RSPCA boss seen as steadying influence leaves after year in role

THE RSPCA has been thrown into turmoil after its chief executive left his post after just over a year in the role.

Jeremy Cooper’s departure comes after a number of difficult years for the animal charity, with falling membership numbers and criticism over its approach to prosecutions of pet owners.

Before Mr Cooper took on the role, the charity had been without a permanent chief executive for more than two years after a turbulent period in which it was accused of becoming increasingly political.

Mr Cooper’s exit comes less than two weeks before the charity’s annual

‘Sometimes it’s just time to move on and try something new. It felt like the right time’

meeting on June 24 and before it had implemented a new five-year strategy.

He had been seen by many as a steadying influence and was expected to guide the charity into a period of greater stability amid falling donations.

Before Mr Cooper became its chief executive, the RSPCA had been criticised for an aggressive approach towards some pet owners whose animals were removed and euthanised, and for its £330,000 prosecution of the Heythrop Hunt.

Mr Cooper’s predecessor, Gavin Grant, stepped down in February 2014 due to ill health. A passionate critic of foxhunting and badger culling, he was the source of many of the charity’s more political statements. In 2012, he said farmers who took part in badger culling would be “named and shamed”.

He also called for people who were caught foxhunting to be jailed for five years, which would have made it an offence as serious as causing death by dangerous driving.

Last May, Mr Cooper made a public apology for the charity’s mistakes and said it “would be a lot less political” in future. He also said the leadership had been too “adversarial”.

The RSPCA was fined £25,000 last year by the Information Commissioner for “wealth screening” – assessing its donors to see who could be targeted for more money. The charity said it was “disappointed with the ICO’S decision and disagree with many of their findings and conclusions.”

Mr Cooper told the magazine Third Sector last year that the lack of a permanent CEO meant the charity lacked direction. “The absence of a full leadership team and a permanent chief executive means we’ve been dealing with immediate priorities only.”

He will now take up project consultancy. “Sometimes it’s just time to move on and try something new. I’d been there a year and a half and it felt like the right time,” he told The Times last night.

A spokesman for the charity said: “After four years with the society and over a year as chief executive of the RSPCA, it is with regret that we announce that Jeremy has decided to move on to pursue other business opportunities.

“Jeremy has been an asset to the team and has contributed to the continued success of the RSPCA.”

Michael Ward, the chief operating officer, has been appointed as interim chief executive.