You have to hand it to our favourite charity, the RSPCA, don't you?
They really are the most reliable organisation. If there's an opportunity for them to get their name in the newspapers, they can be relied upon to take it. If there's a chance of bullying defenceless members of the public - particularly if they are children, disabled or elderly - they can be trusted to do so. If there's a wrong or foolish or cruel or callous decision to be made, they're your man every time. I mean, all respect to them, this is an organisation with real balls. No compassion, no common sense, no kindness, no realism, no balance, no sense - but colossal balls. Oh yes.
The Manchester Evening News reports that a 71-year-old woman has been fitted with an electronic tag for "neglecting" her pet labrador.
Pauline Spoor, 71, was the owner of chocolate brown labrador Dexter, who had to be put to sleep after he was found with multiple medical problems including arthritis, lameness and conjunctivitis. Odd, that, isn't it? Quite a few 71-year-old humans suffer from arthritis, lameness and conjunctivitis but I don't see the RSPCA trawling the streets and taking them away for "disposal". Perhaps it's just a matter if time. Actually, come to think about it, it's almost definitely just a matter of time.
Pauline appeared before Tameside magistrates with her son John Robinson. Both pleaded guilty to the same charges in relation to Dexter and John's Staffordshire bull terrier. RSPCA
Dexter was described as dull and lethargic with ear and eye infections and had difficulty standing up. Just like many old people, really. I'm not so far away myself. Of the other dog, the court was told "The inspector watched the dog running across the road in front of a bus and missing getting run over by inches." Now that's really cruel, isn't it, making a dog not get run over?
The court was also told that the defendants made a habit of taking in unwanted dogs, some of which were so forlorn that no one else would have them. One had been rescued from a dog fighting ring. This, of course, is something the RSPCA can't tolerate. They hate it when other people try and do the job they should be doing themselves. In their vicious little world, ordinary people shouldn't be allowed to keep pets and only they should have the disposal of all animals. Because, of course, they know best. Some of them even went on a twelve-week training course once, so they know all there is to know about animals.
You might think, might you not, that the obvious and appropriate course of action for a bunch of people who describe themselves as a charity would be to act in a charitable fashion? Why didn't they simply talk to the owners and offer to take the animals away and dispose of them humanely? What was the point of a court case, of the punishment and humiliation of a couple of inadequate people (I'm guessing here)? Why not just do the obvious, simple thing, and everyone would have been happy?
And let's spare a thought for the magistrates. What punishment did they give the old lady? A community order with a curfew which means she will be electronically tagged and must remain at home from 9 in the evening until 6 in the morning for the next twelve weeks. I'll just repeat that in case it wasn't clear: an infirm 71-year-old lady has to stay indoors after nine in the evening, until six the next morning. Wow, that's really going to slow her down, isn't it? No more dancing until the small hours, no more necking fifteen pints and reeling round the streets singing old Abba songs, no more wandering hand-in-hand, love-struck and star-struck as the sun rises over the old canal. That's really going to put a crimp in things, that is.
And the final irony? Both she and her son have to pay £250 each in court costs. One of the main reasons they hadn't taken the dogs to the vet was that they had no money. Nice one, magistrates. How does it feel, toeing the RSPCA's line for them? Wouldn't you like to try a little independent thought for once? You know, making your own minds up instead of being told what to do by a rat-like little jobsworth in a police-lookalike uniform?
No, I thought that might be an ask too far.
Bastards.
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