DRACONIAN RSPCA WRONGFULLY PROSECUTE 16 YEAR OLD

RSPCA PROSECUTE CARING FAMILY AFTER PUPPIES MUM DIES,

HOW LOW CAN THEY GO?

RSPCA ARE  OUT OF CONTROL AND TARGETING DECENT PEOPLE

A dog owner has told of her nightmare after being dragged through the courts when animal wardens wrongly took her beloved puppies into care.
Mother Tracey Johnson, from Snodland, and her then 16-year-old daughter, suffered a year of anguish - facing prosecution and being separated from their puppies.
Now Tracey has told of her relief, after being forced to give evidence in front of magistrates to prove she didn't mistreat five newborn cocker spaniels.
The case was brought by the RSPCA, who claimed they had found the puppies shivering and wet in Miss Johnson's garden.
But Medway’s District Judge Michael Kelly criticised the charity for putting Miss Johnson and her daughter Sophie, now 17, through their unnecessary ordeal.
During a court hearing, he said: “My view to criminalise a mother and daughter in this way, who in the previous seven weeks had cared properly for these puppies, was wrong.
“Their (the RSPCA) actions in this case were draconian and could have been dealt with by a warning; to prosecute them was going too far.
“To prosecute a 16-year-old in these circumstances was totally inappropriate, the proceedings should never have been brought. She clearly had very little involvement with these animals and was not responsible for them.”

Mum-of-one Tracey returned to her Tilghams Way home in March 2011 to find the litter of pups in one of the charity’s vans.
An officer had gained access to her back garden through a neighbour’s property and had jumped the fence.
The drama unfolded two weeks after Tracey has discovered the animals' mum, Mollie, dying from toxic poisoning in the garden.
She was taken to the vets but had to be put to sleep. It is not known how the mother was taken ill.
The puppies were put into foster homes throughout the year-long legal proceedings and were only returned after the court hearing.
All of the pets have now been rehomed, two back to their foster families, but Tracey and Sophie kept one with the dogs’ dad, Casper. They have named the new addition Jasmine.
Tracey, a carer, said: “I’ve never been treated in such an awful way. I wasn’t allowed to see the puppies at all or find out how they were.
“I’ve always had dogs so to be accused of mistreating them was heartbreaking. I’m just pleased it’s all over and they are all in good homes.”
An RSPCA spokesman said: “The five puppies, which were only a few weeks old, were removed from a garden in Snodland as they were found shivering and wet by the RSPCA inspector.
“In the absence of the mother dog and the owner, the inspector made a decision - based on veterinary advice - to intervene in the best interests of the animals.

RSPCA HEAD OF PROSECUTIONS SALLY CASE DECIDES WHO THE RSPCA PROSECUTE
(ISNT THAT EVERYBODY ANYWAY?) 

“The RSPCA took a prosecution in order that a magistrates court could make a decision on the future of these animals and respects the decision that the court made.”

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2012/june/15/puppy.aspx

RSPCA SHEEP RESCUE HIPOCRACY

ONLY A MATTER OF DAYS AFTER THE RSPCA THREATENED CUMBRIAN FARMER JEFF BELL WITH PROSECUTION IF HE LOST ANY SHEEP DURING FLOOD RESCUE THEY DO THE EXACT OPPOSITE.

FIREFIGHTERS have rescued more than 200 sheep after rising flood waters threatened to sweep the animals to their deaths.
Four Staffordshire Fire and Rescue vehicles and a water rescue unit, as well as the RSPCA, were called to fields opposite the National Arboretum in Croxall Road, Alrewas, at 8.45am.

They were unable to save 15 of the animals, which died of hypothermia. However, more than 200 sheep were removed from the danger by teams of firefighters and RSPCA officers. As the clock chimed for the two-minute silence at the nearby arboretum, a boat rescue crew was battling to rescue the flock. Assistant area commander Rob Barber, who led the operation, said: "This is a huge operation where we have been working hard to ensure we can rescue as many sheep as possible. Unfortunately we could not save 15 of them who have died from hypothermia."We believe there has been heavy rainfall during the night and the sheep have moved nearer and nearer to a hedge and got trapped by the rising water.
This is hard to drain as there is nowhere for it to go so we had to conduct an emergency rescue mission."We asked the RSPCA to come in order to advise us on how to handle the sheep and have some experts on site"

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/burtonmail-news/displayarticle.asp?id=365493

RSPCA PROSECUTE THEIR FORMER KEEPER

In the wake of the recent Pat Seager prosecution case that was severely criticised by MP Frank Field. We ask, is this part of an overall RSPCA strategy to prosecute animal lovers who take in stray and unwanted animals ?

A well respected dog breeder who looked after rescue dogs for the RSPCA has been banned from keeping animals indefinitely.
Kennel owner Joyce Denwood, 43, took in animals for the animal charity and councils, a court heard.

RSPCA inspectors allegedly discovered animals in appalling conditions when they raided her home in March.
Joyce was banned from keeping animals indefinitely and must wait at least a year before applying to have the ban lifted.
Denwood must also do 120 hours’ unpaid work and pay £1,750 RSPCA costs. The charity claimed the case cost them almost £5,800.

http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/3825796.Coast__dog_carer_is_banned/

RSPCA SEIZE FAT PONY

RSPCA CONDEMNED FOR FAT PONY SWOOP AS THEY IGNORE INJURED ANIMALS.
THE RSPCA have swooped to confiscate a Shetland pony amid accusations the animal had been over-fed by the public.
This happens as in only several weeks they fail to come out to distressed and injured animals as featured previously on this site
Dale, a 13-year-old stallion, is one of around six Shetland ponies in a field at Fleetwood Road, Thornton, which regularly attract members of the public who stroke and feed them.
But angry owner Keith Hall, of Anchorsholme Lane East, Cleveleys, claimed he was doing all he could to stop the public feeding the animals.
He said: "It's the general public feeding them and making them overweight."I have put signs up saying 'Please do not feed the horses' and I find signs thrown over the road."I'm blaming the general public, but Dale isn't hurting. If he was badly overweight he would be ill.
"They're taking my property away and are not telling me where they are taking him – is that right? He's a horse, not a child."
"Dale is a lovely animal. We have not shown him for a couple of years but previously he has won every show we have entered him for."An RSPCA inspector arrived at the field yesterday morning accompanied by police and a vet was on hand to examine the animals.
Eventually Dale was led away into a horse box belonging to the RSPCA at about 2pm.
The RSPCA declined to comment. ( What, No Film Crew !)
http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpoolnews/Welfare-swoop-on-overfed-animals.4666763.jp

ANOTHER RSPCA CASE FAILS

Two days after being the subject of two more hard-hitting BBC documentaries highlighting its serious flaws, the RSPCA's Prosecutions Department has experienced yet another serious reversal.
The case took so long to determine - 18 months - that it could not be referred to in either Radio 4's "File on 4" or Five Live's "McIntyre".
Ludovic and Murvilla Kancels' pet dog Bully, three years old, was seized 18 months ago by the RSPCA and kept in an RSPCA secret "place of safety". The RSPCA's expert Martin Lawton claimed that the seized animal had "suffered unnecessarily" from thinness as a result of being "starved".
Defence vet Daniel Mackenzie-Frazer made clear Bully was not suffering. She was, in fact, feeding pups and this led to loss of condition. He said: "She was thin but not emaciated and followed her owner into the vets which she wouldn't have done if she was in considerable pain".
Mr Kancel had approached Oak Hill Vets the day before Bully was seized and asked for advice on feeding her. It was obvious that he cared deeply for her. Mr Mackenzie-Frazer added: "There has been no evidence of pain in this case. The dog was thin because she had just given birth to puppies and had dedicated her time to allowing them to feed rather than feeding herself".
However, the RSPCA, always hungry for a conviction, elected to rely on Martin Lawton. Both the Kancels, and Kino Hines, were charged with cruelty by starving Bully, perhaps the most serious and emotive animal welfare offence there is, and subjected to the usual media campaign against them.
Criticisms of Lawton made in other matters, in the proceedings against Newham pet-shop owner Simon Gilbert and Lawton's own admission of "reprehensible conduct" in disciplinary proceedings against him before the RCVS, were not disclosed to the defence or to the court.
However, Magistrates saw through the RSPCA's thin case. The submissions of the RSPCA's Solicitors Male & Wagland and Counsel Rex Bryan were, like Martin Lawton's evidence, not accepted.
The court found Ludovic and Murvilla not guilty of causing suffering, AND that there had been no suffering at all.
Bully must be returned and the RSPCA must pay the massive costs. Ludovic and Murvilla very much look forward to having Bully back, and getting to know her again.
After the case, RSPCA Inspector Dawn Avery, herself well-known to the SHG, said that she wanted to "rehome" Bully. Ms Avery said she was "unhappy that Bully spent 18 months in RSPCA kennels while the case was decided".
Ms Avery continued, ominously, that she would "try to monitor the situation and make sure that Bully is okay in the future". The charity paid thousands of pounds for "place of safety" kennels to ensure that Bully was kept away from Ludovic and Murvilla throughout the case.
The charity - given the new powers contained in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 - is perhaps therefore unlikely to leave the matter there.
Anne Kasica, of the SHG, said:
"Bully, happily, was not euthanized, and did not die in the RSPCA's kennel, as happened to Annette Nally's dog Holly. The vast resources spent every year by the RSPCA on its team of fat-cat lawyers, vets and 'place of safety' kennel-owners is sickening."
"The RSPCA says it's 'only' £8 million a year."
"Rex Bryan, Male and Wagland and RSPCA independent witness Martin Lawton have each earned a king's ransom from a series of RSPCA cases."
"I agree with Frank Field MP. It is time that each and every one of the RSPCA's decisions to cause misery is subjected to proper review by the CPS, not by lawyers who personally benefit from the decision to prosecute."
Ernest Vine, also of the SHG, said:
"The RSPCA's new Head of Prosecutions Phil Wilson is not even a lawyer and, after his shameful performance on File on 4, I don't think that the RSPCA should let him near any microphones for a bit."
"Sally Case was hopeless, but Mr Wilson is worse. He is also continuing her policy of wasting RSPCA donations. There are defence and court costs to consider too."
"This ridiculous case about an allegedly thin dog took four days to present to the court. At £300 per hour - and some RSPCA lawyers get even more - each member of the RSPCA's legal team have billed £10,000 for court time alone."
"Martin Lawton is, of course, looking to have his costs of attending the trial for four days paid by the court, and therefore the taxpayer, as usual."

For further comment please contact Anne Kasica on 01559 371031 or Ernest Vine on 01559 370566. Mobile 07719 367148. e-mail: s...@the-shg.org

The SHG was officially formed in June 1990 and has been helping people to defend themselves and their animals from the RSPCA ever since.

The national help line number is 0844 700 66 90
A copy of this and previous press releases from The SHG are online at http://www.the-shg.org/SHGPressReleases.htm

Background information on the Self Help Group for Farmers Pet Owners and Other Experiencing Difficulties with the RSPCA can be found at http://www.the-shg.org/

THIS BLOG COMMENDS AND SUPPORTS THE WORK CARRIED OUT BY SHG