I went on Wednesday's demonstration (August 8) not as a pro-hunting activist but as an animal lover who feels the RSPCA has lost its way.

One look at the new multi-million pound RSPCA building in Horsham helped convince me of that.

When people drop money into tins to support the organisation, I am sure they imagine it will help prevent cruelty to animals not provide a "palace" for employees.

How on earth the RSPCA thinks it can suddenly swamp its re-homing centres with thousands of fox hounds that will be quite unsuitable for the majority of homes and not realise this will be a form of cruelty, I do not understand.

Quite obviously, most of them will end up being killed.

Sadly, this is only the start of a campaign to sanitise the countryside. It is a very sad and sorry state of affairs.

I am an out-and-out "townie" (and have never been on a demonstration before) but I respect the rights of country people to their freedom to earn a living and live as they wish.

I urge readers to find out more about the Countryside Alliance and the RSPCA and its aims and objectives, and compare this to an organisation such as the National Canine Defence League.

-Judith Patten, Richmond, Surrey