RSPCA is accused of giving in to activists on foxhunting

Charity ‘caves in to bullying’ by saying it will continue to prosecute after all

THE RSPCA has been accused of caving in to bullying after promising animal rights activists that it will continue to prosecute illegal foxhunting.

The reassurance by the charity’s vice-chairman led to the withdrawal of a petition from an activist demanding the sacking of its new chief executive, Jeremy Cooper.

Mr Cooper had won plaudits for an interview with

The Daily Telegraph in which he apologised for the charity’s past mistakes, admitted it had become too adversarial, and said future prosecutions of foxhunts were “very unlikely”.

His comments led Penny Little, an RSPCA member and veteran animal rights activist, to set up a petition demanding he be dismissed “for his deplorable capitulation to the bullying of the hunting fraternity”.

However, it has been withdrawn by Miss Little, who wrote on social media: “I have been contacted by the vice-chairman of the RSPCA and his sincere sentiments expressed to me are very reassuring. Your support for the hunted animals has been heard loud and clear.”

The posting was seized on by long-standing critics of the RSPCA, who complained that its 25-member council has itself been the victim of bullying by animal rights activists within the charity. Mr Cooper had told The

Daily Telegraph in his first interview since taking up the post: “As with any organisation or citizen we reserve the right to take action if the authorities fail to act, but we expect that to be very unlikely.”

The statement caused uproar behind the scenes. In an email sent to members, the RSPCA said: “The result is that a harmless interview has been misinterpreted by some, and abused by others.”

The previous assertion by Mr Cooper that future prosecutions of fox hunts are “very unlikely” was shelved.

The RSPCA successfully prosecuted the Heythrop Hunt, David Cameron’s local hunt in Oxfordshire, but the £330,00 cost of bringing the case was criticised by the magistrate amid questions over whether it was disproportionate and political.

Simon Hart, a Conservative MP and chairman of the Countryside Alliance, said: “The RSPCA remains in turmoil. Despite the best efforts of the new chief executive, it looks like the society is still in the grip of the animal rights movement which has been the cause of the chaos of the last few years.”

An RSPCA spokesman dismissed any suggestion of turmoil or that the charity had changed its policy, saying: “David Canavan [RSPCA vice-chairman] just called Penny and said ‘our policy hasn’t changed’ and she said ‘fine’ and has taken the petition down. There really isn’t anything more to it.”