Resident slams RSPCA for treatment of sick seal found at Rivers Edge

Amy Heywood, who lives on the estate just off Slutchers Lane, first reported her concerns after spotting the seal laying on the riverbed more than three weeks ago.

And she told the Warrington Guardian how she has been left ‘disgusted’ with the charities handling of the situation since first speaking to a member of the charity asking for help.

“The seal had in fact been around for about six weeks and I reported this incident first on the Feb 8, as he comes up out of the water and on to the bank every single day and he looked to have become poorly,” Amy said.

The resident explained that a representative of the charity came out to the location where the seal had been but it was no longer there at the time they arrived.

Seal found on river bed at Rivers Edge housing estate (Image: Ella Ko)
“They then asked me to monitor the seal on a daily as I live on the Rivers Edge estate, which I have been doing for 5 weeks.”

During this time period, Amy reported having spoken to various members of staff and was promised someone would come to assist the seal who she said was starting to look ‘poorly’ and was ‘smelling’.

On one occasion, she said: “I was sat there for 5 hours as I was told that they were going to come out after being asked how long I could stay there for with him. Nobody came out on Sunday.”

In another incident, the frustrated resident was called by two separate members of staff, one who first reported that the charity had gone out and moved the seal to a treatment centre, and another 30 minutes later who told her that the wildlife sanctuary and a vet would be coming to give the seal medication.

“I was just hoping that he had been moved and not gone back into the water as they had said he was hurt,” Amy added, before explaining that the following day when she went to check on the seal it looked ‘worse and in more pain’.

Seal found on river bed at Rivers Edge housing estate (Image: Ella Ko)
“I’m just really annoyed and disgusted with them though to be honest; they claim to care about animals and want to help them, but I called about this seal four weeks ago.”

Footage of the seal was captured by another resident last week which showed it moving around on the riverbed and other residents on the estate had raised concerns about its welfare.

Despite it looking to be stranded on the surface, Amy did confirm that the seal swims up to the surface onto the riverbed periodically.

Speaking on how the situation has been delt with by the animal charity, Amy said:  “I Just feel that it isn’t fair to have done everything they have done with me and it isn’t fair on the animal they so called care about as he is in a bad condition being constantly aggravated by people going over to him, he’s uncomfortable and can’t lie on his stomach and he is losing weight and smelling.”

Seal found on river bed at Rivers Edge housing estate (Image: Ella Ko)
In a recent update on the ongoing situation, Amy confirmed that a member of the RSCPA had been out to see the seal again and said it was being treated for suspected pneumonia, which would require being medicated for every two days – the first medication being given but the following one reportedly having been missed.

An RSPCA spokesperson commented on the incident, saying: “We understand and share the public’s concerns for the seal’s welfare, so we have sought specialist advice, arranged for him to be visited by a vet and given medication and are closely monitoring him.

“We are always very grateful to people who report animal welfare concerns to us. Our emergency line received nearly one million calls last year, and we take all reports with concerns for an animal very seriously. 

“Further information about what to do when a member of the public sees a sick animal can be found on the RSPCA’s website.”