In the News this Week…
'Mr Asbo' the swan has featured in the newspapers this week.
The BVA was among one of the many associations issuing various advice to people worried about the effects of the Icelandic volcanic eruption to the people and animals in the UK. Although now the situation seems to have quietened down, at the beginning of the week newspapers were running with headlines such as: ‘People warned to stay indoors as dust falls on Britain.’ For those that are still slightly worried, Defra’s latest update should be reassuring; it stated: "There continues to be no recorded impact on air quality, water quality or water supply, and no immediate concerns for animal health or crop production following the volcanic eruption in Iceland"
Of interest to those in the veterinary profession at the moment may well be the General Election and what the different leaders are proposing in terms of animal welfare. On one website dedicated to the General Election 2010 there is an interesting article: ‘What does the General Election mean for .... Animal Welfare?,’ where the author examines the different parties’ stances on a variety of animal-related topics, including status and dangerous dog ownership, farm animal welfare and hunting.
The RSPCA has also hit the news this week. Running with the headline ‘Cost cuts mean RSPCA shelters will turn away stray or unwanted pets’, the Times Online reported that “The RSPCA will turn away stray or unwanted pets from animal shelters from next month to cut costs and focus on policing animal cruelty, according to a memo obtained by Channel 4 News. The decision could affect as many as 75,000 unwanted animals a year which are currently taken to RSPCA centres across England and Wales.” Also stating that “the move has been criticised by vets and animal lovers who called it a ‘dereliction of duty’”, the newspaper came under fire from the BVA. In a press release issued from the association, BVA President-Elect, Harvey Locke stated: “far from criticising the RSPCA, the BVA believes that the RSPCA and other animal welfare and rehoming charities do a fantastic job. We understand that their resources are not limitless and both large and small charities are struggling in the current economic climate.”
Pete Wedderburn has written a blog about this for his regular column on the Telegraph Online, entitled ‘Should the RSPCA be the 'pet police' or 'animal carers'?’, which makes for an interesting read. Here, Pete addresses the role of the RSPCA and asks: “what do people want the RSPCA to do? Should the focus be on helping unwanted animals, or on prosecuting cases of cruelty or neglect?” Answering this question himself, he writes: “it’s clear that the RSPCA has made up its mind: the decision to stop taking in unwanted pets is described as “streamlining and prioritising of finite resources”. The more important priority is to be animal rights enforcement.” He ends this piece with some pertinent questions: “If you donate money to the RSPCA, where do you want that money to go? Do you want to pay for boarding of pets that feckless people have rejected? Or do you want to ensure that the law of the land on animal welfare is enforced?”
Other pieces Pete focused on this week include: ‘Television's going to the dogs’ and ‘Cambridge rowers should leave Mr Asbo the swan alone’.
Also in the news this week, is the fact the badger cull in Wales has been deemed as lawful and will be starting in May this year. To read more about it on ‘Wales Online’ click here.
Furthermore, the Mirror Online have run a negative article entitled ‘Family claims dog was put down by vet because they could not afford £1,200 operation’. According to the article, “the couple claim they were told a consultation would be £39 but after the pet was examined they were informed a caesarian op was needed costing at least £1,240. Lisa, 36, who earns £800 a month as a shop assistant, said: "I was hysterical. We were told if we couldn't find £1,200 in 24 hours our dog would have to be put down."”
On a lighter note, Borneo has hit headlines this week with the discovery of 123 new species on the island. These include a frog with no lungs, a “ninja” slug that fires love darts at its mate and the world’s longest insect. To see photos on the BBC website, please click here.
For TV lovers, the new Britain’s Got Talent has featured some animals with remarkable talents. To read a story about Chandi, the dog who according to its owner, can understand sentences click here.
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
