A CONTROVERSIAL pay increase for SSPCA chief executive has been blasted by animal rights activists as "madness".

For his work with the charity in 2015, Stuart Earley brought home a basic salary of more than 190,000 – up 3.2 per cent when compared the year before.

However, a spokesperson for the SSPCA said his total annual pay package was less in 2015, as he received a five-figure bonus in 2014.

Meanwhile, staff working for the charity, including those at the shelter in Fishcross, received an average raise of just 1.2 per cent.

This week criticisms have been made with regards to salary paid to Mr Earley, who earns almost as much as the chief constable of Police Scotland and more than £50,000 more than the first minister.

John Robbins, secretary of welfare charity Animal Concern, said the news may well have a negative impact on the charity's reputation.

He told the Advertiser: "There is no doubt there has been improvements – the SSPCA has greatly improved since he has been in there.

"But a lot of the things they have done are things we have trying to get the SSPCA to do for years. They didn't need to bring in someone and pay them more than the prime minister, they just had to listen to what was being said to them.

"The charity can't ask people for £3 a month or whatever and then go and spend almost £200,000 on one person's salary. How would that look to people?

"Meanwhile, the people who really do the work on the frontlines were given a 1.2 per cent increase. That must make them sick to their back teeth.

"It's just madness," he added. "If he's doing a good job then, of course, pay him a decent salary. But this is just funny money and from a charity that relies on public donations.

"And for the board to sit there and agree to this...How out of touch are they?"
The SSPCA, meanwhile, have said that under Mr Earley's tenure they have been able to help 150 per cent more animals.

Harry Haworth, chairman of the Scottish SPCA, said: "At a time when research has shown that more than half of all charities are spending less than 50 per cent of the funds they receive on their core missions, we are proud that we are able to spend 83p in every £1 donated on directly helping animals, making us one of the most efficiently run charities in the UK."

Mr Haworth added that the SSPCA has helped more than 80,000 animals over the past year – compared to 32,000 in 2007 – while engaging with around 50,000 more children in the same time period.

He said: "This is an outstanding achievement and is one of the largest educational outreach programmes in Europe and is already having a major impact in preventing cruelty to animals.

"Since 2007 it has doubled its capacity to look after animals at its centres and has increased the number of frontline staff by over 120 – a 55 per cent increase.

"The Scottish SPCA is helping 150 per cent more animals today than it did in 2007 and that has only been achievable through the kindness of public donations."

A spokesperson for the charity said that all these achievements would not have been possible without Mr Earley's leadership.

He said: "The board of directors, who are voluntary and do not receive a salary, are responsible for setting the remuneration of senior executives and the CEO takes no part in such discussions.

"The CEO's increase is limited to no more than inflation plus 2 per cent and in 2015 his increase was 3.2 per cent, although other senior executives did receive a higher percentage increase.

"One of the society's proudest recent achievements, was the construction of a new state of the art National Wildlife centre near Fishcross. This was just under a £4million project and the society will care for around 8,000 wild animals in this centre this year compared to just over 2,000 animals in 2006.

"It's this sort of dramatic improvement that has been achieved under Stuart Earley's leadership."

When asked whether a salary increase for the executives had been justifiable when the charity had brought in less money this year, the spokesperson said: "In 2015, donation and legacy income was actually up on 2014. The main reason for a fall in overall income was falling interest rates and dividends and the fact that in 2014 substantial but unneeded capital assets were sold which generated just under a quarter of a million."

It was also argued that the overall pay average wage of SSPCA workers may have been "distorted" as the charity has made efforts to accommodate flexible working and seasonal staff.