Charities' fury at RSPCA proposals
Rescue centres in Northamptonshire have criticised plans by the RSPCA to cut costs by focusing on policing cruelty rather than taking in unwanted pets.
From next month 17 RSPCA centres are planning to prioritise animals which are "RSPCA-generated", meaning those seized by inspectors in cruelty cases or those at immediate risk. This means they will not necessarily take in pets which are merely unwanted.
County animal centres, already oversubscribed due to the increase in unwanted or abandoned pets during the recession, have claimed this will place them under even greater strain, and could lead to more pets being abandoned.
Roy Marriott, chairman of Animals in Need in Little Irchester, said: "I think it's absolutely despicable.
"It will just put more and more pressure on small organisations like us and we cannot cope as it is."
He added: "Everywhere up and down the country is absolutely full with animals. If the RSPCA aren't going to take them, where are they going to go?
"They will be dumped on the streets, passed around or taken to the vets to be put down, meaning healthy pets will be destroyed needlessly."
Tracy Cook, manager of Jerry Green Dog Rescue in Brixworth, said: "We already cannot cope with the number of dogs that need placement and we have a minimum two-month waiting list. The knock-on effect of this means we are going to have even more of a problem.
"What's going to happen when we can't take a dog for four, five or six months? I think it will have a huge impact on the number of dogs turned out as strays."
She said she believed the policy could end up being more costly for the charity, with the extra costs of cruelty cases compared to those of unwanted animals that are easily rehomed without expensive vet bills and lengthy kennel stays.
She said: "The RSPCA are such a big organisation, how on earth are the rest of us going to cope? They are a well-known organisation with a lot more backing."
Kate Geary, spokesperson for the charity, said the organisation was merely trying to "work smarter" and prioritise the most urgent cases over those where an animal was simply unwanted by its owners.
She said, contrary to national news reports, people in urgent need would not be turned away and, if a significant rise in the number of pets being abandoned was noted, the charity would amend its policy accordingly.
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