Coordinates	40°37′29″N73°57′8″N
non-profit name	Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
non-profit logo
founded date	1824
founder	Richard Martin, William Wilberforce, Reverend Arthur Broome
location	Southwater, West Sussex, England
key people	Ray Goodfellow (General Manager)
area served	England and Wales
revenue	GBP 119,926,000 (2008)
num employees	1,505 (2008)
homepage	http://www.rspca.org.uk
footnotes	}}

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is a charity in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. In 2009 the RSPCA investigated 141,280 cruelty complaints; and collected and rescued 135,293 animals. It is the oldest and largest animal welfare organisation in the world and is one of the largest charities in the UK, with 1,505 employees (as of 2008).

The charity's work has inspired the creation of similar groups in other nations, starting with the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Northern Ireland and including the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Scottish SPCA or SSPCA), Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Australia, the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RNZSPCA), and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The RSPCA is funded entirely by voluntary donations. No state or lottery funding is received. In 2008, total income was GBP 119,926,000, total expenditure was GBP 114,090,000, and reserves were GBP 70,656,000. Its patron is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

History

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was founded in 1824 by a group of twenty-two reformers led by Richard Martin MP (who would thereby earn the nickname ''Humanity Dick''), William Wilberforce MP and the Reverend Arthur Broome in a London coffee shop.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was the first animal welfare charity to be founded in the world. In 1824 it brought sixty three offenders before the Courts. It was granted its royal status by Queen Victoria in 1840 to become the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

In the late 1830s the Society began the tradition of the Inspector, which is the image best known of the RSPCA today.

RSPCA lobbied parliament throughout the 19th century resulting in a number of pieces of legislation. The Cruelty to Animals Act 1835 amended Martin's Act and outlawed baiting. In 1876 the Cruelty to Animals Act was passed to control animal experimentation. In 1911 Parliament passed Sir George Greenwood's Animal Protection Act.

Since then the RSPCA has continued to play an active role, both in the creation of animal welfare legislation and in its enforcement. The most recent change to animal welfare law being the introduction of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.,

Current structure

RSPCA centres, hospitals and branches operate throughout England and Wales. In 2009 they treated 217,497 sick or injured animals and rehomed 70,030 animals.

Hospitals

The society owns four animal hospitals, Birmingham, Greater Manchester, Putney (south London) and the Harmsworth Memorial Hospital in Holloway (north London), and a number of clinics which provide treatments to those who could not otherwise afford it, neuter animals and accept animals from the RSPCA inspectorate.

Centres

RSPCA animal centres deal with a wide range of injured and rescued animals, working alongside its inspectorate, volunteers, and others to ensure that each animal is rehomed in the best possible way.

In addition the Society has four wildlife centres at East Winch (Norfolk), West Hatch (Somerset), Stapeley Grange (Cheshire) and Mallydams Wood (East Sussex), which provide treatment to sick, injured and orphaned wild animals to maximise their chances of a successful return to the wild.

Branches

RSPCA branches operate locally across England and Wales. They are each separately registered charities operating at a local level and are run by volunteers. RSPCA branches are self-funding and raise money locally to support the animal welfare work they do. They rehome about three-quarters of all animals taken in by the RSPCA. RSPCA branches also offer advice, microchipping, neutering and subsidised animal treatments. Additionally, there are around 215 RSPCA shops.

Groups

Each Region of the RSPCA contains six 'Groups' of Inspectorate staff. A Group is headed by a Chief Inspector. Each Chief Inspector might typically be responsible for around 8 Inspectors, 3 Animals Welfare Officers (AWOs) and 2 Animal Collection Officers (ACOs), working with several local Branches. There are also a small number of Market Inspectors across the country.

Regions

There are five 'Regions' (North, East, Wales & West, South & South West, South East), each headed by a Regional Manager (responsible for all staff and RSPCA HQ facilities) assisted by a Regional Superintendent who has responsibility for the Chief Inspectors, Inspectors, AWOs and ACOs. The Regional Managers are expected to have a broad understanding of operations throughout their regions.[9]

National

At the national level, there is a 'National Control Centre', which receives all calls from members of the public, and tasks local Inspectors, AWOs or ACOs to respond to urgent calls.

Additionally the 'National Headquarters' located at Southwater in West Sussex houses several general 'Departments', each with a departmental head, consistent with the needs of any major organisation. The current Chief Executive Officer is Mark Watts and he manages four Directors who all have responsibility for a number of relevant departments.

Mission statement and charitable status

The RSPCA is a registered charity (no. 219099) that receives no lottery or state aid. The RSPCA as a charity will, by all lawful means, prevent cruelty, promote kindness to and alleviate suffering of animals.

The RSPCA intends to achieve its mission by

Working for the welfare of pet animals

Ensuring that every pet is cared for properly and has a good home

Ending cruelty to pet animals

Raising standards for pet animals worldwide

Stopping pet overpopulation.

Campaigning for farm animals

Aiming to have all farmed animals in the UK kept to RSPCA higher welfare standards

Improving farm animal welfare legislation and ensuring it is enforced

Encouraging consumers to replace meat, eggs and dairy products with those from higher welfare production systems

Ensuring animal products are properly labelled so consumers can make higher welfare choices

Stopping the live export of farm animals for slaughter from the UK.

Improving the welfare of wild animals

Stopping the use of wild animals in circuses

Making it socially unacceptable to hunt and kill any wild animals in the name of sport

Ensuring any use of performing animals in the UK follows appropriate guidelines

Stopping the keeping of exotic animals as pets in unsuitable conditions

Stopping the ivory trade.

Working for animals used in research

challenging the necessity and justification for using animals

working to end substantial suffering in experiments

raising the welfare standards of laboratory animals worldwide

ensuring UK standards are improved as the new European law is implemented.

On account of the opportunities it provides for the personal development of young people, the RSPCA is a member of The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS).

RSPCA inspectors respond to calls from the public to investigate alleged mistreatment of animals. They offer advice and assistance to improve animal welfare, and in some cases prosecute under laws such as the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Animals rescued by the RSPCA are treated, rehabilitated and rehomed or released wherever possible. Where it is not possible to rehome or release an animal the RSPCA may consider humanely euthanaising the animal.

The RSPCA brings private prosecution (a right available to any civilian) against those it believes, based on independent veterinary opinion, have caused neglect to an animal under laws such as the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The Society has its own legal department and veterinary surgeons amongst the resources which facilitate such private prosecutions. All prosecutions are brought via independent solicitors acting for the RSPCA.

Criticism

Lack of statutory powers and allegations of police impersonation

The RSPCA rank names and rank insignia share similarity with British police ranks, which has led some critics (such as Chris Newman, chairman of the Federation of Companion Animal Societies) to suggest an attempt to "adopt" police powers in the public imagination. When Richard Girling of ''The Times'' asked about their lack of powers, a spokesman for the RSPCA said "We would prefer you didn’t publish that, but of course its up to you". Chris Newman claimed that the RSPCA "impersonate police officers and commit trespass. People do believe they have powers of entry"; however, he did not produce any evidence of such impersonation of police officers, and the Society strongly deny the charge. However, RSPCA personnel do issue members of the public with a caution which is identical to that used by UK Police Officers, ''"You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court"'' and the use of this may be interpreted by members of the public that the RSPCA does have statutory powers. [ Sally Case, head of prosecutions, insists that RSPCA inspectors are trained specifically to make clear to pet-owners that they have no such right. They act without an owner’s permission, she says, “only if an animal is suffering in a dire emergency. If the court feels evidence has been wrongly obtained, it can refuse to admit it”. The RSPCA logo is clearly visible on the uniform worn by RSPCA officers, all carry RSPCA ID cards, and their vans are clearly liveried with the RSPCA logo.

While the Protection of Animals Act 1911 does provide a power of arrest for police, case law has defined very clearly that Parliament did not intend any other organisation such as the RSPCA to be empowered under the Act and therefore the RSPCA does not have any powers of arrest, or entry or of search (Line v RSPCA 1902). Like any other person or organisation that the law deems to have a duty to investigate – e.g., HM Customs & Excise, Local Authority Trading Standards – the RSPCA is expected to conform to the rules in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 so far as they relate to matters of investigation. RSPCA officers are trained to state, following giving the caution, that the person is "not under arrest and can leave at any time".

Fund-raising in Scotland

The RSPCA has been criticised by the Scottish SPCA for fund-raising in Scotland and thereby "stealing food from the mouths of animals north of the border by taking donations intended for Scotland." The RSPCA insists that it does not deliberately advertise in Scotland but that many satellite channels only enabled the organisation to purchase UK-wide advertising. In a statement, the RSPCA said it went "to great lengths" to ensure wherever possible that adverts were not distributed outside England and Wales.

It said: "Every piece of printed literature, television advertising and internet banner advertising always features the wording 'The RSPCA is a charity registered in England and Wales.

"All Scottish donors, who contact us via RSPCA fundraising campaigns, are directed to the Scottish SPCA so that they can donate to them if they so wish." The Scottish SPCA changed its logo in 2005 to make a clearer distinction between itself and the RSPCA in an attempt to prevent legacies being left to its English equivalent by mistake when the Scottish charity was intended.

See also

Animal ethics

Animal rights

Cruelty to animals

Eurogroup for Animals represents organisations such as the RSPCA at the European Union level

Humane society

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (links to other SPCA organizations worldwide)

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Hong Kong) - formerly Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Hong Kong) from 1903 to 1997

Further reading

''Who Cares For Animals: 150 years of the RSPCA'' by Antony Brown.

''Animal Experimentation: A Guide to the Issues'' Vaughan Monamy, Cambridge University Press

References

External links

RSPCA England/Wales

Guidance on the Operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986

RSPCA Inspector Career advice

RSPCA Brighton

Pet Insurance from the RSPCA

Video clips

RSPCA YouTube channel

Category:Animal welfare organisations in the United Kingdom Category:Animal charities based in the United Kingdom Category:Organizations established in 1824 Category:Organisations based in West Sussex Category:Organisations based in the United Kingdom with royal patronage Category:1824 establishments in the United Kingdom

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