The most astonishing thing happened to my old boy today and to be honest I am still in complete shock that he is sat here next to me alive and well!
I work so have a dog walker attend my  dogs twice a day so thet are never left without a break for more than 3 hours at a time. She called me at midday to say that Otto ( he's 10 1/2 years old) had managed to trap himself in our top bathroom ( I live in a 3 storey town house) and in his panic had decided the only means of escape was through the window!!!! ( it had been left slightly ajar unfortunately) The couple in the house opposite us saw Otto precariously stuck on our steep slated roof with just the plastic guttering stopping him falling to his death. Apparently otto desperately struggled to climb back in but then just stopped and stood there shaking. The man ( who is a policeman) rang the fire brigade but they weren't interested saying there was nothing they could do. He also tried the RSPCA but only got their voicemail so left a message. By this time he could see the guttering buckling under Otto's weight so ran to our house. Thank god my other half had not locked the kitchen window properly ( he had closed it but not locked it) and being a policeman was able to break in. He ran upstaires to my bathroom and leaned right out and halled him back in ( Otto weighs 32k, not an easy thing to do). I feel so guilty that we  let otto get into this position but in all his life I have never seen him attempt to climb out of any window so have never worried about leaving a few windows slightly ajar upstaires. I will never make that mistake again. I am just sooooo greatful to our heroic neighbour and thankful that Otto is still here with us. Ironically the RSPCA turned up after the event, leaving an animal welfare assessment form stating that we were not providing a safe and secure environment free from fear and distress. He didn't even see our dogs or come in the house. I don't need him telling me how fearful this must have been for otto and nobody could feel more guilty than me for this happening today. I don't know if there will be any follow up from them.
 

Wow. Talk about lucky! And shame on the RSPCA! :( Think you owe the nice policeman a box of chocs. :) I must admit I'd never think of windows when it came to large dogs!

Aren't our policemen wonderful. Three cheers for such a nice man. Don't need to go into my thoughts on the RSPCA. Hope you all get over your shock soon.

I think they were just doing the job we would expect them to do bearing in mind there will be owners not as caring and shocked as ottoman and who won't give two hoots about their animals safety unless advised differently.  I'm sure if they do follow it up with a meeting it will become apparent their concerns are no longer necessary.
Are you putting your policeman up for a medal, ottoman? :)

I can't see that the RSPCA could do anything else - after all if the NSPCC had been called out to a child they would go rather a lot further in similar circumstances :(

Daisy

Phew!  Thank goodness Otto was rescued a very lucky escape. What a fantastic neighbour. :-)

Wow, very scary! Glad you are all ok - I'm sure being a dog he is wondering what all the fuss is about :D A few grey hairs for you though :P

Oh wow How lucky for him that your neighbour was able to come to the rescue. I think guilt is a natural reaction to any situation that is a shock to the system - even when there is nothing to be guilty about :)

The RSPCA being wonderful as usual!!!!!! NOT! Just glad your dog is ok.

Wow, my heart was in my mouth reading this - thank goodness Otto is ok and what a fantastic neighbour :) 

just got the computer back login to read this.

god he going to be the death you ????

glad he ok and well,

Wow, what a narrow escape, well done that policeman! I'm disgusted at the RSPCA, they were called to help, not to give you warning notices - of course you (or your neighbour in this case) knew your dog was in distress, or they wouldn't have called the RSPCA to begin with -aargh!

I really can't understand why the RSPCA are being criticised :( They can't be available 24/7 to everyone who calls. When they arrived the incident was over (so they couldn't help) and they obviously summed up the situation that the dog had been put at risk by a window being left over - what is wrong with that ????? Everyone makes mistakes, but the OP left a window open which the dog had access to (whether or not he had ever tried to climb out of before) therefore it was the OP's fault - end of story - NOT the RSPCA's :(

Daisy

No need to shout

>I really can't understand why the RSPCA are being criticised.They can't be available 24/7 to everyone who calls

No they can't but isn't it odd that if there's a TV camera around they are like buses-Several come along all at once

For example-a dog was reported on a ledge above a tidal river to the RSPCA in danger of falling into either the river or the mud at any time, dog was clearly very distressed. At the same time(exactly)the local inspectors(all 4 of them)were trying to catch a wild duck with a crossbow bolt through it's body with the Rolf Harris team filming them !

According to the RSPCA call centre no one was available as all the inspectors were dealing with a multi animal emergency !!!!!!!!!!!!!!(there was only one duck)

Result I got a phone call from the office that overlooks were the dog was & a heavily pregnant colleague(another "dog"person)& I returned to the office & carried out the rescue with the aid of T Touch & a rope slip lead. The RSPCA turned up three weeks later ! & told the security guard that the call had just come in !!

BTW the senior inspector after 4 hours of trying to catch the duck on a fairly small pond destroyed the duck as it was too distressed(well after being chased by 4 RSPCA inspectors for four hours I'd be distressed)& destroyed it under the gaze of the cameras. It was shown at a later date on the Rolf Harris show !!

I hadn't realised that I was shouting And you haven't actually answered any of my questions - what the RSPCA does on other occasions wasn't what I was referring to :( I was specifically referring to this incident.

Daisy

>When they arrived the incident was over (so they couldn't help) and they obviously summed up the situation that the dog had been put at risk by a window being left over

Well they responded but like the one in the example I gave they were too late & the dog had been in danger. It was an accident the owner did not deliberately leave the window open nor lock the dog in a room that had an open window so why should they be critised by the RSPCA-better that they call back & get the full story !

If the local TV had been there they would have turned up timeously believe me

Sorry - don't agree :( This was a dog that was left alone at home with an open window in a third floor bathroom that the dog had access to - even accidentally. The dog could easily have died. If a similar thing had happened to a child, would you not have expected a similar rebuke from an similar agency ??

What has angered me about this whole thing is the way that people have jumped into criticising the RSPCA. I have no problem with criticism when it is due - but on this occasion I do not feel that they have done anything wrong. Even the police (who are state funded) don't turn up on time on every occasion. The RSPCA is not state funded and cannot possibly be expected to turn up immediately for every telephone call - however poorly they may/may not behave at other times. The whole post has been turned into a RSPCA bashing session - rather than just pointing out how careful we all should be when leaving our dogs unattended :( :(

Daisy (who is not a paid up member of the RSPCA :) )

My point is they never actually had the full story-they might only have 300 inspectors but they have other staff & before critising or issuing their "warnings" They should get the full story

It was not a child & the NSPCC investigate reports PDQ This was not a child left alone but a dog It would be very foolish to leave a child of the same age alone with a "stranger"to drop by to see them & I would expect the NSPCC to take action if it had been-you cannot make an analogy with a child being left alone with a dog being left alone. Take it to extremes I leave my BC in a crate if I go out of the house I think the police would be involved if I left a child in a crate !

I expect that they turned up and the OP wasn't there ......... What's wrong with leaving a warning ??

I'm afraid that the RSPCA are d****d if they do and d****d if they don't :( :( :(

Daisy

Also an open window - especially one large enough for a dog to get through - that can be accessed from a roof is an invitation to burglars, with the possibility that the insurance would be invalid because the house wasn't properly secured.

I agree that in this case the RSPCA shouldn't be blamed.

Of course they did not deliberately leave the window open but they did leave it open so naturally the RSPCA would want to look at that issue and want the owners to consider it too.  I can't believe that people think this is not exactly what the RSPCA is for. 
They carry out emergency rescues when they can but, obviously, with just 300 odd inspectors for the whole country, shift, holiday and sickness included, they are not the 5th emergency service and sometimes the public are going to have to deal with emergencies as best they can.  I'm afraid the talk about cameras is clearly OTT, I doubt they would need to stage a rescue they must have constant callouts that they could take a TV crew and clearly the publicity they recieve is beneficial to them in the work they do.

I thought it was the prevention of cruelty which this wasn't, it was an accident.

We know that because the OP has explained the circumstances the RSPCA did not have that benefit intially.  It's an accident if it was not appreciated that it could possibly happen but it is a welfare issue if the general safety of the environment is just neglected.  That is why it was appropriate to investigate to try to determine which applied.

Yes but the call came from the owner for help so I can't see why they then turn up and give her a warning.

No, the call came from the neighbour, not the owner.

Because welfare is their role.

The new Animal Welfare Act has increased their role.

In this case the simple mistake was made of leaving the house with a window open - one I'm sure we've all done at some time and which 99 times out of 100 will cause no problems. Unfortunately this was the 100th time and an accident happened. Ottoman's clearly a very responsible person who's had a horrible shock and will never allow such a thing to happen again. But don't forget that the RSPCA often deal with people who wouldn't give two hoots about it happening again and have no way of knowing whether or not Ottoman is one of them, so followed their usual procedure. And the procedure has worked perfectly - they've found out that Ottoman isn't uncaring and that this was a genuine error, so no further proceedings will take place. A happy ending all round. :)

Daisy it's not end of story that it's the owners fault.  Unfortantly we are all only human and we make mistakes (leave open windows, forget to shut doors etc etc etc)

The RSPCA in my experiance have never done anything good except take money! 

OP, what a lovely neighbour you have!!!! :D  How I'm sure we would all like ones like that!

Of course we are human and make mistakes and this is what the they appear to have concluding in their investigations.  Are you saying there are no poor homes where safety and welfare is habitually disregarded?  Should they not have bothered investigating then?
I'm not sure of the extent of your experience with the RSPCA but it is obviously a gross exaggeration to say they do no good.  Are you seriously saying you do not think animal welfare would be affected or would not be what it is today if they did not exist? 

Big huge cheer for your heroic neighbour! I'm so glad Otto is safe. Poor boy must have been terrified.

Second that one!!

thanks for all your kind words, Otto seems fine and none the worse for his adventure!!! I just wanted to clarify something about the RSPCA and why I was so unhappy. Firstly I am sure you can appreciate how shocked I was to hear what had happened. I raced home then to find the RSPCA note which basically amounts to I am a bad dog owner. I felt sick, I love my dogs with all my heart and try to provide the best care I possibly can. To have an organisation like this critisise your care is devastating to say the least. I do understand that they have a job to do but sometimes they can be so black and white. As it happens the RSPCA inspector rang my dog walker since he has been given this piece of information and she was able to let him know that she sees to the dogs twice a day when I am at work , they are both healthy, well cared for and very loved.  He then actually told her that he wished more dog owners went to that much effort to ensure their dogs are looked after.He will not be be making any follow up call and is satisfied that this was just a freak accident. Just as a final point, to get out of the window, Otto must have climed onto the basin, precarious enough so even with the window slightly open I would still have never envisaged him actually climbing out since access is so difficult.  He is coming with me to Paignton tomorrow and will enjoy the care of the brilliant ladies in the unentered dogs tent, I didn't want to leave him on his own.

Sorry, Ottoman, I think when you have recovered from the shock of your nasty experience you might see that the RSPCA have actually done an excellent job there, just what you would wish.  They have investigated you and are satisfied with what they have found, that this was an accident. 
We both know not every home is satisfactory so I really don't think you should regard this as unecessarily criticism rather than seeing it an an entirely appropriate way of going about what is, after all, their role in our society.

dear god do people not learn!! one of ours has been hanging out of our bedroom window with a 14ft drop would we leave children alone this way?? they have no comprehension either!! lets blame the rspca for our mistakes!!! i put it down to my total stupidity which it was!!

i know otto and owners for the pass 10 years.
as a owner she a well caring person who think the world of her dogs,she wouldnt but her dogs a risk,or her girls  come to that,
it was a one of those freak things that may happen i our live time.we all make mistakes but to leave a small window open we all do it, you do not know what cause the dog to get out of the window it may have been fear of something or someone out side hunderd and one thing may of cause him to get out.
this as reminded me of our old next door neigbour who had an old gsd they went out left a big window open in the bedroom at the front,again andrew saw it with its to front feet hanging out but with in seconds she had jump got up ruff up her coat and walk to andrew with up a care in the world,she was ok.

again this  freaky thing do happen.

Has the RSPCA actually visited you and seen your dogs, or are they just taking the word of someone else that all is well? because after leaving such a note, they should certainly have visited your home to see for themselves, and give you reassurance and explain why they left the note in the first place.

Accidents happen, and in the circumstances you have no blame at all for this happening. Who could have possibly thought your dog-or any dog- would have gone to such lengths to escape! You need to rename him Hudini! :) I hope you are feeling better now, it must have been an awful shock. have you stopped hugging him yet? :D

They really can't win can they!  On the one hand investigating is wrong but on the other hand not taking it further, beyond the word of someone that knows them and their dogs well, is also wrong. 
I can't imagine the note needs any more explanation, it seems perfectly clear to me and I am not sure that reassurance is their role.

I didnt say investigating was wrong, I said it needed a correct followup. If you are going to warn someone about the care of their animals (whatever that animal may be) under the new act, then I would have thought a follow up visit to ensure all is well should be essential. Otherwise the warning is pointless. A person may well say they know the animal well, and it is well cared for (as I'm sure it is in the OPs case) but unless the RSPCA actually check themselves how can they actually know this to be the case.

The note and the reasons they left it would have been far better explained face to face when they actually visited and saw for themselves the dogs were well and healthy, and reassurance given to the owner that all was well.

if they are actually going to investigate an incident, they should do it correctly, not leave it to a phone call from a third party, although I do accept that the evidence from the dog walker is essential in this matter.

They did not leave it to a phone call from a third party they contacted the dog walker which, to me, suggests some effort to track down the fact there was one and to locate contact details. 
Speaking to the dog walker, in my opinion, is probably better than speaking to the owners as there is clearly less self interest, similar to providing a reference rather than writing one yourself.
I suppose it is a matter of opinion but I consider that had covered this job perfectly satisfactorily and are best left to commit their time to all the miriad other jobs that the public expect them to be getting on with. 

Actually checking that the dogs were well themselves would have been better surely. Of course checking with the dog walker for evidence that the dogs are not left alone all day was necessary. I'm not suggesting otherwise.

It could well have been a different story though, had the dogs not been so well cared for, and kept all day in conditions that are not ideal under the new act. A visit would have confirmed this, but if they are happy to take the word of a third party (which the dog walker is) rather than checking for themselves, it is a job half done. Why start a job (with the note) and not finish it (a visit) I can see many less caring animal owners taking full advantage of using a third person to confirm they are being caring owners. I am looking at the 'bigger picture' here, with no critism of the OP. :)

As you say Isabel, it is a matter of opinion, but i fail to see how they carried their job out to the best of their ability.

If it was the RSPCA that contacted the dog walker rather than the OP offering them it seems like a perfectly good reference to me.  You may regard a visit as necessary to complete the matter but they, with considerable experience in this field, obviously felt that call completed it and so do I bearing in mind their many other calls upon their time. 
Like I say, they can't win can they when you consider there are posters who do not think it should have been investigated at all.

A good reference in this case, I'm not disputing that. How they came across the dog walker I'm not sure, maybe from the OP. I am just suggesting, in the larger picture, that despite comencing the enq they failed to complete it by actually seeing the dogs and the conditions they live in. Yes, I am aware other posters have differing views, and I am not decrying them, just puting my opinion forward that, having started the job they should have finished it. They may be very experienced, but they don't have a crystal ball, nor the ability to see through brick walls.

You feel happy they have completed the job to the best of their ability, I am not, so we will have to simply agree to disagree because there is no other way :D

I give up ................. :( :D

Daisy

Me too :)  I'm going to sit at home amusing myself with the imaginary posts if ottoman had posted something along the lines of

>The RSPCA have spoken to my dogwalker but they still want to come round and examine the dog themselves

I think I know what the majority would say until a little lone one will pipe up

>I don't think they have done enough, why haven't they pursued a vet reference?

:D

I reiterate - I have no problem with the OP whatsoever :) It could happen to anyone :)

Daisy

Glad Policeman did what he did and glad the dog was saved! 

Well, if you can find nothing else to sit at home and amuse yourself with then go for it ;) :D

Now, imagine another scene.....a dog escapes from a home, a home that has many dogs locked in cages, some loose, the house covered in dog mess. Some dogs look fine, others not so well. The owner has a friend who is a dog walker (or maybe not, people do lie) and the RSPCA visit and leave a note. They are satisfied with the dog walkers telephone conversation, and are happy all the dogs are well. But they are not......does this make you laugh. :rolleyes:

Its nice to see you can speak for the majority of dog owners, because not all come on here you know :D Also, even if you find pleasure in mocking what I say, I am entitled to my opinion, the same as you are. The same as everyone else on here is, and I also think they have their own voice and don't require you to speak for them. if everyone else thinks I am wrong, then so be it, but again it is my opinion and I stick by what I think. I may not always agree with some things that are said, but I do actually respect people enough to accept that everyone has their opinion, and do not have to share mine just because I say so. If you are refering to me as being the 'little lone one' well fine, you are entitled to that opinion, and yes, if the dogs or whatever animals were looking unwell or uncared for, then I would expect a vet to visit. if the insp thought the dogs or whatever animals looked well, then I would accept that. But, unless they see them they can't. I will leave you to amuse yourself furthur finding another way to take the mickey but believe me, I have wide shoulders :D :D :D

<a class='url' href='http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/RSPCARedirect&pg=animalwelfareactadvice&marker=1&articleId=1172248245054'>http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/RSPCARedirect&pg=animalwelfareactadvice&marker=1&articleId=1172248245054</a> From the RSPCA website.

Ironically the RSPCA turned up after the event, leaving an animal welfare assessment form stating that we were not providing a safe and secure environment free from fear and distress. He didn't even see our dogs or come in the house. From the OP.

Their own page states the actions to be taken when a RSPCA insp attends and sees your animals. As yet, none have seen the dogs nor the home.

However, as the form left was an animal assessment form and not a warning notice, they are quite correct in not doing a return visit due to their rules. They would with a warning notice, which is considered a more serious matter.

BUT, they will have seen the animals causing concern and the enviroment they are living in before making the decision which notice to serve.

OP....I hope you have had a wonderful day out with your beloved dog, and didnt get too wet :( typical friday 13th weather! :)

Calmstorm..I get where you're coming from :) You are certainly NOT a lone voice around here as far as i'm concerned ;)

It takes much more courage and fortitude to be 'the lone one" or the odd opinion out,than it does to join a gaggle and go with whatever is popular opinion on the day :D

You've taken some time thinking about that, Ktee! :D
I certainly did not say Calmstorm was the "lone voice" my point was simply that no matter where the RSPCA drew a line someone would regard is as inadequate.  I have no idea if that is a popular opinion or not but it is mine :)