MPs tell ‘bully’ RSPCA: Stop all your court cases
MPs will this week demand that the RSPCA stops routinely prosecuting animal owners for cruelty.
The move from a powerful Commons committee follows a string of controversial cases brought by the charity, which has led to accusations that it ‘bullies’ owners.
A hard-hitting report from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee will tell the RSPCA to pass on evidence to the independent Crown Prosecution Service, rather than bring cases to court itself.
Owners have long complained that the charity uses the threat of prison and fines to force them to hand over their pets – or even to have them put down.
However, critics fear the charity will simply ignore the demands of MPs, who have no formal power to impose a change.
Last night, the RSPCA vowed to continue prosecuting animal welfare cases, saying: ‘It is the right for anyone to take a private prosecution in England and Wales, and we would not want to see any organisation prevented from doing this for no good reason.’
A spokesman added: ‘The key test is would such a recommendation improve animal welfare. We believe the answer in this case would be no.’ MPs do not believe the charity
should be stripped of the right to prosecute but will urge it do to so only in exceptional cases. If the charity ignores the recommendations, the committee could urge the Government to change the law.
A spokesman for the Self-Help Group, which helps owners prosecuted by the RSPCA, said: ‘We’d be thrilled if the CPS was to handle RSPCA cases. But we are cynical this will ever happen.
‘The RSPCA can just ignore the MPs. We are also worried about RSPCA investigations. If someone is bullied and had to hand over their animal, it may be put down by the time the CPS gets an evidence report.’
In 2013, the RSPCA seized Claude, a 16-year-old cat, for being too thin and having matted fur. Within 24 hours he had been put down, against the wishes of owners Richard and Samantha Byrnes, whose children Dominic and Eloise were denied the chance to say goodbye to their pet.
Charges against the couple were eventually overruled by the CPS and the charity publicly apologised.
Mr Byrnes, of Tring, Hertfordshire, said last night: ‘This is very encouraging news from MPs. My family and I were treated like criminals by the RSPCA. It is not fit to conduct private prosecutions.’
Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said the RSPCA should root out animal welfare problems but leave the processing of evidence and decisions about prosecuting to the CPS. The CPS would not comment before the report’s publication on Wednesday.
Earlier this year, new RSPCA chief executive Jeremy Cooper promised to be less ‘political and adversarial’ after The Mail on Sunday highlighted how the charity had strayed from its role of caring for animals.