Rare golden eagle dies after being placed in care of RSPCA

RE: Rare golden eagle dies after being placed in care of RSPCA

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:56:49 GMT

The obvious thing to do if DEFRA and RSPB thought he was committing an offence (and, as it turned out, he wasn't) would be to raid him, document everything but leave the bird in his care with frequent check visits. No. it had to be "seized", thus killing it.

RSPCA, a private organisation with no statutory powers, is too big for its boots by half.

In this case with a bit of luck the RSPB might prosecute the RSPCA.

No, it won't happen. It will be brushed under the carpet.

RE: Rare golden eagle dies after being placed in care of RSPCA

Niall Taylor — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:00:49 GMT

This is absolutely pathetic! This could have been a fantastic opportunity for the RSPCA to have established links with this obviously highly experienced falconer and benifitted from his expertise, he could have then helped them with future cases in such birds where genuine cruelty was involved. Instead they have been dogmatic, inflexible, idiotic and caused (to use the phrase that they love so much) "unnecessary suffering".

I have a client who keeps ferrets under fantastic conditions and she is horrified about the way the local RSPCA keeps their "rescue" ferrets.

Who wants to bet this gets brushed under the carpet? The RSPCA should have something along the lines of the police complaints commission where one branch can be investigated by another in such cases - won't happen though.

Niall

RE: Rare golden eagle dies after being placed in care of RSPCA

Hannah Wynne Richards — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:22:31 GMT

All the court cases I have been involved in, I have supported the RSPCA, but in this instance it seems they were in the wrong. Birds, especially birds of prey are so specialised that it is almost impossible for anyone other than an experienced falconer to care for them properly. In this case, I could very well imagine the Countryside Alliance opting for a prosecution, as I believe they have some falconers as members

Wynne

RE: Rare golden eagle dies after being placed in care of RSPCA

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:48:48 GMT

Just found this interesting link to photographs of the bird, and the conditions it was kept in:

www.flickr.com/.../72157622627861156

RE: Rare golden eagle dies after being placed in care of RSPCA

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:22:11 GMT

I'm not at all surprised. An occasional client of mine bred finches, and the RSPCA swooped and seized all his birds. When it was established he was guilty of no offence, they had to give them back and did so in poor condition having had no idea how to look after them.

I was involved for the defence in a case where the RSPCA had seized some dogs. I advised the defendant's solicitor that there were grounds for strong complaint in the way the dogs had been treated by the RSPCA, but in the end she was "persuaded" to sign them over and the case was dropped.

Who indeed would or could be brave enough to prosecute this powerful organisation/

RE: Rare golden eagle dies after being placed in care of RSPCA

Martin Jones — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:41:59 GMT

This story has been bubbling here in Cornwall, and has probably done even more to tarnish the RSPCA's reputation locally than any of the management changes in the last few years.

A golden eagle! Imagine the publicity a prosecution would bring! Do we know how to look after it? Does it matter?

One can only hope that newspaper reports are hyped; if nothing else, who would bring a prosecution against the RSPCA for animal welfare offences?