Spotlight on Inspector Kim Greaves: 38 years of service

Starting out as a volunteer while still at school, Kim has since rescued thousands of animals during her 38-year career.

As a frontline officer Kim is used to dealing with some horrific cases of neglect and cruelty. A key part of that role is to rescue those who are suffering and bring to justice those responsible for acts of cruelty.

One of the most shocking cases she has had to deal with was the abandonment of 50 pets after a council property tenant moved out.

She said: “I just walked in and saw vivarium after vivarium all stacked up on top of each other - there were chameleons, snakes, lizards, tarantulas and all sorts in them. It was so hot in the property as the heating had been left on, so we could tell they were all going to be very feisty and also hungry which would make it difficult and dangerous to deal with.

“So we had to turn the temperature off and we returned the next day when they were much calmer and then began the task of taking them away. We needed plenty of pillowcases - as that is what we often use to move snakes safely into our vans. I am pleased to say they all thrived and were taken on by specialist reptile keepers.”

Kim, who is an exotic specialist, is also no stranger to rescuing monkeys. Over the years, there have been several rescues of marmoset monkeys found to be living in cramped conditions and alone when these highly social animals naturally live in groups of up to 20 animals.?

We are opposed to the keeping of primates - like marmoset monkeys - as pets. Instead, to have a good quality of life they need to be kept with members of their own species so they can socialise and display behaviours like social grooming, food sharing, communal resting and interactive play.?

In one exotics case, Kim also rescued a Capuchin monkey, which keepers need a special licence for as they fall under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act. The poor monkey, which as a species requires heat to help them survive, was found living in a freezing outdoor cage in West Yorkshire during the winter.?

It was so cold the monkey had lost some fingers and toes to frostbite and the owner did not have the licence to own the monkey so the animal was taken into our care.?

The monkey - which naturally lives in the rainforest and is highly social - was fortunately taken to live a happier life with other members of its species at a rescue centre.

Some of the animals rescued by Kim have made such an impact on her that she has adopted them.

She currently has two dogs, six snakes (three Royal Pythons, a Corn Snake and two Western Hognose), three rabbits and five cats.

Her toy poodle Mouse was from one of the worst dog neglect cases she had ever come across in which more than 70 dogs were found living in horrific conditions in crates at a property in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.?She found out Mouse had been living in the crate for four years and had been left living in cramped conditions surrounded by faeces.?

After the rescue, Mouse refused to eat and drink and vets were concerned she had ‘given up on life’ so Kim took her home for the weekend to try to give her some much-needed love and she made a remarkable recovery.?

Kim said: “She slowly started to trust me and enjoy affection - that weekend I also gave her some cooked chicken and that was the turning point. She still loves it to this day!”

Her other dog Quillan, a golden retriever, was rescued as part of a puppy farming case.

Kim’s RSPCA career began when she was still at school, doing voluntary work with the Sheffield Branch as she wanted to become a vet.?

But sadly her dad died unexpectedly when she was 16 and so to help support the family she was offered a paid job at the branch and took it in 1986.?

She was made redundant when the branch closed before it was moved to its current location in Attercliffe.? She then worked taking emergency calls at the RSPCA call centre in Wath-on-Dearne. In 2006 she joined the frontline rescue team and became an inspector in 2015.

She has always loved animals so the job is very much a labour of love although she admits it does get difficult with some of the more sad situations which are commonly part of the work of an RSPCA frontline officer.?

She said: “It has been very tough at times dealing with some heartbreaking incidents and sometimes we have to deal with the bodies of pets who have cruelly been left to die. In those terribly upsetting situations we have to pick up the pieces and the thing that keeps us going is trying to get justice for the poor animals by finding the person responsible and making them answerable to the courts.

?“The rewarding part of our job is when we rescue an animal in need and following rehabilitation in our care they go on to have loving homes. That makes everything so worthwhile - seeing their happiness and also the joy they give to their new owners.

“For 200 years the RSPCA has been making a massive difference to improving animals' lives and in its birthday year we believe that by working together we can create a better world for animals.?

“This year, we want to inspire people to join our million-strong movement for animals and help us change many more animals’ lives. By working together we can create a world that’s kinder for all animals.”