by Ethel Smith

Created on: December 07, 2008   Last Updated: December 09, 2008

In the early 1800's, when the RSPCA was founded, cruelty was a way of life for many people. With man's inhumanity to man resulting in the dreadful treatment of children, women, the sick and the infirm I suppose animals were way down the list of those needing help. True poverty was evident where ever you looked and reforms were needed in many ways. Thankfully some individuals were striving to help mistreated animals. After a couple of failed attempts to set up a society to help animals finally a meeting of like minded individuals resulted in the formation of the RSPCA in England. It was 1824.

A Member of Parliament, who was one of the original founders of the RSPCA, successfully presented an anti-animal cruelty bill to parliament in 1824 and this gave the SPCA some teeth. This society was not awarded the title of RSPCA, Royal, until 1840 by which time the society had proved its worth over and over again. In those first sixteen years the amount of prosecutions for animal cruelty showed the British public just how severe the problem was. So it was that Queen Victoria was proud to be the first Royal to have an association with the RSPCA.

With a solitary inspector, initially, who only covered the area of London the work was hard. By 1842 many other towns and areas had heard of the sterling work being done by the RSPCA and wanted their own inspector and branch of the society. These early branches relied entirely on charitable money and volunteers and dealt with just as many farm animals as those we think of these days as domesticated ones.

When I was young, in 1950's England the RSPCA still saw and dealt with many cases of animal cruelty but nowhere near as many as today. In an England that has seen an increase in some poverty, crime and violence unfortunately animal cruelty regularly hits the headlines these days. In fact it is now so common place, and accepted, that it does not make the headlines so often as it does not even make the papers much of the time. It would seem that we have gone full circle from those early days in 1824. However the difference these days is that we are better educated, not as poor on the whole and have legislation against animal cruelty and neglect.

The 172 regional branches of the RSPCA in England today are all separately funded on a charitable basis. Each one however is run under the rules of the RSPCA. There are also RSPCA clinics, welfare centres and shops around the country. Our local RSPCA does not offer medical treatment for animals

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