RSPCA All About Animals podcast

On average, every 30 seconds a member of the public calls the RSPCA 24-hour cruelty line to report concerns about animal welfare.

At the other end of the phone is a dedicated team at our National Control Centre who prioritise the calls and pass on to our officers in the field.

But what does it take to be a member of our National Control Centre team? And what is a typical day like? We visit the team to find out.

RSPCA figures released in September 2010 showed a shocking increase in the number of calls reporting crimes against badgers.

This saddening rise indicates badger crime is still rife in the English and Welsh countrysides, despite badger digging being banned in 1973 and badger baiting – where dogs are pitted against a badger – being banned as long ago as 1835.

The statistics are unveiled in this podcast episode, in which Chief Inspector Ian Briggs from our Special Operations Unit discusses badger crime and what is being done to bring those responsible to justice.