RSPCA SEIZE FAT PONY

RSPCA CONDEMNED FOR FAT PONY SWOOP AS THEY IGNORE INJURED ANIMALS.
THE RSPCA have swooped to confiscate a Shetland pony amid accusations the animal had been over-fed by the public.
This happens as in only several weeks they fail to come out to distressed and injured animals as featured previously on this site
Dale, a 13-year-old stallion, is one of around six Shetland ponies in a field at Fleetwood Road, Thornton, which regularly attract members of the public who stroke and feed them.
But angry owner Keith Hall, of Anchorsholme Lane East, Cleveleys, claimed he was doing all he could to stop the public feeding the animals.
He said: "It's the general public feeding them and making them overweight."I have put signs up saying 'Please do not feed the horses' and I find signs thrown over the road."I'm blaming the general public, but Dale isn't hurting. If he was badly overweight he would be ill.
"They're taking my property away and are not telling me where they are taking him – is that right? He's a horse, not a child."
"Dale is a lovely animal. We have not shown him for a couple of years but previously he has won every show we have entered him for."An RSPCA inspector arrived at the field yesterday morning accompanied by police and a vet was on hand to examine the animals.
Eventually Dale was led away into a horse box belonging to the RSPCA at about 2pm.
The RSPCA declined to comment. ( What, No Film Crew !)
http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpoolnews/Welfare-swoop-on-overfed-animals.4666763.jp

RSPCA DONT OPERATE IN SCOTLAND

BUT THEY TAKE DONATIONS FROM THE SCOTS, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE SCOTTISH SPCA DO ALL THE WORK !


Charities that receive donations from people living outside their areas of operation must let donors know if there are other organisations with similar missions in their area, according to the Institute of Fundraising's new best practice guide on cross-border fundraising.
The guide, published today, is a response to concerns from some Scottish charities about English charities that fundraise in Scotland even though they don't operate north of the border. Last year the Scottish SPCA ran a poster campaign alerting Scots to the fact that the RSPCA does not operate in Scotland (Third Sector, 22 August 2007, page 5). "Many Scots don't understand that we are entirely separate from the RSPCA, which adds to the confusion by continuing to advertise in Scotland," said Mike Flynn, chief superintendent of the Scottish SPCA. "The fact they care only for animals in England and Wales is only ever in the small print. This leads to many donations going south of the border."

Recent research suggests, for instance, that a majority of Scots are unaware of the fact that the RSCPA does not operate in Scotland. Partly in response to that research, the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is running an awareness campaign on inflatable billboards in Scotland that bears the message: "The SSPCA starts where the RSPCA finishes ... at the border!"
Michelle Feenie, marketing manager of the SSPCA, said: "It is vital that we not only continue to raise the SSPCA's profile, but that we also do so in a context that makes it clear that the society is Scotland's national animal welfare charity."
Feenie said that an argument could be made for stopping English and Welsh charities from fundraising in Scotland, but the most important thing was to ensure that any advertising informed the public about where charities operate.

The code, which has been drawn up by a working group including institute members from across the UK, says donors must be told where their donations will be spent, and charities must be sensitive to their expectations.A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said the charity fully supported the open and honest approach promoted by the code, which it helped to create. She said: "We have always been mindful of the damage that sister charities operating on either side of the border could do to each other and have for many years operated informal procedures with the SSPCA very close to those advocated in the code. Despite not being registered in the whole of the UK, the RSPCA is regarded by many as a national brand."
The guide says:
Donors must know where their money will be spent
Charities must be sensitive to donor's expectations of where their money will be spent
Charities receiving donations from donors residing outside their areas of operation must make them aware of services offered by any sister organisations offering equivalent services there
All parties should be involved in joint working from the earliest stages and throughout the process
The institute's code of practice on accountability and transparency must be followed
Any agreements or protocols between sister organisations must be endorsed by all high-level stakeholders, particularly chief executives and trustees
Information and publicity materials must make clear the agreement between cross-border charities.
http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/News/DailyBulletin/858919/Institute-unveils-code-cross-border-fundraising/85A2C16B3675C33360C84E2246235455/?DCMP=EMC-DailyBulletin

SEXUAL HARASSMENT & BULLYING COST RSPCA £30K

Animal lovers will not be pleased to learn of pay-outs to disgruntled employees by pet charities.

This includes the RSPCA: one of its inspectors was awarded constructive dismissal damages after a saga that included attempting suicide with medication designed to put down animals.

Will Clayton, partner in employment law at the Manchester office of national law firm Hill Dickinson, recently brought a successful claim to tribunal on behalf of former RSPCA Inspector, Dimity Crowley.

Crowley reported sexual harassment and bullying by a chief inspector (who resigned prior to disciplinary proceedings), and medical experts said the experience triggered a “short-term adjustment disorder”.

In October 2004 she attempted suicide. She was successfully treated and her consultant occupational psychiatrist said she had emerged both mentally and emotionally stronger, suggesting in January 2006 that she could return to work. An occupational health expert for the RSPCA disputed Crowley's suitability as an inspector.

Following an appeal by Crowley, a second adviser accepted she could return to work, but insisted on changes to her contract and an agreement from Crowley (who was pregnant at the time) that her GP could report any signs of psychological illness directly to the RSPCA. Crowley resigned a short while later before her maternity leave was due to begin.Trial“I was devastated to lose my job as it was my true vocation,” said Crowley.

“The RSPCA"s treatment towards me has been grossly unfair, enormously upsetting and demoralising given that I was a dedicated Inspector. I received no compassion and little support. I am left exasperated by the way in which I was treated.” After a four-day trial in December 2007, the tribunal agreed that Crowley had been constructively dismissed, that the GP consent issue was an unjustified invasion of privacy and represented a fundamental breach of her employment contract and consequently awarded her £30,000 in compensation. “This case is a severe warning to any employer who adopts overly rigid or aggressive health management practices of employees looking to return to work after a period of long term ill-health,” Clayton commented. “I was left with no choice but to take the RSPCA to an employment tribunal.

This lengthy and daunting process was extremely stressful. “Due to a poorly managed HR department, the RSPCA wasted huge donations received from members of the public in order to fight this case.

I am obviously thrilled to have won, however it is a shame that it ended up in a costly four-day trial.” Employees are now much more aware of their rights and if employers want to avoid embarrassment and costly proceedings then they must ensure that their grounds for dismissal are fair and that their procedures are within the law.

http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080623/FREE/89469861/1162/TOC/-/-/the-cool-calm-and-correct-way-to-avoid-a-tribunal

http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2008/10/08/47830/tales-from-the-tribunals.html

RSPCA FREEDOM FOOD DISGRACE