Rspca Visit... Positive Report!, don't all drop dead of shock..

Nerys · #1 (**permalink**) 26-07-2007, 01:43 PM

but.. i actually had a nice rspca guy over the other night.. he was even nicely easy on the eye.. now they should make more of that advantage in uniform *cough* (pictures R in an rspca uniform & giggles - don't think he would go for it!)

annnyway... about 4 weeks ago, i had a card through the door, from the rspca, saying we called round, please contact us.

so.. i did.. that evening... and left a message for the inspector who had been round. the next day, a friday, he called me back, and bascially told me that one of my neighbours had reported something strange... i laughed and said, that does not suprise me that much, as i keep a number of exotics, both mammals and reptiles.. so god knows whats been said..

he chuckled too, and agreed, and basically told me someone had reported a "foul smell" (thats rat pee for you!) and noises of animals in distress.. they told them i was feeding live chicks, to my reptiles!!! they also called the local council animal licensing and welfare girl!!!! so, i explained a bit about what i keep to Mr Hammond, mentioned that chicks are pence each frozen so no point breeding my own.. mentioned the Saker and the Kestrel i have, and that they creel to me when they see me, asking for food.. mentioned the skunks, mentioned the dog,cats, horses etc etc etc

anyway, he said he would like to come over at some point for a look, but that he was about to go on leave, and would arrange it when he got back, he said, you can tell how seriously i am taking this, as i am happy to leave it till when i come back.. which was nice... i think... i guess i contacted them back within hours of the card being left, and was happy to explain what i keep and so on.. so its not like i was not co-operating??

so anyway.. the visit was arranged for last tuesday night, and i have to say i was nervous... not that i think i do anything wrong.. but it IS the rspca we are talking about, and doing nothing wrong does not always help you!! i spent the afternoon making sure things were as they should be, spot checking vivs.. etc.. but with 500 or so animals there its the sort of thing you need to do regularly anyway.. if they had been a mess to start with. spending 5 hours on it would have done nothing but highlighted the worst ones lol..

but yeah, 6pm came, and knock knock.. open door to be highly suprised by meeting a young, attractive, polite guy in uniform stood on my path... why i was picturing some miserable grey haired rude munter i have no idea, but i seriously did a classic double take..

(one day i will remember that to assume makes an ass of u and me.. or mostly me lol )

so, once recovered from that shock, i showed him round the collection, starting with Dougal, the soppy angora ferret, who laid on his back in my arms and giggled as i tickled him as normal.. stunning animal he is!! then did the cats, who were floating about as normal, thankfully sans dead pigeon for once... and the dog.. so got the xrays out to show him her hips and bad mouth the KC a bit.. (ok so i had to show him what was what on the xrays, and what it was about her hips that was so bad..but, can't win them all!) moved on past the rabbits, who have five babies at the moment.. down to the kestrel and saker.. who obligingly demonstrated the screeching and creeling they subject me too twice daily.. all ok there.. and he suddenly "got" what i meant about where the noise came from!!!! (hard not to with the worlds second largest falcon species going off like a screech bat 12 inches from your ear!!!)

moved into the rodent area.. no bother there.. i don't use breeder boxes (shoe boxes) for anything full time, i use them to grow things on into, but not to breed in.. consequently all my caging is pet style, large spacious.. not 8inch x 6 inch x 4 inch coffins.

(yeah i really don't like shoe boxes for mice.. they work yeah.. but well, my eyes got opened BIG time not so long ago, to how blasted bad and how small some suppliers set ups are... i've taken 300 gerbils in a rehome lately.. and tbh i would happily shoot the bankers that kept them.. i would HELP the rspca prosecute them if i could tbh... made me sick.. babies trying to suckle from a dead mum.. mumified corpses troden into the substrate - which was poo and food and not a lot else.. anyway.. *seethes quietly..* )

we talked about re-cycling rodents for the reptiles, and yes, that was all fine, turns out we use the same technique on small stuff.. (i been taught the neck break lately.. less messy.. but you feel them "go" in your fingers.. which took getting used to)

yeah, so, no issue mentioned with regard to AWB and cage sizing, so i was happy with that. nothing said bad about breeding for feed, so very happy with that.. nothing said about method of dispatch so happy with that too!!!

then back into house and into lounge, where there is a cham and a pair of agamas.. he liked the cham cage set up i have in there.. then upstairs to do the rep room, where i had the latest tray of recycled rats waiting to be fed.. which meant i got to demonstate some of the nasty ones i have.. l showed him how i handled the highly agressive 8ft carpet i have.. ie bribe it with a rat, wait till pointy end busy and move her by the tail!!! showed him the baby cresties and told him about the extinction and re-discovery and amazing success story due to them being kept as pets now.. fed a couple of the tree boas and tree pythons, as they make for a good show to watch.. did the general tour really..

and then ended with the skunks... dug snuff out to be shown off, and ended up chatting de-scenting issues with him for 20 mins or so - he could not understand what the problem with it was.. snuff was draped over his top like the tart she is... where we were stood is just in front of a mirror, and the whole time he was looking in it at her.. turning so he could see her draped over his shoulder snoozing, admiring her from all angles... but then she IS just so so tactile and interactive.. i wish i had gotten a picture!!!

then moved onto new laws, and i had to dig out my animal transporter authorisation (type 1) to show him, as he was not aware of them... still.. he is now! lol... i've got that one so far, to cover me on the courier runs i am doing... that will be going national and bookable at some point, under "Gremlin Rides" and as part of the Rainbow Consultancy, with regular routes up and down the UK.. so yes, discussing that was quiet useful too.

then.. dave came home.. and given the current situation at home.. and the glares i was getting.. we ended the chat lol.. dave is very very good at making people feel very very unwelcome sometimes (including me!) but i did say, if you get stuck with anything, give me a shout and i'll help out, and that was that really, off he went with a smile and a nod.. (and yes the net curtains were twitching lol)

i did leave my neighbours a note also...

well i was STEAMING at the time... so they got two pages of me being quietly furious on paper... this is not good for neighbourly relations, but tbh, i could not give a monkies, if they want to "play" then fine.. we can do that.. i can play nicely.. i can also play like the female dog i am told i am so much !!!! i don't like malicious gossip and rumour being spread about me, like.. really really do not like it.. so watch your step mr neighbour.. lol

so anyway, that was that really... just seeing as i am known for bad mouthing the rspca.. i also wanted to be the one to talk about a positive visit from them... credit where its due, and i rarely give them any of that.. but yeah.. Graham Hammond... ok rspca guy.. good on ya.

i might even get him a decent snake hook.. they are not provided with one by the bosses (no suprise there!)

Nerys

Fixx · #2 (**permalink**) 26-07-2007, 01:49 PM

Way to go Nerys

Crownan · #3 (**permalink**) 26-07-2007, 01:54 PM

Well, there was nothing to worry about anyway

Andy b 1 · #4 (**permalink**) 26-07-2007, 02:02 PM

what is it about women and uniforms?

Nerys · #5 (**permalink**) 26-07-2007, 02:03 PM

no idea, i was not wearing one!

lol..

yeah i know Jon... but you know how it can be.. i've heard too much of the flip side to not worry a bit!!

N

Crownan · #6 (**permalink**) 26-07-2007, 02:07 PM

Yeah, to be honest I wouldve been worried too, even when there is no need!

Its like when you get a cop car behind you.....I always brick it, even though Im doing nothing wrong! lol

SiUK · #7 (**permalink**) 26-07-2007, 02:11 PM

thats awesome, I recon its the headquarters that are the problem, that crossed my mind the other day when RSPCAvolunteer said that all the rescue centres have to do there own fundraising in order to make money.

Good that all was well, and he was a nice bloke.

Kellybee · #8 (**permalink**) 26-07-2007, 02:12 PM

I didnt know you had birds of prey. Nerys you never cease to amaze me, lol. I liked that story, especially the bit about a half decent RSPCA inspector showing an interest and a little appreciation for a reptile hobbyists collection, even more amazing than the birds but then again, I had a similar experience with an inspector myself shockingly. I wonder if the new younger generation of inspectors are less inclined to beleive the old rumours that all reptile keepers are bald headed bikers with STI's and a bad sense of personal hygiene plus a careless attitude toward things like water bowls and feeding routines? They probably know people who keep reptiles and see that it isnt all horror and ego, I hope they arent alone in their attitudes

Nice one

CBR1100XX · #9 (**permalink**) 26-07-2007, 02:13 PM

Well done Nerys but then again having seen your little empire of animals and how you keep them I know you wouldn't have much to worry about.

Maybe you should bin the OH and get with the RSPCA man.

Athravan · #10 (**permalink**) 26-07-2007, 02:13 PM

Good to hear a positive story... I had no idea you kept birds of prey either... I think you must run on a Nerys only 30 hour day.

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