Published on the RSPCA website 27 Feb 2009

The RSPCA has issued the following statement regarding a number of complaints that have been made to the Society concerning the dogs, Bruno and Lulu.

These complaints have been investigated vigorously by our inspectors on a number of occasions and in their view, based on extensive experience and training as well as knowledge of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), no offences are being committed.

The photographs on the German Shepherd Dog Rescue website would give rise to concern but these are only snapshots at a particular point in time and do not tell the whole story.

We are told and have verified on our visits that the animals have access to shelter but for whatever reason, are not using such shelter when photographed.

In summary we do not believe that overall, this constitutes a lack of care or a breach under Section 9 of the AWA which deals with the animals' needs.

John Rolls
Director of Animal Welfare Promotions

Posted by appletonfostermum on 27 Feb 2009 11:46

So being chained up on a front doorstep all night is ok?

Posted by GSDJayne on 27 Feb 2009 13:00

Like it said in a previous post:

'One of the RSPCA’s advertisements on television (from memory) shows a dog chained up in the daytime and night time, in all weathers - and the theme of the advert was to state that no animal should be kept in these conditions - and the RSPCA were appealing for funds to stop this happening!'

So why is it acceptable for Bruno and Lulu to be kept this way? Clearly they are misleading the public using adverts like this in order to obtain donations.

Bruno and Lulu have been under regular surveillance for some considerable time now (not by the RSPCA I hasten to add) and there exists now, a large catalogue of photographs which do tell the whole story. The RSPCA claim the photographs are 'snapshots at a particular point in time and do not tell the whole story'. The evidence we now have will show that claim to be incorrect.

The last paragraph of their statement says:

'In summary we do not believe that overall, this constitutes a lack of care or a breach under Section 9 of the AWA which deals with the animals' needs.'

Can someone please explain what 'overall' means in this situation? Is this a bit like saying it's a little bit cruel but not quite cruel enough?

The RSPCA are very good at going into situations when there is a TV crew present and where they are pulling out dead or dying animals but where are they when the likes of Bruno and Lulu (who have been subjected to appalling neglect/mental and ? physical cruelty over a long period of time) need their help? The inspectors have only revisited Bruno and Lulu because of the pressure they were under when the story went public. It is my understanding that they notify the owner when they are calling.

The RSPCA have learnt an important lesson from this case. The internet and viral marketing are powerful tools which means they can no longer fob people off with their lame excuses as to why they are failing to help needy animals. People donate to the RSPCA because they think their money is helping animals in distress. It hasn't helped Lulu or Bruno and it didn't help Spike or Sasha.

There are many of us that still believe that the RSPCA are implementing the AWA according to their own policy and procedures and that it is not being used in the way it was intended. It's easy to prosecute a little old lady for making her dog too fat!!

The pressure we have put the RSPCA under, shows that we can have an impact. When people stop donating to the RSPCA, they will have no choice but to sit up and take notice. Times are tough now that we are in recession, people have less to donate and will be more concerned that their money is actually being used the way they intended it to be used.

Posted by 3wisemonkeys on 27 Feb 2009 16:01
Bit of a cop out response..............
so when the pictures where taken of LULU curling up to sleep in the snow she had access to shelter!!! Don't think so!

so it's ok for a dog to be chained up - would they let me rehome a dog if I said I was going to chain it up - Don't think so!

Why wait until an animal is near deaths door before intervening, the impression created by these cases is that it's cheaper to have animals PTS than to spend time and money getting them better.

Also oon another matter why don't they have the common courtesy to reply to emails?????

Posted by angelaburden on 27 Feb 2009 17:40
Oh dear! This RSPCA statement all sounds very vague and defensive and bears no explanation of reality – what has been said and to whom; what has been done for the animals in terms of care now and in the future? I expect they have to be careful of what they put in writing in case we prove them wrong.

John Rolls, Director of Animal Welfare Promotions (marketing isn’t it?)

states : “vigorous” investigations (this hasn’t been explained) – “by our inspectors on a number of occasions” . How many inspectors on how many occasions? I make it three inspectors therefore three visits so far. There are 365 days in a year so for 362 days the RSPCA inspectors are totally unaware of the conditions of those poor dogs. I know they haven’t quite made it to 362 days yet but (by fobbing us off) they are doing their “vigorous” best to get there!

By the very fact that three inspectors have gone to 103 Harcourt Road states surely that there is cause for concern to return to that address, also bearing in mind that the owner was aware that he was going to be “vigorously” investigated. Any normal caring person would not have to be “vigorously” investigated.

John Rolls, Director of - - Promotions has confirmed that the “snapshots” don’t tell the whole story. Thats absolutely right, the situation is ongoing and we are trying to tell him the whole story except he just wont listen. Perhaps John Rolls could give us his email address and we will supply him with a regular log of Lulu and Bruno’s conditions since June 2008 to date. Perhaps he would like to see for himself and make a random-check visit of this uncaring and ignorant owner of two dogs who still uses and abuses them for purely guarding (of what?) purposes.

John Rolls I cant tell you how disappointed I am, in the RSPCA, and that you have to come up with this pathetic tone of authority to make empty meaningless statements. You make the RSPCA look authoritative and uncaring. I am also experienced in life and with animals for the past 25 years and I know that normal caring people do not keep animals in these conditions day and night. I have donated to the RSPCA for years but not anymore and I will make it my business to warn as many people as I can that the RSPCA are not proactive when it comes to situations like this - how can they be with only 300 inspectors covering the whole of England and Wales? What are my donations being spent on?

WE ARE THE NORMAL AND CARING GENERAL PUBLIC AND YOU (representing the RSPCA) SHOULD LISTEN TO US.

Posted by Mrs C. on 28 Feb 2009 22:57
I would like nothing more than to respond to the RSPCA's response to the LuLu and Bruno neglect case but if i'm honest i can't find enough decent words to do so....Reading the post by Jayne on the advertising campaign where they used the dog chained up day and night, you have to admire the sick sense of wanting to extract money out of the general public that they will stop at no lengths to do so....utterly disgusting!!

I did get a return phone call from a person called Terry Spate over 14days after my original phone call to report this cruelty and in a nut shell he said "I know the photos look quite bad, but the snow has now gone up here", WELL.... thats ok then Terry, chained up in the wind, fog, rain, hale is nowhere near as bad so let them get on with it, you disgust me!!

As you may have noticed the response to this case on this site alone has been fantastic....and this is only the start to try to bring to as many people's attention by donating to the RSPCA as it stands now is like "******* in the ocean" and the sooner a change can be brought forward so the animals in need get what the British public think they are donating to the better!!!

What can you do: Ring RSPCA: 0300 1234 999 and COMPLAIN. Email: response@rspca.org.uk

Please help us by making a donation so that we can help re home more unwanted German Shepherd Dogs. Donations can be sent to Jayne Shenstone, German Shepherd Rescue, Little Vauld, Marden Hereford HR1 3HA. We also accept Paypal payments - just click on the Paypal button below. Thankyou.