Reporting Animal Cruelty

siobhanher

One of my colleagues has a neighbour with an old bitch that hasn't been neutered, she continues to have pups every 6 months, and the neighbour drowns the pups each time. My colleague doesn't know who to report this to, she spoke to the dog warden who told her it was just 'the irish way' and there was nothing he could do.:eek:

Any advice on this??!

star-pants

DSPCA
I would read this and act accordingly.

I don't care what anyone says, that warden was a crap warden if he says 'that's just the irish way' :mad:
It doesn't cost that much to neuter a dog, and it's better for them and the pups. Killing them is just disguisting.

Report them to the DSPCA, I really hope the poor dog gets taken off her.

Sigma Force

What county is the dog in, so it can be reported to the SPCA for that area. Very sad to hear a warden say that, not all have that attitude pity they didn't mention neuter vouchers some (if not all?) wardens have a certain amount of vouchers for neutering or they could of pointed you in the direction of a vets that works with a rescue to get the discount.
Perhaps, if all else fails you could get the discount organised and then approach the owner and offer to take the dog to and from the vets.

Only so much you can do if an owner does this, it's certainly not good for the female, poor little babies as well :-(

Warden should realise it is not the Irish way as well, ok it does go on but it's certainly not how most Irish dog owners act. Very sad.

Purple Gorilla

Instead of starting a new thread, I may aswell ask here! (It's the same basic topic)

I have a neighbour who has a dog. They are a couple in their 50s. The dog is kept outside in rain, hail, sleet or snow and has spent about 5 years at the side of the house. The only interaction it gets is when its owner puts out some food for him. Even if there's fireworks or thunder, the dog is kept outside and it barks all through the night. They go away on holidays and leave the dog 1 bowl of food to last it for however long they go. I feel so sorry for it, it's skinny and it looks terrible..such a sorry existence. My dad and my other neighbour have both rang the DSPCA to report abuse but they were told that they HAVE to give their details if they want to file a complaint. Neither of them would do this as the couple with the dog are scumbags. They've damaged our property before.

Is there anything we can do? I feel so sorry for the thing

star-pants

Apart from giving a proper report there's not much the DSPCA can do - if they said they need a name etc. But did you ask them if you submit a name can the owners find this out?

Purple Gorilla

Yes and we were told that if the owners were to ask who submitted the complaint, they would have to be told

Our man in Havana

That is crazy. Why do they do that? They must not want to follow up complaints.

Could you imagine the Gardaí after catching a burglar telling him that Mary from down the road snitched on him. :eek: It does not happen.

Corb

Purple Gorilla wrote: »

Yes and we were told that if the owners were to ask who submitted the complaint, they would have to be told

Give a false name and address, that's what I did before. Not that they were much help after anyway, I really don't have much faith in the ISPCA at all

Our man in Havana

Until they become a statutory body I would have very little faith in their activities.

EGAR

As long as an animal has food, shelter, water and has no visible signs of abuse there is NOTHING which can be done legally. Regardless by whom. The law simply isn't there.

As to reporting someone anonymously: in my experience it is often abused. Under the FOIA everyone is entitled to know who reported him/her. If you genuinely think there is something wrong and you can back it up with proof then why not stand up and be counted?

Our man in Havana

Under the FOIA everyone is entitled to know who reported him/her.

Wrong. There is a clear exception for the detection of crime and prosecution of offenders.

ISPCA are not subject to FOIA in any event as they are not a government body.

EGAR

If that is wrong then how come I got a result when I filed a FOIA request with the ISPCA 4 years ago?

They are a charity and as such subject to FOIA requests. At least that is what my solicitor told me and he got a result too .

Corb

EGAR wrote: »

As to reporting someone anonymously: in my experience it is often abused. Under the FOIA everyone is entitled to know who reported him/her. If you genuinely think there is something wrong and you can back it up with proof then why not stand up and be counted?

What?!!!! And possibly get abused either verbally or physically, have your property damaged and maybe even worse? It could be a very dangerous thing to stand up and be counted if you report someone.

Our man in Havana

Care to quote some legislation?

The ISPCA are a private organisation with delusions of grandeur.

http://www.foi.gov.ie/bodies-covered-by-foi

* Central Government Departments & Bodies under their Aegis
*
City Councils / County Councils / Borough Councils
*
Town Councils (formerly Urban District Councils)
*
Town Councils (formerly Commissioners)
*
Regional Authorities & Regional Assemblies
*
Health Service Executive
*
Voluntary Hospitals
*
Major Providers of Services to People with Intellectual Disability
*
Major Providers of Services to People with Physical Disability
*
Performance Verification Groups
* Bodies in the Third Level Education Sector
* Bodies in the Broadcasting Sector
* Fisheries Boards

Other private organisations such as the ISPCA are subject to the Data Protection act 1988. You can get what ever personal information they hold on you. But you won't get any one else's information and that would include the identity of anyone that made a complaint etc against you. You may get a redacted report with the name removed.

ISPCA Watch

Totally correct there.

I recently had a visit from the ISPCA. Someone reported me over the way I was keeping my exotics. He had no problem and he was happy with how I was caring for them.

I asked him who complained and he said he couldn't tell me, that it was confidential.

So what gives? Seems to be a lot of smoke being blown around by the various rescue groups trying to justify their positions. I would seriously doubt any ISPCA operatives would give the names of informants to the subjects of their investigations.

It is time for all rescues and the ISPCA to be brought into line and under government control. People running these organisations should be vetted by the state. It is amazing that private organisations think they can walk into any house and criticise how animals are being kept. We need statutory bodies with powers to do that.

EGAR

Bond007, I got reported 4 years ago by another rescue whose chairperson I had refused a dog. The ISCPA landed on my doorstep and I subsequently filed a FOIA request through my solicitor and got the whole lot, including the person who reported me. Hence my surprise.

EGAR

Sorry, I had that wrong, it was five years ago, in early 2004.

Our man in Havana

I would think you filed a Subject Access Request under the Data Protection Act 1998. FOIA does not apply to private organisations, only state bodies. I think you are confusing the two pieces of different legislation.

Yes, I am surprised they let that slip in all fairness. They should have redacted the informants name. Well you found out who it was which was what you wanted.

EGAR

I didn't file it, my solicitor did and he called it FOIA, that is all I can tell you.

Yes, I got what I wanted and would have gone the court route if necessary since I was accused of having "dead and dying" dogs in my kennels and of having left them unattended for 2 weeks to go on holidays!! Needless to say, nothing untoward was found and yes, I let them in, although I didn't have to.

Our man in Havana

A clueless solicitor then. Not the first time I had to correct one.

I am sorry that you were abused by some rescue owner. I hope you got some revenge.

EGAR

Yes, I got that.

However, it didn't make me feel any better. I find it sad enough that rescues report each other. There is alot of that going on.

I mostly take from the pounds and rarely work cruelty cases but if I do then they re always very bad and mostly involve organised dog fights and their scumbag owners.

However, I find that alot of the public ISN'T aware that a rescue rep cannot simply enter their premises. They think that they have more powers than they actually do.

And let's not forget that there IS alot of cruelty out there...

Our man in Havana

whilst there is a lot of scum bags out there - folks should realise that rescues have no power to enter your property - they can only enter your property if they have a member of the gardai with them.

So anyone can refuse anyone access to their property - unless it is a gardai with a valid warrant.

doctor evil

ISPCA Watch wrote: »

Totally correct there.

I recently had a visit from the ISPCA. Someone reported me over the way I was keeping my exotics. He had no problem and he was happy with how I was caring for them.

I asked him who complained and he said he couldn't tell me, that it was confidential.

So what gives? Seems to be a lot of smoke being blown around by the various rescue groups trying to justify their positions. I would seriously doubt any ISPCA operatives would give the names of informants to the subjects of their investigations.

It is time for all rescues and the ISPCA to be brought into line and under government control. People running these organisations should be vetted by the state. It is amazing that private organisations think they can walk into any house and criticise how animals are being kept. We need statutory bodies with powers to do that.

Animal hoarders need help and if they don't get it it's the animals that suffer, even worse when an animal hoarder poses as a rescue.

Our man in Havana

I don't think the watcher is a hoarder.

thomasmi

all is`nt clear till you find what hospitables do to feed and care for animals

turtle21

The ISPCA has NO right of entry into your property.The dog warden can come onto your property but NOT into your house.

The ONLY people who have legal right of entry are the Gards and only if they have a search warrant.