RSPCA prosecution powers: charities respond
The contents of the Efra Committee's report will become available on 14 November.
The UK's leading animal welfare charities have spoken out against diminishing the RSPCA's power to prosecute animal cruelty offences.
An article published in the Sunday Times at the weekend (13 November) claimed a cross-party committee of MPs are expected to call for the RSPCA to stop bringing private prosecutions, and instead hand the evidence it gathers over to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
According to the paper, the recommendation will be made in a report due to be released by the environment, food and rural affairs committee (EfraCom) on Wednesday (16 November).
Responding to the claims, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, the Blue Cross, Cats Protection, Dogs Trust and PDSA said:
'As the UK’s leading animal welfare organisations, we believe that the removal of the RSPCA’s ability to prosecute animal cruelty offences would be hugely detrimental to the welfare of the thousands of animals that are victims of cruelty in England and Wales every year.
'We would strongly question whether any other body currently exists that would have the resources to provide a service similar to the RSPCA’s considerable expertise, experience and credibility in this area. We would further fear that without the RSPCA carrying out this vital work, many cases of unacceptable animal abuse would go unprosecuted.
'Animal welfare organisations see terrible examples of animal cruelty on a depressingly frequent basis and, as a result, we place great value on the work that the RSPCA undertakes to secure prosecutions under the Animal Welfare Act. We would reject any move to reduce the charity’s powers to bring the perpetrators of this cruelty to justice.'
The contents of the Efra Committee's report will become available on 16 November.
Birmingham Dogs Home has issued an urgent winter appeal as it faces more challenges over the Christmas period.
