Why are 99% of ISPCA/DSPCA A-holes?

Shewhomustbe...

I rang the ISPCA yesterday to find out some information about getting a stray cat neutered as I was told you can get a voucher towards the cost.

The individual I was speaking to couldn't have been a bigger A-hole than if they'd just hung up on me. I honestly don't know why people work/volunteer if they have absolutely no interest in being helpful.

This is the latest in a long list of times I've dealt with them and I can honestly say I've only ever had one person be nice to me.

Irish-Lass

Have you tried contacting Cats Aid in Dublin or the Dublin Cat Protection Agency....are you prepared to pay some of the cost yourself or do you want/expect them to cover it all.....just curious as I know a vet that does them very very reasonble in Dublin.

Is this a feral cat or one that comes into your house

Shewhomustbe...

She's the Mom of the two guys from my other thread, she doesn't come into the house, mainly as we won't let her cause of our rabbits, but she does come over to me when I call her.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=3161938#post3161938

I did get info from her about a vet in Longford that does spaying/neutering for them but it was her attitude that really ticked me off, she was so rude and indifferent.

celticphoenix

I think i know what your getting at about the rudeness of these people. A while back a friend of mine was in rented accomodation in Galway. Shes a cat lover and took in a stray but when she found herself in unfortunate circumstances and was forced to leave the house she felt that the best thing to do was to get it taken away to be re homed by the local animal welfare agency.
They came to collect the cat and totally looked down their nose at her and made her feel like she had personally done an injury to the cat in question. Admitedly it probably wasnt the best idea to foster a cat when her social situation was far from perfect and at that time when she was on social welfare. Despite this she still had to pay a €50 collection fee (which she really couldnt afford) and by the end of the confrontation she was in tears.
I really cant understand the behaviour of these people if they are volunteering for this kind of charitable work then surely their attitude would be more sympathetic than condescending. Naturally ill treatment of animals should be condemned but in the case of my friend their treatment of her was completely undeserving and they gave no thought to the emotional upheaval she was in having to say goodbye to her pet nor did they praise her for doing undoubtedly the right thing though it certainly caused her a lot of heartache in the process.

crazymonkey

I worked as a volunteer in the ispca in Longford, for a while and 99% of the ppl there were all paid staff, there was only two of us volunteering and the other guy got a job with them sometime later, As for them been A--holes, well what can i say, you get them everywhere...


P.s there was also a lot of fiddling going on there, top managers leaving the horse's in the stables to get cared for, and others taking home the large bags of dog food, for their own use,,

Shewhomustbe...

Looks like its across the board with these people then.
When I was living in Dublin I was doing rep work for a pet food company and would sometimes have to take returns from stores, which could be a number of cases. As I didn't have any pets I would bring these to the DSPCA in Rathfarnham, don't think I ever got a thank you. Makes me wonder why I bothered when I'm sure PAWS would have appreciated it more, and obviously need it more too. (Same happened at the new Longford centre)
I'm not going to bother with these people anymore and offer my support only to shelters.
A lot of negative stories going around about this "charity"

Sigma Force

Just be careful not to tarnish every rescue with the same brush, I have met about 40 people in person so far in rescue or involved with rescue and have mabey had handful of bad apples and they wern't all that bad in the end.
I'm sure there are some rude people involved just like in any other walk of life. ISPCA isn't connected to every rescue though.

We're very friendly down here in Tipp.....promise I've never been rude over the phone to anyone, unless I'm related to them of course (kiddin)

I could go down a whole list of rescues who do appreciate help and are greatful.

That said a thank you wouldn't kill any body rescues included. There are so many rescues, you don't only have to contact ones in your local area for advice or donations for example.

If anyone wants to donate through www.petbliss.com to guiena pig rescue I would phone personally and thank them very much (hint hint) ah, am only kiddin no pressure..honest

Shewhomustbe...

Guineapigrescue wrote:

Just be careful not to tarnish every rescue with the same brush

Apologies Guineapigrescue, I meant my brush to only tarnish the ISPCA/DSPCA.
I have the utmost respect for any and everyone involved in shelters.

Kingsize

My dad called the dspca begause of a case of a dog being neglected & treated cruelly in the nieghborhood.
weeks later a dspca guy came & was as grumpy as hell then did nothing but whinge & left the dog to it's life of misery.

Irish-Lass

I agree with Guineapigrescue not all rescues are the same, I have had good and bad experiences with all.

Recently I got a delivery of free cat food from a big pet company and I told the rep that there was no way the food was going to the DSPCA or the ISAPCA that it was going to groups that were on the edge and really needed the help and really really appreciate all they get............so the smaller rescue groups got it, then last week he rang to say hey want more free food, can't say no so the same groups will be helped. I am based in Dublin but the food has travelled as far as Leitrim

And guineapigrescue as I have met you, you are are

bladetrinity

Hi i had a rude experience, myself and my girlfriend just bought a house and we are both dog lovers ,what with renting appartments and not having space for a dog we decided to rescue a puppy from a shelter,i rang up number in newspaper and told the woman,she was very short with very condesending ,then said whats wrong with an older dog do they not deserve ahome ,fair enough but i wanted to give a pup a long life of happiness,not get attached to an older dog with maybe history of abuse and she snorted well weve nothing in at the moment well call you ,months went by and still no call ,in the end i got a pup off my sisters dog .which was fine but that woman made us feel like we were abusers.

Sigma Force

Blade, I can understand why a rescue would get frustrated, everyone is looking for puppies and think an older dog won't live long etc 7 years old is an older dog but can live for 7 more years or more if well cared for, not all older dogs come out of abused circumstances, some owners die or have to move and cant take the dog with them or have a baby and want to dump their older dog (for no good reason) etc.

You said you rang for a pup because you didn't have the space for a dog..but pups grow into dogs ..what then lol

Still, no excuse for a rescue making you feel bad for it if you have a particular type of animal in mind.

However what I have found over and over again even from family looking for pets, that they have a very particular critter in mind, they go and see the animals up for adoption and end up coming away with the total opposite because it's whichever animal they 'click' with.

It's a good idea to choose a public friendly rescue, and be allowed to see the animals.

People have surrendered animals to me some for genuine reasons some for really stupid reasons but I don't judge them or make any comments all I want is as much information about the animal and the truth about their temprement etc so I can choose housing, and a home that will suit them best.

Forget dogs and cats..guinea pigs make better pets anyways

bladetrinity

You said you rang for a pup because you didn't have the space for a dog..but pups grow into dogs ..what then lol

no sorry guinea pig i meant i had no room when we were renting but now that we have a house and yes we have the room for a dog we just wanted a puppy we did not want a dog to die not too long after we got it . the point here is the lady we dealt with was rude and condescending it wasnt nice we were waiting by the phone for weeks i love animals i now have a mongrel and she is my baby,,aaaaahhhhh

SuzyS1972

Thats mad that you'd think a dog other than a puppy would DIE soon after you got it :eek:
My 3 were all adults ( approx 1-1.5 years old ) when I adopted them and they are all fit and healthy

I work in re-homing pets and it can be frustrating when people are only set on pups when you know that a slightly older dog would suit the home better. Especially if people are out at work all day.
That said there is no need for anyone to have been rude to you - all it takes is to politely explain the rescues policy or to suggest an alternative.

Sigma Force

Oh sorry, I get you know Blade.

Why doesn't everyone stick to guinea pigs, as I keep saying they are so much easier and cute as a big fat puppy

bladetrinity

no probs guinea pig ,btw we used to have guinea pigs as kids two hutches one for the boys one for the girls ,but unfortunately my older sisters used to think it unfair so they used to let them all in together like one big happy family ,it soon became a big happy family...i can see how you could be a very busy...er guiney. i have the highest respect for any one who deals with pets and devotes their time to this .that particular woman unfortunately was an animal person not a people person maybe people skills are needed :cool:

ClareBear

Maybe these people aren't people people, they're animal people.

If I ever end up working for any of them (which I hope I might after college for a while at least) I'll be polite to you Shewhomustbe...

bladetrinity

good luck with that clarebear ....not easy , respect to all :cool:

gillianbird

Nice to see that things are not changing and that if one person has one bad experience with a group they tar everyone with the same type of name with bad feelings.

By the way, your problem was with the ISPCA so why blame the DSPCA? Totally seperate groups!

Gillian

Dave!

I just went to the DSPCA on Mount Venus road in Dublin, and I have to say, I kinda noticed this too! My uncle pointed out that it seems to be a playground for posh people, and he was spot on. There were one or two people at reception that seemed to know a thing or two, and were friendly, but outside when we were looking at the animals, there was 3 females about 17-19 and they weren't any help when we asked them questions. They didn't know where the dogs were, and when we asked where a specific one was, one said it was gone, only to later point out that it was actually not gone, it was just playing outside for a while. hmmm. The 3 then pretty much ran away in a group in case we had any follow-up questions. It's a bit of a shame really, because the facilities were of very high standard! It used to be a dinky place, but now it's perfectly tarmacked, with all new holdings, etc., and beautiful spaces for the animals to play in. Still, not everyone's like that.

gillianbird

.....was 3 females about 17-19 and they weren't any help when we asked them questions.

They would have been young volunteers who are told not to answer questions to public about animals. We have staff and special volunteers to answer all the questions but they were probably busy rehoming an animal or talking to other people.

If you think we leave the place in the hands of giggly kids you must be kidding!

Gillian

Dave!

lol, okey doke, my bad.

doctor evil

gillianbird wrote:

They would have been young volunteers who are told not to answer questions to public about animals. We have staff and special volunteers to answer all the questions but they were probably busy rehoming an animal or talking to other people.

If you think we leave the place in the hands of giggly kids you must be kidding!

Gillian

Why are they not allowed to speak, doesn`t sound like very good PR. Are they allowed to answer anything? such as age/breed/please wait a moment while I get someone......

Shewhomustbe...

gillianbird wrote:

Nice to see that things are not changing and that if one person has one bad experience with a group they tar everyone with the same type of name with bad feelings.

By the way, your problem was with the ISPCA so why blame the DSPCA? Totally seperate groups!

Gillian

Nice to see that people still don't bother reading the full thread before replying with assumptions made on the title.

If you had bothered to read the thread you would have seen that this was NOT my first time dealing with either the ISPCA or DSPCA.

Maybe, just maybe, your time would be better spend organising training classes for both the full time staff and the "giggly kids" in how to communicate with members of the public.

aare

Well, GillianBird refers to the DSPCA as "we", which she implies means she is staff at the DSPCA, and THEN goes on to say:

If you think we leave the place in the hands of giggly kids you must be kidding!

Frankly, IF a member of DSPCA staff were prepared to be that rude and unappreciative about young volunteers on a public board I would wonder if she were the best person to evaluate whether the DSPCA as a whole were rude to anybody else.

Irish-Lass

Gillian does work for the DSPCA she is the Educational Officer for them

gillianbird

Yes I am staff, I am the Education Officer and my jobs include dealing with all aspects of animal welfare education, dealing with the media and dealing with volunteers.

We are not rude to or about our junior volunteers. After many years of dealing with the public we find that they like to take as RED anything said to them and they usually do not ask more information so in answer to this we ask our volunteers (all of them) to pass queries to relevant staff members. Only when they have been with us a while are they able to answer questions about the animals. You see, we take on huge numbers of work experience and volunteers and don't want the wrong information to be given to potential new owners as it may ruin the chances an animal has of getting a home or may piss off peopel who write to boards like this! I'm sorry to have sounded so curt on teh previous posting but I get so sick of being criticised for everything good and right that we try to do.

If you come to the centre to rehome a dog you will be first asked to fill in a questionnaire in reception. This is then brought to the kennels and any suitable dogs are discussed with the kennel staff (all in uniform). This staff member then interviews you and if the animal is a good match we arrange for a home check to be done by one of our inspectors. Someone has to be responsible if the animal goes to a bad home and that should not be put upon volunteers. All the dog walking and socialisation (fun bits) is done by the volunteers while the day to day running and rehoming is done by staff. We try to get new and inexperienced volunteers to talk nicely to the public expalining that they are not in a position to answer their questions and to point out who would when asked about animals but it can be difficult.

Frankly, IF a member of DSPCA staff were prepared to be that rude and unappreciative about young volunteers on a public board I would wonder if she were the best person to evaluate whether the DSPCA as a whole were rude to anybody else.

Aare, that is a bit unfair. Do you work in a rehoming centre? Do you know how busy it can get? Do you know how many unsuitable volunteers have to be vetted before we come up with the great ones we get? If you do then you will understand the pressures. I am not unappreciative of any of our volunteers, in fact I go out of my way to try to enrol new ones, and try as much as I can to make sure they are happy with the work they are doing. I also organise all the school kids work experience and community work and have done for the past 5 years. Volunteers are the life blood of our society and the kids are the adults of the future.... I know we have had some rude people, both staff and volunteers in the past and people sometimes have bad days but I think you have to give a little lee way when you consider the types of cruelty cases, neglect not to mention dam stupidity (often seen in people wanting to rehome animals-another tropic for discussion I think) that is seen every day in an organisation like the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Shewhomustbe...

When I was living in Dublin I was doing rep work for a pet food company and would sometimes have to take returns from stores, which could be a number of cases. As I didn't have any pets I would bring these to the DSPCA in Rathfarnham, don't think I ever got a thank you.

I'm sorry you didn't get the thanks you deserved for your generousity. Was it the old shelter on Stocking Lane you were at? We try to thank everyone who donates stuff either in letter or in person, I'm sorry you were overlooked, but please don't let this spoil your opinion of us. Every group need help, that is why we are Charities and it is up to each individual who they want to donate to, just please take issues up with the charities in question before bitching about them on public boards and possibly ruining their chances of getting much needed donations towards the valuable work they do!

Sorry to have annoyed people but I get very sick of bad mouthing and sh** spreading when it need not be done! Complain to the boss, don’t take it out on the animals!!

Gillian

aare

Aare, that is a bit unfair. Do you work in a rehoming centre? Do you know how busy it can get? Do you know how many unsuitable volunteers have to be vetted before we come up with the great ones we get? If you do then you will understand the pressures. I am not unappreciative of any of our volunteers

GillianBird, that really doesn't resolve the question of why you would refer to your own young volunteers, in a three sentence post, that you must have had ample time to consider, thus, now does it?

If you think we leave the place in the hands of giggly kids you must be kidding!

I think it might be nicer if you simply apologised for making such a derogatory statement and determined within yourself not to do such a thing again, rather than made excuses.

If the DSPCA rehoming center is currently too busy rehoming animals for the staff to show basic respect and courtesy to one another in public, apart from going some way towards proving the point of this thread about rudeness to members of the public, it then begs another question:

Why is the DSPCA still a "high kill shelter" for dogs, with a near blanket extermination policy towards feral and stray cats?

(Edited to add one comma that annoyed me by it's absence)

aare

Irish-Lass wrote:

Gillian does work for the DSPCA she is the Educational Officer for them

Yes, I checked, but I do think it would have been a better idea for her to explain that in the first place, particularly from her own point of view, but that's just an opinion, not a big deal.

Lilly81

don't let this thread get nasty, the ispca and dspca do great work.

out of interest gillian, do you have many full time staff? what training did you do? what kind of pay is full time work or is it all voluntary? thanks.

by the way i think you're doing a great job and keep it up.

aare

Lilly81 wrote:

don't let this thread get nasty, the ispca and dspca do great work.
by the way i think you're doing a great job and keep it up.

Leaving the DSPCA alone for a minute, I am not sure that the 7,574 dogs destroyed by the ISPCA in the pounds they ran in 2003 alone (a year in which 17,695 dogs were destroyed in pounds nationwide) would agree with that sentiment.

The only reason I do not bang on and on about the ISPCA and DSPCA is because I cannot see anything that could stand in their place, animal rescue/welfare in Ireland is several different kinds of mess, and the ones who pay the price of that are ultimately the innocent animals.

The biggest obstacle to any kind of real, benign solution is public apathy, which is only exacerbated by rude and abusive behavior (over which the DSPCA and ISPCA certainly do NOT have a monopoly) from animal rescue and welfare organisations (the topic of this thread) and brushing the harsher facts under the carpet.