Do the RSPCA deal with this?

[J1mmyD]

I work from home at least three days of the week. I have a nice room right at the back of the house with a big picture window looking out across the garden and I often contemplate things as I watch the birds or the squirrels or whatever.

The past week, I've had a pair (I assume a mating pair) of foxes, and as I'm typing, there's one asleep under a tree not 15 feet from my window.

Now, yesterday one of these foxes came across the garden on three legs. I reckon it's been hit by a car. I've seen it two or three times this morning, and it seems to be putting a little weight on the leg, but still isn't leaping the fences like the other one.

Would you bother calling the RSPCA for this? I think the thing's far too fit at the moment for anyone to catch it ... and it does seem to be improving a little.

[vixpy1]

The Hunt will get it..











Oh, they banned that

I'd just go out and shoot the bloody thing

>> Edited by vixpy1 on Friday 17th February 15:13

[Plotloss]

I'd call my local huntmaster.

Bugger.

[tinman0]

Rspca are a pressure group nowadays. Call your local vet and see what they say.

[Frik]

J1mmyD said:

Would you bother calling the RSPCA for this? I think the thing's far too fit at the moment for anyone to catch it ... and it does seem to be improving a little.

My recent experiences would say that no, they won't even be slightly interested.

[greg_D]

i'd let the murderous little bastard suffer.

[timmy30]

tinman0 said:

Rspca are a pressure group nowadays. Call your local vet and see what they say.

Phone up the RSPCA and tell them that you suspect a fox that has escaped a cosmetics testing laboratory has appeared in the garden. They'll be straight around with a TV crew and rent-a-mob is minutes.

[UKBob]

tinman0 said:

Rspca are a pressure group nowadays. Call your local vet and see what they say.

Worth a call, although they'll probably want to charge you

[neil_cardiff]

Frik said:

J1mmyD said: Would you bother calling the RSPCA for this? I think the thing's far too fit at the moment for anyone to catch it ... and it does seem to be improving a little. My recent experiences would say that no, they won't even be slightly interested.

They would actually, as they have to protect and administer anything that they are asked to: in the case of the fox they will do one of two things:

1. Come along and pick it up (at arms length - they bite), treat it, and pass it to your local wildlife centre for its recovery.

2. Come along and pick it up (at arms length - they bite), see if they can treat it, and if not, they will put it to sleep.

They do not simply put everything they treat down, unless it is pretty dead or dying.

How do I know this? My missus is a very underpaid and stressed vet for the Bristol RSPCA.

Ring them now...! Do your bit!

Neil



>> Edited by neil_cardiff on Friday 17th February 15:21

[tonyvid]

Wildlife - if you can't catch it, it will probably live - if you can catch it, it will probably croak.

Generally.

[scorp]

greg_D said:

i'd let the murderous little bastard suffer.

Thats a bit harsh, its a wild animal with no concept of morals, house cats are more murderous, would you let one of those suffer too?

[speedchick]

So how come when I phoned the RSPCA to tell them that we had a dog in the street running at cars and he was injured, they told me to call the police, who in turn told me to call the RSPCA.

We managed to get hold of the dog and put him in our backyard (away from our dog) to keep him safe till someone would come and get him, the RSPCA finally told us that they were not going to send anyone, and as we had to go out, we had to the let the dog go, lo and behold, we get back an hour later and the police are looking for the dog!

>> Edited by speedchick on Friday 17th February 15:28

[haze]

RSPCA Will deal with this, give them a call. My parents found a deer that had been hit by a car, & waited with it till the RSPCA came out. It rallied round from its ordeal & got re-released into the wild.

Do the decent thing, poor fox has only got one life the same as us. Just because its a mere animal doesn't mean that it should come second best. It still will be feeling pain... Pick up the

[MilnerR]

Its a wild animal, and as easy as it is to get sentimental about them they have to take their chances along with everything else. Despite what the hand-wringers seem to think, wild animals tend to die very painful deaths. They don't die quietly in their sleep in a leafy glade surrounded by their woodland friends, they die of hunger or disease. Let nature take its course. If it gets better it will be stronger and wiser for the experience if not.... well, there's no shortage of foxes in the world.

[J1mmyD]

Well, the uninjured one is still asleep under it's tree. The other one I've not seen since this morning.

I've looked up the number for the local RSPCA and if it re-appears (and if it's not looking like it's improving) I'll give em a shout.

If it was anything but a fox, I'd be tempted to put some food out for it.

[haze]

Nature does do cruel things, they suffer as no one usually knows a fox in the middle of know where is hurt. In this case it is a known fact that the animal is suffering, so therefore should be able to have an option of treatment.

Anyway the RSPCA 24 hour line is: 0870 55 55 999

[timmy30]

J1mmyD said:

Well, the uninjured one is still asleep under it's tree. The other one I've not seen since this morning. I've looked up the number for the local RSPCA and if it re-appears (and if it's not looking like it's improving) I'll give em a shout. If it was anything but a fox, I'd be tempted to put some food out for it.

How fast can the three legged one hobble? If it's pretty slow just hit it on the head with a baseball bat or spade ( or similar ) you can't domesticate/tame foxes and it won't survive in the wild with 3 legs for long anyway.

[neil_cardiff]

speedchick said:

So how come when I phoned the RSPCA to tell them that we had a dog in the street running at cars and he was injured, they told me to call the police, who in turn told me to call the RSPCA. We managed to get hold of the dog and put him in our backyard (away from our dog) to keep him safe till someone would come and get him, the RSPCA finally told us that they were not going to send anyone, and as we had to go out, we had to the let the dog go, lo and behold, we get back an hour later and the police are looking for the dog! >> Edited by speedchick on Friday 17th February 15:28

I can't vouch for your particular case, but in the Bristol area quite often there will only be one or two ACO (Animal Collection Officers) on duty at one timer. They will have set guidelines on what they can, and cannot do.

I don't know these, but I do know they don't go running around after any old dog thats in the road. It is up to the police to liase with the RSPCA and the ACOs in order to protect both the public, and the welfare of the animal.

Indeed, last week, Carl, one of the Bristol ACOs was called to a dog that had run across the M4 in Bristol during the rush hour - so they DO react to many calls. I think perhaps you had a bad experience.

Indeed, think of the horrowing experiences they have to endure when they find mistreated animals (I frequently have to listen to stories of the mistreated animals that get brought in) and give them a chance to make a sick animal well again - NO MATTER WHAT IT IS!!!

The Bristol RSPCA have even had wierd spiders come in that they couldn't touch until they'd called the Zoo.

Best of all they had to go out and collect a rabbit that was very sick, and the lady had put it in a box with some rabbity type food. The ACO arrives and looks in the box to see nothing in there even though he had a bit of a poke about. "S'cuse me madam, there isn't anything in there" "yes there is, see?" pointing at a potato!!!

She wouldn't have it that it wasn't a rabbit, and forced him to take said 'rabbit' into the clinic, and be 'treated' The vet had to later phone up and explain that said 'rabbit' was actually a potato.

Even then, the lady was insistant, and asked whether it suffered when the 'disposed' of the 'rabbit'...



>> Edited by neil_cardiff on Friday 17th February 16:02

[Frik]

neil_cardiff said:

Frik said: J1mmyD said: Would you bother calling the RSPCA for this? I think the thing's far too fit at the moment for anyone to catch it ... and it does seem to be improving a little. My recent experiences would say that no, they won't even be slightly interested. They would actually, as they have to protect and administer anything that they are asked to: in the case of the fox they will do one of two things: 1. Come along and pick it up (at arms length - they bite), treat it, and pass it to your local wildlife centre for its recovery. 2. Come along and pick it up (at arms length - they bite), see if they can treat it, and if not, they will put it to sleep. They do not simply put everything they treat down, unless it is pretty dead or dying. How do I know this? My missus is a very underpaid and stressed vet for the Bristol RSPCA. Ring them now...! Do your bit! Neil >> Edited by neil_cardiff on Friday 17th February 15:21

Ahem

[neil_cardiff]

Ok, it seems then that a few of you are pretty pissed off with the RPSCA itself.

But pleeeeease spare a thought for the ones on the ground, they do a sterling job, a bit like our doctors and nurses in the NHS; tied down by red tape, but desperatly trying to make a difference.

I'll stand by my missus and fight anyone who tells me different.