Earlier this year, the Scottish SPCA identified a compliance issue relating to the use of pentobarbital, a controlled drug previously used by our teams to humanely euthanise injured wildlife in the field.
When we identified this issue we acted quickly to withdraw the drug from use and put alternative methods in place to minimise disruption. Additionally, the Society’s Board commissioned an independent external Review to understand how this happened and how to strengthen our processes. The Review report has now been received by the Board.
The central finding from that Review is that the Society has unintentionally been operating without the correct licence needed for non-veterinary staff to use pento due to a long-standing misunderstanding by the Society about what was required to ensure full compliance. Following legal clarification on the issue, we have now applied for the correct licence.
Importantly, given how passionate and dedicated all of us across the Society are towards protecting and caring for animals the Review confirmed that:
- No evidence has been found of animals suffering due to this issue.
- Our colleagues acted professionally and there is evidence of good levels of training of relevant staff to use pento correctly and responsibly.
- The Society has been meeting the expected safety and care standards when handling and administering pento.
As a Board, we are reassured that our approach to treating animals has been in line with the high standards we set ourselves and has not been affected by a licence not being in place.
While the Review has confirmed that this was a genuine misunderstanding around a complex piece of legislation – and that the Society has acted in good faith and gained no benefit from not having the correct licence in place – it is very important for us to ensure the Review’s recommendations are adopted across the Society.
The Board has been very clear just how important it is that we learn lessons from this episode and follow up on all recommendations – we know that even the very best organisations can make mistakes, but what sets great organisations apart is how they respond to mistakes when they happen.
We would like to thank our dedicated and professional colleagues, partners, veterinarians, other charities and the public for supporting us during this period and for their continued commitment to Scotland’s animals.
Our purpose remains the same: to rescue, to protect, and to lead the national conversation on animal welfare.
Fiona MacLeod
Chair of the Board of Trustees
