After the recent news of a car apparently intentionally running over some ducklings this week we would like to remind everyone of the GSPCA cruelty complaint procedure.
With Spring comes many more animals out and about from hedgehogs coming out of hibernation to pet cats enjoying the warmth of the sunshine, ducks with their ducklings to dog walkers making the most of the nice weather.
All drivers need to take care especially around the lanes where you cannot necessarily see around the corner where any of these or even farm animals or someone enjoying a ride on their horse could be.
Lorna Prince Welfare Manager said 'If anyone has information of cruelty or neglect to any animal we would ask them to contact the GSPCA on 01481 257261.'
'We receive and have reported hundreds of animals affected by road traffic incidents every year and to think that there are drivers out there who are causing this intentionally is a real concern to the GSPCA.'
Steve Byrne GSPCA Manager said 'The GSPCA is an organisation which has the main aim to prevent cruelty and promote kindness for all animals in Guernsey and we are extremely concerned with the news that someone would try and run any animal over in a vehicle.'
'We have many rescue ducklings at the Shelter for many reasons most of which are the fact that they are found orphaned.'
'We are here to help animals and if anyone has any concerns at all regarding cruelty you can call the Shelter in confidence or even pop up to chat to the staff.'
Below is more information on the complaint procedure -
Animal Welfare Complaints
The GSPCA’s main aim is to prevent cruelty to animals and help those at risk of cruelty and neglect. Every day we receive calls from members of the public who are concerned for the welfare of an animal. These calls are our priority and as such welfare staff will drop everything to respond to such a call. More often than not we are able to resolve any problems that we find and can put the caller’s mind at rest but there are occasions when further action is required.
We rely on the general public to provide us with important information regarding animal welfare within the Community, especially in situations where an animal may be at risk, and as such we must act professionally and with discretion. Any call to the Shelter involving a concern about an animal is dealt with in the strictest of confidence and at no time are the details of a complaint or complainant discussed with third parties.
What happens when we receive a complaint?
The details of the concern are logged on a complaint form. The more information we receive the better and while some people would rather not tell us who they are contact details of the caller are extremely important. If we are unable to locate an animal in distress they will be the only lead we have and it can mean the difference between us being able to help an animal and having to abandon what may be a very serious investigation.
A member of staff will locate the animals to assess the situation and gather all relevant information. We always carry an identification card and will show you who we are. Our aim is to collect evidence and investigate the circumstances and condition of any animal before making a judgment about a person or situation. We know from experience that some animals that look neglected and ‘starved’ are often just old and infirm and receiving treatment from a vet.
If a member of our team has been to your property and you are not home they will always leave a card to inform you of our visit and who to contact. If you do not find a card then it was not a member of the GSPCA’s welfare team that visited your property.
Education or prosecution. We need to determine whether an offence has been committed or whether it is a case of someone simply needing our help and support. In the majority of cases education is key and more often than not some help and advice can greatly improve the ability of the owner to care for their pet and therefore improve the quality of life of the animal. If however we believe that an offence has been committed we will investigate the matter further.
We will always complete follow up visits where necessary, to ensure that our advice has been taken on board and to reassess the animal(s). If we find that there has been no improvement in the animal’s circumstances and quality of life we will move to take further action.
Please note:
We will always show identification
We will always leave a calling card to inform you of our visit and who to contact.
We do not behave in a threatening manner when investigating cases of cruelty.
We do not make visits at unsociable hours unless we have been asked to attend by the Police or another Agency.
IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE WELFARE ON AN ANIMAL PLEASE CONTACT THE SHELTER ON 257261
To see the story of Jethou Bumblebee the grey seal pup please check out this short video from start to finish on how staff rescued him with a lot of help.
There are many items on the GSPCA's Wish List and you can see many of them by clicking here including a list of Amazon items which would make a difference to animals in Guernsey.
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The following are events planned for 2013
Every Tuesday during term time between 10.30am and 12pm at the GSPCA we have a coffee morning with bric-a-brac and pet supplies on sale. Please click here for more details
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