When Cows Needed Our Help...Please Help Us to Help Them...

[willrandell24]

why is your aproach always to prosicute have you tried helping? providing straw? the rspca man seemed to have a senible balanced approach.

[tara34952]

I'm not at all sure that the cattle in the first group - the ones which you filmed at night - *were* suffering. I don't know that it does cause them any harm to be standing in muck - yes it's not ideal, but this may have been a temporary housing solution for them as the man from the RSPCA said the farmer had told him. Where I grew up (Southwest UK) you see cattle in barns standing in muck all the time. Even if they were out in a field in winter, they would automatically be standing in deep mud.

[tara34952]

@tara34952 So in short, I don't agree that these were 'distressing conditions'-plus the cows looked healthy to me.Did you investigate to see if they had any signs of mud fever or other infection caused by the muck they were living in?My point is that it's impossible to keep cattle on dry bedding all the time-they naturally produce so much urine and liquid faeces that it would cost a fortune to keep mucking them out and putting down fresh bedding several times a day,which is what it would require

[tara34952]

@tara34952 And, if they were outdoors in a field, in winter this would equate to standing constantly in muddy,wet ground, due to the amount of rain we get in the UK combined with the fact that they hooves naturally churn up the ground beneath them. I have grown up around dairy farms and I'm just not convinced this was a genuine cruelty case.

[clgclg79]

Keep up the excellent work Hillside, you do a far better job than the RSPCA, lovely to see the lucky cows & calves rescused to have nice life which every living animal deserves. xx

[Lights3287]

After seeing these cows live in these poor conditions, I wouldn't give a rats ass if humans were to die mercilessly.

[kjcross81]

his shiny coat, bright eyes and happy nature should have been proof enough that he was healthy!!.... they are only doin there jobs and i appreciate this but they need to learn the difference!! i think they turn a blind eye to poor cattle etc becouse they are "food" animals when there is no difference between a gentle cow and a dog! they both can suffer the same regardless

[kjcross81]

the RSPCA really need re training to recognise suffering wen they see it! i had a run in with them a few years back when i re homed a german sheppard cross whippet, he had the looks of a sheppard but the build of a wippet i had them banging on my door (becouse of my neighbour reporting me thinking i wasnt feeding him becouse he wasnt seeming to be putting wieght on) bein quite horrid to me saying i was starving my dog!! i had to show them proof of my vet that this was due to his breed!

[njohnson264]

cannot see anything wrong with the second lot - they seem fine - a touch thin, but that's it

[HillsideAdoptAnimals]

@njohnson264 The second herd of cows looked considerably worse when found by Trading Standards. They were fed by a local farmer to ensure they put on weight before they could be transported to Hillside...

[1sofonisba]

Judging by this case and many others RSPCA are turrning a blind eye, the cattle are obviously suffering and yet - we heard Inspector's Kirby's answer. It seems to me that farmer comes first, never mind the welfare of the animals!

[sweetpea13603]

yes we all need a wake up call concerning animal welfare but how many of us would tackle people who cause this abuse what suffering did the animal go through before it reached your plate,fork and knife then your mouth.complain about parts of the rspca that are not doing the job effectively,but they still need our help to go into situations where people would walk away from

[AlanClinicallyDirect]

Previously I should have used an old phrase for the RSPCA's professional effectiveness......'About as much use as chocolate fireguard' , because the cap certainly fits superbly well!

[AlanClinicallyDirect]

It beggars belief; raising serious issues concerning the simple faculties that we humans possess, namely .. sight, sense of smell and hearing.

Do RSPCA Inspectors suffer from dramatic deficiences in all these areas? Are they really that 'thick'; lacking the ability to perform idiot simple tasks, like recognising horrendous animal suffering when it's right in front of their very eyes?

The RSPCA needs a dramatic 'wake up' call, as their reputation very deservedly; simply gets worse and worse!

[tillytrot1000]

I would love to see inspector Kirby from the RSPCA living in such distressing conditions, I just can't get my head round what the inspector said, is he blind or is it a case of it's only cattle why should I care?? It just shows where our donations to the RSPCA are going (nowhere) I will now cancel my direct debit to the RSPCA & donate to someone more caring instead (HILLSIDE).

[1sofonisba]

It is very distressing to see the poor animals who depend on us in such dire conditions. The Hillside Sanctuary do such an important job with such limited funds and shame on RSPCA. I believe they put money in offshore accounts and people need to be made aware of what goes on. Thank you Hillside, I only wish I could support them more. You are my heoroes.

[kazdf7]

i recently set up monthly sub to rspca after watchin this i wil cancel ......disgustin but hillside i wil be donating to you

[murphyman221]

How typical of the RSPCA. I stopped donating to the gutless wonders years ago.All their rescue centres are run with 3/4 PAID staff and volunteers.yet they are turning animals away.But keep asking for Bequeaths,This money is going to the Big wigs in the RSPCA,and I for one wouldnt give them the time of day,As for leaving those cattle in that condition they should be hauled over the coals,

[20Brighton]

Once again you guyz at Hillside are just amazing for what you.I truly do hope one day we shall have a Government with the guts and courage to pass some series Animal Welfare Legislation where the Courts shall finally hand down long prison sentences for the perpitrators of  animal cruelty.As for the RSPCA?, i share the views of many of you and am questioning if i should cancel my monthly subscription and send more to Hilldide.Marc

[MPZambrano1977]

animallife@rspca.org.uk

I have sent a message of compaint to the above address which is for readers of the RSPCA animal life magazine, letters to the editor.

[MacAndroid]

They have Facebook and Twitter pages.

Perhaps comment could be left there.

[MPZambrano1977]

Congratulations on a job very well done! Such a shame that the RSPCA is not taking their job seriously. I am becoming increasingly dissatisfied with their peformance. I know they are working on a very tight budget, but surely they could have done better than this, at least in this instance! I may well stop my standing order to them and pay it instead to a more caring animal welfare organization.

[Animalib1948]

@MPZambrano1977 They are just as bad or even worse Sydney Australia, I call the RSPCA gutless wonders.

[diemkeias]

Thanks for that address, I'll start complaining straight away.

[1234ellarose]

I found an email but only regarding their website access! Anyway...here it is:

emarketing@rspca.org.uk

If enough people sent a message with their feeling then perhaps someone might get the message?

[diemkeias]

You are doing a wonderful job at Hillside. A pity the same cannot be said of the R.S.P.C.A. Time and again we hear that they are plainly NOT doing the job they are employed to do. How many more animals are going to suffer because the R.S.P.C.A. do not take the appropriate action. They disgust me as much as the person causing the cruelty and neglect.

[1234ellarose]

I tried to contact the RSPCA via their website to show them this link and ask them what they were doing about it. It is impossible to ask a question as they have lists of subjects and if your problem is not on the list...too bad. Totally useless website and no help at all. Obviously they don't want to answer questions. Anyone had any luck contacting them? Pauline

[cccharlie12321]

Will the the cows in bad conditions be monitored by you at Hillside too? Maybe us as the general public should put pressure on the RSPCA to forffil their duty to act in this case ( although I am sure there are many more cases!) We have,however, witnessed the disgusting conditions of the animals so cannot morally leave it closed!??jackie alton

[carolynallier]

If the RSPCA have been to see these cows and believe them to be healthy and happy, then there really needs to be a review of the RSPCA inspectors currently employed with the company, as quite clearly these animals are suffering and the farmer should be prosecuted and banned from keeping animals in the future. At least there is one happy ending for the other herd of cows rescued by Hillside, what a fantastic job they do, where would we be without Charities like these!

[carolynallier]

If the RSPCA have been to see these cows and believe them to be healthy and happy, then there really needs to be a review of the RSPCA inspectors currently employed with the company, as quite clearly these animals are suffering and the farmer should be prosecuted and banned from keeping animals in the future.

[mickeymygrey]

Sadly as per normal the RSPCA dont act when they should. I know they are allocated a large area to cover but this is yet another case where any normal human can see that action should have been taken by them.

[AnimalsMatterToo]

As a supporter of the RSPCA and with many friends and colleagues who support them financially, often when they can ill afford to do so, I am appalled and saddened at the response of the RSPCA official in this case.

It is abundantly clear that the cows were/are being kept in attrocious conditions and the farmer in question should feel the full force of the law which he has clearly broken. I only hope the inspector in question at least bothers to go back and monitor this disgraceful 'farmer'.