Is Thisright?

[lozzer50]

My daughter cleans house for a woman who has gone away to Bali until end of september, my daughter has been left looking after their dogs, the agreement was that she would feed and water them once a day. These dogs live outside as owners dont want them in the house. Neighbours have complained on at least 10 seperate occasions about the dogs barking.My daughter got a message of her boss that she had to speak to RSPCA.She did this and she was told that they were passing this over to council as it was nopise pollution. She was also told that it would be her and not the owners that would be prosecuted! surely this cant be right. Her boss is not answering any of her texts or emails. What can she do ??

[Peter Pedant]

.... because she has control of the dogs....

I would ring up the RSPCA and say yo uare absolutely right I cant cope
you ll have to take the dogs off me...

[woofgang]

what PP said. All of it.

[RATTER15]

Contact the owners of the dogs and tell them that under these circumstances she is no longer able to take care of the dogs and that they need to return home to look after them themselves asap.

[RATTER15]

And why would the RSPCA want the dogs?

The RSPCA aren't concerned, the dogs are being cared for as far as they are concerned.

The issue is noise pollution, not cruelty. the only option I can see is to remove the dogs to a different location or in the house.

[TWR]

Peter, she is not the Owner of the dogs, she is the dog sitter, if the owners were aware that the dogs would cause noise when they were away for a period of time, the owners should have had the dogs put in kennels.

[RATTER15]

I think a prosecution would come before the removal of the dogs, unless the dogs were offered for removal, this would undoubtedly involve substantial costs.

[naomi24]

If she can't contact the owner, put the dogs in kennels. The owner can 'spring' them when she gets home.

[Old_Geezer]

It'd cost her to put them into kennels surely ?

I think in her shoes I'd ensure all the modes of communication were used to get the fact that the situation has developed and is no longer within your daughter's agreed remit. She will then have clearly made best efforts to do what is right.

And then continue as before and see what the next step is. As mentioned the RSPCA was not interested and passed the matter to the council. Presumably washing their hands of the matter.

I'm unsure who told her she could be prosecuted. I'd have thought the cost would not justify it but I understand you need an expert to advise on that point, which is not I unfortunately.

The council do not yet seem to have responded, maybe they will take over responsibility.

Meanwhile I think your daughter is on a 'sticky wicket' with her boss. The unreasonable expectation and lack of communication means relations will most likely be strained on the boss' return. Your daughter may wish to think about looking for employment with someone who doesn't leave her in this sort of mire.

[Mick-the-Miller]

I would assume the RSPCA would only be interested if there was animal cruelty or neglect. This would mean that it would pass to the Local Council to deal with the noise pollution or nuisance - that would surely fall upon the Property owners and not the Caretaker.

I can't see how your Daughter is responsible, she has done what she was asked to do by the Owners, she has tried to get in touch with them - I can't see can do any more!

[Baldric]

TWR, as the Dog-sitter, she is in charge of the Dogs and is therefore the Responsible Person.

[chanel5]

I feel sorry for the dogs, and for your daughter. The owners obviously have tried to find a cheap solution to the problem of holiday care for their animals, and have not considered the problems that might arise, either for the dogs, or for your daughter. Your daughter is in danger of being held responsible for the behaviour of the dogs, because she accepted the responsibility of looking after them. She needs to put it in writing to the local council that she is not the owner of the dogs, and does not accept responsibility for the dogs' behaviour. This will, of course, cause bad feeling when the owners return, but it might at least prevent your daughter from finding herself in court over the dogs' behaviour while she is "in charge".

[Farriercm]

Try talking sense naomi, when the daughter puts the dogs in the kennels the first thing the kennel owners want is money , up front.

[boxtops]

The dogs must be bored stiff on their own all day apart from one visit - and uncomfortable in this heat - and presumably they are getting no exercise at all. How very selfish of the owners. I don't blame them for barking.

[Peter Pedant]

Farrier - down boy-

it all boils down to money - lozzer's dozzer could kennel them ( like you know someone who cleans has that money ) however if the owners come back and look at the kennel fees and say Oh no we didnt think... we wont pay for that ...
then lozzer's dozzer is kinda up the fozzer innit ?

[lozzer50]

she has rung RSPCA today told them that she has contacted owners on lots of occasions but got no reply so they told her she would be charged with neglect if she left the keys at this womans salon and told them to find someone else. its appalling , she has 5 kids and 2 dogs herself and she feels sorry for the dogs but cant and wont ( rightly so) take them to her house. the owner is actually back for one day next week so she is going to wait for her to come home give her the keys tell her to stick her job where the son dont shine and also sort the dogs out. and then walk away.

[Baldric]

In years of Dog ownership I have never known a Kennels to want money up-front!

[black_cat51]

me either - mine came back from kennels on sunday and we paid when we picked them up. They do, however want to see the vaccination certificates

[New Judge]

I shouldn't worry about a prosecution by the council. They would be hard pressed to get their act together before the end of September 2015 let alone September of this year. When the owners get back tell them what has happened and put the council in touch with them.

[Baldric]

NJ, see Lozzer @ 17:24 ^^^

[wolf63]

Her 'ex-employer' doesn't sound like a very responsible dog owner. To go away for that length of time and leave the dogs alone. Your daughter feeding them each day is not enough human interaction for the dogs.

Your daughter is right to quit. I feel for the dogs. If the woman is able to go on holiday for such a length of time she could have coughed up boarding fees for the dogs.

My boarding kennel/cattery takes the money after the animal comes home. Running one of those place is hard work and, I believe, controlled by local authorities.