RSPCA Wildlife policies

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[PaulR3]

Having posted a few weeks ago about the RSPCA paying money towards vets bills (for hogs), I now have all the information about how to do it. I did it yesterday when I took Bonny to the vet. The £60 pounds they paid and a very generous donation by a member of this forum (thanks again) went a very long way to paying the £113 bill!!!

Ring the RSPCA Control Centre on 0300 1234999
Choose option 2 then option 4 (don't choose anything else).

You will speak to a controller and ask if you may have a log number. Explain that you have a sick hedgehog that needs attention and that you are able to take it to a vet yourself. You will get a thankyou (for taking wildlife to the vets) and a number, which you then give to the vet. You will have to make up the difference, if there is any, yourself.

This definitely works as the receptionist at the vets checked out the log number with the RSPCA whilst I was sat there.

Please be sensible using this as we don't want it to be stopped or reduced after they get an huge influx of bills from vets all of a sudden!   

 

[jolly_wozname]

This should be pinned. I just phoned the line with your helpful advice and they explained how the system works.

Apparently vets have an agreement that they will treat any animal below the size of a rabbit for free, but the kind lady pointed out that it would nonetheless be a good idea to get the log number before going to the vets.

Seeing as costs had not been discussed when I dropped Masamune off this am, I was advised that the vet most likely had no intention of charging me, BUT, in th event they tried to, I should ask them to contact the RSPCA who would give THEM a log number (in place of the one I could / should have got before taking the hog in).

In these more straitened economic times these issues gain added importance. Moreover, as carers people here really are giving a fortune in time to wildlife in any case. For those who aren't oligarchs, the thought of big vets bills really can take the edge off caring because it feels akin to a fine for doing the right thing. As such the issue of vet bill funding could not be more important. Well done Paul for bringing this to the attention of those, like me, who always approach the vets with a sense of impending open wallet surgery!

[Marg]

Years ago the RSPCA paid twice for me to take a hedgehog to the vets,once for treatment and once to sadly put to sleep.I was hard up in those days(well worse than i am now!!) but i promised when i could i would donate to them and have done ever since.Many slag them off and ok ,no one gets it right every time but you cannot knock them for financing when needed..Really i think the vets can more likely afford to treat free than they can but still.Good to know you can still ask for help.

[SoftTouch]

Vet's have an agreement? Tell that to some of the carers on here who pay large sums. My current vet are completely free but the last one charged 11.50. Others have been charged much more.

Did the RSPCA say vets have an agreement with them or in general?

[Alison]

Apparently vets have an agreement that they will treat any animal below the size of a rabbit for free

Do they (vets) all know this? What size of rabbit would that be? (I don't expect you to be able to answer that, just think that some vets are probably a bit creative in deciding whether something is smaller than a rabbit or not, and we know that many vets charge for seeing hogs, even very small ones.)

This is very useful info, I wish it was more widely known then people may be more inclined to help wild animals in distress.

[clayts]

This is incredibly useful info to know and does deserve pinning.

As I'm struggling on a pittance masquerading as Incapacity Benefit, taking Charlie to the vets and being charged £25 for the privilege (£15 of which was a consultation fee - and I had to haggle to get that, arguing Charlie was a small mammal, akin to a guinea pig - the drugs I'm not averse to paying for) meant I had to go without a few things that week. Clearly there was never any doubt I would pay for the treatment, but if Henry had gotten ill I really would have struggled.

What irks me is that vets must know this scheme exists, yet some of them go out of their way to deliberately not treat hedgehogs because they're too 'exotic'. At least my vet (Vets4Pets Bulwell) took the time out to research hedgehogs properly before our consultation - maybe others think it is too much effort. There needs to be some education about this RSPCA scheme - again you have to call into question why the BHPS aren't publicising this sort of information - it may well encourage those who cannot afford taking in a hedgehog in case they need to go to a vet to actually do so, knowing there is some form of financial support.

It will certainly make me more geared up to take more than 2 in next Autumn (or before if any orphans appear in the summer).

Thanks for sharing this, Paul - very helpful

[Marg]

I am very sorry everybody that i didn't think to tell you about it sooner,i just assumed everyone knew about the RSPCA's policy.Certainly the vets should be aware of such a system.

[Mouse]

I'm going to put a bit of a spanner in the works now...

Although I've never heard of this, I don't doubt for one second it doesn't exist and hopefully it will really help many people when taking wildlife to the vets.  But I have reservations.

First, if vets are truly wildlife friendly and treat wildlife for free, no questions asked, to the best of their ability then that is brilliant.  My new vet is one of those.  But some vets who say they treat for free often don't always explore every avenue and often resort to euthanasia when there may have perhaps been a cure.

Secondly, vets who charge full price will do a good job I'm sure (and have for me in the past, but ,at shocking cost  ) but I'm rather cynical and think that if they have to recoup that fee via vouchers/log numbers/form filling they may not do such a good job, if you understand my meaning. 

Just a thought.

Ali (the mouse with the jaded view!) x

[Alison]

Secondly, vets who charge full price will do a good job I'm sure

Not necessarily. At my vet practice the ones who have not charged me have been the ones who did the best job and who were obviously genuinely interested in the hogs and in trying everything they could to treat them. Some of the ones who have charged me full whack have had no clue at all and failed to do anything useful.

That doesn't mean that I don't think you're right to be cynical!

Alison

[Mouse]

I was trying very hard to be diplomatic Alison    (it doesn't always come easily though  )

[Mouse]

And another thing, if they do charge does that mean they don't want to treat wildlife because they have a lack of knowledge OR maybe their charges put people off and therefore they don't have the chance to gain experience?

 

[BWR]

I definately would say that Vets will certainly use the scheme to fund euthanasia. This is where the flaw is with the whole thing; there is no concrete definition of 'treatment' of a wild animal; it could mean many things to different people.
To carers, treatment is fluid therapy, minor surgery, major surgery in some cases, the administration of drugs . etc
To a vet, 'treatment' usually involves euthanasia as the quickest and most convenient option.

We must remember that not all vets WANT to treat; sometimes, the fee they put onto our shoulders is just a discreet way of masking the fact that they can't be bothered; give us a price that we won't /can't pay, and we'll move on and try and find help elsewhere! PROBLEM SOLVED!
I've been in this situation before; the vets offered to treat for a scandelous fee, so I had to move on to another vets elsewhere. Even if I had said "yeah, ok, I'll pay the £350 for you to x-ray a fox's leg" they would have come up with something else to stall me in my bid to save a animal in need.

This scheme with the RSPCA is great; but at the end of the day, you still need a good, CARING vet (not an accountant!) , who has a suitable amount of knowledge of wildlife surgery, preferably experience with the particular animal in question, and most of all, a vet who isn't going to exploit the funds provided by the RSPCA by resorting to euthanasia without proper justification.

Thanks for sharing; hopefully we can all make use of these funds as and when necessary.

[Derek]

This is NO longer correct
I was informed last night that RSPCA new policy ( according to them, because of lack of funds due to credit  crunch) is to euthanise ( KILL) all wildlife taken to them or picked up by them

They will not pay for  any wildlife to be taken to a vet or wildlife rescue centre and inspectors & ACO ( Animal Collection Officers) have been told to kill all wildlife they get instead

[Marg]

Oh Derek that is appalling.They can't possibly be struggling as much as the much smaller independent wildlife rescue places.With that attitude we are doomed to lose our precious wildlife.Thank goodness i have a caring vet ,but if not i would still pay for it myself.

Time to rethink my donations to them.They do a fantastic job in a lot of areas but this just cannot be right.

[Derek]

I was at wildlife hospital last night and they have been told that RSPCA are no longer allowed to take into them or to vets as it costs too much so the animals must be killed

We all need to write to RSPCA expressing our disgust at this attitude and get them to reverse it very very quickly

we need a public outcry about it

Hedgehogs are dying out and I know some can't be saved when sick or injured, but if they are going to kill everything regardless,even if treatable,  including  all the orphans & juveniles found & the same with baby birds etc, then we really are in big trouble
It can not be allowed to happen

[Derek]

I am disgusted and really worried  that RSPCA staff are being told to  kill sick, injured, orphaned hedgehogs and all other wildlife because of lack of money.   If they become ill, no matter how minor or easily treatable the illness or injury is, they will be automatically killed regardless, without even being assessed. Even if just cold, hungry and underweight.

So the hedgehogs' only chance is to be healthy. Any chance of help is being taken away from them.
 
Now for the hedgehogs it is only a matter of: stay healthy or be put down

It is now even more important to tell as many people as you can to feed and look after hedgehogs in their garden.

We need to keep them healthy. Once they become ill, that is the end of it. They will not be  treated or saved any more.

[HeatherQ]

How about contacting the producers of Springwatch? it will be airing in several weeks time?  It would give publicity to this disgusting new policy.

I just can't believe they can do something like this 

[Derek]

I have removed the RSPCA contact numbers from my website http://thehedgehog.co.uk and from here

Please everybody else with a website or blog tell everybody NOT to contact RSPCA as they will be automatically put down without any chance of treatment.

[Pat]

I have a friend who helps rehome cats and she has always told us all not to send to the RSPCA as they don't help. But instead put them down rather than try to save them. So if I do any donations I always send to any local cat charities. Same with the hedgehogs now. As I feel the local folks are the ones doing the most good. Not the big corporate charities who spend loads of money on advertising. I will post this note up on my blog about the RSPCA. Thanks Derek.

[Pat]

Thanks Derek I have put up on my Blog about this and hope that people will start making their donations to the local carers and charities rather than the RSPCA who just seem to want more and more money.

[Derek]

I have just thought of this. What about those just waking up from hibernation?  They are all JUST thin and weak, nothing else wrong with them

[PaulR3]

Derek, I am disgusted. As the author of this original post, I think you should change the title to something so that everyone reads it again (maybe add 'NO LONGER TRUE', or something similar). Do you have an address or an email address we can write to, to complain? Is this written down somewhere (about murdering the animals rather than treating) so that we can refer them to it?

I think the RSPCA need to change it's name to THE ROYAL SOCIETY FOR PUBLIC CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

I wonder what the NHS are going to do to US?!!!

[Derek]

Derek, I am disgusted. As the author of this original post, I think you should change the title to something so that everyone reads it again (maybe add 'NO LONGER TRUE', or something similar). Do you have an address or an email address we can write to, to complain? Is this written down somewhere (about murdering the animals rather than treating) so that we can refer them to it?

I think the RSPCA need to change it's name to THE ROYAL SOCIETY FOR PUBLIC CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

I wonder what the NHS are going to do to US?!!!

I have been told that they will not pay for  any wildlife to be taken to a vet or wildlife rescue centre and inspectors & ACO ( Animal Collection Officers) have been told to kill all wildlife they get instead.  The Inspector or ACO has to get specific permission from the duty Chief Inspector for the region/group BEFORE considering any treatment or rescue/rehabilitation of any wildlife. This is all to do with saving money. The Chief Inspectors are instructing euthanasia for everything

[Mouse]

Who is their royal patron?  Maybe we should all write to them too.

Is there anything in print to say this Derek as if we can get something in writing we need to get the media involved.

It is just another blow to ALL wildlife and it sickens me.  What sort of a world are we living in (something I ask myself more and more  )

[PaulR3]

We need this in print. There must be something in writing somewhere that has given the inspectors/ACO's a directive. We need one onside that can get this for us...... maybe it was just a notice on a noticeboard or something, but whatever it is, we need it so we can go public. This is terrible news and all the public need to be made aware.

Anyone know a 'friendly' inspector or ACO?!!!

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