RSPCA is reviewing its meat certification scheme, which aims to improve farming practices, as the charity’s adverts broadcast earlier this year as part of its major rebrand are investigated.
The charity’s RSPCA Assured scheme has been criticised by campaigners in recent months, with a letter last week signed by celebrities including Joanna Lumley and Ricky Gervais accusing it of “welfare-washing animal cruelty”.
Meanwhile, the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) is investigating three concerns about the charity’s For Every Kind adverts, with AdFree Cities saying they “omit material information” about the RSPCA Assured scheme.
Chris Sherwood, RSPCA’s chief executive, said the charity has opened an independent review of the RSPCA Assured scheme and would take “any necessary robust action” after it had assessed the findings.
On the ASA investigation, an RSPCA spokesperson said it was confident that the complaint lodged by AdFree Cities would not be upheld.
Vice-president quits
The letter, published last week, urges the charity to drop its RSPCA Assured scheme and promote a “transition away from farming animals, towards a plant-based future”.
It says the scheme “misleads the animal-loving public” and “should no longer carry the RSPCA's trusted name”.
Last week, musician Brian May reportedly quit as RSPCA’s vice-president due to concerns about the food certification label and encouraged president and TV presenter Chris Packham to follow suit.
In response to the scheme’s criticism, Sherwood said: “We understand our supporters, partners and the public need confidence that RSPCA Assured is consistently delivering better welfare than standard farming practices, which is why we launched an independent review of RSPCA Assured.
“This has been carried out over several months, including unannounced visits to more than 200 members of the scheme.
“It has been a detailed and comprehensive review looking at a large number of farms and the analysis is still ongoing. Once we assess these findings, we will take any necessary robust action.
“But we are not prepared to abandon the farmed animals who need us right now. If we ignore the realities of society as it is now, if we refuse to work with industry to bring about change, we will be failing animals.”
ASA investigation
AdFree Cities, which campaigns against corporate outdoor advertising, wrote to the ASA in May that RSPCA’s For Every Kind adverts were “misleading” as they would lead most people to assume the charity is “championing the lives of all animals, including farm animals”.
It argued that the adverts were in breach of the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) Code and guidance relating to misleading advertising.
“Most people seeing the ads would not expect the RSPCA to be responsible for and upholding a scheme that systematically exposes animals to cruelty, confinement, harm and slaughter, as well as impacting wider biodiversity and wildlife,” its complaint reads.
“This is of concern since it risks misleading citizens including those who may choose to support, or continue to support, the RSPCA through one-off, regular or even legacy donations.”
An ASA spokesperson confirmed that it had received three complaints overall about the adverts, which it was investigating.
“The investigation is ongoing so we can’t comment further until that process is concluded,” they said.
An RSPCA spokesperson said in response: “We are aware of this complaint and are very happy to work with the ASA, and provide any information they need.
“We are fully committed to complying with the CAP Code at all times and we are confident that the complaint lodged by AdFree Cities will not be upheld.”
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