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Subject: National working terriers Association submission
Date: Wednesday, May 10, 2000
In their submission the working terriors association state
"5. IMPLEMENTING A BAN.
A ban on hunting with dogs would suddenly mean that hundreds of thousands of hounds, terriers and lurchers would become redundant.
The RSPCA in their submission state that "Hounds that are not converted to drag hunting which, as pups, were placed with families for 'puppy walking' can and should be retrained as companion animals. The Society is willing to help rehome them and, if necessary, terriers and lurchers ......"
It was reported that, in a single year the RSPCA took in 97,184 cats and dogs, of which they destroyed over a third (33,409). They also destroyed over 46,000 other animals (Midlands Report BBC2, RSPCA - Animals in Need). In the same report, much criticism was levelled at the RSPCA for their alleged apparent willingness to destroy animals, rather than to retain or rehome them. We therefore have little faith in such claims."
I should like to point out that this is based on a wilful misunderstanding of the work of the RSPCA. A very large proportion of the welfare work of the RSPCA is not concerned with rehoming animals, but with providing low-cost veterinary treatment for animals owned by people who cannot afford private vets. They also provide a collection and treatment service for animals found injured (mainly cats injured in traffic accidents). The vast majority of animals put down by the RSPCA were not healthy unwanted pets but sick or injured animals where euthanasia was the only humane course of action.
The statistics of the annual report of the Society for 1998 demonstrate this:
28,959 dogs were rehomed
46,786 cats were rehomed
23,874 miscellaneous animals were rehomed.
821 dogs were put down because homes could not be found
1,680 cats ditto.
726 miscellaneous ditto.
12,909 dogs were put down for medical reasons
22,032 cats ditto.
52,784 miscellaneous ditto.
Note that this last figure includes injured wild animals which are likely only to be captured when in extremis. For comparison, note that in the same year 272,499 veterinary treatments were provided for animals by RSPCA clinics and voucher schemes.
We already rehome many lurchers and coursing greyhounds which are discarded by their owners when they can no longer hunt.
Rosemary Rodd
(Treasurer, Cambridge & District RSPCA branch)
Date uploaded to website 31 May 2000