Charity counts cost of court case

Most of the "mistreated" dogs are German shepherds

The RSPCA is paying hundreds of thousands of pounds to care for 94 dogs at the centre of a court case.

Officials from the animal charity said it is paying £17,000 a month to feed and kennel the dogs.

Inspectors from the society claim the dogs were mistreated at a farm in King's Lynn, Norfolk, and took them away late last year.

But until court proceedings finish, the charity must pay for their care and is likely to have just a fraction of the cash returned.

Last resort

The bill has already topped £100,000 with the prospect of that figure more than doubling if the case goes to trial.

Last year the RSPCA spent an estimated £3.5m on prosecutions out of a total budget of about £70m.

We are about animal welfare and we cannot put a price on that

RSPCA spokeswoman

Only £400,000 of that was paid back to the charity by those convicted, less than 12%.

An RSPCA spokeswoman said: "Caring for animals in this situation is an enormous financial pressure on the society.

"It is one of the reasons why we do all we can to try and prevent things getting to the stage of a court case.

"In this case with 94 dogs involved the costs are extremely high but we are obliged to pay them.

Case continues

"We are about animal welfare and we cannot put a price on that.

"Certainly I have not heard of a case featuring so many dogs which needed kennelling before."

Kenneth Parmenter, 74, of Barton Bendish, Norfolk, was accused of causing unnecessary suffering to dogs and breeding dogs without a licence.

The hearing at King's Lynn Magistrate's Court on Thursday was adjourned until 23 May and Mr Parmenter, who did not enter a plea, was remanded on bail.

The RSPCA is legally bound to fund the care of the dogs until either Mr Parmenter formally hands them over to the charity or a court orders that they should be handed over.