A visit from the RSPCA

[Spaniel]

Well what an interesting morning, had a knock on the door this morning and it was the RSPCA man.

We had a report that you have 4 dogs in the house and they are not walked, they are locked inside, nails are over grown etc etc

 

Come inside and have a look i said

Showed him the pup, my twp spaniels, and the house dog, showed him my day kennels i am building etc

and he said there was nothing wrong with my dogs what so ever...

 

I said how many dogs did they report and he said 4, now i only had the pup for a week so there are limited people who knows of this....so i have an idea who it was....the busy body 2 doors down who i cant stand...

 

Anyway had a chat with him and explained to him all about working dogs etc and what i did with them and he said if he gets any further calls he would call me

 

Ive lived in this street for 10 years and have had dogs for the last 8 years and some of the neighbours a few doors away didnt even knew i had a dog alone a few as they make no sound what so ever

 

Myself and the wife both work from home so we are here for the dogs 24x7, to be honest i get moaned at by the mrs because i spend more time with the dogs then the kids

 

Anyway to think some evil bitch who knows nothing about me would do that, after the amount of time my mrs as helped her out with her dogs is beyond me.....but hey thats what some people are like and even though i cant prove it, i know where this as came from

 

But good news everything is fine and he is more then pleased with how i treat the dogs etc, so i invited him back anytime i would like to make a visit

 

Rant over

 

Cheers Ian

[al4x]

nice to hear of someone being sensible and not getting irate over someone doing their job. Though people will spout you didn't have to let them in etc you did the right thing and had nothing to hide so job done. It'll be someone who doesn't like dogs and is being vindictive, if ever there was a case for multiple envelopes of doggy truffles from all over the country this is it give her something else to worry about

[welsh1]

Personally i would have politely told the rspca to go away,if he refused to leave my property then i would escort him off.

The rspca have no legal powers whatsoever,they like to dress up in uniforms and call themselves inspectors so the public will think they have powers.

They can only take action against people by taking out civil prosecutions,the same as you or i can.

 

I admit in some instances they do a good job,and will step in when they see cruelty,but most of the time they are just annoying busybodies.

[al4x]

so if you had nothing to hide you'd just make things difficult, contrary to popular opinion inspectors just want to check animals are being treated well if you have nothing to hide then what is the problem?

[Spaniel]

My approach is that if you have nothing to hide, then just invite them in

I think he was a bit surprised when i did say come on in, maybe he was not use to that.

 

Anyway her house is up for sale so lets hope she moves very quickly

 

He did say that 90% of phone calls received are incorrect, maybe in these cases the reporter should get a nice bill for wasting their time...

Edited July 23, 2010 by Spaniel

[AlistairB]

Ian, i've had a similar situation, apparently my dogs were kept in a shed with no food or water or access to the outside. The RSPCA visited when we were out and were caught trying to scale the fence to have a look. Once i'd spoken to the inspector, he was quite happy that wasnt the case and the dogs were in perfect condition.

 

The one thing we did insist on though was a letter of explanation from them covering the circumstances and reasons for the visit as well as a summary of their findings. We told our neighbours etc about the visit (it was one of them who made the complaint but we never found out which) and when we got the letter from the RSPCA, we copied it and added all the vet healthcheck reports, wrote a covering letter and posted through the doors off all our neighbours - never heard anything since!

 

AB

[dazza]

Why did you let him in? You knew your dogs where perfectly healthy and happy so why do you think you had to prove it to a charity worker?

[death from below]

Personally i would have politely told the rspca to go away,if he refused to leave my property then i would escort him off.

The rspca have no legal powers whatsoever,they like to dress up in uniforms and call themselves inspectors so the public will think they have powers.

They can only take action against people by taking out civil prosecutions,the same as you or i can.

 

I admit in some instances they do a good job,and will step in when they see cruelty,but most of the time they are just annoying busybodies.

 

What a **** attitude - I have worked closely with RSPCA on a couple of occasions in London and they were brilliant - not busy bodies but people trying to do a difficult job under difficult circumstances - they do not have the luxury of blanking information that an animal may be being abused - they are duty bound to assist - I bet you'd also be the type to complain like **** if they did not investigate and there was a case of mistreatment going on - they are far more proactive than many child protection departments in local Councils and we have seen the terrible consequences of their particualr inactions with baby Peter, Victoria Clumbia etc etc.

 

Yes, you are right and seem to be well aware of your lawful rights and the powers of the RSPCA - We also had a good working relationship so when they came across officious, obstructive people like yourself, it was usually resolved by them calling the police and the plod turning up - and yes they do have a lot more power than the RSPCA. Most likely though is that you are a internet keyboard warrior and what you say you would do on a internet page is prob something completely different when faced with the real situation.

[gixer1]

Why did you let him in? You knew your dogs where perfectly healthy and happy so why do you think you had to prove it to a charity worker?

 

 

What's the point in being difficult though, someone has reported it to them so they are just trying to make sure a dog isn't suffering, you must have seen some of the chav lowlife scum on the TV and the way they treat thier dogs? so why not disprove the person making the complaint and let the guy in??

[the running man]

My approach is that if you have nothing to hide, then just invite them in

I think he was a bit surprised when i did say come on in, maybe he was not use to that.

 

Anyway her house is up for sale so lets hope she moves very quickly

 

He did say that 90% of phone calls received are incorrect, maybe in these cases the reporter should get a nice bill for wasting their time...

I'm in bristol and people are so nosey! Ian u must be in hanham I bet!

[Bluebarrels]

My approach is that if you have nothing to hide, then just invite them in

I think he was a bit surprised when i did say come on in, maybe he was not use to that.

 

Anyway her house is up for sale so lets hope she moves very quickly

 

He did say that 90% of phone calls received are incorrect, maybe in these cases the reporter should get a nice bill for wasting their time...

 

 

You did the right thing mate some people have nothing better to do,than make **** up use her garden for your doggy bags,thatll give her something to do

[mayfly36]

Same here, why did you let them in. I know you had nothing to worry about, but they have no right on your premises, never mind in your premises. I too would have politly asked them to leave at first, and then eject them.

 

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW....

 

The Law and the RSPCA

 

 

By Dr.Barry Peachey LLB(Hons), LLM, PhD, FCollP, MBAE, ACIArb, FETC

 

 

THIS ARTICLE is written in MYjoint capacities as Legal Adviser to a number of dog organisations, and Chairman of the Legal Aid Working Party of the British Academy of Experts.

I had been approached by a number of dog people, and by fellow professional members of the Academy, and asked to clear up a number of misconceptions about the RSPCA and the law that appear to be widely held and indeed publicly fostered by the Society itself.

 

* The RSPCA is a charity.

 

* The Inspectorate is NOT a public law enforcement body.

 

* Society Inspectors have NO special legal powers whatsoever.

 

* They have NO special powers to arrest offenders.

 

* They have NO right to enter your home to inspect your animals or to demand that you answer any of their questions.

 

* They have NO right of access to shows, fairs and markets other than as members of the public, and can only carry out any law enforcement function as an assistant to a police-officer, upon that officer’s request.

 

* They have NO power to stop, obstruct or otherwise detain any vehicle carrying animals.

 

* Whilst the Society’s staff issue criminal proceedings against offenders, they do so by way of private prosecution.

 

* Members of the Inspectorate wear uniforms which make them as much like police officers as the law will allow. They are not. The LOWEST "rank" in the Inspectorate is Inspector (apart from Trainee Inspectors). Above that they have "Chief Inspectors", "Superintendent", ’ and "Chief Superintendents". None of these ranks are officers of the Crown, and have no legal significance whatsoever. They are designed to impress the public.

 

Members of the Inspectorate in senior positions have on various occasions stated in public that they have a cavalier disregard for the law, and the protections that it affords to suspects. On September 3, 1992, Chief Inspector John Paul gave evidence at Richmond-on-Thames Magistrates’ Court in the case of David MacKay. During cross examination, defense barrister Mr Thomas Derbyshire asked the RSPCA man: "Are you telling this court that you encourage your staff to flagrantly disregard civil and legal rights in the pursuit of your ends?" Chief Inspector Paul replied: "My duty is to look after the animals, and if that involves infringing people’s civil or legal rights then so be it. The animals cannot defend themselves so we have to do it for them."

 

It is a matter of public record that in this case the RSPCA had illegally entered property, and illegally seized animals The recent RSPCA television series Animal Squad – Undercover which appeared on , Channel 4 featured Chief Superintendent Donald Balfour, Head of the RSPCA Special Operations Unit. He was asked on camera by a police officer if he had any legal powers to do what he was proposing to do. His reply was "Officially no, but we do it all the time."

 

In the recent press release in which the Society announced that they would be withdrawing their staff from prosecutions under Sl Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, they described the five men concerned as "qualified as expert witnesses". They are nothing of the sort, and this is yet another wilful misrepresentation of their legal position. The qualifying body for expert witnesses in this country is the British Academy of Experts. Only holders of full professional membership, or fellowship in the practicing category of membership are "qualified" as expert witnesses. The law is that any expert may give expert evidence if they can satisfy the court as to their expertise, but there is a vast difference between that and Academy membership. None of the RSPCA Inspectors authorised by the Society are Academy Members or Fellows, not the least because the academy requires candidates to be educated to at least first degree level, to have chartered or equivalent status in their primary profession, and to be able to pass an extensive and demanding vetting procedure, covering professional conduct and competence.

 

At present only three of the experts who have regularly appeared in Dangerous Dogs Act cases are on the professional register of the Academy All of them are Panel Members of the A.G.Fox litigation consultancy practice.

 

The RSPCA has sought to present the withdrawal of its staff from these cases as an effort to protect innocent dogs. That is an exercise in hypocrisy that is unsurpassed. The truth is that it has been driven off the field by a whole series of crushing defeats in the courts that have made the staff concerned look amateurish in the face of true experts, in an exercise that in my view has brought the Society into gross disrepute.

Edited July 23, 2010 by mayfly36

[dazza]

The USPCA (Ulsters version of the RSPCA) called to my friends house after reports that he had used his terriers for badger baiting. He had been using them for fox work. Having nothing to hide he let them in. The dogs were marked around the face as you would expect after being on the business end of foxes. The police were called, the dogs removed and his house searched. They also took his wifes pet whippet. He eventually got the dogs back after going through three weeks of hell.

[al4x]

what is it with Irish members people trying to obstruct guys doing their jobs, do you like hastle and enjoy police visits or something?

 

To be fair Dazza are you really surprised they asked questions about marked dogs?

Edited July 23, 2010 by al4x

[mayfly36]

what is it with Irish members people trying to obstruct guys doing their jobs, do you like hastle and enjoy police visits or something?

 

To be fair Dazza are you really surprised they asked questions about marked dogs?

This has nothing to do with being IRISH/BRITISH.

[dazza]

what is it with Irish members people trying to obstruct guys doing their jobs, do you like hastle and enjoy police visits or something?

 

To be fair Dazza are you really surprised they asked questions about marked dogs?

 

I was more suprised that they thought his wifes skinny wee whippet was capable of giving good to a badger.

[al4x]

if they have grounds to seize dogs they seize all you've got in case anything happens to the one they leave behind its pretty standard.

[MC]

I don't get what the issue is, the RSPCA turn up because someone has reported dogs being mistreated. You are not mistreating them so you let them in to inspect your facilities. Good call as I see it.

 

I had a similar thing with one of my neighbours, I actually rung the local RSPCA office and asked if they wanted to come round.

 

By telling them to **** off only shows that you are not going to cooperate and they can then go off and come back with the plod.

 

If I caught one climbing over a fence or gate then that would be a different story, but just because they turn up on your doorstep I see no reason to antagonise them.

[Fatcatsplat]

I'm in bristol and people are so nosey! Ian u must be in hanham I bet!

What do you want to know for you nosey swine!!

[al4x]

I don't get what the issue is, the RSPCA turn up because someone has reported dogs being mistreated. You are not mistreating them so you let them in to inspect your facilities. Good call as I see it.

 

I had a similar thing with one of my neighbours, I actually rung the local RSPCA office and asked if they wanted to come round.

 

By telling them to **** off only shows that you are not going to cooperate and they can then go off and come back with the plod.

 

If I caught one climbing over a fence or gate then that would be a different story, but just because they turn up on your doorstep I see no reason to antagonise them.

 

 

nothing beats wasting a bit of police time though, not sure why you'd want plod on the doorstep when most RSPCA inspectors are normal people.

 

I've been on a few raids with them as my dads a vet and was in attendance and some of the stuff they deal with is awful, how they do it is beyond me but having seen a bit of it i can understand why they will look over fences etc as if they can close the incident down or find an animal thats suffering its got to be a good thing.

[dazza]

nothing beats wasting a bit of police time though, not sure why you'd want plod on the doorstep when most RSPCA inspectors are normal people.

 

I've been on a few raids with them as my dads a vet and was in attendance and some of the stuff they deal with is awful, how they do it is beyond me but having seen a bit of it i can understand why they will look over fences etc as if they can close the incident down or find an animal thats suffering its got to be a good thing.

 

When you went on raids with them did you enter peoples premises?

[al4x]

yup with the police there and a couple of times the owner under arrest. We only went once the police were in attendance and the situation was certain there was a problem.

[dazza]

yup with the police there and a couple of times the owner under arrest. We only went once the police were in attendance and the situation was certain there was a problem.

 

What gave you the right to enter a another persons property? After all you where only tagging along. Aren't the officals named on the warrant only allowed to enter?

[al4x]

pass on that one but not many police wanted at that stage to have much to do with handling dangerous dogs, i was "tagging" along as much as any vets employee would be and my dad certainly wasn't listed on any warrant. There certainly weren't any issues on the farm where we seized what was left of 150 sheep no idea if its changed but this was over 10 years ago. You are souding like you think animal cruelty is ok and people should be allowed to do it to their animals.

Edited July 23, 2010 by al4x

[death from below]

Anyway, the original poster did the most expedient and sensible thing - without the Victor Meldrew approach that some on here seem to like to take

 

"Yeah, well, I would do this or I would do that" - Bullfish, you'd cack your pants if someone in uniform turned up on your door. You'd then come on this site and say how you were dead cool and refused them entry.