Letters | 7 February 2013

Respect the RSPCA

Sir: You ask whether the RSPCA has ‘gone feral’ (‘The RSPCA’s secret war’, 2 February)? The answer is ‘no’. Since its founding, the society has promoted kindness to and respect for animals. We have done so through education, good science and campaigns to change the law to protect animals from cruelty. But laws only count if they are effectively enforced. Some of your readers may assert that the police should do this work. On many occasions they do so, often working closely with our trained inspectorate. However, operational realities and pressure on police resources mean that human welfare tends to rank higher than that of animals. Should those acting cruelly to animals ‘get away with it’? Our answer and that of the public is ‘no’.

Others may say our scarce resources should not be spent on prosecutions (we spend less than 5p in every pound on legal costs) and it should be left to the Crown Prosecution Service. The CPS acts solely on police cases and not those of private individuals or organisations. That said, in England and Wales, any magistrate, judge or defence counsel who believes a private prosecution to be ill founded or ‘politically motivated’ may refer it to the CPS. From time to time that has happened to the RSPCA, although — tellingly — not in the Heythrop Hunt case. On every occasion we have been found to have acted entirely appropriately.

The RSPCA was established to be the voice of our fellow creatures and to act for them. In a world of irresponsible pet ownership, insidious trade in exotic creatures, institutionalised farming and abuse of wildlife, we will continue to do so by all lawful means.
Gavin Grant

Chief executive, RSPCA, West Sussex