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| RIP Dawn, your pursuit of justice and your determination in the face of evil was an inspiration to all. Your work will continue! |
Former inspector Dawn Aubrey-Ward, 43, first spoke out about practices at the charity in December, warning that they were unnecessarily killing animals.
Ms Aubrey-Ward said that the response was “evil” and that the charity had put her through “hell”, tweeting: “They ruined my life”.
In the months before her body was found at her home in Somerset by one of her children she had approached other newspapers, according to the Times.
The day before she was found dead she is said to gave posted on Facebook: "That's it, I give up. I am unemployed, broke, struggling and allegedly 'damaged'."
In the article in the Mail on Sunday in December Ms Aubrey-Ward claimed that
she was forced to put down healthly pets during her two year career with the
RSPCA because they could not be re homed.
Thousands of animals, particularly dogs, were being killed unnecessarily, it was said.
Afterward the RSPCA’s head of press issued a statement claiming the story was “inaccurate and biased”, adding: “Please be aware of the fact that Dawn Aubrey-Ward is a disgruntled former employee of the RSPCA who was subject to a disciplinary investigation for alleged theft of animals.
“She left the organisation with matters still pending.
“There were also police concerns drawn to the RSPCA's attention of irregularities relating to her possession of firearms and some welfare concerns regarding animals under her care during her working time for us.”
She tweeted in response: "They really are stooping low! My animals are happy healthy and as for concerns omg! That is evil!"
The ‘theft’ related to a tortoise she had taken home from a police station and the firearms related to the storage of a gun and ammunition used to destroy animals.
Jonathan Rich, a friend and barrister, described the RSPCA treatment of her as “disgraceful” and said it had made it hard for her to find work.
Ms Aubrey-Ward openly admitted she suffered with “severe depression”, but asked “hardly surprising is it?”
An inquest into her death has been opened and adjourned.
Thousands of animals, particularly dogs, were being killed unnecessarily, it was said.
Afterward the RSPCA’s head of press issued a statement claiming the story was “inaccurate and biased”, adding: “Please be aware of the fact that Dawn Aubrey-Ward is a disgruntled former employee of the RSPCA who was subject to a disciplinary investigation for alleged theft of animals.
“She left the organisation with matters still pending.
“There were also police concerns drawn to the RSPCA's attention of irregularities relating to her possession of firearms and some welfare concerns regarding animals under her care during her working time for us.”
She tweeted in response: "They really are stooping low! My animals are happy healthy and as for concerns omg! That is evil!"
The ‘theft’ related to a tortoise she had taken home from a police station and the firearms related to the storage of a gun and ammunition used to destroy animals.
Jonathan Rich, a friend and barrister, described the RSPCA treatment of her as “disgraceful” and said it had made it hard for her to find work.
Ms Aubrey-Ward openly admitted she suffered with “severe depression”, but asked “hardly surprising is it?”
An inquest into her death has been opened and adjourned.








I thought that the RSPCA destroying animals it can no longer care for was common knowledge. The Dogs Trust make it pretty clear in their advertisements that 'no health animal is destroyed'. I once went to the Leeds RSPCA to adopt a dog, but was told we lived too far away, so went to the Dogs Trust instead (even further away!) and adopted a Chow Chow and then a year or so later a deaf Old English Sheepdog from the OES rescue centre in Horncastle, Lincolshire. I used to donate via DD to the RSPCA but stopped it years ago as they lost their way in pet care.