Page "Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals" Paragraph 29

While the Protection of Animals Act 1911 provided a power of arrest for police, the British courts have determined that Parliament did not intend any other organisation such as the RSPCA to be empowered under the act and that the RSPCA therefore does not possess police-like powers of arrest, of entry or of search ( Line v RSPCA, 1902 ).

Like any other person or organisation that the law deems to have a duty to investigate – such as HM Customs and Excise and Local Authority Trading Standards – the RSPCA is expected to conform to the rules in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 so far as they relate to matters of investigation.

RSPCA officers are trained to state, following giving the caution, that the person is " not under arrest and can leave at any time ".

The Animal WelfareAct 2006 has now replaced the Protection of Animals Act 1911 and it empowers the police and an inspector appointed by a local authority, but not the RSPCA.