indigirl Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Hiyas, iggy rescue has become aware of a situation where 2 Italian greyhounds were surrendered to the RSPCA by a third party although they legally belonged to someone else. The RSPCA has had these dogs for over 2 months now and they didnt check the chip details so they didnt know the dogs were not legally owned by the woman who surrendered them. The owner (a breeder) was still being sent photo updates on these dogs as recently as 2 weeks ago saying how well they were doing by the third party. The owner discovered the dogs were in the RSPCA 2 days ago and is understandably very worried about them. The RSPCA have told the owner that there will be a huge fee for her to get them back as they have spent 2 months having a behaviorist work with the dogs die to them being timid, and the owner would have to pay for all the time the behaviorist has spent working with them. Now IGs are a timid breed and are always totally overwhelmed on a shelter environment, it's normal for them as a breed to respond with extreme fear to this kind of situation. The RSPCA never even scanned the dogs for a chip, if they had they would have seen the person who surrendered them was not the owner and they could have contacted the owner and she would have immediately collected both dogs. So as I see it the RSPCA is responsible for the 2 months of work the behaviorist has put in, as they neglected to check the chip. I called the RSPCA and made an enquiry on the dogs and was told they would cost $400 Asa pair to adopt. Yet they re telling the owner her fee to purchase them back will be much much higher. Both dogs were vaccinated, desexed and had recent dentals before they left the owners house so the RSPCA has not had to do any vetwork. Can the RSPCA do this? When it's their fault for not checking the chip details? Is it legal to have two different adoption fees? One for the owner and one for everyone else? The RSPCA has acknowledged the dogs were never scanned. I'm gobsmacked to say the least. The breeder is keen to work with rescue to get these dogs to safety however the RSPCA will not let rescue adopt a dog, nor will they allow interstate adoptions and these dogs are in SA, and our carer who is able to take them is in Vic. The breeder has proved ownership but god knows what kind of adoption fee they will ask her to pay. Advice/input would be greatly appreciated :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gertrude139 Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Wow that is terrible of the RSPCA to not check the chips, they would have scanned them to get the chip numbers anyway so as if you wouldn't check the details! I'm not an expert in this area at all but there are definitely different costs for adoption vs owner reclaim. And I imagine that even though this isn't your typical owner reclaim scenario, that is how they will be treating it. In saying that the person who surrendered them would have paid a surrender fee wouldn't they (In NSW yes I'm not sure about SA) so a higher fee doesn't make sense since they had not vetwork done. I would be pushing the point that if they had checked the chip to begin with like they are supposed to then they wouldn't be in this situation at all. Can the breeder not go through the regular adoption process if it is cheaper that way? Or get a friend to do it then transfer to their name? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigirl Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 (edited) The RSPCA now knows she is the legal ower so they won't let her adopt them like joe public. A friend could do it if they are willing to have a yard check and they don't currently own any dogs as you are only allowed to have 2 dogs in SA. However RSPCA is setting criteria for anyone adopting the dogs, they have to be retired with no young kids at the house. Trying to find someone who fits the criteria who does not currently own any dogs and is local to the RSPCA is a very big ask. It's Is why in over 2 months they have had NO interest. The breeder doesn't have to meet those criteria but she has to pay an astronomical adoption fee. RSPCA will also not work with rescue so can't get another rescue to get them either. Edited December 23, 2012 by indigirl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Are You Serious Jo Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Firstly, does she have confirmation in writing from the rspca that they failed to scan? If she does would she consider legal action because I'm positive she'd win. Sounds like the typical blackmail from breeder hating staff. They clearly were negligent so why should she pay for their incompetence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crickets Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Firstly, does she have confirmation in writing from the rspca that they failed to scan? If she does would she consider legal action because I'm positive she'd win. Sounds like the typical blackmail from breeder hating staff. They clearly were negligent so why should she pay for their incompetence. Yes if she has written confirmation then I would suggest legal action could be taken, and if not, at least take it to the media. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigirl Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 Firstly, does she have confirmation in writing from the rspca that they failed to scan? If she does would she consider legal action because I'm positive she'd win. Sounds like the typical blackmail from breeder hating staff. They clearly were negligent so why should she pay for their incompetence. They admitted it to her, plus they have never contacted her to let her know they were there. I'm sure it's very much breeder hating stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 I'd be getting a letter sent from the breeders solicitor, demanding that the animals be returned to her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigirl Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 I'd be getting a letter sent from the breeders solicitor, demanding that the animals be returned to her. That's what I'm thinking Iggy have to happen too .. ,a while the poor bloody dogs sit in the shelter for yet another few weeks until this is sorted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 I would be livid if they were mine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keetamouse Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 I would call their bluff and tell them as they failed to notify the owner on the chip they have breached their responsibility to check the chip and notify the owner, simple, see what they say when they are faced with legal action or still the papers, more bad publicity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonny_beagle Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Perhaps as the animals do not legally belong to the rspca (they have not done an impound time as they did not scan the chip), they could suggest to the rspca shelter that they are now in possession of stolen goods? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Are they not obliged to scan a dog by law? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Go o the cops they received stolen goods and they could have easily known that if they had done the scans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parkeyre Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 My concern is that RSPCA will say they did scan them and no chip was found. As chips can move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 better still go to the media. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 My concern is that RSPCA will say they did scan them and no chip was found. As chips can move. Haven't they put in writing they didn't scan? #confused Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigirl Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 My concern is that RSPCA will say they did scan them and no chip was found. As chips can move. Haven't they put in writing they didn't scan? #confused No it was verbal, over the phone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigirl Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 The whole situation is intolerable to me. These poor dogs have been in that horrid environment for so long. My number one priority is getting them out of the shelter. Any legal response is going to take weeks or months and these guys need out ASAP. IGs are so sensitive and I cat begin to imagine what these two little dogs have been through. I feel for the breeder too, I would be enraged and so stressed and upset if it was one of my dogs. It smacks of breeder hating tactics to me, that's just my gut feeling. My personal belief is that they DID scan the chip but when they saw the dogs were owned by a reg breeder they chose not to contact her. On their profiles it says the dogs are microchipped. Unless they have chipped them again they must have found and read their chips. Can't get my head around the woman sending happy dog pics as recently as 2 weeks ago to the breeder.. Yet the dogs were already dumped by the. On this persons Facebook page there's a huge pics of both dogs etc. it's just bizarre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlet Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 HOw did the breeder find out they were at RSPCA? How does the RSPCA now know the breeder is the legal owner if they didn't know that 2 months ago? Surely they wouldn't take her word for it. (so somewhere they have admitted a mistake?) So they either scanned or they didn't. They are either negligent for not scanning or have scanned and failed to notified the legal owner One chip can move but surely not two. I would immediate get legal advice AND have a letter sent asap I would go to the police - the RSPCA have stolen goods and when they learnt the goods were stolen have refused to give them back to the legitimate owner I would contact the media immediately. KEEP DETAILED NOTES OF EVERY CONVERSATION - TAPE PHONE CALLS (check the legalities of taping phone conversations or make sure it is recorded when she informs people the conversation is being taped) If I lived in SA I'd happily protest outside the RSPCA to get media attention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 And to be honest, if this is likely to turn into a legal matter I would get this thread removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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