Stricter laws to halt pet cruelty

The number of animal cruelty cases investigated by the RSPCA in London increased by 16 per cent last year, figures reveal today.

Among the cases were a woman who put her cat in the microwave, and 23 cats crammed into a rabbit hutch.

Complaints increased from 8,629 in 2000 to 9,987 in 2001 and the number of prosecutions went up from 44 to 50. RSPCA staff in the capital rescued or picked up over 18,000 animals, responded to 175,634 phone calls and secured 83 convictions over the same period.

Environment Minister Elliot Morley will today argue in Parliament that the figures show the need for tighter regulation. Animal welfare is still governed by laws dating back to 1911.

The RSPCA was consulted over proposals for new legislation and has set out a five-point "duty of care" which the charity believes should be enshrined in law. This would require all owners to provide their animals with adequate food, water, suitable shelter and access to veterinary treatment.

The main problem facing the RSPCA is that before it can take action it must have clear evidence an animal has suffered at the hands of its owner.

RSPCA investigations actually fell nationally by three per cent between 2000 to 2001 - but the charity said that was because of the number of officers involved in the foot-and-mouth crisis, rather than a decline in cruelty cases.

Examples of cruelty highlighted by the RSPCA included a woman from Wimbledon who microwaved her cat after an all-day drinking session.

Lillian Kottke, 50, was found guilty at Wimbledon Magistrate's Court last June of causing unnecessary suffering, and jailed for two months. She was also banned from keeping pets for life.

In another case, more than 60 animals, some of which had starved to death, were discovered in horrific conditions in a house in Southcote Lane, Reading - even though 1,600 tins of pet food were stacked in the porch.

In November Michelle Chaplin, 32, and Keith Lambert, 35, who had also crammed 23 cats into a single rabbit hutch, pleaded guilty to nine charges of causing unnecessary suffering to 36 animals. Reading magistrates banned them from keeping animals for life and they were conditionally discharged for three years.

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA's London branch said: "At the moment, if we hear of a dog which is being underfed, we can offer the owner advice, but then it is up to them whether they take on board what we have said. If the owner chooses to ignore us, then we have to wait until the animal is visibly malnourished before we can do anything.

"In other words, by law, animals have to suffer before any intervention is allowed, but we would like to see cruelty prevented before it happens."

The 83 convictions were three fewer than the year before. "They are still 83 too many," said the spokeswoman. "Ideally we wouldn't have to take anybody to court if we were able to intervene earlier."