The issue is not the AWA, the Act is a good Act which could, should, benefit animal welfare, the issue is who polices the Act? It is clear the RSPCA will be the main enforces of that Act and the issue is: ‘are the RSPCA fit to do so’ It is very clear that today the RSPCA policies is that of Animal Rights, not Animal Welfare, a look at the RSPCA Policy Document confirms this.

RSPCA prosecutions are private prosecutions; they are not independently vetted by a third party as are say police prosecutions. So the RSPCA can, and do, prosecuted people who have not committed an offence, this is done for financial and political objectives. All RSPCA prosecutions are unsafe as they cannot comply with the Code of Practice for Crown Prosecutors; to do so is a requirement for any prosecuting authority. This does not mean that all RSPCA prosecutions, wrong, simply there are unsafe.

As an example, a requirement under the code is impartiality. The RSPCA have a stated (written) policy they are, quote: “opposed to the sale of animals from pet shops” Therefore how can they be impartial when prosecuting a pet shop! Obviously they can’t.

Today the only defence you are entitled to is the defence you can afford to pay for, there is no legal aid for these prosecutions. The average cost to defend an action bought by the RSPCA would be between £10,000 and £15,000 or more, how many people can afford that!

This situation does not occur in Scotland where the SSPCA work in conjunction with the equivalent of the CPS, why are people in England and Wales not afforded the same protection! Is it morally and ethically right for a charity to be allowed to persecute animal keeps, simply to further its own political agenda! – I would suggest not.

On Friday animal welfare is brought into the 21st centaury with the Animal Welfare Act, is it not now time that peoples welfare, peoples rights are not similarly catered for! We are a nation of animal lovers, we must continue to be a national that loves to keep pets, our rights, our Human Rights must no longer be trampled into the dirt as they are today.

Chris Newman

The new Animal Welfare Bill will do little if nothing to improve animal welfare in the UK. All it has done has given unjustified power to the RSPCA.
After being directly involved in the AW Bill consultation I feel that too many important areas have been ignored and revenue put before welfare. There is still no accountability or traceability for callous pet owners that dump their animals. There is still no protection from neighbours fireworks that kill, injure and mentally abuse our pets, so how can we protect them ? under the " Duty of Care " ???????

ANIMAL WELFARE BILL CONCERNS

APRIL 6th 2007 will see the RSPCA take control of animal welfare in the UK and alarm bells are ringing.
A considerable amount of the work they once undertook is now carried out by independant sanctuaries at their own cost.
The RSPCA have become diluted and the recent RSPCA Freedom Foods issue televised on ITV endorse the fact that they are not equipped nor profficient in the majority of fields regarding animal welfare to become responsible for implementing the new legislation.
It is becoming more and more frequent the cry for help from the RSPCA.
Local news headlines " ANIMAL workers in South Cheshire are desperately in need of more funds to help find new homes for abused and abandoned pets."
We are only a small branch of the RSPCA without our own animal centre and the majority of our income is spent on boarding fees and veterinary fees."
"Due to our finite resources and lack of space, the RSPCA is unable to pick up stray healthy animals".
With the RSPCA`s Duty of Care being introduced in April as part of the new legislation in the animal welfare bill this most certainly should set alarm bells ringing and serious questions being asked at Government level.
Obviously it would appear that the RSPCA have made absolutely no provision or contingency plans to handle any excess animals taken in when the new legislation is introduced. It is accepted that there will a significant increase in prosecutions and animals removed from circumstances that the RSPCA could not act on prior to the new Animal Welfare Bill ( there own words ).
If the RSPCA are already unable to collect and hold animals and unwilling to use some of their vast resources on addressing this very serious issue, who will pick up the pieces ? Will it be left to the private individual sanctuaries who will themselves, in the secondary legislation of the animal welfare bill become the victims of licensing fees and unworkable red tape ?.
Of further concern is where the law will go regarding the increase in dog attacks and the species that may well be added to the list of dangerous dogs, which may well include mongrels which seem to be a very high percentage of the dogs that are abandoned and find themselves in need of rehoming. Then there is the issue of tail docking which, may see further prosecutions and animal seizures all of which will need housing. Our will the RSPCA adopt a contingency plan to euthanase ALL excess animals that are surplus to requirements ?.
Perhaps the RSPCA should spend less time and resources vying for political acclaim and wasting money on too many prosecutions and return to the animal charity they once were and with that will establish again the publics support and respect which is at present very low.
How and why should anyone with far greater knowledge and expertise than the RSPCA be expected to work to their unworkable agenda and sadly where the RSPCA take a negative stance. There will be very few Sanctuaries that will accept or recognise any guidelines set down by a charity only profficient in limited areas.
Should we be expected to follow such guidelines as feeding a Little Owl WEETABIX, or Swallows BREAD ?

Andrew Meads
Safewings Wildlife Conservation Projects
Isham
Northants

The only winners in this new Animal welfare Act are the Government and the RSPCA, the animals are the losers. The Government have given ALL animal welfare issues to the RSPCA thus washing their hands of any financial costs,responsibility and accountability.
And who was responsible for assuming the RSPCA are expert in animal welfare,when they have no expertise in any area other the cats and dogs.

How callous, how cruel and just as the RSPCA get their grubby mits on our animals they go against their own so called guidelines, " Stop impulse buying of pets". But right across the UK the RSPCA are advertising for people to get bunnies from them for Easter. They truly are very good at marketing and working to different agendas than the rest of us. I fully understand that there are many animals that need new homes but to place pictures of cuddly bunnies needing homes for Easter is just sickening. Surely they could have at least waited till after the holiday period ? Surely the animals are not that closely packed and overun that a few days would make a difference. Parents are always vying to find new pressies for their demanding offspring and as child obesity is a serious matter and perhaps as chocolate is off the menu a pet bunnie will keep them amused for a day or two, till it rains or they get a new computor game, Eh !
The RSPCA should know much better but finance will always be the preffered carrot to some.

Sadly the RSPCA have become more of a political group than a animal charity,and much of the publics donated money is wasted on its political goals.They do not have the expert knowledge to police the new animal
welfare bill,and should not be involved with policeing it.50% of all animals in their care die,not through illness but because they choose to destroy
them.It is truly sad they have become far removed from the charities original purpose,i believe if a inquiry was set up to investigate their actions the public would be shocked with the findings

Can any organisation be it Charitable or business take up a roll as Government prosecutors when they have a fully documented criminal record, especially when undertaken in one instance by the Attorney General, if not why are the RSPCA being alowed to ?

I have no respect for the RSPCA, who are only 'available' if there is a chance of publicity. Try to get hold of them at the weekend, it's virtually impossible.
A neighbour(when I lived in London) used to throw his puppy down the stairs, or aginst the wall or beat it, if it did not do what he wanted. The RSPCA said that 'it has food, water and shelter so it is not being mistreated.

Isn't it sad that of all the stories in the news happening in and around Harrow, this one, about animals rather than people, receives the most and lengthiest comments? Come on people - get a sense of what is important!

in w10 aroud london there closen lots of pet shop can they make more around london that would be good