Should The Uk Rspca Be The 'pet Police' Or 'animal Carers&

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http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/peterwedderburn/100035662/should-the-rspca-be-the-pet-police-or-animal-carers/

Pete Wedderburn

Pete Wedderburn qualified as a vet twenty-five years ago, and now spends half his working life writing newspaper columns. He lives in Ireland with his wife, two daughters and a menagerie of dogs, cats, poultry and other furry and feathered companions. Pete answers readers' queries about their pets' health in his video Q&A – he is also on Twitter as @petethevet and has a Facebook Fan Page.

Should the RSPCA be the 'pet police' or 'animal carers'?

By Pete Wedderburn Health and lifestyle Last updated: April 21st, 2010

14 Comments Comment on this article

The RSPCA has an illustrious history, as the oldest and largest animal welfare organisation in the world. The organisation has been respected and loved by the British public, but the latest news story puts its role under the microscope, and forces us to ask the question: what do people want the RSPCA to do? Should the focus be on helping unwanted animals, or on prosecuting cases of cruelty or neglect?

It’s clear that the RSPCA has made up its mind: the decision to stop taking in unwanted pets is described as “streamlining and prioritising of finite resources”. The more important priority is to be animal rights enforcement.

There’s nothing new about this focus: this was the primary aim of the charity when it was set up, back in 1824. One of the first pieces of legislation on animal welfare had just been passed by parliament – the Cruel Treatment of Cattle Act 1822 – but it was felt that the judiciary system was unwilling to enforce the new laws effectively. The RSPCA was established to publicise and to enforce the new Act.

Over the years, the role of the RSPCA has diversified, extending into animal rescue and care across all of society. It’s a charity that offers remarkable support to the animals of England and Wales, paying vets to treat sick and injured wildlife and strays, and attending to call-outs from the public wherever there’s an animal in trouble. This level of service is taken by granted by the public: in most other countries these animals need to fend for themselves, depending only on the goodwill of the public in the place where they’re found. The high level of service offered by the RSPCA has ensured that they have commanded widespread support from the public, allowing the charity to operate without any state funding, surviving solely on private donations.

Now, over 180 years after it was established, the RSPCA has encountered a new challenge: the Animal Welfare Act 2006, the most significant change in animal welfare legislation in almost a century. It’s surely not a coincidence of timing that the new codes of practice for welfare of dogs, cats, horses and primates have just come into force, on 6th April 2010. These codes can be used in courts as evidence in cases brought before them relating to poor welfare. Do you think the hard-pressed police force will have the appetite to pursue suspected cases of cruelty under the new Act? So it’s back to 1824, with the RSPCA planning to do exactly what it was set up to do in the beginning: to publicise and to enforce the new legislation.

RSPCA inspectors may resemble police officers, but they’re normal civilians, with no special rights or statutory powers. The charity achieves convictions through private prosecutions, paying for independent expert opinions and employing private solicitors. The charity aims to uphold the law of the land on animal welfare, prosecuting 2000 cases per year, with a 97% success rate. What would happen if the RSPCA did not take this action? Many suspect that animal welfare legislation would be virtually ignored by state authorities who are under pressure to fulfill other duties.

Meanwhile, as part of its ongoing commitment to care for animals, the charity will continue to help in diverse ways across the land. OK, so it may stop accepting pets from people who’ve decided that their lifestyle doesn’t suit pet-owning after all, but this has always only been a small part of the wide range of tasks undertaken.

If you donate money to the RSPCA, where do you want that money to go? Do you want to pay for boarding of pets that feckless people have rejected? Or do you want to ensure that the law of the land on animal welfare is enforced?

Worth reading the comments people have made on the web site link above.