I have had a great day today seeing Sadie and impatiently waiting for our homecheck to be done,and now my husband has ended up fighting with our nextdoor nieghbour over their border collie.
we have been out in the garden since we got back from the rescue home (which has been for a couple of hours) and we have had to listen to endless whining from their dog,when my huband looked over the fence he was faced with a horrible sight,they have crated their dog outside while she is having her puppies (some of them looked dead) so whilst watching he got on the phone to the rspca and our nieghbour heard him reporting it (from one of his upstairs bedrooms) and him and my husband have ended up fighting (and my husband has really hurt our nieghbour) and has been arrested (i dont condone violence in anyway shape or form but my husband is very passionate about dogs of all shapes and sizes and the sight of this just made him so angry).
the taers are streaming down my face but i cant help it,ive looked outside and shes still there and still whining my dogs are going crazy and ny daughter is sreaming to comfort the poor dog.
what else can i do to try and help this dog?
jane.

Oh my good lord!! I dont know what to say! Are the RSPCA on their way? Sounds to me like a vet might be in order aswell? I can understand why your Husband has gotten him self so upset, and I am sure that I would have done the same. If your neighbour threw the first punch he can say it was in self defence surely! you have my full understanding and support. Only wish i could do more :( Sarah

i'm TOTALLY on your side in this whole scenario.i would definitely have done the same thing myself, but sadly the law is a complete ass.even though your neighbours can be done for such barbaric cruelty, your hubby might get in trouble too.i hope he doesn't as it's obvious he was acting in the dogs best interests, and your neighbours sound like they need locking up.
my hubby gave a load of teenagers a telling off on the park for smashing glass bottles where the dogs were running, and then laughing about it.i had to literally drag him away from the situation and it took hours for him to calm down, but i didn't want him to get in trouble.
I hope the police are sympathetic to your husband, but do they really care about animal welfare?

Hi

OK, stay calm. I know its difficult, but you are not going to be anyu good to the dog unless you can think straight

First, your husband will be ok - these are extenuating (sp?) circumstances.

Call the nearest vet and tell him to come round, and the RSPCA. Things cannot get any worse now between you and your neighbour, so the best thing you can do is look after the dog now. Where are the neighbours now? Have you seen them since?

Chloe

I fail to see how calling a vet will help unless the neighbour wants to let him in to see to the pups? Would have thought the police would be involved if there was an assault so in theory they most likekly would call either a vet or the RSPCA when they call on the neighbour & see the state of the dogs. Hope nothing too serious comes of the assault.....maybe the Police wont charge him? Good luck.

If a good vet is contacted and the situation with the dog explained he/she may help by contacting the RSPCA themselves.Vets are aware that the RSPCA need a 'push' sometimes and may be willing to help.Its worth a try. I find the RSPCA far from adequate but they are all we have.
Archer

If I saw a dog in a crate stuggling to have pups I would call anyone who might be able to help sam. And for what its worth, unless you have anything constructive to offer in place of suggestions to call a vet, then perhaps you shouldn't be criticising other peoples advice?

A good vet would have knocked on the door and insisted on seeing the dog, and a brief word about how not letting the vet in could make the owner look even more cruel when it goes to court, would have probably done the trick.

cloe what IS your problem
I was trying not to let emotions cloud the issue and make a clear concise case of the facts...sometimes someone needs to do just that when emotions and tempers are running high.

But. Sam, you were wrong. Getting a vet out did solve the immediate problem. I think your use of the words 'I fail to see...' provoked the response. It did come across as if you putting down ChloeH's response.

Sam, you made a direct criticism of my advice. Whether you meant to or not, thats how it came over.

If you read my post properly, you would see I was responding almost directly after the event, and offering calm and constructive advice. Ultimately it was the vet who helped Jane out. So I don't have a problem - whats yours?

Hi Jane

Have the RSPCA arrived? Have you managed to get a vet to see the bitch and pups?
Let us know how things go. and I hope your husband is ok, and doesn't get into too much trouble :(

liberty

ive never heard anything like it , and were meant to be civilised.

hi liberty,
i called our own vet and he was here within half an hour the dog (cass) is in a terrible mess.
shes an old dog around 10 years old.
i never knew until today that they owned a dog,we have been in this house for 3 weeks (we needed somewhere big with a bit of land because of our own dogs and cats).
our nieghbour wasnt there when our vet came out,no sign of the rspca so we had to call the police to gain acsess to let our vet treat her.
she had 5 pups 3 were dead and the 2 that are left seem to be okay,the vet has taken her away with him as she was heamoraging(sp) and she is really bad on her back legs with authritis (sp) so being put in a crate has done her no favors (he had actually padlocked her in it our vet had to open it from the other end to get her out) which i found truly discusting and our vet was not impressed he was very angry.
im not worried about the money it may cost to help put her right (as billing nextdoor wouldnt do any good judging by his attitude).
i have said to the vet that i would be willing to offer her and the pups a home once she is okay but he said it still needs to be investigated by the rspca so he is going to phone them up himself and question why he got their before they did as she could have died in the crate with the 2 remaining puppies if noone had got to her.
my husband has been charged with assult as i know now that he had knocked our nieghbours front crowns from his mouth and broke his nose,i dont know if it was self defence all i know is our nieghbour tried to snatch the phone out of my husbands hands,which made him angry, but he was more angry about this dog being crated while having her puppies.
and seeing her when we finally managed to get to her,she was so relived i honestly dont know how long she had been out there and i dread to think about it,and she seems such a lovely dog with a nice nature, but looking into her eyes when i managed to comfort her i could see that she was old and way past having puppies,which made me sob my heart out, i feel so sad.
our vet has said once he has managed to sort her out and get her comfortable he will call me and give me an update to let me know how shes getting on.
jane.:(

OMG, i hope everything turns out right for you.
surely even though harm has been caused your husband shouldnt be charged given the circumstances.its a funny world we live in isnt it??
let us know any further details
mel :(

Hi Jane

That is so awful, hopefully the Police or RSPCA can prosecute your neighbour for cruelty and neglect?

The main thing is this old girl makes as full a recovery as possible, and her remaining pups make good progress. Did you manage to find out why the RSPCA took so long to get to you, considering the circumstances? :(

Keep us up to date, when you get the chance.

liberty

your husband will probably get off with a precaution. unless the neighbour insists on pressing charges. and i should think when the whole story comes out it will be the neighbour who is in more trouble than your husband. if he tried getting the phone off your husband....did he come into your house??. p.s. meant caution ..not precaution.....just so angry when i read this my brain is working faster than my fingers!!.

What a dreadful story. Surely, surely the old dog won't have to go back to its owners, that would be truly terrible! Thank goodness you were there and acted fast and the old dog is currently in good hands. Good luck with the outcome, and a pat on the back for your husband!

I would be pretty sure that the RSPCA

I would be pretty sure that the RSPCA will prosecute a case like this and if they don't they're worse than I've ever given them credit for.The dog and pups would have to be kept by the RSPCA until after the case.
So glad the poor bitch is now recieving treatment-hope everything works out for all off you-people and dogs.
Archer

i have just had a call from our vet and lost total faith in the rspca (to cut a long story short as cass is recieving treatment and it is being funded by me and my husband they are not going to get involved in "none urgent cases") when i asked my vet on the phone if i had left her without calling him,how long would it have took for them to get there???? my vet replied "how long is a piece of string" so i doubt very much they would have got there in time anyway (even if they did eventually turn up).
so now i am faced with a dillema:( i dont mind paying for her treatment,i dont mind giving her a home or the pups.
the nextdoor nieghbour has dissapeared and has not been back to what i know of,if i give her a home has he got rights to get her back???
my husband has been released and is now home and has filed a complaint to the police about what our nieghbour did with cass (but without the backing of the rspca i doubt that they could do much).
so what happens now???do i give her a home???and do i have to give her back if he decides he wants her back????
jane

Hi Jane

This just seems to go from bad to worse.... I find the RSPCA's approach appalling, if that isn't a case of cruelty and neglect, I don't know what is! :(
As for ownership of the poor dog, I have an awful feeling that you could pay all the vets bills and at the end of the day, he can take her back. Hopefully I'm wrong, and if I am I'm sure I'll be corrected.

Hopefully someone will be along soon who can give you some good advice.

liberty

hi i think that your husband is absolutely justified in his actions. im not an expert on the law but as a law student i no a bit! i assume by assault he's either been charged with abh or possibly gbh but could be wrong. im sure if this goes to the magistrates, if your solicitor explains the situation they will either let him off and completely dismiss the case or give him the most lenient sentence possible ie a small fine. must congratulate you and your husband on saving this dog you've obviously done an excellent thing as anyone will probably agree! good luck!
Liz

Hi Jane,
I absolutely could not believe what I was reading. What kind of people (or person) crates a whelping bitch and aren't interested in her welfare? :( I find that totally repulsive - people like him should not be allowed to keep an animal, any animal, EVER.
I would have done exactly the same as your husband, good on him, I'd have knocked more than his bloody crowns out!!! And as for the RSPCA - What's going on??
Well done you, for caring and taking the resposibility to get this old girl some care and attention and I hope it all turns out for the best, and she doesn't have to go back to that brute.
What the hell is happening to HUMAN BEINGS???????
Good Luck and I'm thinking about you all.
Sharon

Hi Jane

I'm cancelling my monthly donation to the RSPCA as we speak. I'll be quite happy to send you a donation towards the dogs vets bills instead!

liberty

well done jane for saving this poor dog .I am sorry that your husband has got in to this much trouble over it lets hope it all works out for you as for the so called rspca they want a kick up the backside if this is not a case for crualty i dont know what is the poor dog why dont you cantact your local paper and shame the rspca .I am sure you vet would give you a good quote for the papers.
the rspca are quick to pull at the heartstrings woth these adverts on tv about crualty now i would like to see them put our money to good use and deal with this crual man and hit him with everything they have . well done for steping in for this poor girl hope all turns out well for you and your family please keep us posted on how things go .all the best .

Good on your Hubby for doing what he did, i hope things turn out alright for all of you. And the dogs. I agree the RSPCA are a waste of time, They wouldn`t know an emergency if it hit them in the face.

I am so pleased that there are still people like you and your husband who won't just 'turn a blind eye' to this sort of cruelty and neglect.
I would think that your local newspaper (or even the nationals) may well be interested in your story, and the fact that the RSPCA are not prepared to do anything about it. It may help to shame them into getting involved, and would certainly embarrass your neighbour, maybe even enough to get him to drop the charges against your husband?
Good luck, please let us know how things go.
Liz

That is sickening, really!

Best wishes to you and your husband, and tell him, id have done worse! hehehehe, yes, i would get all the press, tv, everything onto this one, especially if your vet can make a statement to them about it. The RSPCA sit on millions of pounds, and will only show up if it gets them good publicity!

I used to donate to them, not any more. I actually have tried to use their animal hospital near me, as i am entitled to, but if you ring the phone number on their website, you get through to their main office, NOT the hospital, and i asked about a million times for the number for the hospital, and got NOTHING! This was the time i had a cat with a gun shot injury, and desperately needed some vet treatment, but they were no help what so ever!

Personally, ill continue to support the smaller charitys, and rescues, but the RSPCA wll get NOTHING from me, even thugh i do use their services, when i can!

(Ps, found hospital by getting on THREE busses, adn a tram, an walking round Eccles ALL DAY looking for it, as NO ONE at RSPCA in Rochdale would tell me fone number!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Em

God, that's enough to provoke the most passive person I too would have flipped and done some damage. I feel for you having to live next to them, I am sure that you now loathe them with a passion. Not having the right support from the likes of the RSPCA is really disturbing - I am not trying to defend them at all because I am not in a position to be able to do that, but I imagine they receive an overwhelming number of cases these days and have to prioritise their resources like any organisation - it's a desperate cruel world for animals. I hope that there isn't any subsequent court action for your husband - the provocation was extreme. That would be so unjust. :(

My sister is a vet.nurse and the vets she used to work for refused to have collection boxes for the RSPCA because of their attitude towards animals and their lack of caring.
The TV programme makes me laugh-I'm sure most of its put on for the cameras.(not the animalls of course).
Archer

Remind me again what RSPCA stands for ? Royal Society for the prevention of ........ oh yes - CRUELTY to ANIMALS . Maybe someone should remind them of that !!!
Mayb they should change their name to TWOS - total waste of space .
Jane I hope everything turns out ok for hubby . I would have thought even the police would be understanding in this incident .I know they have a job to do but I'm sure they understand why its happened.
I would be careful with the other owner with regard to taking their dog . Until a case of cruelty is brought about officialy , in the eyes of the law they have done nothing wrong and the dog is still their property . Unless you can find a new owner for this poor little bitch elsewhere and then deny all knowledge of her whereabouts . After all the vet took her from her "hme" - not you .So theoretically it cant e said that you stole her
Best wishes
Lel

several years ago a dog across the road from me was permanently kennelled with a chain attached to the kennel that was no more than 1.5 feet long.obviously the poor dog barked day and night constantly as he was in so much distress.i rang the rspca several times and said as it was given food and shelter there was nothing they could do.my neighbour took him to court over the constant barking and his solution was to have the dog put down!!!
I go to goa(india) every year and the local dog shelter, which is run by goans with an english vet, respond straight away to any calls about animals in distress, even though they have very little funds and a massive job to do compared to the rspca.
anyway i'll have to stop ranting now...good luck, and i hope the police see sense!!

What a terribly sad case it is beyond my comprehension that people can treat animals this way.

Unfortunately I see the results of cruelty and neglect everyday. Not from the current owners but from the previous ones that have mentally scarred thousands of dogs through cruelty and neglect then abandoned them for someone else to pick up the pieces.

As for the RSPCA the only time they are interested is when the cameras are rolling, and jolly old Rolph Harris is about. As far as I'm concerned they have turned into a political arm of the Animal Liberation Front.

They spent millions last year on political lobbying and lost millions with bad investments on the stock exchange. I also believe they spent 17 million on a new head office in Horsham I have seen the place and it's a monstrosity.

It must be remembered that it's our donations that they squander. Well not mine I have not collected or donated to the RSPCA for over 7 years I collect and give to local rescue centres who do a fantastic and often unsung job with no accolades and cameras and on a shoestring budget. I also collect and sponsor the PDSA and the blue cross.

I do hope your husband isn't in too much trouble and everything turns out ok.

Best wishes

Doglistener

i had a word with the vet this morning and he has been full of advice.he is going to keep her there with the pups for 7 days and send a letter to next door saying she had to have treatment and he in is recipt of payment (he doubts very much that he will come in to collect her) he has kennels out the back of his surgery and does occasionaly take in dogs from the dog warden and put them up for rehoming.
so he said "by law he has to keep her for 7 days to make sure she has been abandoned" but i have been to see her this morning with my daughter and shes so sweet! i asked about having her spayed and my vet is very reluctant to do it as she has been through enough already (i would gladly pay to get her spayed if i thought he was going to collect her).
the vet bill is already £227.61 so my vet said it is unlikely that he will collect her,i am more than willing to pay for this and i am willing to give her and the puppies a home for the rest of their lives,and i think this is the best way forward other than just collecting her and then another fight happen between him and my husband,(although his car hasnt been there since the police arrived to arrest my husband so hopefully he is too scared to home :D OH IM SO HORRIBLE NOT :D)
and i know now that the RSPCA are a waste of space I WILL HAVE TO REMIND MYSELF NOT TO BOTHER WITH THEM IN FUTURE
but at least shes alright and and getting all the attention (the vetinary nurses have took pity on her and shes getting lots of cuddles).
and she had a big kiss from my daughter this morning and both pups did too.
jane.

I think its about time the news papers were made aware of the position with the RSPCA, but I have a funny feeling that unless you know an investigative journalist personally ther would be no chance of a newspaper touching the story, the RSPCA seem to have a lot of clout as they advertise regularly (milk cow and all that!) now, what is the name of the TV journalist who investigated hoerse racing and dog racing?????? its a very juicy story

Dill

i'm sure that a few years ago there was an investigative type programme about the rspca, my brain is very foggy at the mo due to my own domestic strife:)i can only remember it being a shock to me who used to think they were a really pro animal charity.naive or what!!

Apparently they are one of the richest animal charities, who so I've just found out, regularly put healthy dogs to sleep, unlike NCDL,Blue Cross and Battersea, and probably many smaller charities who appear to do a great deal more for dogs in need with much less funding :( :(

liberty :(

Discussing this over lunch my husband and I have renamed them

Royal Society for Putting Cash Away

much more apt don't you think ? :D :D :D

Jane,
You and your husband have been very brave to do what you have, and here's hoping that your dear neighbour does the decent thing and gives up his rights to the dog. This sort of thing is so saddening but at least you were there to pick up the pieces. You'll have to keep us up to date on what happens. Always knew the RSPCA were a waste of space :(

Grace

good for you
The b*("£*&d next door should be banged to rights, certainly not your hubby.
Big hug for the poor dog and surviving pups
Lynz and Tilly

Oh no, I have been away this weekend, and have just logged on, I feel so badly for you.

I know that you have had so much advice from everyone, but my only further suggestion is, can you take some photos or video footage, pronto showing the conditions that this poor dog was in, as it is going to help your husband enormously if he is prosecuted and it is taken further, to show just exactly what made him flip, and what terrible conditions, this poor poor dog was existing in.

It is also so sad, that you seem to have just moved in and you appear to be living next to the neighbours from hell. There is now no way you can have any kind of relationship with these neighbours which is incredibly awkward for you.

I am totally behind you, and am feeling for you right now.

I think you've been a wonderful friend to this dog and her pups, and what your husband did was understandable. I'm not sure that it would be best for the dog to be rehomed with you though, simply because if this neighbour of yours wants to make an issue out of it, it would be easy for him to do so with the dog living with you. It would be terribly traumatic for her to have to see the old owner and moreso if he ever managed to get hold of her. Personally, I would seek a lovely home for her as far away from this man as possible, for the pups too. I realise that you are now emotionally attached to her, but I do think it would be better for her to have a fresh start with a loving home somewhere new where she won't have to see the man, hear his voice, see the old house and garden etc.etc.

josilou

dont wish to offend anyone on here.

BUT i think it is within cass`s best intrests to come and live here with her pups with me and my family,she is 10 years old and dont need to be passed from pillar to post,and from owner to owner she has been through MORE than enough already.
and as for a home for the poor girl i am sure i would struggle finding one, as shes riddled with arthritis and does seem to be unsteady on her poor little feet,but vet has said apart from that shes a strong old dog who is hardy at heart but WILL be on medication for the rest of her life to control pain for her arthritis.
and most people given the choice of a PUPPY or an OLD dog most people would almost certainly opt for a healthy puppy or dog.
SO where EXACTLY would that LEAVE cass???? on the scrapheap i pressume:( yes i have got emotionaly attatched to her and her puppies but i am only HUMAN anyone in my situation who loves animals would feel exactly the same as i do.i have had very little sleep worrying about cass and her pups but i cannot help the way i feel.
as for him nextdoor i can cross that bridge when and if i come to it,but me and my husband will continue standing up for what we belive in the only thing i do regret is my husband being arrested,and knowing my husband he would almost certainly hit out again if he is provoked or if he saw another animal being hurt in the same way as cass was.

sorry if i have rambled,

regards
jane

No offence taken and I hope I didn't upset you. Just wanted to offer a different perspective. There are people who adopt older dogs and give them very loving homes, but I hear what you are saying. As your neighbour has also told you to keep the dog now, it's unlikely that he'll try to get her back so a lot of what I said in my last post is not now relevant. Good luck with her and the pups :)

good for you jane, and your hubby too, i probalbly would have done the same as well, i have had some bad experiences withthe rspca before through work that is.
Dill you asked a question about which reporter down the investigation on the racing stables, it was Macintyre the series was macintyre investigates and they also down the dog racing scene boarding kennels and resturants too i think. May be that helps i think the rspca should be investigated as the have loads of donations and none of it is spent on the animals. the aspca seem to be much better, they have better powers too they are able to arrest people suspected of causing cruelity to animals, more of their cases go through the courts and more people are convicted, it needs to be the same here to.
well done once again hope the mum and pups get through it all ok
tanya

hi Jane, what a weekend you have had i have been following all of these posts , and spoken to you earlier ,well done for all you have all done ,and that includes your daughter,(like mother like daughter and dad come to that ),but i see a very nasty side to the R.S.P.C.A. we have just got our puppy from their rescue in Chobham Surrey and i have to say they are so good with the dogs and other animals they have there, but i suppose the young girls and woman working there do this work because they really love animals and want to make a differance, i guess its the fat cats that should be answering to the rest of us , I, like so many others have always given freely to the R.S.P.C.A.,and I shall now be asking many more questions about what they are doing with our money , they need to get back to grass roots and be there for instances just like these that Jane and her family have had to deal with ,now thats how i want my donation spent ....on the animals !Regards SUE T.

I've actually registered just so I could reply to this thread. Thank god there are people like you out their who are prepared to do something. Whatever happens, you know that you saved that dog's life and the two puppies.

Some advice:

It's not clear what happened in the assault, but if the neighbour grabbed the phone from your husband, that is also assault. I would seriously recommend that you put in a counter complaint to the police that the neighbour assaulted your husband - it will help to provide a defence for your husband.

I would ring the RSPCA again and say that you want them to do something regarding the state your vet found the dog. Threaten them with the local press. If you get no joy, go to the local press.

You sound as if you have a brilliant vet. If the case against your husband goes to court, make sure that the details concerning the vet calling the police to get access to the dogs is documented and is a major part of the defence. Call the police officers who attended as witnesses (as well as the vet).

Very best wishes and congratulations on being a caring human being (there are not enough around).

Hi Jane.

Well done you and your hubby for standing up for what you feel is right. I hope your neighbour's nose hurts like hell.

Jo

hi,
my husband has gone to work and the nieghbour has come home,i was ouside with my daughter and our dogs and he shouted at me YOU CAN KEEP THE F*****G DOG I DONT WANT HER THATS WHY SHE WAS OUTSIDE which made me angry ooooh actually im boiling
he then said he hopes my husband gets locked up as he was nothing more than a common thug
he carried on shouting so my dogs (our two deerhounds) started barking and he started throwing bricks over the fence at them so i am now waiting for the police to call out yet again:(
i really dont know what his problem is but this man clearly needs help of somesort and obviously another smack in the face,shouldnt say that really but he is a cruel man.
jane.

Well your next door neighbour has done himself no favours by chucking bricks over (at your dogs? showing even more how cruel he is). Where was your husband when the neighbour grabbed the phone? Did he come onto your land? I would definatly go for the reporting him too.
Good luck.