The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals should be stripped of its royal title as its activism does not reflect the Queen’s relationship with animals, a Victorian Nationals senator said.

Senator Bridget McKenzie plans to pen a letter to the Queen, saying the RSPCA has shifted from compassion and education to extreme animal activism, and should lose royal affiliation because of it.

“They’re trading on their status, given to them, bestowed onto them by the royal family,” she said.

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An image from a PETA video showing alleged abuse of sheep in Australian shearing sheds.

“I will petition the Queen to highlight that the RSPCA is trading on the royal family’s status to attack Australian industry, film, sport and law-abiding hunters,” Senator McKenzie said in a statement.

Recalling that the Queen is also a hunter, a shooter, a racehorse owner and a farmer, Senator McKenzie said the RSPCA has “campaigns running right now” against those pursuits.

“The Queen is living proof that hunting, farming, horse racing and animal welfare are not mutually exclusive pursuits.”

“In the world that the RSPCA wants to create, I mean [the movie] Babe would never have occurred.

“Imagine a world without Babe.”

Animal activists were slammed for using props in shock ads like this one from PETA.

Chief executive of the RSPCA, Liz Walker, told ABC radio they only report on legitimate animal welfare concerns, and that Senator McKenzie’s debate over the royal title is “very odd”.

“We know that the community expects us to be there to look after animals and improve their lot, that’s what we intend to do,” she said.

Victorian Farmer’s Federation president Peter Tuohey told ABC radio the RSPCA was once a well-respected and trusted animal welfare body.

“Now they have gone down that animal activist track and it’s disappointing a lot of people basically,” he said.

“I think she (Senator McKenzie) just wants to send a very strong message that they need to get back to their core business.”

– with AAP/ABC