17.05.12

We're calling on the people of Wales to join our campaign to improve the conditions for breeding puppies in the nation.

The Welsh Government is planning a new law for puppy breeding in Wales, but their proposals currently contain some significant flaws.

There are four key areas that we have particular concerns about, including how much time a puppy gets to socialise each day.

The consultation closes very soon on Wednesday, 23 May, so please make sure you act quickly.

Tell the Welsh Government what you think - act now!

Our concerns over the proposals

We're concerned that the Welsh Government's proposals do not go far enough:

• The Welsh Government need to make a strong statement that all councils are expected to enforce the minimum animal welfare standards contained within the regulations and guidance. Lower standards can no longer be tolerated.
   
• The requirement for registration for a licence needs to be lowered from three breeding bitches to two.
   
• Microchipping all puppies and dogs at breeding establishments is a great step forward, but further legislation must be brought forward to ensure:
  
  a) mandatory microchipping is a requirement for all dogs in Wales
  
  b) associated data is robust, so there should be sanctions for not keeping a dog's data up to date.
   
• The proposal to increase the ratio of staff to dogs on site for an establishment should increase from the proposed one member of staff for every 30 dogs to one member of staff for every 20 dogs. 

These points are covered in more detail in the full RSPCA consultation response.

Share your opinion with the Welsh Government

Speak up for puppies in Wales

Remember, the consultaion closes on Wednesday, 23 May.

More about RSPCA Cymru

At RSPCA Cymru we rescue, rehabilitate and rehome thousands of animals in Wales each year.

We offer advice on caring for all animals and campaign to change laws to protect animals better, which we will enforce through prosecution.

To see more RSPCA Cymru campaigns and keep up to date with all our news visit:

www.rspca.org.uk/wales

Horrific case of animal cruelty

16.05.12

A woman who left her collapsed Akita dog with maggot-infested wounds out in her garden to die has been banned for life from keeping animals.

Medway Magistrates today heard that Julie Helen Walker of Gillingham, Kent, left her 12-year-old Akita named Ruby to die in the back garden.

When Ruby was found she was emaciated, infested with maggots and suffering from painful ulcers and an eye condition that made it agony even to blink.

Ignorance is no excuse

Walker was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to the dog in August last year at an earlier hearing.

When RSPCA Inspector Caroline Doe arrived at the house she found Ruby collapsed and unable to stand. She told the court:
 

I have never before seen a dog in such a terrible condition. I could literally smell her rotting away, yet she was still alive.

Ruby was taken straight to a vet and immediately put to sleep to end her suffering.

Walker was asked to contact us but ignored all the messages. When Caroline eventually got to interview Walker she was told that she did not realise Ruby was so ill.

Justice for Ruby

On Monday, 14 May the court gave Walker a 26-week jail sentence, suspended for two years.

She was ordered to pay £3,000 costs, given an electronic tag and ordered to observe a curfew from 7pm to 7am for six months.

Caroline added:

There was simply no excuse for the horrendous way this dog suffered. There is always help available if people can’t cope.

Rising tide of animal cruelty

We recently reported a rising tide of animal cruelty.

Whilst we show zero tolerance to animal abusers, as a charity, we're struggling to keep up with the demands on our resources.

Please, help us to continue to prevent cruelty to animals by making a donation online today. You can make a difference to an animal's life.

Thank you. 

An innovative way to support animal welfare

15.05.12

We are the first charity in the UK to launch its very own mobile phone service.

RSPCA Mobile offers a new way to support us with up to 15 per cent of the value of all your top ups helping us fight animal cruelty.

The RSPCA Mobile service is hosted in partnership with Shebang Technologies Group Limited - one of the largest independent mobile phone connectors in the UK.

And throughout the month of May, Go Mobile and Affordable Mobiles.co.uk (both owned by Shebang) will also be donating £1 for every RSPCA Mobile phone contract connection.

Benefits for you

We offer a range of pay as you go mobile phones and accessories to suit your needs.

• Phone calls and texts are up to 40 per cent cheaper than the UK's major networks.
   
• Plus you get 99.8 per cent UK coverage.

Keep your number

It's really easy to bring your existing phone number to RSPCA Mobile.
 

Keep your phone

You can also keep your existing mobile phone and just get an RSPCA Mobile sim pack.

Whatever you choose to do, we'll help you every step of the way.

'A simple way to incorporate giving into your expenditure'

RSPCA Corporate Account Manager, Andrew Lyons, says:

As for many charities, this is an incredibly tough time for the RSPCA so we are always working on new fundraising ideas.

Statistics recently released by the RSPCA show that we have seen an increase in the number of calls we are receiving and the number of animals that need rescuing and caring for.

Costs are increasing all round and at the same time, members of the public are also feeling the squeeze and finding it harder to make donations.

The RSPCA Mobile service offers a very simple way for people to incorporate giving into their everyday expenditure.

Join RSPCA Mobile today! 

We need your support more than ever so that we can continue to be there for animals in need.

So please consider switching to RSPCA Mobile. To find out more visit: 

www.rspcamobile.co.uk

And watch out for pay monthy options coming soon!
 

Horse crisis continues

14.05.12

We've launched an emergency appeal to find foster homes for hundreds of young horses as the number in our care has doubled in the past year.

We are currently looking after 600 ponies and horses which have suffered neglect and cruelty and almost half of them are youngsters.

To tackle the growing horse crisis we have launched our stable future appeal to find fosterers to temporarily look after some of our 270 youngsters which are too young to be ridden.

Sally Learoyd, our equine rehoming officer, said:

Over the past year we’ve seen a huge increase in the amount of horses being disowned or allowed to get into an appalling state because the trade in horses has collapsed.

Young horses being sold in pubs for pocket money prices

Sally added:

I’ve heard of young horses being sold for £5 – less than the price of a bottle of wine.

I’ve heard of horses being bought and sold in pubs and we’ve come across a case of someone keeping a horse on a tower block balcony and feeding it on kitchen scraps.

We have a never-ending tide of young horses coming into our centres. Fostering our youngsters is a way that horse lovers can help us with this problem.

The recession, rising hay costs and irresponsible breeding are thought to be to blame for the rising number of horses being neglected and abandoned.

We found new homes for a record number of horses over the past year but we simply cannot keep up with the flood of animals which need our help because of terrible neglect and cruelty.

We face a huge £3.2 million bill just to care for the influx of ponies and horses which does not include vet bill or prosecution costs.

What you can do to help

To help ease the crisis we are urging horsey heroes to foster one of our youngsters until they are old enough to be prepared for work and we can find them a new home.

Sally said:

Fostering is a great way for people to have the enjoyment of being around youngsters whilst helping us out in the short term.

Just like teenagers, these young horses need experience of life, a day-to-day routine and a guiding hand.

Being a fosterer is a really rewarding experience. You can see these youngsters’ personalities change and develop as they grow.

Become a foster carer

The youngsters available for fostering are aged between one and three and are all happy, healthy and handleable.

All of our youngsters are microchipped, will have passports and tetanus vaccinations.
 

If you're interested in being an equine foster carer you must have experience handling horses, grazing and be able to take in a youngster for a minimum of six months.

If you're happy with our fostering criteria, and you're ready to make your application, find out how to apply.

Make a donation

Animal lovers who can’t take on a foster horse can also help by:

• Donating tack
  Caring for so many horses, ponies and donkeys puts a big strain on our equipment so we are always in need of donated goods.
   
• Give a monetary donation
  It costs us at least £5,000 to care for, rehabilitate and rehome each horse. Your support is vital.

Thank you. 

11.05.12

We're appealing for information after four dead foals were found piled on top of each other and dumped amongst rubbish in Pentre Meyrick, Cowbridge, South Wales.
 

The horses, one black, one grey and two grey-and-white, were discovered on Friday, 4 May. They had no signs of decomposition which suggested they had only recently been dumped.
 
The horses were not emaciated, and there were no visual signs of cause of death. Though blood was spotted on the lower part of one foal's leg and another had blood visible in its mouth.

The area, a well known fly-tipping area, had no other horses in the vicinity. And it has been established that the bodies, which have now been removed, were not awaiting collection for disposal. 

Suspicion around deaths of 'seemingly healthy' foals

We need to determine how the foals died

RSPCA Inspector Christine McNeil said:

With no other evidence it is difficult to tell exactly what has happened to these young foals and we are appealing for anyone with information to give us a call.

Although the horses may well have died from natural causes or been put to sleep for a legitimate reason, the fact that they are all seemingly healthy young foals does arouse some suspicion as to their cause of death.

Added to this of course is that dumping horses illegally is not the right thing to do.

As a responsible horse owner you must be prepared to pay for your dead animals to be disposed of correctly and responsibly using the appropriate services.

Can you help with our investigation?

If you have any information about these foals, no matter how insignificant you think it might be, we'd really like to hear from you.

Please call the RSPCA 24-hour cruelty line: 0300 1234 999. All calls are treated in the strictest confidence.

Thank you.
 

Related information

Another dead young pony found dumped

We're also appealing for help with another of our investigations after another dead young pony was found dumped in Hagley, Worcestershire, on Saturday, 5 May.

Read more in our news article:

Tragic death of young pony triggers investigation

Horse crisis

We have been overwhelmed with calls from members of the public concerned about the welfare of horses and ponies.

And as a result we are caring for more horses and ponies than ever before that we have rescued from cruelty and neglect.

Read more about the current horse crisis and the steps we're taking to improve horse welfare.