30 April 2013
Last updated at 00:02 GMT
BBC ONLINE
The RSPCA said it rescued or collected 130,695 animals last year
The
number of convictions for animal neglect and cruelty in cases brought
by the RSPCA rose by a third in England and Wales last year.
The charity's annual prosecutions report shows offences rose from 3,114 in 2011 to 4,168 in 2012.
Some 1,552 people were taken to court, up from 1,341 - an increase of 15.7%.
RSPCA chief executive Gavin Grant called the situation "a
growing animal cruelty crisis" and urged judges to take "offences far
more seriously".
Mr Grant said the RSPCA were "struggling to keep up" with the amount of cases they were faced with.
"For us, prosecution is always the last resort. Our
inspectors investigated 150,833 suspected cruelty cases and issued
78,090 advice notices last year - these are extremely effective in
improving the care of animals.
"However, if there is evidence of a crime and serious animal
abuse then we will take legal action to protect the animals and prevent
further abuse."
Roles questioned
The RSPCA's report catalogues the incidents of animal neglect and abuse the charity investigated.
These include a case of two puppies which were buried alive
by their owner while in another more than 30 rabbits and guinea pigs
were found living among dead animals and slurry in a hutch.
The RSPCA said successful prosecutions relating to cruelty to
small mammals such as rabbits and hamsters went up from 97 in 2011 to
354 in 2012, and convictions related to the treatment of farm animals
rose from 22 to 49.
The number of convictions linked to equine animals, such as horses, ponies and donkeys, rose from 230 in 2011 to 500 last year.
It rescued or collected 130,695 animals, up from 119,126 in 2011.
The cases have been highlighted during RSPCA Week, the charity's major fundraising push which runs until 5 May.
But the RSPCA's policy of bringing private prosecutions
rather than referring them to the Crown Prosecution Service was raised
earlier this year in a parliamentary debate.
Its role as both a prosecutor and campaign group was
questioned by some Conservative MPs after members of Oxfordshire's
Heythrop Hunt were fined in December 2012 for unlawfully hunting a wild
fox with dogs.
The RSPCA says its various roles were independently run and
that about five pence in every pound donated is spent on prosecutions.
It prosecutes about 1% of all the incidents it is asked to investigate,
with a success rate of approximately 98%.
More on This Story
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites
PET+BLOGSPOT is the ONLINE BLOG of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association or Petpositive.
Our stories are CURRENT, ACCURATE and RELIABLE.
We offer both local and foreign news on animals, disability and the elderly.
PET+BLOGSPOT was first established in October 2007. Our hits since then are now 150,000 and ever increasing!
PET+BLOGSPOT is updated daily.
Kindly note that views expressed in PET+BLOGSPOT are not necessarily those of PETPOSITIVE.
You may also visit our Webpage by browsing: www.petpositive.com.my
You can also find us in Facebook under PETPOSITIVE EMPOWERMENT.
Please sign up as a FOLLOWER of this Blog if you haven't done so already in order to show us your kind support for our work. Thank you!