yes the link is legitimate,the r.s.p.c.a. is the governing body in the u.k for animal welfare.they 'nearly' have the same powers as police have powers re: animal welfare.
there are a lot of animal cruelty issues in france,spain,and other european countries,we here in the u.k. hear about these things all the time,and u.k itself has its own issues(fox hunting,badger baiting,dog fighting,**** fighting,etc (illegal but still happens)and it is heart breaking,
edit,sorry the ***word is not a swear word,its the name of a male bird,didnt know when posting it would think it was swear word.