A former solicitor is pursuing legal action against the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) after her disabled cat died while in the charity’s foster care. Katherine Theodotou, 79, who runs an animal sanctuary near Hertford, had her 17-month-old tuxedo cat, Rita, seized during a police-backed operation earlier this month. Theodotou alleges that police officers forced entry into her home using an axe to remove the cat, who was born with a disability affecting her hind legs and suffered from bladder infections.

The seizure followed a report alleging mistreatment of Rita, which Theodotou has dismissed as malicious. She also claims to have been pushed to the ground during the raid by six police officers and two RSPCA officials. An emergency injunction filed by Theodotou to prevent euthanasia was rejected by a judge, with the RSPCA stating there were no plans to put Rita down. After Rita’s death was announced two days before a scheduled magistrate hearing, Theodotou secured permission for an independent post-mortem examination.

At a hearing last Friday, Mr Justice Kimblin denied Theodotou’s request to have the cat’s body returned but ordered a joint post-mortem to be conducted by an RSPCA veterinarian and an independent specialist appointed by Theodotou. The RSPCA emphasized that Rita had been under their care at the time of death and expressed a desire to investigate the circumstances fully.

The charity’s legal representatives previously told the High Court that they had intervened after veterinary reports indicated Rita’s condition had worsened under her owner’s care. They maintained that after entering foster care, the cat was reportedly doing well. Conversely, Theodotou and her lawyers have argued that Rita was “well cared for” at her sanctuary and highlighted her long-standing commitment to animal welfare over the past three decades. Theodotou, who came to the UK from Cyprus in the late 1960s and specialized in human rights law before being struck off as a solicitor in 2022 due to breaches of accounting rules, strongly criticized the actions of the police and the RSPCA, describing their conduct as “like a bunch of Nazis.”

The RSPCA has been contacted for comment but had not provided a statement at the time of publication. The case underscores ongoing tensions between animal welfare organizations and pet owners over intervention and the care of animals with medical or behavioral challenges.