Animal welfare staff abused on phone by furious customers

ANIMAL welfare staff in the Lothians have been verbally abused by hundreds of angry callers over the past month, it was revealed today.

Bosses at the Scottish SPCA said they had received more than 200 abusive calls to their Edinburgh-based national call centre within the past month from callers wanting to re-home animals before Christmas or hand pets in to welfare centres.

Many callers reacted aggressively after being told their animals could not be re-homed because the society's shelters are currently full.

And dozens of others confronted staff at the society's Lothian welfare centre in Balerno after being told they could not take puppies and kittens home as Christmas gifts.

Assistant manager Kenny Sharp said: "We tell people that they can take a puppy or kitten away after Christmas as long as the person who they are intended for comes along to the centre and meets our criteria for re-homing.

"Most people are fine with that, but there are others who don't take the news well at all.

"They get defensive and abusive and start accusing us of not believing that they are a fit or proper person to take care of an animal.

"I've even had someone throw money at me in an attempt to get a kitten for Christmas and then scream abuse at me when they were told they couldn't have one. Our staff have been called every name under the sun either in person or over the phone."

Most of the verbal abuse has been caused by the society's policy of not allowing animals to be re-homed in the run-up to Christmas for fear they are being used as novelty gifts that could be dumped following the festive period.

However, staff at the society's main call centre have also received abuse from owners told there was no space left to re-home their pets.

Scottish SPCA spokeswoman Doreen Graham said: "This is a trend that we have noticed rising over the past few years.

"Last year, we had around 800 incidents from November to January and this year is shaping up to be at least as bad."

Lothians MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville this week tabled a motion in the Scottish Parliament to highlight the abuse faced by Scottish SPCA staff.

She said: "Staff at these centres face a difficult time as it is during the festive period, since they are overrun with unwanted animals.

"They should not have to put up with abusive behaviour as well, so I hope that we can highlight this problem and ensure it does not continue to happen."