# RSPCA hit with bill for cruelty prosecution



## TSKA Rory Matier (May 27, 2007)

Press Release
For Immediate Release
18th August 2008



RSPCA hit with bill for cruelty prosecution
- in the “heartland of animal cruelty”


The Prosecutions Department of the RSPCA, led by barrister Sally Case, 
has been handed another large bill for the charity’s donors to pay. This 
time by Gateshead Magistrates in Tyne and Wear, for prosecuting Michael 
and Sharon Finnie who mistakenly treated their pet dog Pebbles for fleas 
when he had a skin condition.

The RSPCA recently sought to characterise Tyne and Wear as the cruellest 
locality in the UK.

Anne Kasica of the SHG said:

“The Magistrates have sent another clear message to the RSPCA.”

“The message, in my view reads:

‘Stop wasting our valuable court time and resources by prosecuting 
decent, hard working people who are trying their best and living on a 
shoestring budget just to get free publicity from a cheap headline’”

Ernest Vine, also of the SHG said:

“The way that the RSPCA have chosen to present their statistics this 
year is misleading. The SHG don’t believe for a minute that Gateshead, 
Tyne & Wear, or anywhere in the UK is the ‘heartland of animal cruelty’.”

“In Tyne and Wear, far too many cases are being taken to court by 
McKeags and the RSPCA. It is this disproportionate prosecution rate that 
is distorting the statistics.”

“In the past, magistrates gave far too much taxpayers’ money to the 
RSPCA and their independent expert vets and lawyers. Even failed 
prosecutions are frequently rewarded, making welfare cases very cheap 
advertising for the RSPCA.”

“RSPCA lawyers and vets can earn more for an hour than some people earn 
in a week.”

“The Finnies had clearly tried their best. Why didn’t the RSPCA help 
them? If the RSPCA had simply provided free veterinary treatment for 
Pebbles they would not have run up the costs of prosecuting the case and 
boarding fees for Pebbles.”

“They would also have avoided the heartache that both the Finnies and 
Pebbles have gone through by being separated.”

“The RSPCA should remember that one of their charitable objects is ‘to 
promote kindness’”

Anne Kasica concluded:

“The SHG believes that the CPS should actively quality control all RSPCA 
prosecutions by taking over and dropping those which are clearly not in 
the public interest and which no responsible prosecutor would bring.

“The SHG calls for a full public inquiry into the RSPCA and its activities.”

Notes:

1. The cruelty allegations against Mr and Mrs Finnie were that they 
failed to seek the advice of a vet. It was common ground that Michael 
and Sharon Finnie were treating Pebbles for fleas, but she turned out to 
have a different skin condition.

2. The case was handled by Clive McKeag, a partner in the Newcastle law 
firm McKeags. Mr. McKeag is the RSPCA’s lawyer in the North East.

3. Gateshead Magistrates said they would not be making any award for the 
RSPCA's legal and veterinary costs to be paid from central funds.

4. The bill which the charity has to pay runs to over £2,600.

5. The Magistrates also turned down a request from Mr McKeag for the 
RSPCA to keep Pebbles – they ordered that Pebbles must be returned to Mr 
and Mrs Finnie immediately.

6. The Finnies were on low incomes.

7. Please note that the petition to the Prime Minister for a public 
Inquiry into the policies and running of the RSPCA received 2,029 
signatures. http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/rspcainquiry/

Rory Matier
PKA on Behalf of :

'The Self Help Group for Farmers, Pet Owners and Others experiencing difficulties with the RSPCA (The SHG)'


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

About time the RSPCA was made accountable for their actions  Well done SGH


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## Sweetywrapper (Aug 20, 2008)

Hi there,

I'm sorry to reply to this thread late, however I only discovered it this morning when I was performing a search on Google. I'm the daughter of Michael and Sharon Finnie, and I really do want to say thank you so much for posting this thread. I thought all hope was lost, until I read this and realised other people were going through the same situation as my family.

Pebbles seems to be suffering from a condition which causes his skin to become allergic to changes in temperature/seasons, which is apparently extremely rare. I used to place a jacket on him to keep him warm during winter, and during this time he had fleas, and therefore my dad treated him with flea sprays and treatments. We simply thought he was biting himself, and the jacket was a protection from the damage he could deal to himself.

If the RSPCA has been doing this for a long time, I'm afraid I would sue them, however my family is at a complete loss for money. We've been badly treated throughout this entire experience, and it's disgusting, to be honest. I'm only 17, so I'm unsure as to whether or not I could enact on this myself.

We still can't get Pebbles back, they're enforcing an appeal, and my family is on the brink of giving up. I read this article and I felt hope, as the court has clearly seen many other cases from the RSPCA. They're threatening to keep Pebbles in QUARENTINE for 6 months until we appear in court again.

Once again, Thankyou so much. I'm very sorry for rambling. =]


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## Fenris (Apr 18, 2007)

Sweetywrapper said:


> .
> 
> We still can't get Pebbles back, they're enforcing an appeal, and my family is on the brink of giving up. I read this article and I felt hope, as the court has clearly seen many other cases from the RSPCA. They're threatening to keep Pebbles in QUARENTINE for 6 months until we appear in court again.


 Please phone The SHG on 0844 700 66 90 and take a look at their website The Shg for Farmers, Pet Owners and Others Experiencing Difficulties with the RSPCA Whatever you do don't give up!


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## TSKA Rory Matier (May 27, 2007)

Hi Sweetywrapper, 

Trust me as many have said before in threads similiar to this, the RSPCA need to be held responsible and accountable for their actions.

No, you are not rambling by any means, and its good to hear that your family are not going to just give up. This is what the RSPCA account for - either that or a full on prosecution.

You will have full support hear from the likes of RFUK, they are only too full well aware of the problems that the RSPCA political agenda aims at keepers from all fields.

Wishing you luck and goodwill with Pebbles, and as said best wishes to you and your family.

Rory Matier
PKA


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## fantapants (Jan 4, 2008)

what a terrible story. Until i joined rfuk and started keeping reptiles i had no idea just how underhand and manipulative the rspca could be. its disgusting that they can use such bullying tactics in this day and age. And the fact that this takes place in a public court simply beggars belief. I for one find them a disgrace.

please dont give up hope, its important that this is seen through to the end. not just for your family, so they get there dog back, but so other people can be encouraged to stand up to them too.


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## C_Strike (Feb 20, 2007)

Such a harsh story, hope to god you get Pebbles back, They should accept they lost in court, and they shouldnt dick about with your dog. Best of Luck, i really hope you see him again


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## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

dont give up on pebbles! im sure you will get him back just keep fighting them, dont let the [email protected] grind you down. After recent events with the RSPCA i will certainly be lookin into becomin more active in tryna get this organisation wiped off the face of the planet!!!!!!

i hope Pebbles makes it home to your family, please dont give up hope, you have come so far im sure you can go the whole way in gettin him back where he belongs


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## Sweetywrapper (Aug 20, 2008)

To everyone who just posted, thankyou VERY much. I am going to desperately try and get my parents to continue in the campaign, and I am so very grateful for your support.

I also didn't understand how the RSPCA deal with cases such as this, however I feel as though what they are currently doing is taking advantage of their idea of cruelty, and manipulating it to their will.

We've been able to see him several times, and as he kept getting better, you could see how happy he was to be better. I'm so happy they treated him, but I'm appalled at how they're now saying it was an ordeal treating him. If it was such a problem, I'm sure my family can afford to foot the £800 bill rather than go back to court. 

It's a terrible ordeal, however I do intend on getting my dog back. He was my nanas before she died, and I took full responsibility, however being 16 at the time, they let me off and made my parents go through court.

We won court once, I hope to win again.

I'll continue to check this thread, however I'm afraid I don't know much about reptilian animals, so I won't be on the rest of the forum much.

Thankyou very much. ^_^


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

Echoing the other replies Sweety - you have our full support in this matter  We are all animal lovers and all understand fully how the RSPCA uses underhand methods to gain themselves press coverage and donations etc.

The way your family have dealt with this so far is wonderful and it is great that you will continue to fight for Pebbles  You shall do so with the full support of this forum and the animal lovers among us


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## Doodles (Aug 4, 2007)

Surely them now keeping the dog would be classed as theft? What can they do if you just take the dog? I would imagine they can't do anything as they don't actually have any powers.


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## SiUK (Feb 15, 2007)

Doodles said:


> Surely them now keeping the dog would be classed as theft? What can they do if you just take the dog? I would imagine they can't do anything as they don't actually have any powers.


yeah I would of thought that as well


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

Do not give u hope no matter how hard its going to get you have continue not just for the sake of pebbles but for the sake of keepers across the uk
You have our full backing and if there is ANYTHING we can do feel free to contact me even if its to scream and shout about the rspca.

Good luck and keep us updated


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

I agree that if the case has been ruled in your favour by a judge then the RSPCA have no legal grounds to withold Pebbles from your family.

Have you asked legal advice regarding this?


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## Fenris (Apr 18, 2007)

Doodles said:


> Surely them now keeping the dog would be classed as theft? What can they do if you just take the dog? I would imagine they can't do anything as they don't actually have any powers.


 The fact of their having lodged an appeal suspends the Judge's order. This is exactly what they did in the Jamie Grey case.


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## bluerain (Jun 7, 2008)

God, i hope you get your dog back. How can the RSPCA say they work to alleviate animal suffering? Surely taking a dog away from its loving owners is nothing short of cruel!!


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## Sweetywrapper (Aug 20, 2008)

Well I don't particularly blame them for taking him away, their actions were justified - he had something wrong with him, and we didn't know we weren't treating it correctly. That WAS a problem, and at least it was sorted.

The actions they are taking now though, make no sense to me. We won the court case, and they made him better, and overall I don't understand why they are keeping him for another 6 months. The last 6 months have been hell, and I've been sitting my exams during the time we were getting court sorted. It drastically affected my exams, and now I need to resit the year.

I can't go through that again, so I'm hoping I can get this sorted as soon as possible. ^_^

Once again, thankyou everyone for your support. Both of my parents are at work at the moment (my mum has had to get a job in order to simply pay for if we need to go to court again) and I am extremely grateful. =]


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## Fenris (Apr 18, 2007)

Sweetywrapper said:


> Well I don't particularly blame them for taking him away, their actions were justified - he had something wrong with him, and we didn't know we weren't treating it correctly. That WAS a problem, and at least it was sorted.


 No their actions were not justified. Think about it. You were doing your best. So why didn't they simply tell you what had to be done to correct the situation and then help financially if that proved to be a problem? Because it wouldn't have given them the publicity that brings in donations. But that would have actually helped both you and Pebbles far more than this outrageous prosecution. Anyway, log in and check your PM's Sweetywrapper.


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## Vicky12 (Apr 12, 2008)

Well I am so pleased that the RSPCA are being highlighted and are being held accountable for their actions. Its about time.

I learnt first hand how bad there were years ago when I work for the local fundraising branch. Needless to say they dont get my support now.

Sweety - I really hope and pray you get your dog back. Have you got the media on your side? I know they may not be the best sometimes but the do have their uses.

I think its totally disgusting that the RSPCA are getting away with it.

Keep going Sweety we are all behind you. 

Im on several forums so with your permission I will copy this over to them as well.

GOOD LUCK


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

the RSPCA seem to be the bad guys there.... i've heard so many complaints about them. it's a far cry from the ASPCA here... you rarely hear of any ridiculous actions by them... how can two so similar organizations be so radically different?... it astounds me. the humane society here works with owners to resolve issues... at least from my awareness of things.... someone in power over there needs to do something to get the RSPCA's house in order.... it's like a weekly thing hearing non-sensical actions by them.... here the ASPCA are just after the real bad guys.... and we do have some baaaaad guys! just my observation...


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

I fully agree - the RSPCA's actions were no where near justified as far sa I can see.

Their primary role when they were given the title "Royal" by Queen Victoria was to help animals and thier owners alike.

They should have advised your family about Pebbles condition - they have vets at their centres (which aren't even funded by the head office who take all the donations!) and they were fully able to discuss Pebbles skin condition with your familt and advise the best course of action.

Instead, they have put your family and of course Pebbles through hell. How can it be in a dog's best interest to be removed form the family they are bonded with? It can't - Pebbles must miss you all terribly and I think it is a total disgrace how the RSPCA use innocent animals to gain publicity and yet more money to add to their super sized bank accounts.

They deserve all that comes to them and it is about time someone highlighted the problems within thier "charity"!

Habu - I only wish the RSPCA would do the job they were created to do. Sadly, politics and money are higher on thier agenda than working with keepers to better the country as a whole with regards to animal keeping.


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## Vicky12 (Apr 12, 2008)

Habu - I love the ASPCA they are brilliant. Our RSPCA could learn alot from them.

I watch alot of programs where the ASPCA work and they are just Brilliant. They really know whats important.


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## TSKA Rory Matier (May 27, 2007)

Fenris.

I have pm'd you

Rory


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## Sweetywrapper (Aug 20, 2008)

The whole reason we were in this situation in the first place is because my cousin placed an anonymous call because she thought I was mistreating my hamsters and she wanted me to lose them. I used to breed (i think that's the term) and raise them, because I adored looking after them. She took one, and it got attacked, so I mentioned that she should take it to a vet. She took offence by the comment, and decided that I shouldn't have my animals.

Now I can see why she chose the RSPCA. She likes to think of herself as an activist, so she understands the animal abuse companies. She clearly never wanted me to get my pets back, and in result, the night Pebbles was taken away I received some very malicious emails.

I just want him back now, but if I can change the way the RSPCA deals with their 'services', I'd be more than happy to help EVERYONE else. That way, in the future, others don't have to go through what my family has received.


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## Faith (May 17, 2007)

Sweetywrapper said:


> The whole reason we were in this situation in the first place is because my cousin placed an anonymous call because she thought I was mistreating my hamsters and she wanted me to lose them. I used to breed (i think that's the term) and raise them, because I adored looking after them. She took one, and it got attacked, so I mentioned that she should take it to a vet. She took offence by the comment, and decided that I shouldn't have my animals.
> 
> Now I can see why she chose the RSPCA. She likes to think of herself as an activist, so she understands the animal abuse companies. She clearly never wanted me to get my pets back, and in result, the night Pebbles was taken away I received some very malicious emails.
> 
> I just want him back now, but if I can change the way the RSPCA deals with their 'services', I'd be more than happy to help EVERYONE else. That way, in the future, others don't have to go through what my family has received.


:notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:
You are one very balanced 17yr old.
Huge ammounts of luck dust to you and your family


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

here in the states we'd sue them for all we could get...hurt them where it hurts the most..in the wallet..then they'd really think twice before procecuting someone...they'd make very sure that it was a proper action.... that's how you punish them.... but i suppose that isn't possible.... too bad. after the shell out a million or two a few times they'll do their homework. get all those responsible fired....


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## Sweetywrapper (Aug 20, 2008)

With this entire thing, I just want my dog back so I can continue researching my exams and not animal cruelty =] My whole family has been extremely hurt by this, and we're all trying to get back on our feet. This has not only hurt us money wise, but it's hurt my exams too.

Suing is probablys an available option, however our funds are hardly sufficient. My mum and I are getting jobs in order to support this idea, if it is needed.


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## Fangio (Jun 2, 2007)

Sorry you've had to go through all this. I'm glad you've won the first case and I'm sad to see that they're keeping your dog for 6 months until an appeal is launched. I'm positive that an appeal will also head in your favour in this case.

Don't give up!!!!

Once you've won that appeal THEN sue them for all you can! Look into legal aid if you haven't already to help pay for it.

I could rant all day long about the misdoings of the RSPCA but I won't, just know that it's only politics and money that they care for and not animals or their keepers. It's a sad thing as they could use all that money they have to do a lot of good.

Keep us informed what happens!

regards,

Matt.


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## Natrix (Dec 9, 2006)

Fenris said:


> Please phone The SHG on 0844 700 66 90 and take a look at their website The Shg for Farmers, Pet Owners and Others Experiencing Difficulties with the RSPCA Whatever you do don't give up!


*Sweetywrapper please take the advice given by Fenris and get your parents to contact the SHG.* It will only cost you the price of a phone call. 
Anne and Earnest have been dealing with the RSPCA for many years and their advice could well make the difference between losing your dog and getting it back.

The RSPCA aren't finished yet and you need their help and advice if your going to get pebbles back.

Natrix


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## Sweetywrapper (Aug 20, 2008)

I have ^_^ I've spoken to Fenris, and we're calling up tomorrow for more information on what is going to happen. 

Thanks =]


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## danilovespiglet (Jul 15, 2008)

On this matter the rspca was called the other day as a neighbour found a corn in their car engine. rspca would not take it and left it with the neighbour who dont like snakes know nothing about them etc. We rescued it in the end and he is now doing fine. God knows how long he had been out he was malnourished, cold and dehydrated!


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## kaimarion (Dec 31, 2007)

danilovespiglet said:


> On this matter the rspca was called the other day as a neighbour found a corn in their car engine. rspca would not take it and left it with the neighbour who dont like snakes know nothing about them etc. We rescued it in the end and he is now doing fine. God knows how long he had been out he was malnourished, cold and dehydrated!


God damn ,thats awful how could they be so irresponsible but how the hell did a corn snake get in the guys engine :lol2:.
Anyway I hope you get your dog back soon from them so he can go back to a loving home  .
It is terrible how they can make your family go through all this and I hope they do not get away with it!

If the RSPCA were to getshut down who would take their place and how could we stop the same problem from happening all over again?


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## danilovespiglet (Jul 15, 2008)

Yes good luck you guys be thinking of you and your dog!

The engine was probably the nearest place that was warm they found it when they got back from holidays. after driving the car for i dont know how far!!!


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## gtm (Jan 23, 2008)

tinkerbruce said:


> what a terrible story. Until i joined rfuk and started keeping reptiles i had no idea just how underhand and manipulative the rspca could be. its disgusting that they can use such bullying tactics in this day and age. And the fact that this takes place in a public court simply beggars belief. I for one find them a disgrace.
> 
> please dont give up hope, its important that this is seen through to the end. not just for your family, so they get there dog back, but so other people can be encouraged to stand up to them too.


Magistrates Courts can be funny places. You have local worthies sitting on the bench who to some extent make decisions taking into account their own agenda's & prejudices. I did'nt know that the RSPCA farmed out their prosecutions to local solicitors. This is less than ideal as local solicitors can have very chummy relations with the magistrates. Thrown in the fact that the RSPCA are renound for having little time for criminal procedure & you have a real problem on your hands.


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