collection for him when he went on holidays and said they got out.. Didn't sell them for profit, but rehomed them, I just couldn't see them being tortured and nothing done


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## disintegratus (Feb 23, 2012)

FAY said:


> We were after a small doggy to adopt... ...So, a Great Dane puppy was purchased.



I love it 

And unfortunately Bellany, the RSPCA will be around for a long long time, because they're the ones who've got enough money to advertise. People who know anything generally hate them, and rightly so, but average Joe Blow doesn't know the back story, and the RSPCA is their go-to company. It's like if the average person wants a piece of timber, they'll go to Bunnings, whereas anyone with a bit of knowledge behind them will go to a proper timber yard, and get better quality timber that will most likely be cheaper. The power of advertising is incredible, but the organisations that actually focus ALL their time/money/effort on doing good work don't have any left over to advertise. 
And that's one of the things that irks me the most about the RSPCA. They'll spend thousands of dollars on operations "saving" a puppy because it's good PR, while at the same time euthanasing hundreds of perfectly healthy dogs that don't need "saving", they just need a good home.


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## 12-08-67 (Feb 23, 2012)

Ok so here i go, i am one of the heartless people who spends 14hours every saturday trying to improve all the animals lives as a volunteer, legally i can not comment on the running of the rspca, but as a personal opinion with every negative and abusive comment people say there are people on the other side with positives too. I have seen the worse in every situation wether domestic, wildlife and even feral animals. They dont have an endless supply of workers/volunteers to cope with the amount of complaints and incomming unwanted/rejected/injured and lost animals- they get hundreds and hundreds call each day and are pushed to the limits but as heartbreaking as it is at times we push on and not just give up as alot of people do. They are restricted by laws too that alot of people arent aware of so please dont brand all of us with the disrespect.


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## CrystalMoon (Feb 23, 2012)

12-08-67 said:


> Ok so here i go, i am one of the heartless people who spends 14hours every saturday trying to improve all the animals lives as a volunteer, legally i can not comment on the running of the rspca, but as a personal opinion with every negative and abusive comment people say there are people on the other side with positives too. I have seen the worse in every situation wether domestic, wildlife and even feral animals. They dont have an endless supply of workers/volunteers to cope with the amount of complaints and incomming unwanted/rejected/injured and lost animals- they get hundreds and hundreds call each day and are pushed to the limits but as heartbreaking as it is at times we push on and not just give up as alot of people do. They are restricted by laws too that alot of people arent aware of so please dont brand all of us with the disrespect.


I am sure people dont tar you all with the same brush, I have read posts to this thread commending the volunteers  without you said organization would be up the proverbial creek without a paddle


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## longqi (Feb 23, 2012)

I cant comment about how things stand now
But RSPCA used to do a lot of great work
Admittedly most it was geared towards cuddly beasties rather than legless ones
but without them Aussie animals may have been a lot worse off

Most businesses including virtually all charities have to meet a bottom line or they cease to exist as a solvent entity
So their fund raising etc must always remain a top priority

If the fund raising is now their sole priority then thats a damn shame


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## 12-08-67 (Feb 23, 2012)

Thanks, so many of us - volunteers and workers, leave in tears alot of the time due to what we have to face and all we want is to improve the animals lives and there are just not enough hands to cope but as i said we keep trying and need all the support we can.


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## disintegratus (Feb 23, 2012)

12-08-67 said:


> Ok so here i go, i am one of the heartless people who spends 14hours every saturday trying to improve all the animals lives as a volunteer, legally i can not comment on the running of the rspca, but as a personal opinion with every negative and abusive comment people say there are people on the other side with positives too. I have seen the worse in every situation wether domestic, wildlife and even feral animals. They dont have an endless supply of workers/volunteers to cope with the amount of complaints and incomming unwanted/rejected/injured and lost animals- they get hundreds and hundreds call each day and are pushed to the limits but as heartbreaking as it is at times we push on and not just give up as alot of people do. They are restricted by laws too that alot of people arent aware of so please dont brand all of us with the disrespect.



I mentioned in my first post that I appreciate the efforts of the volunteers. I really do think that they do as much as they can with what little they have, and you are very right, I think their efforts are often overshadowed by the company as a whole.
However, I don't think that volunteers (or paid staff) for the RSPCA are given adequate training in many areas, a lot of people working under the RSPCA (paid and unpaid) are simply not knowledgable enough about animal husbandry, wildlife, even basic customer service. Because they are the go-to entity, a company "for ALL creatures great and small", giving the correct knowledge to the general public is essential.
Last year, when I lost my girls (ferrets) because the dogs broke open their cage, I called the RSPCA, they said they had a ferret, so I ran down there to check, they had this poor little girl in a cage with a bowl of cat kibble and fruit/veg(???), with a big sign saying "DO NOT HANDLE: VICIOUS" I asked to have a look at her, even though I knew straight off the bat it wasn't one of mine, and was told she was terribly vicious and bites constantly, blah blah blah. I said I didn't mind, I understood the risks, I picked her up and the little girl wasn't vicious at all! She was nervous as hell, which I can't blame her for, but was by no means vicious. I was actually going to take her if no one turned up for her, but luckily the Ferret Society got to her first

The attitude of the company as an entity needs to change, they have far too much power over the average pet owner, while not having enough power over the people who are actually committing heinous crimes against animals (getting no more than a fine for grossly mistreating an animal is IMO a ****ing outrage)

On a good note, years and years ago when I had my first 2 ferrets, they used to live free-range in my bedroom (on a side note, NEVER AGAIN. I thought I knew where they were pooping, I was WRONG. it was awful.)
My little boy got out (of a window that was open about 2.5cm) and was picked up by the council who tok him to the RSPCA. When I called them, the person who answered the phone was very helpful and went out of her way to check him for me, even checking his mouth to see if he had a chipped tooth so I could identify him over the phone. This was at around 4:45, and I dropped what I was doing and raced down there, got there at 5:10 and they actually stayed open for me because i told them I was coming. So... not all bad.


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