We recently caught up with Harriett Daliday who took some time out from her very busy schedule saving animals in need to answer a few questions.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us Harriet. Please tell us a bit about where you are based.
I am an Inspector for the RSPCA and am based in the London South Group whose head office is based at RSPCA Leybourne Animal Centre in Kent.
I have worked as an Inspector since October 2019. The area I cover includes Central London and extends from Dartford, around the crossing, over to the River Thames at Woolwich, all the way down this side of the Thames towards Epsom, then across covering the likes of Bromley, Swanley, Sutton, Mitcham & Croydon.
Wow, that’s a large area Harriet! So, how did you come to work for the RSPCA?
I have wanted to work for the RSPCA since I was a child and used to watch programmes on TV about them. At the time I left school there was an age restriction on becoming an inspector so I put it on the back burner for many years before seeing an advert recruiting in 2019 and thought bingo!
Prior to becoming an inspector I worked as an Animal Welfare Officer for a local authority and as an Enforcement Agent in SE London.
Great that you persevered with your ambitions. What qualifications did you need to become an RSPCA inspector?
There are no specific qualifications needed for the role as you are trained within the role and take your exams at training school, however people skills are key and a love of animals is a must!
What sorts of activities do you undertake in your role?
There are not what you would term as typical jobs for me but responsibilities can range from rescuing a trapped or injured fox or pigeon to getting a domestic animal seized by the police and starting an investigation into animal neglect.
a typical call-out for Harriet
Can you tell us about any particular memorable cases that you have dealt with in recent times?
One of my most memorable cases would be from the summer of 2020 that finally went to court in June 2021.
It was regarding a cat that was shot with an air rifle. The owner of the cat had previously had conversations with a neighbour and had received some emails of a threatening manner regarding her cat entering his garden.
The cat was rushed to the vet in June 2020 where a gun pellet was extracted from its abdomen. Unfortunately despite the vet’s best efforts the cat died after surgery from her wounds.
The owner then called us for help. I was able to get an air rifle seized from the neighbour in question and got a ballistics report run on the rifle, the spent pellet found in the cat and unspent pellets found with the gun. It came back as a match.
I also managed to obtain witness statements and Ring doorbell footage to help with further evidence regarding the awful incident. The case went to court and the neighbour pled guilty to having deliberately caused the cat to suffer unnecessarily under section 4 of The Animal Welfare Act 2006.
He received a 16 week suspended custodial sentence, a ban on keeping animals for life, and was ordered to pay the owner the £2,036 vet bill she incurred and £728 in further costs. The owner was thrilled to have justice to what happened to her beloved pet and to ensure this wouldn’t happen to another local cat.
A tragic story and a great example of how the RSPCA is determined to stamp out cruelty and neglect perpetrated on any animal.
It is only through the generosity of our supporters that Harriet and her colleagues can continue to be there for the animals that need urgent help.
If you are able to contribute towards animal welfare in South London please click on this LINK.
Look out for part 2 of our interview coming soon and make sure you subscribe to the website to stay in touch and to make sure you do not miss any articles in the future.
What part of your job gives you the most satisfaction and apart from seeing animals in distress, what do you dislike?
What I enjoy the most are the jobs where you can remove an animal from an environment where it has been leading a miserable life and see it thrive both in our animal centres and in their new homes.
What I dislike is the amount of city driving we have to do!
What notable changes have you seen in the past year or two?
The biggest change I have seen relates to the Animal Welfare Act and the new tougher sentencing for animal cruelty cases rising from 6 months to a potential 5 years prison time for offenders!
I was absolutely thrilled when this came in during April 2021.
Covid has seen the increase of more animals becoming abandoned or the owners not being able to cope with their new pets now they are going back to work.
Sadly the pattern has tended to be that when lockdown was introduced, people went out and purchased dogs and cats or other pets and now find they can’t care for them or pay for them correctly now life is returning to normal.
It is very sad to see. Our centres are packed and we strive every day to fit more and more animals in for their second chance at a forever home.
What should people do if they need to report anything related to animal welfare?
If members of the public spot wildlife in distress or have concerns for the welfare of any pet animals they should contact our emergency number on 0300 1234 999 to report it so it can be attended to or investigated by a field officer.
How else can people help?
RSPCA volunteers and donors are absolutely essential for the smooth running of the field, there can never be enough help, support or donations towards rescuing and caring for these animals.
Do you have any other messages for anyone reading?
It is an honour and privilege to be part of this team in changing animals’ lives.
No one person can do it and every single person committed to making a difference is a cog in part of the bigger machine to make this work.
Every branch member, every private boarding establishment, every inspector, animal centre staff and those donating items or buying from a charity shop is making this happen.
So from me, to every one of you, thank you.
We should be thanking you Harriett. Without the devotion to duty and willingness to go the extra mile (or hundred) of you and your fellow inspectors, many animals in danger or suffering in some way would not receive the assistance they need.
You are an absolute lifeline for countless domestic and wild animals in the UK.
If you are able to help us with animal welfare in our area, please click on this LINK to make a donation.
There will be more from our inspectors in the future so make sure you subscribe to the website to stay in touch.
RSPCA South London 