Undercover Boss - UK Blue Cross - Tues 19th 9pm

paultf

For anyone that might be interested in this - basically the boss of UK Blue Cross goes undercover in the organisation to see how it's run - to find out the good and the bad.

Tuesday 19th July
9pm on Channel 4
10pm on Channel 4 + 1
60 mins.

The Blue Cross, one of the UK's leading animal welfare charities, undergoes the Undercover Boss treatment as Kim Hamilton takes a turn cleaning dog kennels and helping cats give birth.

Justask

Just a reminder for everyone...

Set the Sky+ box

lorebringer

This will be available after it has aired here --> http://www.channel4.com/programmes/undercover-boss/4od

Discodog

The program certainly highlighted the huge dedication of the staff & volunteers. They also featured the "Irish problem" as one team drove from London to Scotland to collect a load of Irish dogs.

It also highlighted the huge Staffy problem which is effecting rescues throughout the UK. I suspect that new laws will be introduced to combat this. It is simply not acceptable that one breed is filling the rescues & having to be put down in large numbers because of overbreeding, bad owners & the difficulty in finding people to take them.

The other issue that cropped up that's pretty unique to the Blue Cross & the PDSA is their veterinary facilities. There was a huge queue of people waiting for free Vet treatment & you had to wonder if some of them weren't just taking advantage. A couple even moaned about having to wait !.

Themadhouse

I was shocked at the moaning too Discodog! Seriously, thye are getting this service for feck all and they give out because emergencies are going in ahead of them! Unreal.

I knew the irish dogs would come up and it is pleasing to see the efforts they go to to help our strays, so sad that they have to do that tho. Oh and 8000 dogs PTS last year? eh, i am assuming that is official ispca figures only.....

subway

while i like the program, i hate the "giving out prizes" piece at the end.
always grates with me.
and what about the other rescues, the ones she didnt visit, that are now going to have budget cut or resources diverted so she can fix up the one she feels guilty about.
what this show says to me is that hard work and ability isnt rewarded, right place at the right time is.

the queuing and moaning, you will always get that tbh.
people moan about everything and people who "feel entitled" to free stuff, moan the most. if you dont pay for anything you are unlikely to know the value of it.

truly terrible about the staffies, seems like a ridiculous situation. glad to see something being done but i hope they can put in better processes in future. you shouldnt need front line staff to tell management about such a big problem. it should show up in every report and meeting.

best of luck to them, they do a great job and some of the volunteers are truly dedicated. i just wish they could have given the old guy some repiar funds instead of a bloody weekend away

Discodog

subway wrote: »

and what about the other rescues, the ones she didnt visit, that are now going to have budget cut or resources diverted so she can fix up the one she feels guilty about.
what this show says to me is that hard work and ability isnt rewarded, right place at the right time is.

truly terrible about the staffies, seems like a ridiculous situation. glad to see something being done but i hope they can put in better processes in future. i just wish they could have given the old guy some repiar funds instead of a bloody weekend away

I suspect that she will now review all the "old facilities" but you do have to make cuts in order to fund rebuilds. I also bet that she will get out a lot more & improve the staff motivation/reward.

They may need some Breed Specific Legislation. But before anyone tries to kill me :eek:, this law needs to protect the specific breeds. For example compulsory neutering of all Staffies.

I have sat in in funding meetings & it's a nightmare. You can never fund what you want to because there are always areas that have to be funded. Also you have to try & think long term when you are deluged with day to day problems.

Rescue people are rarely financial people. The really successful charities make fundraising their number one priority.

suziwalsh

Thought it was a great programme, gave a great overview.

I have volunteered for many years on Irish Blue Cross vans and made many trips to the ports with Irish dogs needing to go to the UK for homes.

Great to highlight it issue of staffie over breeding...and neutering.

subway

Discodog wrote: »

I suspect that she will now review all the "old facilities" but you do have to make cuts in order to fund rebuilds. I also bet that she will get out a lot more & improve the staff motivation/reward.

dont get me wrong, i think that about every episode of the show, i just hope that one of the reasons it was on the show is that its the most deserving and not the other way round

They may need some Breed Specific Legislation. But before anyone tries to kill me :eek:, this law needs to protect the specific breeds. For example compulsory neutering of all Staffies.

speaking as someone outside of this, should the blue cross not just make it compulosory to neuter all male dogs that they see? its not as big an op as spaying and applying it across the board would make it easier to enforce

suziwalsh

subway wrote: »

speaking as someone outside of this, should the blue cross not just make it compulosory to neuter all male dogs that they see? its not as big an op as spaying and applying it across the board would make it easier to enforce

Unfortunately easier said then done...very few people see the need to neuter their male dogs and I dont see how you might enforce the public to do this?

Discodog

subway wrote: »

speaking as someone outside of this, should the blue cross not just make it compulosory to neuter all male dogs that they see? its not as big an op as spaying and applying it across the board would make it easier to enforce

I think that they will consider this but some responsible owners, including me, prefer not to neuter males. Also it would be a major rule to solve a problem that is mainly specific to one breed. Unfortunately many of the Staffie owners would not consider neutering.

They may also consider a ban on the selling of Staffie pups.

ppink

Were all those people queueing getting vet care for free??

If they were then cant you say by 2nd/3rd visit dog muct be neutered?

suziwalsh

I am confident that the UK runs the same as here in that it is reduced or low cost vet care and not entirely free

Discodog

ppink wrote: »

Were all those people queueing getting vet care for free??

If they were then cant you say by 2nd/3rd visit dog muct be neutered?

Yep they were. But neutering the tiny proportion of Staffies being treated by the Blue Cross is not going to effect the overall problem.

There was another program recently on Battersea Dogs Home & most of the dogs that they had to put down were Staffies.

I think that even those on the dole etc should make some contribution. Maybe like a payment card where they pay a little every week or month to help with Vet bills.

Discodog

suziwalsh wrote: »

I am confident that the UK runs the same as here in that it is reduced or low cost vet care and not entirely free

I have heard that due to the recession a lot of people pay nothing.

Anyway I have some work to do unlike Suzi who can carry on answering queries !

Just a little embarrassing plug but Suzi does an amazing amount to help dogs - are you blushing

ppink

Yes that may be true. Not sure what the answer is but i suppose a start has to be made somewhere.
Blue Cross dont pts do they?

It was a good show i thought overall. The journey for the Irish dogs was a bit crazy but it was good to see they were not unhappy about taking them.

I am glad to see them recognising their staff and volunteers.

suziwalsh

Well Blue cross I am pretty confident does not have a no kill policy again I could be corrected here. So they do PTS.

But then I am not anti-PTS to be honest one of the only things I dont like about Dogs Trust is their no kill policy. It means that no matter what the issue that the dog will be kept even if he/she can never be homed or have contact with humans or other animals. Which can mean a solitary life for some dogs, which I feel to be torture in itself.

Unfortunately the sad reality is that we are producing or allowing too many dogs to be born into the world that have no chance for a home. Dogs are too readily available for people to obtain and sometimes we expect too much of a dog. There are too many dogs and not enough homes...or funds for the homeless ones...so what is the answer? Probably PTS, touchy subject but once done in a humane manner I feel it is currently probably the only realistic option for some. I just hope the day that neutering becomes the unquestionable norm.

borderlinemeath

I thought it was a great programme. She seems like the right person for the job. A business head but huge compassion for the animals. I believe she'll ensure that the funds go to the right places. It mentioned at the top of the show that she had replaced most of the board, kinda hinted to me that they were underworked and overpaid and a waste of valuable resources.

What did come through was the dedication of the staff and the volunteers and the awareness of the huge staffie problem in the UK. What they do from here on in will be hugely important. I do think some kind of policy such as "free treatment but compulsive neutering" will come into play within the Blue Cross.

ppink

Yes in a way that free treatment but neutering makes sense to me. If I am looking for free treatment for my dog I am in no position to be breeding them properly anyway.
i did think they said last night that they are no kill but not 100% sure. I agree with Suzie on the pts but it has to go hand in hand with some other measures or the breeding will probably just increase?

boomerang

Discodog wrote: »

The other issue that cropped up that's pretty unique to the Blue Cross & the PDSA is their veterinary facilities. There was a huge queue of people waiting for free Vet treatment & you had to wonder if some of them weren't just taking advantage.

It struck me there were people there who probably spend hundreds of pounds to purchase pedigree dogs - I saw a Shar Pei, Bassett, Old English Sheepdog and St. Bernard... Now I know some of them may have been adopted, and also that an owner's financial circumstances change, but for sure some people must abuse the system.

Discodog

suziwalsh wrote: »

But then I am not anti-PTS to be honest one of the only things I dont like about Dogs Trust is their no kill policy. It means that no matter what the issue that the dog will be kept even if he/she can never be homed or have contact with humans or other animals. Which can mean a solitary life for some dogs, which I feel to be torture in itself.

From what I know the Dogs Trust do not have any long term, ie not rehomed, dogs. There are two ways of doing things. You either have a PTS policy for dogs that you can't rehome or you do as the DT does & have a selection process for incoming dogs. The DT do get criticised for only taking the dogs that can be rehomed but it means that over 1000 dogs went to new homes last year.

Filling a rescue with dogs that can't be rehomed just turns it into a zoo & it is potentially cruel. I have sufficient trust in the DT that I carry a Canine Care Card to ensure that they will look after my three should anything happen to me.

suziwalsh

The majority of DT sponsor dogs are long term residents....unlikely to find a home. There are no sponsor dogs in DT Dublin yet but there are dogs that have been there since their opening.....

I am a huge fan of DT and the work they have done. As well as being a previous employee but I don't agree with no kill policy.

suziwalsh

boomerang wrote: »

It struck me there were people there who probably spend hundreds of pounds to purchase pedigree dogs - I saw a Shar Pei, Bassett, Old English Sheepdog and St. Bernard... Now I know some of them may have been adopted, and also that an owner's financial circumstances change, but for sure some people must abuse the system.

Unfortunately this is true of every area of life. Recently a family brought english bulldog pup up to blue cross for vaccines...they had just imported him from UK paying big money for him. Drove to Blue cross in pretty fancy car.....

but what can you do....

Discodog

suziwalsh wrote: »

I am a huge fan of DT and the work they have done. As well as being a previous employee but I don't agree with no kill policy.

Would they raise 60m per year in the UK without the "We Never put down a healthy dog" tagline ?

But I agree with you that quality of life is the key.

suziwalsh

ha ha very very true...No I totally understand why they have this policy just wish unhealthy dog stretched to mentally unhealthy....thats all

ISDW

I have to agree with Suzi, I wouldn't have done 5 years ago, I thought it was best to keep every dog alive. Now I don't, as harsh as it is, there are far worse things that can happen to a dog than it go to sleep peacefully and never wake up.

I'm not knocking the DT, am a huge admirer of them, and I do see your point DD about the tagline but yes, mental health should be part of that.

Discodog

suziwalsh wrote: »

ha ha very very true...No I totally understand why they have this policy just wish unhealthy dog stretched to mentally unhealthy....thats all

No kill is the first thing that gets raised when rescues are discussed by those outside of rescue. The recent documentary on Battersea caused a lot of upset. It is extremely difficult for anyone who has not been involved in the day to day decisions to understand the real issues.

Also I think that any rescue can take a dog with the best intention of rehoming it & they don't succeed. Then it may remain at the rescue in the hope that someone will eventually take it. Maybe there could be a way of incentivising people to take a long term dog. It's never going to be easy to PTS a dog that's been with you for as long time & it must be difficult to decide when to give up.

DBB

Post removed.Libellous comments will no longer be tolerated in this forum.

Hellrazer

Post removed.Libellous or even potentially libelous comments will no longer be tolerated in this forum.

Since this is a first offence Im only warning this time.

DBB

Apologies that my post was construed as libellous.
My post was intended as a caution, no libel was intended.