RSPCA are at it again.

[tokay]

this is rediculous , next itll be dont look at the animal as staring can cause stress

[matt1977]

we were very lucky at my school a few of us that were interested were allowed to persue our own wild life projects in our lunch time and after school ,we got the school to set by a nice area for conservation which 16 years later is still there and doing really well. Also there was the good old school hamster and gerbal, we were also allowed to keep slow worms that we had found, i think these were my first steps towards keeping my own reps.
But most of all above all else we were encouraged to respect and care for these living creatures and to do our resurch. I think it would be such a crying shame if kids now didnt the opertunity to look after and learn about animals at school, me and my school mates got a hell of a lot out of keeping them.
Come on RSPCA how many animals were kept in your schools and how many at your rspca training course?? I hope you (rspca) work out that if you ban all animal keeping you'll be outa work. The "animal S.S" as i think they should be called need a good hard rethink on a lot of there policies.

[Dungbug]

Stupid idiots, what harm is it causing? It's a good way to allow kids to interact with an animal and how to be responsible, haven't they got anything better to do?

[Matt Northampton]

More Rspca rubbish, where do they get off. When will they remember they are no more than a charity and not a law enfocement agency.

[Marinam2]

I remember being at school and being about 8-9yrs and we used to keep geese in a large enclosed area in the centre of the school it was surround by the school only the teachers had access but they used to breed and we were once all rounded up to open the eggs and look at the embryos. It was disturbing and cruel and we all went home crying our eyes out.

The school then got a whole heap of ducklings and chicks and within a week five were dead being the kids including me were allowed to play with them.

On the other hand the nursey i work at now had a fish bowl with fish and they were kept appalingly before i stepped in to give them a proper tank with filter and light. We also had a rob hamster and the two girls who bought it were bored of it before the kids were although it was never treated cruelly or neglected.

Marina

[skinky_boots]

where on earth do they get off ? how can you teach children respect if they dont come into contact with animals ! pure stupidity.

[Marinam2]

bloody hell though you have enough for your entire neighbourhood.

Marina

[skinky_boots]

what I have is very tame compared to my friends collections.I have two rooms dedicated to my reptiles. Does anyone really think the RSPCA will get there way over the reptile and snake keeping ? .I know alot of councils Have banned schools having pets now full stop the class room pet is heading for a thing of the past.I remember as someones mentioned that there use to be volunteers to take tem home for holidays and we loved doing it , that was a honour when I was at school to take the gerbils home for the holidays.

[sparkle]

We had two gerbils in primary 7.... we took great care of them and it was an honour to be allowed to gently handle them and clean them .. give them fresh food and water....

it turned out they were not same sex and accidentaly had babies..

we were allowed with permission of a letter from our parents to have one baby permanently as a pet..

we seperated the two gerbils and they lived on their own after that first mating..
I was luckily allowed one of the gerbil babies....

He was golden coloured..


and the runt.. ( must have been where this saveing of the weakest started LOL)

that gerbil lived 3 1/2 years with me.. I adored him.. he got out every night to run around the living room... KNEW his name when he was called and come sit at your feet....and would run up onto your knee if you clicked your tongue as that meant food..

he would be out for around an hour each evening and retire back to his little cage..

each morning hed come out to greet my dad to get his little bit of fruit at 6am then back out again to se me before i went to shcool.

He was the tamest most celver gerbil in the world to me at that age ( 10 yrs old)... and most people who visited us couldnt belive he got out every night and went back into his cage willingly.. I stil have fond memories of him.. and as i wasnt allowed reptiles til I left home... rodents were what i kept back then... ( sorry for the gushy post but i DID adore him )

If it hadnt been for classroom pets we wouldnt have understood the importence of keeping young animals apart.. nor would I ever have had my pet..

I agree occasionally kids can be overexcited and boisterous with small animals but surely thats down to the discipline of the teachers and not every classroom acts this way...

[Evie]

Interestingly I used to teach in an animal care college. All reptiles, furries, birds etc. were (and still are) handled daily by students of all ages and abilities from severe learning difficulties up to HE. The RSPCA regularly sent their staff on reptile handling courses so it sounds like one rule for them and another for everyone else.