One very big problem for us is the number of people who take on dogs because they are "fashionable" breeds and then find they cannot cope. This is one of the reasons why we have to be meticulous about doing pre-homing visits and asking questions about new owners experience and life-style. We do not want to pry or to discourage people with children from having pets, but we need to be careful as many of the animals we rehome are unsuitable for inexperienced owners or families with young children because their previous owners did not train them sensibly.
You can view a short video clip about the particular problems we have currently with staffordshire bull terriers via the bbc's online archive. The RSPCA, Dogs Trust and Battersea Dogs Home have joined together to produce an educational video promoting responsible dog ownership for young people. This is the People with dogs project
Dogs should never be left alone with young children as both animals and children are unpredictable - even the quietest dog might snap if he was suddenly woken from a quiet sleep by a child tripping and falling onto him.
Cat Adoptions and Dog Adoptions: email rspcacambridge@aol.com. We will get back to you if we have a suitable animal
Ferret Adoptions: email Dave (dave_dodds@hotmail.com)
Rabbit Adoptions: email Caroline (rabbit_residence@hotmail.com)
Rabbits are probably the least well-kept of all common domestic pets. You can view a short video clip about the problem of pet rabbit welfare via the BBC news website.
The Rabbit Residence rabbit rescue where some of our rabbits are fostered is in danger of closing because Caroline has been required to apply for planning permission (for change of use of the area from a pony paddock to rabbit runs). Please sign the petition in favour of planning approval for the Rabbit Residence
Rats and hamsters: email Rosemary (rosemary@rspca-cambridge.org.uk)
Books on adopting rescued animals available from Amazon
Rescued (about the work of animal shelters following the Katrina disaster in the USA, but relevant to the problems of animal rescue in the UK)
DVD's on animal care via Amazon
Lost and found dogs
Dogs have a special position in law which means that responsibility for healthy strays rests with the local authority and we are not allowed to take them in directly. If you find a stray dog which is not in need of immediate veterinary attention, you should contact your local dog warden for help. This page shows a complete list of contact numbers for dog wardens throughout the country.
If you find an injured or sick dog, our control centre should be able to help. Their number is 0300 1234 999. There is a menu system and you will need to select the options for an animal in need of immediate help as this will put your call in the priority queue.
Why we go on so much about fundraising
Running our animal welfare activities costs an average of £96,000 each year. This money is spent on keeping animals alive and relieving suffering by paying for veterinary treatments and on boarding unwanted animals until we can rehome them. In an average year we help around 3,000 individual animals. A very large proportion of our welfare work consists of providing low-cost veterinary care for animals whose owners cannot afford the full cost of treatment. There is no National Health Service for animals and without us most of them would either go without treatment or be put to sleep. It is often true that their owners ought to have been more responsible, but we have to deal with society as it is - and unfortunately we are all too often presented with a desperately ill animal and an owner with no money at all. The majority of the animals we take in for rehoming are not simply healthy unwanted animals but are either ill, injured or neglected so they usually require a considerable amount of expensive treatment before they can be rehoused.
We do not receive funding from the Government and it is comparatively rare for us to be given large donations or legacies, so we have to work hard to earn the money that is needed. Most of our funds are raised by a combination of charity shop sales, annual box collections, and a variety of stalls and events.
We particularly need more helpers at our shops, collectors for RSPCA week and volunteers to help with our annual dog show
You can become a member of the RSPCA by joining via the internet. Membership will give you voting rights on important issues and the chance of joining your local branch committee as well as simply supporting the society, so it is very worthwhile if you want to help animals.
Last updated 15/08/2010