Former RSPCA inspector who blew whistle on charity for destroying healthy animals is found hanged at her home

Dawn Aubrey-Ward, 43, blew the whistle in a Mail on Sunday interview



Mother-of-four left final Facebook message which said 'that's it, I give up'

After her claims, RSPCA tried to discredit Ms Aubrey-Ward

She was found hanged in her home in Martock, Somerset

She had apparently struggled to find work



A former RSPCA inspector who blew the whistle on how dogs were allegedly routinely being put to sleep by the animal charity has been found hanged.

Dawn Aubrey-Ward, 43, said she was forced to put down healthy pets during two years working for the charity in an interview with the Mail on Sunday last December.

But the RSPCA responded by going on the offensive and attacking her credibility after she made the allegations.

Praised: Dawn Aubrey-Ward is given a certificate for rescuing a lamb while working for the animal welfare charity as an inspector

The mother-of-four was found hanged in her home in the village of Martock, Somerset, last week.

The day before her death she wrote on Facebook: 'That's it, I give up. I am unemployed, broke, struggling and allegedly "damaged".'

Ms Aubrey-Ward claimed large numbers of animals were destroyed by the charity after being classed as ‘unsuitable for rehoming’ but that the definition could be widely drawn to often include older animals, those needing veterinary care, dogs deemed ‘aggressive’ or larger dogs which were ‘hard to home’.

The animal-welfare charity destroyed 53,000 animals in 2011 – 44 per cent of those it took in.

The mother joined them as a trainee inspector in 2007. But she soon found herself at odds with what she described as its ‘antiquated military-style’ regime which placed ‘prosecution and persecution’ of owners ahead of protection of their pets.



In the interview with the Mail on Sunday, she added: ‘The RSPCA’s image was that they care for animals, prevent cruelty and help and advise people with animals. I was horrified when I learned we were going to have to put down healthy animals because we didn’t have room for them. It didn’t fit with their public image.’

Animal lover: Ms Aubrey-Ward, 43, was found hanged at her home in Somerset last week

However, the charity responded by attempting to discredit her claims and said: 'Dawn Aubrey-Ward is a disgruntled former employee who was subject to a disciplinary investigation for alleged theft of animals. She left with matters still pending.’

She responded on Twitter by hitting out at the charity's allegations.

In a Tweet on December 31 she wrote: ' oh my !!!! They really are stooping low !!!! My animals are happy healthy and as for concerns omg ! That is evil !'

And in a follow-up message on January 1: 'Would the official rspca like to deny they offered me several thousand pounds to keep my mouth shut ?'



The East Somerset Coroner's office confirmed today that the 43-year-old was found dead at her home on May 8.

Coroner Tony Williams has opened an inquest into the death and it has been adjourned until a date to be arranged later.

Allegations: Dawn Aubrey-Ward, 43, said she was forced to put down healthy pets during two years working for the charity

Ms Aubrey-Ward's friend Jonathan Rich, a barrister, told The Times : 'She always tried to look on the bright side, but on some occasions when we spoke she was clearly at her wits-end.

'The response of the charity to the Mail on Sunday's piece about Dawn was disgraceful. Dawn's revelations were focused on improving animal welfare, but the charity's highly personal response made it very hard for her to get another job, particularly in the realms of animal welfare.'



In 2011, the mother discovered her boyfriend Robert Colclough, 44, a civilian police worker, dead as he faced redundancy.



Divorcee Ms Aubrey-Ward was reprimanded for giving help and advice instead of issuing cautions, including the case of an ill, elderly man whose cat lay dying on his lap.

She took the cat away and put it down and was then upbraided for not cautioning the cat’s devastated owner for neglect. Her career with the RSPCA ended when her bosses accused her of ‘stealing’ a rescued tortoise which she’d taken home ready to take to an animal centre.