An official charity watchdog has said the RSPCA is damaging public confidence because it is so badly governed.
The animal charity, one of Britain's most famous charities, received the warning from the Charity Commission saying it could face regulatory action after the latest turmoil that saw the sudden departure of its chief executive.
Jeremy Cooper left his position as the charity’s chief executive this week after just over a year in the role.
He has left before implementing a five-year recovery plan aimed at creating a "modern, transparent and efficient organisation".
Mr Cooper was seen as a figure who could help build trust with farmers and the rural community, after previous damage was done by his predecessor Gavin Grant.
He has apologised for the RSPCA's previous adversarial management.
'Public confidence'
However, the Charity Commission has issued a string of criticisms, warning the charity was losing public confidence because of its governance issues.
A Charity Commission spokeswoman said: “The governance of the RSPCA remains below that which we expect in a modern charity and we are concerned about the impact on public confidence.
“This has been brought into focus by the departure of the CEO and the clear recommendations of the charity’s independent governance review, which the Commission requested the charity carry out.
“We have written to the charity to make clear that we expect to see a swift action plan against these recommendations, which we will formally monitor, in order to resolve these issues. We will consider what further regulatory action may be required should improvements not be made with the necessary urgency.”
The Charity Commission could now appoint an interim manager to run the charity if changes are not made.
'With regret'
An RSPCA statement said: “After four years with the society and over a year as chief executive of the RSPCA, it is with regret that we announce that Jeremy has decided to move on to pursue other business opportunities.
“Jeremy has been an asset to the team and has contributed to the continued success of the RSPCA.”
Mr Cooper's exit comes less than two weeks before the charity's annual meeting on June 24.
His departure comes at a time of declining membership. It has fallen below 20,000 in recent months.
Among those who have criticised the charity are farmers and the rural community. They have criticised the charity in the past over ill-judged prosecutions, especially over fox-hunting and cruelty to pets.
A Commons select committee has previously said the RSPCA should be stripped of its power to prosecute in animal welfare cases because there is a 'conflict of interest'.
Keel bone injuries
The Freedom Food arm of the RSPCA - RSPCA Assured - has also come under criticism from the poultry industry.
The industry has criticised the RSPCA's goal for railroading perching changes into free range flocks, despite mounting evidence that these changes will increase the instances of keel bone damage and leave lasting and painful injuries to free range hens.
Evidence from processing centres already indicate a higher level of keel bone injuries on those units with additional aerial perches in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Freedom Food were accused of not consulting properly with the industry by egg industry leaders.
