RSPCA News

Reunited after five months and 200 miles apart

02.09.10

A cat who strayed more than 200 miles from home has been reunited with her owner thanks to a microchip.

When elderly black-and-white cat Kitty went missing from her home in Preston, Lancashire, five months ago, her owners feared the worst.

Despite dedicated efforts to track down their beloved pet, Kitty was not found.

However, luck was on Kitty's side when a member of the public found a stray cat in Brimsdown, Middlesex, and took her to our Enfield and District Branch.

After scanning for a microchip, the branch tracked down her owner, who was overjoyed to find out that long lost Kitty was alive and well.

'I would recommend microchipping to all pet owners'

After nearly five months apart, Kitty and owner Pat Gibson were reunited on Friday, 27 August and the pair have been welcoming visitors ever since.

Mrs Gibson said:

It really is remarkable, it's like having her back from the dead.

I was terribly upset when she disappeared as I just didn't know what had happened to her - we still don't.

I never expected her to have travelled so far away, it's amazing. But she has settled in back at home already – she immediately remembered which cupboard I keep her food in!

I would recommend microchipping to all pet owners.

Kitty could have been lost forever

Mrs Gibson adopted Kitty from the RSPCA after she had been tied in a sack and dumped in a car park.

Enfield and District branch secretary, Margaret Marden, said: “This story has a very happy ending and it is proof indeed of the importance of microchipping your pet.”

The RSPCA encourages owners to have their pets microchipped as we believe microchipping is the most reliable way of finding your pet if it is lost or stolen.

The quick and painless procedure places a small chip, the size of a grain of rice, under the animal's skin. The owner's details and a special code are stored on the chip and can be revealed by a special scanner carried by RSPCA inspectors and routinely used in our branches and animal centres.

Around half a million animals have been microchipped in the last five years alone.

Licensing could solve UK's dog welfare problems

01.09.10

An annual dog licence fee of as little as £21.50 could help reduce the number of strays and help tackle irresponsible dog breeding, according to a new RSPCA report released today (Wednesday, 1 September 2010).

Owners would face a cost of less than 42p a week per dog – less than the price of an average chocolate bar – in order to provide huge improvements to dog welfare and dog control services.

The report reveals a licensing scheme could deliver resources to improve dog welfare worth in excess of £107.4 million.

With an estimated 10 million dogs in Britain, this works out at £21.50 per dog with a compliance rate of 50 per cent. A compliance rate of 75 per cent would work out even less at £14.30 per dog.*

The report's recommendations

The new report - Improving dog ownership: The economic case for dog licensing - was written by RSPCA director of communications, David Bowles, and is based on research by Reading University, which was commissioned by the Society.

It makes three recommendations in its conclusion.

The government should establish a dog health and welfare strategy underpinned and funded by a dog licence scheme. This would fund resources to tackle the issues, such as strays, injuries caused by dog bites, and the prevention of disease, as covered in the report.
The scheme could be set at £20-£30 per dog annually, with discounts for selected dogs (e.g. assistance dogs, neutered dogs) and people (e.g. pensioners).
Microchips would be used to identify the dogs, with details entered on a national database, improving dog ownership and reducing numbers of unwanted dogs.

Dog licensing would achieve three important goals

Now is the right time to invest in the future health and welfare of Britain's dogs.

David continued: "A dog licence would raise money which could be targeted into improving enforcement of laws at a local level, improve the welfare of dogs, and reverse the use of certain breeds of dogs as a status symbol or weapon."

He says the dog licence would achieve three important goals. It would:

raise money for dog welfare
increase the numbers of responsible dog owners by getting people to think before they get a dog
start to reverse the surplus of dogs on the market by providing incentives, such as reduced fees for neutering dogs.

He added that the costs are given as an indication of what the licence fee could cover, and a dog licensing scheme could in reality be set at between £20-30 per dog per year – between only three and four per cent of the annual costs of owning a typical breed of dog.

Two out of every three British dog owners welcome a dog licence

Twenty-three countries in Europe currently have a dog licence or registration scheme. In some countries, such as Germany, Slovenia and the Netherlands, there have been improved dog control provisions and low numbers of strays with compliance rates of more than 50 per cent.

David said:

The RSPCA believes that Britain has slipped behind other countries which have started to tackle and solve the problems of dog over supply, and only the introduction of a dog licence could ensure we catch up.

In countries which have a dog licence it is seen not as a tax, but as an important part of owning a dog.

In Britain we know that a dog licence is welcomed by two out of every three dog owners, more than 70 per cent of whom are happy to pay more than £30 for the pleasure and responsibility of owning a dog.

What do you think?

Read the report in full:
Improving dog ownership: The economic case for dog licensing (PDF 2MB)

Do you agree with the introduction of dog licensing?
Add your voice to our blog at: www.giveanimalsavoice.org.uk

All research sources are included on page 23 of the Improving dog ownership report.
* Figures taken from table two on page 16 of the report.

Chance of a lifetime for YPA 2010 winner

27.08.10

An amazing three-day photography break with one of the world's best wildlife photographers is up for grabs for the winner of the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards (YPA) 2010.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year category winner Danny Green, who runs Natures Images along with Mark Sisson, will join this year's overall YPA winner and pass on some of his expertise during the annual deer rut in Bradgate Park, Leicestershire.

Hundreds of entries have already poured in for YPA, which is one of the country's most prestigious photography competitions for under 19s. But there is still time to put your snaps in the frame to win some amazing prizes.

Be in with a chance of winning some of the best prizes yet

YPA is offering its best prizes to date. The overall competition winner will receive:

£1,000 worth of Olympus camera kit
three-day photography break courtesy of Natures Images.

And there's more...

As if all this wasn’t enough, the YPA category winners will pick up some fantastic new cameras at the final of this year's awards, sponsored by Olympus and Warners Midlands, at HM Tower Of London on Friday, 10 December.

And the winners of the under 12s and 12-18s categories will get to enjoy an exclusive photoshoot at an RSPCA centre with our very own award-winning photographer Andrew Forsyth, as well as a top Olympus camera.

Categories also include the Olympus portfolio prize, where photographers get to showcase several images on a consistent theme, and the pet personalities section which is the perfect chance to frame your furry friends.

About last year's winner

Last year’s overall winner, Ryan Edwards, from Woodbridge in Suffolk, joined Andrew at our East Winch Wildlife Centre to photograph the release of rehabilitated seals back into their natural habitat.

As well as picking up some top tips from Andrew, Ryan was able to put them into practice and get plenty of his own stunning images from a memorable day out with the RSPCA team, like the picture on the left of one of the seals.

YPA could be your gateway into photography

YPA has become a recognised launch pad for aspiring photographers to showcase their work, gain recognition from industry professionals and be rewarded for the talent they have developed.

It has now gained a reputation as prestigious as many leading adult photography competitions.

Entries will be shortlisted by the judging panel, including BBC Countryfile and The One Show presenter Matt Baker. He said:

I can't wait to see the great entries that have been submitted for this year's competition.

It has been a fantastic summer to be out and about, so I am looking forward to seeing lots of sunny and happy pictures of pets and wildlife and meeting the winners at the awards ceremony in December.

Enter now - there's still time!

Postal entries have now closed, but you can still enter the competition and upload your photos on our official YPA website: www.rspca.org.uk/ypa

Here you'll find full details of the award categories, prizes and rules. Plus browse our past winners' galleries, get photography tips, and watch our YPA video from last year's awards ceremony at HM Tower of London.

But hurry - the closing date for online entries is midnight on Monday, 6 September 2010.

And maybe this year it could be you picking up a winner's prize from Matt Baker...

Dog fighter given five year ban after RSPCA case

26.08.10

A north London man has been banned from keeping dogs for five years after he was convicted of training a dog to fight following an investigation by covert RSPCA inspectors.

Bilal Mohammed Aldeeb was convicted of dog fighting charges following a trial in which the court was shown horrific footage of the defendant goading dogs to fight in a yard believed to be somewhere in Jordan.

Convicted of connections with animal fighting

Aldeeb could not be prosecuted for fighting the dogs in the footage as the incidents took place outside of England and Wales. However, he was given the five-year-ban, ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work and must pay £500 costs after the footage was used to prove he had an interest in dog fighting.

Earlier this month, Aldeeb was convicted of keeping and training a red-and-white pit bull terrier type dog named Rhino for use in connection with an animal fight. He was also found guilty of possession of a weighted collar, which is used to train dogs in connection with animal fighting.

Aldeeb had already admitted possession of a pit bull terrier type dog contrary to the Dangerous Dogs Act. The court also issued a forfeiture order on the weighted collar and the tapes seized from Aldeeb’s home, as well as a destruction order on Rhino.

One charge against Aldeeb, of causing unnecessary suffering to Rhino by failing to provide the animal veterinary care for injuries caused by a fight with another animal, was dismissed by the court at an earlier hearing.

Cruelty of dog fighting

Chief Inspector Mike Butcher, of our special operations unit, said:

The footage seized from Aldeeb’s home was particularly graphic, but it also clearly showed him fighting dogs. Anyone who saw the film could have been in no doubt as to this man’s interest in illegal dog fighting.

If anyone questions the brutality of dog fighting and the terrible cruelty these poor animals suffer at the hands of dog fighters, they only have to watch this footage to see the shocking reality.

Just because this footage was filmed overseas, it doesn’t mean the RSCPA doesn’t take it seriously and we are delighted the court also appreciated the seriousness of Aldeeb’s actions and sentenced him accordingly.

Duty of care

Aldeeb was charged under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which gives all animal owners a duty of care to ensure the five welfare needs of their animals are being met.

Find out more about the welfare needs of dogs, and the duty of care owners are required to meet, in our dog pages.

Are you Britain's Kindest Kid?

25.08.10

Are you a young RSPCA supporter aged between five and 16? Have you done something special and caring for animals? Then just maybe you're Britain's Kindest Kid!

Five News and Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) want to recognise the amazing charitable work of children and are in search of Britain's Kindest Kid 2010.

We have many young supporters and, if you are one of them, we want you to be in with a chance of winning this fantastic competition.

Promoting kindness to animals

Our vision is to work for a world in which all humans respect and live in harmony with all other members of the animal kingdom, and part of our mission to achieve this is to promote kindness to all animals.

Being a young RSPCA supporter, there are many ways you may have shown your kindness to animals. Maybe you have:

adopted a pet from one of our rescue centres and given an animal a second chance at life
raised vital funds for us through a sponsored event, or through donating some of your hard-earned pocket money.

Or perhaps you are:

a loyal RSPCA Animal Action Club members or one of our teenage members, or have even created your own animal welfare group
an invaluable volunteer for your local RSPCA branch or animal centre
a tireless campaigner who backs our animal welfare campaigns.

Whatever the reason, we think you deserve to be recognised and rewarded for all the special and caring things you do in aid of animal welfare, no matter how big or small, and all the animals you help think so too!

Enter now!

An amazing prize for an amazing winner

The winner of this extraordinary competition will receive:

a cool £1,000 pocket money (don't think it will all fit in your pocket, though!)
a further £1,000 in Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) vouchers to give to your favourite charities
an appearance on Five News.

So for a chance of being recognised as Britain's Kindest Kid 2010 and inspiring others to follow your lead, simply nominate yourself, or someone you know, by filling in the online entry form at:

www.cafonline.org

Remember, to enter this competition you must be between five and 16 years old, and you will need to provide details of a supporting adult on the entry form.

Closing date for entries is 5pm on Monday, 4 October 2010.

Thank you for all you do and good luck!

Groups call on Prime Minister for improved dog laws

24.08.10

Some of the UK’s largest animal charities, law enforcement agencies and unions have today jointly called on the leaders of the main political parties to work together to introduce improved and updated legislation to protect dog welfare and public safety.

The 20 groups have come together to demand action against irresponsible dog owners by the government and the provision of necessary resources for those tasked with policing dog control laws.

This comes ahead of the summary of responses from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' (Defra) consultation on dog legislation, which is expected this autumn.

The Defra consultation received more than 4,000 responses by the time it closed in June, indicating the scale of interest in the subject.

The following statement will be sent to Prime Minister David Cameron MP, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg MP and acting leader of the opposition Harriet Harman MP.

It reads:

We believe that irresponsible dog ownership, whether it is allowing dogs to stray, be dangerously out of control or indiscriminately breeding them, causes significant problems for the safety and welfare of both humans and animals.

Current legislation is proving inadequate in many cases to ensure sufficient protection.

We believe that both the provision of sufficient resources at a local level for local authorities and the police, and updated and consolidated legislation that has a genuine preventative effect, are needed to address this problem.

We call on the coalition government to act and bring forward legislation that addresses these areas effectively.

Organisations signed up to the statement include:

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, The Blue Cross, The British Horse Society, British Veterinary Association (BVA), Chartered Institute for Environmental Health (CIEH), Communication Workers Union (CWU), Dogs Trust, GMB (Britain's General Union), Guide Dogs for the Blind, International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM), The Kennel Club, The Mayhew Animal Home, National Dog Warden Association (NDWA), PDSA (People's Dispensary for Sick Animals), Police Federation, Prospect, RSPCA, TUC (Trades Union Congress), UNISON, Unite the union.

Find out more about our political and campaigning work for animal welfare:

Changing the law

Report into zoo elephant welfare fails to confront issues

23.08.10

Senior scientists have criticised a new report on the welfare of zoo elephants, which in part could be as poor as that of broiler chickens and dairy cattle from intensive farms.

They said the study, which was published on Thursday, 19 August, should have called for an outright ban on importing anymore elephants into UK zoos.

Serious welfare prolems

The report from the Zoos' Forum, an independent body set up by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), reviews recent research from Bristol University which found serious and extensive welfare problems in UK zoo elephants.

As well as having a far shorter lifespan and higher infant mortality rate than wild elephants, those kept in UK zoos suffer from high levels of obesity, behavioural abnormalities and a level of lameness equivalent to that endured by intensively farmed livestock, recognised internationally as cause for great welfare concern.

Senior RSPCA scientist Dr Ros Clubb said:

We are extremely disappointed that the report did not recommend an outright ban on importing elephants to UK zoos.

The RSPCA believes that until solutions to the extensive and serious welfare problems can be found we should not be introducing more elephants.

Elephants are without question suffering in zoos. They are one of the highest animal welfare concerns in Europe. Their levels of lameness are on a par to those seen in intensively farmed dairy cattle or broiler chickens.

Adding yet more elephants to an ailing population simply masks the problems and if drastic improvements to these problems cannot be found, the RSPCA believes zoos should phase out elephant keeping.

Ros added that:

"The RSPCA does support the report’s recommendation to establish an independent advisory group which would monitor the welfare of elephants in zoos. It feels that it is vital this advisory group is independent and it should draw on expertise from outside the zoo world."

More information

Read the full report on the Defra website Zoos' Forum elephant report.

See our wildlife pages and find out about wild animals in captivity.

Cat chaos is crippling our animal centres

Owners needed for hundreds of cats and kittens

20.08.10

RSPCA animal shelters throughout England and Wales are inundated with cats and kittens in desperate need of new homes.

Many of our rehoming centres are completely full of felines who have been recklessly dumped by their owners or rescued by RSPCA inspectors.

Although this time of year is the peak birthing season for cats, lots of our centres are looking after more cats and kittens than ever before.

Since the beginning of 2009, an average of 21 cats have been taken in every single day at our 16 regional animal centres, with our other independent branches and shelters suffering a similar plight.

Many of the animals are being kept in private boarding or in foster homes as our centres are simply too full. New owners are desperately needed to provide permanent, loving homes for them.

Just some of our centres that are inundated with cats

Our Central and North East London Branch is currently looking after more than 100 cats and kittens, including Bonnie and Clyde opposite, which has hit centre staff both emotionally and financially.

Branch spokesperson Christine Kerridge said:

So many people are letting their cats get pregnant without giving any thought to how they will find good homes for the kittens.

We are left to pick up the pieces. We really need new owners to come forward to give a second chance to the many delightful cats who are without a permanent home through no fault of their own.

Our Enfield and District Branch is looking after around 90 cats and kittens - which is more than it has had at any one time over the last 35 years.

Enfield branch secretary Margaret Marden said:

It's really dreadful at the moment, this is the worst I have ever seen the situation.

It's so hard for us to see all these beautiful cats and kittens without the homes they deserve.

Our Putney Animal Hospital is bursting at the seams with cats who have been involved in road traffic accidents, abandoned or suffered a variety of injuries.

But with rehoming centres full to capacity, many animals are spending more time at the hospital or with foster carers while they wait for new homes.

Our Little Valley Animal Shelter in Exeter is currently looking after 42 cats despite only having space for 32. And the shelter is still getting regular requests from the public and RSPCA inspectors to accommodate even more.

Because our Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre in North Wales is completely full, four white kittens found abandoned in a box in Colwyn Bay are being cared for by fosterers while centre staff desperately search for permanent homes.

Please consider a rescue cat

We're urging people thinking about getting a cat or a kitten to avoid answering ads in newspapers or visiting pet shops, and to consider adopting a rescue animal who desperately needs a new home.

Our rehoming process aims to make sure cat and owner are suitably matched.

We recommend that cats are neutered to prevent unwanted pregnancies from occurring, and if you do rehome a young cat or kitten from the RSPCA, the adoption fee usually includes the neutering operation, microchipping, a full veterinary check, worming and flea treatments, and any vaccinations the animal may require.

Find out more

If you'd like to find out more about the cats at our branches and centres mentioned above, simply follow the links above to contact the centres directly.

You can find more cats and kittens who are having particular trouble finding new homes in our special appeals.

And you can also use our pet search to find animals for adoption in your area.

Rescue cat becomes surrogate mum to four kittens

19.08.10

Staff at our RSPCA Derby and District Branch are literally working round the clock to help save four tiny kittens - and all with the help of a rescue cat who became their surrogate mum.

The kittens, which are only 14 days old, were left at a local vet by the owner who just couldn’t cope anymore. The kittens were picked up by RSPCA inspector Dave Johnson-Hill who took them to the Derby and District Branch on Friday, 13 August.

Surrogate mum

Staff tentatively placed the young kittens with one of the current residents Lucky, who had also been abandoned by her owner. Miraculously she immediately took the youngsters into her care and fed them.

Lucky already has two kittens of her own, but despite this she lovingly took on the four extra babies. The kittens were left in her care for the weekend to help give them a fighting chance of survival.

Feeding shifts

Lucky has now been given a break from caring for them and staff have taken over the feeding – which is currently every two-hours. Branch community manager Karen Carter, who is now caring for the kittens, said:

Lucky did so well giving them the much needed chance they required, and she is such an amazing cat for doing this. We have now taken over the feeding shifts, and it really is hard work – but will be so worthwhile and none of the staff minded at all.

Dave said: “In my 25 years as an inspector, I have never seen a cat become a surrogate mum, it was so brilliant it brought a tear to my eye.”

Cats in need of new homes

This has been the busiest year ever for RSPCA Derby and District Branch and they currently have 51 cats and kittens at the centre and a further 30 are with fosterers.

Karen added: “I hope out there is a wonderful owner that will be able to take on Lucky and give her the amazing loving home that she deserves, and that in time we also find homes for her kittens.

Sadly we do have so many wonderful loving cats and kittens, full of character in our care and I just hope that the local community will come forward to offer them new homes. It is heart-breaking that at the moment we cannot find enough homes for them all.

Lucky and the six kittens will not be ready to rehomed until all the youngsters have been weaned, but if you are interested in offering one of the other many cats or kittens in our care a new home visit our rehoming pages.

Neutering

Cats are very popular pets but despite this we have more cats and kittens looking for new homes than we can cope with. To help reduce the huge number of unwanted pets all the cats and kittens we rehome are nuetered. Learn more about neutering your pet.

Vote for your favourite animal-friendly supermarket

18.08.10

We are calling on you to vote for your favourite animal-friendly supermarket in this years People’s Choice Supermarket award.

Four of the UK’s best loved supermarkets are in the running for the title – The Co-operative, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose. All four businesses have been selected by the judging panel for their commitment to achieving higher standards of animal welfare.

Last year’s winner was The Co-operative, which scooped 59 percent of the 11,000 votes cast in 2009. They won over the public by a commitment to free range food and welfare-friendly produce.

Making your choice

As part of the Good Business Awards 2010, the People’s Choice Supermarket award in conjunction with The Independent recognises the British supermarket that consumers think is making the biggest strides to improve animal welfare in the food industry.

From Monday, 16 August, you can cast your vote online via The Independent website at www.independent.co.uk/voterspca or by texting either COOP, MANDS, SAIN or WAIT to 60022. Voting will close at 11.59 pm on Friday, 10 September.

David Bowles, director of communications for the RSPCA, says:

Through the People’s Choice Supermarket award we want to give the public a chance to voice their opinions and reward the supermarket they believe has listened to them and made the biggest strides in improving animal welfare.

Richard Johnson, judge, TV presenter and journalist, says: “It is fantastic to see such big retailers actively listening to customers and making huge steps forward for animal welfare. With spending on ethical goods and services showing three-fold growth over the last 10 years, they’re making a sound business move by increasing their efforts as well as an ethical one.”

People’s Choice Supermarket award finalists

Finalists for the 2010 People’s Choice Supermarket award are:

The Co-operative, for a continued commitment to animal welfare. The Co-operative is a high volume retailer that applies animal welfare policies right across their product ranges.
Marks & Spencer, for its position as a trailblazer and its commitment to animal welfare through investment in research and a group of dedicated suppliers.
Sainsbury’s, for its ability to provide good value for money without compromising on animal welfare.
Waitrose, for continuing to offer customers the very best quality, service and value while ensuring there is a clear focus on treating people and animals fairly and with dignity at all times.

To see a full list of the achievement of this years finalists visit the good things website at: www.goodthings.org.uk/people

The RSPCA Good Business Awards evening ceremony will be held at One Marylebone, London, on Wednesday, 6 October.