Am I obliged to be interviewed a 2nd time?

The claim that you caused unnecessary suffer is complete rubbish when you realised that your car was having problems giving birth you saught help you DID the right thing something was obviously very wrong with her and you tried to get the help she needed for the animal thugs to try to blame you for her death is ridiclus if you had just left her to die then that would have been cruel but you didn't
You are NOT a vet so you cannot be blamed for not knowing how sick your cat was
You did the right thing yet they are threatning you with court action it beggars belief
I really do not think that this will go to court i think maybe this thug was having a hissy fit because you refused to accept the caution and why should you you haven't done anything wrong her being underweight bit was just another ruse to try to scare you into accepting the caution
I was told that i would be looking at a prison sentence on 3 months although i knew i hadn't done anything wrong i was terrified in the end they made themselves look even more stupid that they already are
I would still try to get your/a vet to give their input into this case as vet's can ask to see medical records and query them which we can't.

Moomstone is spot on Zola, the RSPCA is hand in glove wih the most expensive vet in your area who will charge megabucks. Even tho the same vet bloodtested your animal with a negative result (ie proving no illness or underlying disease) and proving that the animal had been wormed within the last week, atill they will run up bills of £700 a month - believe me, they did - for your pet who is nothing other than a bit underweight (healthier than being obese). I will contact you privately with what I think is advice now that they have decided to go ahead. Unless your own vet is prepared to take them on, you have a problem.

This seems like typical RSPCA scare tactics they are putting pressure on you to accept a caution so they will get the result they want remember they lie falsify evidence and only use vets that are "friendly" to them
I would think that if they had enough to charge you with then they would have done so by now and the poor excuse of a charge that they have come up with will not stand up in court if they do try to charge you
I have sent you (via facebook) the name of a lawyer who will be able to give you expert advice (free) so do try to contact him he was really helpful when i had my "troubles" with the animal thugs

Also, at the time of the interview I was only working part time so signed for legal aid, I'm now working full time, will the original legal aid claim carry on as it is the same case?

Well I spoke to her yesterday and she said they would proceed to court so I'm just waiting to see if a summons lands on the mat!

I'm not too impressed with the solicitor I took in with me to the interview so I will be asking for the sort of 'higher up' one.

I think they may have been trying to scare me into accepting the caution by saying she was underweight aswell.

Hi Zola. I would, I think, believe your solicitor rather than the woman from the RSPCA, but check it out. I received legal aid and mine (four in the same practice) gave me some rotten advice and landed me right in it. Cost me thousands. Can I just confirm that you are in fact being taken to court. If you are, I can give you an outline of my own case and what I did wrong. To say a cat is "a bit underweight" is a load of hogwash, I have several Two are almost 20 years old and quite skinny. Two others who eat much less are hefty to such a point that the vet would be happy for them to lose a few pounds. They all have access to the same amount of food. So what if an old cat/dog/horse is thin? Let's know what is happening with you, without divulging your details. I'll try to advise you on how to save the money I lost when trying to take on the Animal Gestapo!!It's not worth it.

Nothing would surprise me. The mad woman who threw a cat into a wheelie bin was charged with "not providing a suitable environment for an animal". It makes you wonder if the world has gone bonkers, no? Wonder how much it cost them to take her to court and if it was worth it?

And just to say thanks for all the replies and advice

Can someone please advise:

The inspector told me if I accept the caution it would not appear on a CRB check but the solicitor I spoke to yesterday says it does appear on an enhanced crb check, anyone know for sure?

Hi all, apologies for not updating you, I didn't think people were on this forum much so I tend to check in on Facebook more, although yes I was advised to be careful where I post things, now though I just think well I've done nothing wrong so I'll post what I like where I like!

Ok UPDATE:

I had intended to go to the second interview along with my solicitor and with a short written statement, however, I could not agree a date/time with the rspca inspector, I offered her a day when I was off work, at my local police station at 11.30. She came back to me to say she couldn't make it until 12.30, fair enough, but she also did not want to use my local police station but one a bit further away, I said I could not do this as I had limited time due to childcare.

Anyway, this went on for a couple of weeks and we never got a date, so in the end she called my mobile to say head office had told her to offer me a caution for 2 offences, unnecessary suffering section 4 sub section 1, to have known or reasonably have known .....etc She also claimes the cat was 'a little bit underweight', I asked what this meant, she sneered and said 'it means she was a little bit underweight'. I told her this was a very general statement and could mean that the cat was 0.1 ounce of a chart they use for recommended weights, again I asked her to elaborate, she didn't.

I said I did not feel I should accept a caution as it would be admitting wrong doing which I don't think is right. She told me to speak to my solicitor and think about it.

Anyway, I spent 5 weeks thinking about it, read a few bits such as the news article of the woman who microwaved the 10 week old cat and the charge was 'unnecessary suffering', no way did this compare. She kept ringing me while I was working in my new job, in the end the other night I left her a message to say I was still undecided, then yesterday while I was at work my teenage son rang me concerned because she was knocking at the door for some time and then sat in her van outside for a while, I told him not to answer the door.

I rang the main number and left a message for her to ring my mobile which she did and I asked what she was at my house for when she knows I work full time and told her she was harassing me and I would not let her in my house and not to call again and she was not welcome, she told me she has rights to call, I told her not without the police.

Anyway - they are now proceeding to court!

Sorry if that's a bit of a rant.

Hi have just read your update on Facebook DO NOT accept a caution from RSPCA this another one of their tricks to get a conviction and you will be branded an animal abuser
I know you want to get this over with but you have done nothing wrong so DON'T admit guilt
You are innocent if you aeccpt a caution you will be judged as guilty and who know's what will happen then?
Keep your chin up

I do't know, Moonstone, hope the lady is getting on OK. Think sometimes people are a bit nervous of voicing their opinions and maybe worry who might read it.

Hi Has there been any undate on this post?

Beware of them offering you a "deal" wereby they let you off with a caution if you plead guilty to animal cruelty this is another of their tricks they then gets lots of publicity (and donations) and you get called an animal abuser
Be very wary of any contact between you as they twist everything you say/do aand be prepared for them threatening you with prison (they did this to me too) they know you will be terrified aand they use it to their advantage
Take Care we are here if you need help

If you have a vet of your own that you have known and used for some time, get her/him to write a letter of support. If a vet will stand up for you they will have to back off. But you are doing the right thing having legal rep with you, that should take the wind out of their sails. My car was detroyed, totally written off by someone while I was in dispute with them, so watch out. The whole thing, ncludingthe car, cost me thousands.

Hi Zola firtsly i am sorry to hear that your poor cat died
Remember that RSPCA have NO POWERS!they cannot force you to attend an "interview" hence the term "invite"
They rule by using fear and intimdation they know you are scared of them which is why they try to intimidate you into going to an interview they dress in neo-nazi uniforms to give them an air of authority
YES they will lie they will also resort to forcifing "evidence" to try to get a conviction they get other members to support their claims to give themselves extra kudos
It,s my guess that they will try to claim that you knew your cat was sick and didn't get vet treatment for her (another well known RSPCA trick)this is something that they tried to do to me but luckily my vet vouched for me that all my animals received vet treatment would your vet be able to speak up for you? this will carry a lot of weight in any court case
If i was you i would NOT attend any interview but i would ask them to reply in writing stating exactly what it is that they have a problem with and why they wish you to attend an interview
Stall them as long as you can the last thing they want is a long drawn out case that will cost them more money (they like to hang on to their ill gotten gains as they are run as a buisness and have to show a profit at the end of the year
They only target animal lovers who really care for their pets as they know that they will be easy targets which is why chavs and gypsies tend to be left alone as they will not be bothered if their pets are taken
Keep remembering that they are only another animal charity they cannot arrest although they may say the words (they did to me)only the police can do this and if they summon them then you are within your rights to only allow them entry and refuse RSPCA you wouldn't expect Cats protection to come knocking on your door telling you that they were going to arrest you and take your pets away and neither can RSPCA.
Hope this will be helpful to you and good luck with your case

Thank you for the replies. I hope your problem is all sorted now.

I have a solicitor and signed for legal aid last time so that shoud still be in place. I have decided (after a bit of asking around) to attend the interview with my solicitor and have a written statement prepared and not answer anything else. This is the plan anyway but I don't know what the vet 'evidence' is yet.

Zola

Just to say, Citizens Advice are not legally traine but have useful lists, one will be a lawyer local to you who will do ligal aid. legal aid is not marvellous buyt it's FREE and you CANNOT take these people on by yourself. They spend £7million a year on private prosecutions, money donated by animal lovers. It's nothing to them, the fact that £7million would feed a few cats for a while. I took in a lovely old cat that the RSPCA had turned away saying he was old and they would kill him. He survived another four years, fit as a fiddle and passed away aged 16 having cost nothing in vets' bills apart from havind his claws trimmed, wormers and flea treatment.

Trilby

Also Zola

Why on earth have they waited five months? Think they may be wanting to put the veterinary "evidence" to you to put a case together. Suggest don't answer your phone to private numbers (hope you didn't give them your landline?) What part of the country do you live? Also if possible, try to find a poster called "Moonstone" who is very helpful. Get back to me if you have any questions, have just been thro' hell with them and will help as much as possible.

regards

trilby

Zola

So sorry to hear about your cat. But be careful, put them off for as long as you can, and if you have to be interviewed again, be sure you are not alone. have a trustworthy friend with you. I have recently fallen foul of them, and yes, they lie, even on their court statements. You don't have to answer any questions you don't like the sound of. They prosecute as often as they can because it is cheaper than advertising. Eery time they get a case in the paper, the money starts to roll in. Go to Citizens Advice Bureau and tell them the story. Find a lawyer who does legal aid. Don'treply to any questions you don't like the sound of. Have a witness, put them off until you get a legal representative. They have the whole legal system stitched up, so be careful.

Hello, I've just registered here in the search for advice!

My cat was having kittens (not the first set) and became unwell, this was May bank holiday so I took her to the RSPCA that I knew was open, to get some help.

As we got there she died. It was myself and my 2 children that took her, we were all crying and very upset. The RSPCA worker said the whole labour process should be over within 3 hours, this is not what I have read and the cat had had kittens before taking over a day and all had been well.

A couple of weeks later a card had been left at my address asking me to call the RSPCA Inspector. I had to be interviewed under caution and gave all the answers I could. A few lies by the worker on the day had come up, such as the cat was writhing around in pain, she wasn't, she simply just died. Also said that a man was with me on the day (it was my teenage son), and I was asked how many adults were responsible for the cat (hoping for more than one prosecution?), my ex partner's (from 3 years ago) surname came up in the interview so they have obviously been looking into things!

Anyway, I had another call last Friday (5 months later)saying they want to interview me under caution again to put the veterinary evidence to me and get my response. No idea what this 'evidence' could be as I told them exactly how it was.

I explained that I am working full time and in a new job so can't take time off at the moment, if I attend it will have to be of an evening. The Inspector is insisting it fits in with her working days but she only works 2 days.

She has phoned me again today to basically say hurry up.

Do I have to attend this interview??

Apologies for the long story!