RSPCA ‘had to put down thousands of healthy animals’

This figure was made up of 1,676 dogs and cats which were put to sleep for legal reasons, or because they might suffer for other reasons, and 1,767 wild animals, exotics or farm animals, the charity said.

The total number of animals “euthanased” in 2011 was 53,183. The other 49,740 were put to sleep for medical reasons.

The RSPCA denied claims by one of its former inspectors that it kills more healthy animals than necessary.

Dawn Aubrey-Ward has said large numbers of animals, particularly dogs, were put to sleep after being classed “unsuitable for rehoming”, a definition which could be widely drawn to include older animals, those needing veterinary care, dogs deemed “aggressive” or larger dogs which were “hard to home”.

A spokeswoman for the charity has defended its position and said: “Animal cruelty, neglect and suffering are at unprecedented levels in modern times.

“We rehome thousands of animals, but the number of people rehoming animals do not keep up with the numbers of irresponsible owners.

“It is simply not true that the RSPCA ‘routinely’ puts down healthy animals.

“We do need to put animals to sleep when it is in their interests. Nobody who works for the RSPCA wants to have to put rehomeable animals to sleep, but it is a sad reality of the work that we do.

“Although the trend is in decline, the RSPCA sometimes has to put some rehomeable animals to sleep simply because they cannot be found good homes. While there continues to be too many animals being bred, and we continue to take in more animals than there are willing rehomers, we will continue to have this dilemma.

“This is not unique to the RSPCA, and many animal charities are forced to make hard decisions like this.

“All euthanasia decisions are made by a veterinary surgeon in the best interests of the animal.

“The vet does – and should – take into account how much that animal’s previous mistreatment means it is suffering, how much we can help prevent that suffering in other ways and whether there will be people willing to give it a home – and there are sadly a limited number of people who rehome a pet from us, despite there being thousands looking for homes.”

RSPCA chief executive Gavin Grant said: “The recession may be over but these are very dark times for its silent victims, the animals. They have never needed our help so desperately.

“Indeed we have taken measures to reduce bureaucracy whilst maintaining and seeking to boost levels of expenditure on our inspectors and frontline animal welfare work.

“Preventing cruelty and helping the animals most in need are the RSPCA’s absolute priorities but the number of abused and abandoned animals is soaring.

“At the same time, we have more animal abusers to investigate, prosecute and hopefully prevent from hurting animals than anyone can remember.”

The RSPCA has recently been involved in court action which led to the prosecution of a hunt, with the expense involved questioned by the Judge.