Inspector for a day

I have worked for the RSPCA for three years now, and in my role as a press officer I think I have a good over-view of how the organisation works.

From working closely with the scientific departments and campaigners, to getting my hands dirty at re-homing and wildlife centres–I have seen both the public face and private parts of the RSPCA (har har).

But I have never spent a day with an Inspector, which is strange as they are at the very front line of the RSPCA’s work.

From cliff rescues to house visits... 

There are 410 Inspectors, Trainee Inspectors, Animal Welfare Officers and Animal Collection Officers responding to around 160,000 complaints about animal welfare; Every year they carry out 130,000 collections and rescues of animals in dire need, as well as investigate cruelty complaints, offer advice, guidance and (when necessary) law enforcement.

They have a unique and – I think – often misunderstood role in our society.

So on a dreary winter’s day I hopped into an RSPCA van with Inspector Gemma Dummer and took to the road to see what it’s really like.

Whatever my expectations before, nothing could have prepared me for the realities of a job that seems to be part vet nurse, part social worker and part emergency service.

So much paperwork!

Our first stop was at a vets’ to pick up some paperwork for an ongoing case. The minute Gemma got out of the van she was grabbed by a woman. I watched in astonishment as she shook Gemma’s hand and thanked her.

Apparently Gemma had helped her free a trapped bird a few years back.

“Did you set that up?” I asked her (only half joking).
“No,” Gemma replied, looking genuinely stunned. “That almost never happens!”

I asked about the public’s attitude towards the RSPCA. Gemma said generally people were polite and interested in the work they do, but there was an increasing number verbal or physical abuse towards inspectors.

 

Now bear in mind she normally works on her own all day, with just the crackling radio keeping her in contact with others. The nature of her job means she often goes alone to properties with no idea what, or who, she might find inside.

It is sobering to think these men and woman are working a very high pressure, high profile job pretty much on their own.

Next I asked Gemma what was the most shocking case she had ever dealt with. A couple that sprung immediately to mind was a poor dog called Stumpy, a Yorkshire terrier with such a matted coat that it was impossible to tell one end of the dog from the other:(http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2086329/Poor-Stumpy-gets-a-haircut.html) and the horrific case of the puppies left to die in a suitcase: (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/8367412.stm)

Throughout the day we drove around Sussex, taking case cats to new boarding facilities, arranging vaccinations, filing meticulous paperwork at the RSPCA headquarters and following up on a number of cruelty complaints.

Most of the time is spent on the road


While I cannot talk about the particulars of what I saw that day, let me tell you – at all times Gemma was calm, polite and went out of her way to help.
To give you just one example - we visited a young man whose pet ferret was suffering from terrible diarrhoea. The accommodation he was living in was covered in faeces. While he obviously loved his pet, he was finding it hard to cope.

Rather than lecture or castigate, Gemma set about getting him new litter trays and water bottles, as well as phoning round RSPCA centres to help him get a new cage (his was on its last legs) and organising a vet visit for the next day. She arranged to visit again in a few days.


Being there when an animal most needs it



What I saw throughout the day was someone doing a professional and compassionate job under sometimes difficult circumstances. Neither was this glamorous work! I finished my day smelly, cold and slightly shocked by some of the things I had seen and heard.

I want to thank Gemma and all the other inspectors who work day in, day out, to protect and serve animals in England and Wales. They are one of many reasons that I am very proud to work for the RSPCA.

If you would like to know more about the work of our inspectors, why not visit our website: http://www.rspca.org.uk/in-action/aboutus/careers/profiles/inspector

By Calie Rydings