You may well have found this already but you can download an RSPCA Comments
and Complaints leaflet here. Might be of some use.
http://www.rspca.org.uk/utilities/fa...entsComplaints

The self help group might be able to offer some advice about making an
effective complaint
http://the-shg.org/selfhelp.htm

Or you could always try emailing the RSPCA CEO Mark Watts directly


HTH

Tim

Sacha wrote in :

On 2010-10-13 18:00:48 +0100, "Dave Liquorice"
said:

On Wed, 13 Oct 2010 16:44:22 +0100, Sacha wrote:

I very much hope you're going to report this to their HQ.

With a CC to the tabloids...

I should have read this before I answered Baz - but yes, I think so.
People give thousands to charities, trusting them to do their best.
This doesn't sound like 'their best' where the RSPCA is concerned.

Tabloids, you mean like the Sun, Daily Star etc.
Never, I am working class but I detest tabloids no news just hype and nude
ladies.
My daughter has been talking to our local press and I think they are going
to see us about a story with a rep from the RSPCA.
Can you imagine how that is going to go.
Tomorrow the local press
Sunday the RSPCA
Never the twain.

Baz

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"Bill Grey" wrote in message
...

"Janet" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...

A few days ago I decided to turn over some copost, a job I hate but we
have
to do it.

On Saturday one of my neighbours asked me to temporarily move the heap
so
he could have sone elbow room to point up his garage, guess what I did.
Stabbed a hedgehog behind its front leg with my fork.

I thought it too early for hibernation in mid October.

Anyway we all panicked a bit and daughter tried ringing her vet but its
Saturday afternoon and they are closed.

For future reference; vets don't just work their office hours.
If you telephone out of business hours your call will be transferred to
the on-call practice vet (or, the on-call locum service).


Janet

I was referred to an out-of-hours vet organisgation when my dog was ill.
He was being treated for epililesy and barbiturates were the medicine. He
had been given a dose of 2 tablets and I was charged £7. I could buy the
tablets for £5 per 100. A definite rip-off.


Did your dog live? If so, was it it a rip off for £7 out of hours?
If you thought your dog was dying and the vet could save it, how much
would you pay?
Tina

An innapropriate consideration. You seem to support emotional blackmail.
Whether or not my dog died is irrelevant. To pop two phenobarbitone tablets
in his mouth for £7 the cost of which would have been 2/100 x £5 (i.e. 10p)
is extortionate

As for being out of hours, the establishment was set up as such and no vet
was "called out" to treat him. The cost of the "hospitalisation" was
considerable and for the the whole package I paid gladly.

Just to put things into perspective, it costs far more to insure my labrador
that it costs to insure my Volvo V70. Emotional blackmail prevails.

Bill

"Janet" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...

guess what I did.
Stabbed a hedgehog behind its front leg with my fork.

PS Strange that this thread which really has no basis in gardening

It certainly does. Many gardeners are interested in garden wildlife,
treasure hedgehogs because they eat slugs, and the above is a perfect
example of why gardeners need to be aware of where hedgehogs may be, to
avoid stabbing or burning them.

Absolute rubbish!

receives such attention while a another thread asking for advice on a
gardening question goes un-noticed?

Maybe it didn't appear, or nobody knew the answer. This is a
discussion group, not an advice bureau.

It did appear and it was a point worthy of discussion . If nobody knew the
answer then the posters here should emigrate to some other newsgroup - or
you should at least.

By the way patronising doesn't suit you.


Bill



Janet

"Tim" no wrote in
:

You may well have found this already but you can download an RSPCA
Comments and Complaints leaflet here. Might be of some use.
http://www.rspca.org.uk/utilities/fa...entsComplaints

The self help group might be able to offer some advice about making an
effective complaint
http://the-shg.org/selfhelp.htm

Or you could always try emailing the RSPCA CEO Mark Watts directly


HTH

Tim





Yes, Tim
I found your info very helpful.

However the RSPCA is not helpful at all, in fact it is in my opinion
harmful.

"Jake" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 13 Oct 2010 19:10:57 +0100, "Bill Grey"
wrote:

Why didn't Baz inform the RSPCA om Tuedsay that the hedgehog had died in
which case they would not have need to turn up on Wednesday.

Why waste a phone call - there had already been a couple to the RSPCA.
If the RSPCA cared about an animal in potential agony, why didn't they
contact Baz to say they could not attend and that he should put it out
of its misery so that they could raise money by prosecuting him for
that.

Once I rang the RSPCA for advice on treating a large bird (don't know
what it was) I'd found injured in the garden. I think it might have
been a buzzard or sommat similar but it was docile as anything. Their
advice line couldn't give any advice and I was told to ring a vet the
next day. But would I like to make a donation to the (hung up). Bird
died.

Another time I rang them to seek help with an injured dog I had found
on a roadside miles from anywhere. Was told there were no inspectors
in the area I was phoning from but would I like to provide my card
details so that they could take a donation. I think I swore!

Having hung up, I phoned Maureen and got the number of a (fairly)
nearby vet. Spoke to them and someone arrived within half an hour.
They thought the dog could be treated and so took it away in their
van. I got a phone call a few days later to say that the dog was
recovering and was going to the Dogs Trust for convalescence and
possible homing. I now "sponsor a dog" but will never donate to RSPCA.

That's your prerogative, I'm not flying the flag for the RSPCA, just looking
at the problem from a different direction.
Well done for sponsering a dog.

Perhaps someone here knows differently, but as far as I know the situation,
RSPCA Inspectors are /very/thin on the ground and each has a huge area to
cover.

Bill

"Bill Grey" wrote in
:


"Christina Websell" wrote in
message ...

"Bill Grey" wrote in message
...

"Janet" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...

A few days ago I decided to turn over some copost, a job I hate
but we have
to do it.

On Saturday one of my neighbours asked me to temporarily move the
heap so
he could have sone elbow room to point up his garage, guess what I
did. Stabbed a hedgehog behind its front leg with my fork.

I thought it too early for hibernation in mid October.

Anyway we all panicked a bit and daughter tried ringing her vet
but its Saturday afternoon and they are closed.

For future reference; vets don't just work their office hours.
If you telephone out of business hours your call will be
transferred to the on-call practice vet (or, the on-call locum
service).


Janet

I was referred to an out-of-hours vet organisgation when my dog was
ill. He was being treated for epililesy and barbiturates were the
medicine. He had been given a dose of 2 tablets and I was charged
£7. I could buy the tablets for £5 per 100. A definite rip-off.


Did your dog live? If so, was it it a rip off for £7 out of hours?
If you thought your dog was dying and the vet could save it, how much
would you pay?
Tina

An innapropriate consideration. You seem to support emotional
blackmail.
Whether or not my dog died is irrelevant. To pop two phenobarbitone
tablets in his mouth for £7 the cost of which would have been 2/100 x
£5 (i.e. 10p) is extortionate

As for being out of hours, the establishment was set up as such and no
vet was "called out" to treat him. The cost of the "hospitalisation"
was considerable and for the the whole package I paid gladly.

Just to put things into perspective, it costs far more to insure my
labrador that it costs to insure my Volvo V70. Emotional blackmail
prevails.

Bill




Your Mathematics need more work friend.

"Janet" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...

"Janet" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...

A few days ago I decided to turn over some copost, a job I hate but we
have
to do it.

On Saturday one of my neighbours asked me to temporarily move the heap
so
he could have sone elbow room to point up his garage, guess what I did.
Stabbed a hedgehog behind its front leg with my fork.

I thought it too early for hibernation in mid October.

Anyway we all panicked a bit and daughter tried ringing her vet but its
Saturday afternoon and they are closed.

For future reference; vets don't just work their office hours.
If you telephone out of business hours your call will be transferred to
the on-call practice vet (or, the on-call locum service).


Janet

I was referred to an out-of-hours vet organisgation when my dog was ill.
He
was being treated for epililesy and barbiturates were the medicine. He had
been given a dose of 2 tablets and I was charged £7.

You were paying for someone qualified to make a correct diagnosis and
dispense the correct prescription drug at the right strength for the
patient. Out of hours.

It's a pity you don't know the full details of the case or you wouldn't
write such drivell.

If you call out your plumber out of hours to a leak, and he fits a new
washer, he won't just charge you the cost of the washer. He has
overheads to cover and a living to make.

Do you really? Does he really? Well I never!

I could buy the
tablets for £5 per 100.

AFAIK one can't buy barbiturates over the counter in the UK. They are
prescription-only drugs.

Janet

Where did I say that I bought the phenpbarbitone tablets "over the counter"
?
I bought them with a prescription for £5 /100.

Prices varied, but that was the least I paid for them.

Bill

Bill

"Baz" wrote in message
...
Janet wrote in
:


For future reference; vets don't just work their office hours.
If you telephone out of business hours your call will be transferred
to the on-call practice vet (or, the on-call locum service).


Janet

Yes the vets receptionist said a similar thing on Monday.
I think that we just panicked at the time and if we had rung the vet would
have had a recorded messege or something.
All too late now unfortunatly.

Baz

You did your best - pity he outcome was sad.

Bill

"Bill Grey" wrote in message
...

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"Bill Grey" wrote in message
...

"Janet" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...

A few days ago I decided to turn over some copost, a job I hate but we
have
to do it.

On Saturday one of my neighbours asked me to temporarily move the heap
so
he could have sone elbow room to point up his garage, guess what I
did.
Stabbed a hedgehog behind its front leg with my fork.

I thought it too early for hibernation in mid October.

Anyway we all panicked a bit and daughter tried ringing her vet but
its
Saturday afternoon and they are closed.

For future reference; vets don't just work their office hours.
If you telephone out of business hours your call will be transferred to
the on-call practice vet (or, the on-call locum service).


Janet

I was referred to an out-of-hours vet organisgation when my dog was
ill. He was being treated for epililesy and barbiturates were the
medicine. He had been given a dose of 2 tablets and I was charged £7. I
could buy the tablets for £5 per 100. A definite rip-off.


Did your dog live? If so, was it it a rip off for £7 out of hours?
If you thought your dog was dying and the vet could save it, how much
would you pay?
Tina

An innapropriate consideration. You seem to support emotional blackmail.
Whether or not my dog died is irrelevant. To pop two phenobarbitone
tablets in his mouth for £7 the cost of which would have been 2/100 x £5
(i.e. 10p) is extortionate

As for being out of hours, the establishment was set up as such and no vet
was "called out" to treat him. The cost of the "hospitalisation" was
considerable and for the the whole package I paid gladly.

Just to put things into perspective, it costs far more to insure my
labrador that it costs to insure my Volvo V70. Emotional blackmail
prevails.

Of course it does and some vets know it.
Faced with the fact that they have the life of your pet which you love in
their hands some will abuse that privilege.
Simply because you love them and would spend your life savings to get them
well again.
Fortunately my vet is not one of those.

"Bill Grey" wrote in
:


"Jake" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 13 Oct 2010 19:10:57 +0100, "Bill Grey"
wrote:

Why didn't Baz inform the RSPCA om Tuedsay that the hedgehog had died
in which case they would not have need to turn up on Wednesday.

Why waste a phone call - there had already been a couple to the
RSPCA. If the RSPCA cared about an animal in potential agony, why
didn't they contact Baz to say they could not attend and that he
should put it out of its misery so that they could raise money by
prosecuting him for that.

Once I rang the RSPCA for advice on treating a large bird (don't know
what it was) I'd found injured in the garden. I think it might have
been a buzzard or sommat similar but it was docile as anything. Their
advice line couldn't give any advice and I was told to ring a vet the
next day. But would I like to make a donation to the (hung up). Bird
died.

Another time I rang them to seek help with an injured dog I had found
on a roadside miles from anywhere. Was told there were no inspectors
in the area I was phoning from but would I like to provide my card
details so that they could take a donation. I think I swore!

Having hung up, I phoned Maureen and got the number of a (fairly)
nearby vet. Spoke to them and someone arrived within half an hour.
They thought the dog could be treated and so took it away in their
van. I got a phone call a few days later to say that the dog was
recovering and was going to the Dogs Trust for convalescence and
possible homing. I now "sponsor a dog" but will never donate to
RSPCA.

That's your prerogative, I'm not flying the flag for the RSPCA, just
looking at the problem from a different direction.
Well done for sponsering a dog.

Perhaps someone here knows differently, but as far as I know the
situation, RSPCA Inspectors are /very/thin on the ground and each has
a huge area to cover.

Bill




I think thats the point.
For the money they get from donations there should be more operators so
they arent thin on the ground and have a smaller area to cover.
But that is not the case as I have found.
They have failed to fulfill their promise.At least to me and the
unfortunate creature which once lived in my garden.

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"Bill Grey" wrote in message
...

"Christina Websell" wrote in message
...

"Bill Grey" wrote in message
...

"Janet" wrote in message
...
In article ,

says...

A few days ago I decided to turn over some copost, a job I hate but
we have
to do it.

On Saturday one of my neighbours asked me to temporarily move the
heap so
he could have sone elbow room to point up his garage, guess what I
did.
Stabbed a hedgehog behind its front leg with my fork.

I thought it too early for hibernation in mid October.

Anyway we all panicked a bit and daughter tried ringing her vet but
its
Saturday afternoon and they are closed.

For future reference; vets don't just work their office hours.
If you telephone out of business hours your call will be transferred
to
the on-call practice vet (or, the on-call locum service).


Janet

I was referred to an out-of-hours vet organisgation when my dog was
ill. He was being treated for epililesy and barbiturates were the
medicine. He had been given a dose of 2 tablets and I was charged £7.
I could buy the tablets for £5 per 100. A definite rip-off.


Did your dog live? If so, was it it a rip off for £7 out of hours?
If you thought your dog was dying and the vet could save it, how much
would you pay?
Tina

An innapropriate consideration. You seem to support emotional blackmail.
Whether or not my dog died is irrelevant. To pop two phenobarbitone
tablets in his mouth for £7 the cost of which would have been 2/100 x £5
(i.e. 10p) is extortionate

As for being out of hours, the establishment was set up as such and no
vet was "called out" to treat him. The cost of the "hospitalisation" was
considerable and for the the whole package I paid gladly.

Just to put things into perspective, it costs far more to insure my
labrador that it costs to insure my Volvo V70. Emotional blackmail
prevails.

Of course it does and some vets know it.
Faced with the fact that they have the life of your pet which you love in
their hands some will abuse that privilege.
Simply because you love them and would spend your life savings to get them
well again.
Fortunately my vet is not one of those.

Neither is my vet. His charges are very fair and he is very competent
indeed.

My pet insurance company on the other hand .........!

BTW I've just sacked them today because they wanted to increase the premium
by about 30%.


Bill

Bill

"Bill Grey" wrote in message
...
I bought them with a prescription for £5 /100.

Prices varied, but that was the least I paid for them.


But you needed the vet and are complaining it cost £7 to put your cat
right!!

"Baz" wrote
"Bob Hobden" wrote
You hear so many stories about these charities these days...

RNLI paying millions for a new office block with subsidised meals and
telling sailors that risk their lives for nothing they have to
purchase their own lights from Halfords because they can't afford to
supply specialist ones.**
RHS employing a number of new managers (18?) and sacking 100 gardeners
because the wages bill has gone through the roof.
RSPCA as above post and more similar going back some years.

I think these are all run by people whose families would have sent
them into the Church in the olden days, they all seem totally
incompetent. They have all certainly lost sight of what their
organisation was set up for and what the priorities should be to
achieve that.

** RNLI if you want to give to them then give it to an actual Lifeboat
Station, in their own pot at the station, that goes to that lifeboat
station and does not go in the general pot to pay for the new Head
Offices and staff.


Following your above comments I googled and found astonishingly that of
the
monies collected only a small % as little as 4% actually goes where donors
money is intended.
Can this be right?
Why do we not see this on the front page of our papers?
We are off topic now I know but this is something we all need to know.

Strange isn't it that this is kept quiet, our "wonderful" Sunday papers who
love to dig the dirt don't say a word, why?
Yet more and more of us are questioning what is happening with these huge
charities.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

"Baz" wrote in message
...
"Bob Hobden" wrote in
:


You hear so many stories about these charities these days...

RNLI paying millions for a new office block with subsidised meals and
telling sailors that risk their lives for nothing they have to
purchase their own lights from Halfords because they can't afford to
supply specialist ones.**
RHS employing a number of new managers (18?) and sacking 100 gardeners
because the wages bill has gone through the roof.
RSPCA as above post and more similar going back some years.

I think these are all run by people whose families would have sent
them into the Church in the olden days, they all seem totally
incompetent. They have all certainly lost sight of what their
organisation was set up for and what the priorities should be to
achieve that.

** RNLI if you want to give to them then give it to an actual Lifeboat
Station, in their own pot at the station, that goes to that lifeboat
station and does not go in the general pot to pay for the new Head
Offices and staff.


Following your above comments I googled and found astonishingly that of
the
monies collected only a small % as little as 4% actually goes where donors
money is intended.
Can this be right?
Why do we not see this on the front page of our papers?
We are off topic now I know but this is something we all need to know.

As someone who works for a charity [SENSE], I was going to keep out of this
[apart from agreeing on the RSPCA] but ...

think about those donation bags that come through your door almost every
week. We employ our own part-time collectors who put out the bags, then go
back and collect them and bring them into the shop. Many charities use
something called Clothes Aid. Very little of the value of the goods you put
in those bags goes to the charity. They also "collect" any charity bag they
see, theirs or not.

Sadly, not all charities use their donations, in money or in kind, to the
best of their ability.

--
Kathy