Jersey’s animal cruelty laws are due to be reformed, the States Vet has revealed – with a leading charity also set to launch an anonymous reporting platform for cases of neglect and abuse.
The developments were outlined at the JSPCA’s strategy evening this week, where members of the committee and Chief Vet Susana Ramos discussed the organisation’s progress, challenges, and future plans.
JSPCA’s interim CEO Tom Noel, who stepped into the role 10 weeks ago, explained that a digital reporting page will be launched in the coming months to allow islanders to report animal welfare concerns confidentially and “without fear of backlash”.
The evening also focused on the planned reform of Jersey’s 20-year-old Animal Welfare Law to make it more effective in preventing cruelty.
Under current legislation, only the States Vet can seize animals from licensed premises without a warrant – with JSPCA inspectors requiring a warrant and police assistance to remove animals from private properties.
Mr Noel described the reform as a “once-in-a-decade opportunity” to modernise the law and strengthen protections for the future.
Discussions also focused on improving collaboration between animal welfare organisations.
Mr Noel, who is also a trustee on the Board of Dementia Jersey, recognised that the JSPCA had been “closed off” from the community and other third-sector animal welfare organisations and is looking to change that going forward.
“We’ve been quite closed off from the community of animal welfare charities that exist on the island.
“I think there’s an opportunity for animal sanctuaries and other areas who may be able to give us a helping hand. And we shouldn’t be too proud to ask for that.”
JSPCA President Ben Shenton also called for better coordination between animal welfare charities – saying that “too many charities work in isolation”.
The JSPCA also plans to open its facilities for events, training, and partnerships to make the charity a “hub for the animal welfare community”.
A challenging history…
The JSPCA has faced a number of years of financial struggle after the charity was rocked by the actions of its former CEO.
Major Stephen Coleman was jailed for seven years in 2020 for defrauding £400,000 from the charity to pay himself a three-figure salary and fund a lavish lifestyle.
During sentencing at the Royal Court, the judge ordered that everything Coleman owned – including his house and other high-value possessions – must be sold to pay the charity back at least part of what the former army officer and St Lawrence Centenier stole from them.
The charity was lucky to survive the ordeal after financial reports from the period of Coleman’s dismissal in 2017 showed the JSPCA was carrying debts of nearly £1 million.
It remains Jersey’s most serious charity fraud.
This week, however, Mr Shenton assured attendees that the JSPCA is now financially stable.
“We are now in a very good place,” he said.
“We’ve got money in the bank, and we need to move forward to the next level.”
The JSPCA is also developing new initiatives, including a partnership with Andium Homes to support pet owners in financial difficulty, a “home-to-home” rehoming service to reduce the need for animals to enter the shelter, and an improved social media presence to connect animals with adopters.
A property master plan is also being developed to improve the JSPCA’s facilities, with potential projects including a training centre and a café.
Mr Noel said: “We have quite a large site, and it needs a bit of money spent on it.
“We’re in a position where we will be able to do that to improve the lives of the animals that stay with us and the people that dedicate their careers to us.”