'Bin dead cat' says RSPCA (From Stroud News and Journal)

'Bin dead cat' says RSPCA

Exclusive

A HORRIFIED cat lover has spoken of her disgust after the RSPCA told her to throw a dead cat in the dustbin.

Gill Uzzell from Cashes Green had been feeding the stray cat for months after taking pity on it when it wandered into her garden.

"He was a stray - I took him in as a sort of lodger," she told the SNJ. "He was petrified of people but I started feeding him and managed to calm him down.

When the cat took ill Ms Uzzell grew concerned and called the RSPCA, expecting the animal charity to be keen to help. "I came home and he was very ill and looked like he was dying," she said.

"The RSPCA said they would come out to collect him but asked me to ring them back if he died because they wouldn't be able to pick up the body."

The cat died before the charity could get anyone to the scene so Ms Uzzell rang the RSPCA.

"I asked what I should do with him and they told me to double bag him and leave him out for the bin men.

"I was horrified," said Ms Uzzell." "They had no right to tell me to do this."

"I was so distressed. "You don't throw dead animals out like rubbish."

"They say they care about animals but it seems it doesn't matter what happens to them once they are dead."

Cllr Nigel Cooper, cabinet member with responsibility for waste disposal at Stroud District Council said: "I'm almost speechless at the lack of sensitivity. "I think they should try to be a little more customer, not to mention cat, friendly."

Judith Haw, a spokesman for the RSPCA, said the charity's official line was that if people needed to dispose of a dead animal they should contact the council's environmental health department or a local vet.

Ms Haw said the RSPCA did not normally get involved once an animal was dead, as its role was to prevent cruelty to living animals.

She could not find any record of Ms Uzzell being told to put the cat out for the bin men. But she said: "It is possible people have been told that before because of the length of time it can take environmental health to come out to collect them."

"The RSPCA should know better," said Carlos Novoth, contracts manager for the district council. "I wouldn't have expected them to have come out with that.

"Quite apart from the health implications for our refuse collectors we can't landfill any dead animals because of new regulations.

"As a result of that we make sure that everything that's picked up is taken to an authorised disposal site." "If people have a dead pet they have to dispose of it themselves.

"We wouldn't pick it up from them. "We only deal with road kill animals and incinerate them."