Well, that's OK.
The little wrinkle.........

The RSPCA estimates that there are around 20,000,000 pets in the UK. My previous 16.000.000 was just for cats and dogs.

The number of prosecutions last year for cruelty was under 2,000. Less than 0.01%.

That supports my point about pet owners not being cruel to their pets all that often.

Yes, I accept that it's only those cases that get reported, investigated, and prosecuted and that there could be and probably are many that go under the radar. But, even if it was 100 times worse, that would still be under 1%. So I think my point is supported.

Don't get me wrong. Cruelty does happen. Even one case is one too many. And I think it abhorrent.

Yeah I've seen the figures and no it doesn't support your claim, they had 143,000 reports of cruelty and prosecuted 1,781 of those but that doesn't mean the others weren't being cruel, it means some listened and took advice and changed what they were doing. You're being very naive if you think every single case of neglect or cruelty even gets reported because it doesn't.

Not what I think at all.

Did you miss this:

"Yes, I accept that it's only those cases that get reported, investigated, and prosecuted and that there could be and probably are many that go under the radar. "

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entr...b0fbd4fe08a272

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32403495

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co....l-rise-7280754

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...-rspca-warns-0

And that is just the first page of a quick google search.

I agree that, thankfully, there are many well cared for, much loved pets in the UK. However, to think that animal cruelty and abuse is insignificant, or is perpetrated through ignorance or a lack of knowledge is naive at best imo.

Did you miss this?

"Even one case is one too many. And I think it abhorrent."

Yet despite my abhorrence, I get personal insults thrown at me

Call me naive if you wish.
Or lack knowlege.

But 143,000 in 20,000,000 pets means that 19,857,000 are being cared for or not being reported.

Does that mean I'm naive or very, very wrong?

I think the point is that no matter how many or how few cases of cruelty there are, if the RSPCA are stripped of the power to prosecute, they are very likely not to carry out as many investigations as they do at present.

At the moment, they are in a reasonable position to know what is and is not likely to succeed when prosecuting. Hand over the prosecution responsibility to the CPS and they won't have a clue what will and will not proceed.

Like 'em or loathe 'em, the RSPCA are the main voice when it comes to giving a voice to animals in the UK. I personally think it's a bad idea to reduce that voice to a whisper

See post #51.

Neglect takes all forms, did anyone watch the yorkshire vet this week? An elderly lady brought her shihtzu in with a lump on his belly. Maybe she had failing eyesight but I thought it fairly obvious what the issue was. He had a sweet stuck to his fur, the vet made a joke of it ( I do like him) but the dog also had a quite obvious eye ulcer which she wasn't treating, not even cleaning the area. So long story short vet saw the eye and treated it, but she was unintentionally neglecting her dogs well being, whether the vet advises her or the rspca doesn't matter but she needed to have it pointed out, what about all the dogs that don't see the vet?