Appeal for information after horse is left for dead in freezing conditions in Leicestershire

Posted on 23/01/2017 by Rachel Butler

The RSPCA is investigating after a horse was left for dead in freezing conditions in a Leicestershire country lane.

The white piebald mare was dumped overnight on Saturday (21 January) in a field in Uppingham Road, in Skeffington. When she was found by a dog-walker the following morning, frost had already formed on her mane.

The RSPCA and a local vet was called. Sadly, the horse, thought to be around 12 years old, was put to sleep by the vet as she was so poorly.

RSPCA inspector Sheona Morley, who attended the incident, said: “The horse’s back legs had been tied to railings with blue rope, and tyre tracks on the ground showed that whoever dumped her had pulled away in their truck, resulting in the horse falling on to the floor.

“As a result of this impact, the horse had horrific injuries to one side of her face.

“The horse was unable to stand and was pawing at the ground with her front feet, trying to get up. When I arrived the horse was making moaning sounds – it was absolutely horrific. Frost had formed on her face and mane. Thankfully, someone who lived locally was able to bring a large blanket to put over her.

“Very sadly the vet could see that she was clearly suffering and she was put to sleep.

“Leaving a horse for dead like this, in freezing conditions, is a callous thing to do. Whoever did it had no regards for the horse’s wellbeing whatsoever. We are urging anyone with information to contact us in complete confidence on 0300 123 8018.”

The RSPCA is a charity and we rely on public donations to exist. To assist our inspectors in carrying out their vital work please text HELP to 78866 to give £3. (Texts cost £3 + one standard network rate message.) 

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RSPCA to become 'less adversarial' under new boss

14 May 2016 

The new chief of the RSPCA, Jeremy Cooper, has said the animal welfare charity had become "too adversarial" and will now be "a lot less political".

A number of farmers and pet owners prosecuted or investigated by the RSPCA have accused it of being over-zealous in cases going back years.

In 2012, it was criticised for spending £330,000 to privately prosecute a hunt.

Mr Cooper told the Daily Telegraph the charity had made "mistakes" in the past and would now focus on "dialogue".

He said all future decisions on illegal fox hunting prosecutions would be passed to the Crown Prosecution Service and it was "very unlikely" the RSPCA would privately prosecute a hunt.

The charity's policy of bringing private prosecutions rather than referring alleged offences to the CPS had also been criticised in a parliamentary debate in 2013.

Although members of an Oxfordshire-based hunt pleaded guilty in 2012 to unlawfully hunting foxes with dogs in a case brought by the RSPCA, the presiding magistrate called the charity's costs "staggering" and said the public could question whether the money could have been better spent.

Mr Cooper said persistent criticism of the way the charity pursued its aims "hurts" and detracted from the "fantastic job" done by many of the organisation's 1,600 employees.

Asked how policy would change under his leadership, Mr Cooper said: "We should look to fall back on education and advice wherever possible.

"My style of advocacy is encouragement and dialogue... If you want to shout and use rhetoric, that's fine, but it isn't helpful to anybody.

"We have made mistakes. We have to be honest about that."

Mr Cooper said a less political approach "doesn't mean we won't stand up for animals. But we are not a political organisation."

Continued ...

Driver 'deliberately' mows down 17 kangaroos in Australia

The RSPCA has appealed for help in finding a driver who deliberately ran down seventeen kangaroos along a 330-foot stretch of road in Brisbane

By Jonathan Pearlman, Sydney

11:34AM GMT 01 Feb 2016

Authorities in Australia are searching for a driver who ran down and killed 17 kangaroos along a stretch of road where the creatures are known to feed at night.

The carcasses were found along a 330-foot stretch of road on the outskirts of Brisbane. Sixteen were dead but one was still alive and had to be killed.

"You can quite clearly see the tyre tracks where they've gone off the road to hit them"

"They've definitely been deliberately run over,” said Michael Beatty, a spokesman for the RSPCA. “You can quite clearly see the tyre tracks where they've gone off the road to hit them."

The RSPCA, which has the power to investigate and to initiate prosecutions, is investigating the slaughter and is appealing for any witnesses to come forward.

“You can clearly see the tyre marks where the person has driven from the left side of the road to the embankment on the road and killed five or six [kangaroos] and then done the same thing 30 yards later.”

The area is known for its large kangaroo population – estimated at about 3,000. At night, the kangaroos tend to feed on the rich grass along the sides of the road, which connects a men’s and women’s prison.

Continued ...

RSPCA warns rise of 'fad pets' inspired by popular films is leading to widespread neglect of exotic animals

The warning comes as the government announces the online sale of dangerous exotic pets like snakes, lizards and meerkats is to be regulated for the first time

By Laura Hughes, Political Correspondent

7:30PM GMT 25 Dec 2015

The rise of "fad pets" and impulse purchasing following the release of popular films is leading to the widespread neglect of exotic animals, the RSPCA have warned in the run up to Christmas.

When Harry Potter hit screens in the early 2000s, the RSPCA said they received a number of inquiries from parents looking to re-home owls.

The animal charity also saw a 191 per cent rise in the number of calls about meerkats, after the Compare the Meerkat advert was launched in 2009.

After the release of Finding Nemo in 2003, they said pet shops and breeders reported a 60 per cent rise in sales of clown fish, despite the message of the film's focus on how Nemo resisted being captured and kept in a tank.

The warning comes as the government announces the online sale of dangerous exotic pets like snakes, lizards and meerkats is to be regulated for the first time.

Current laws predate the large-scale sale of animals over the internet and there are currently no controls for those who set up online as individual traders.

Continued ...

RSPCA under fire as vets fix a tiny rodent’s tooth under anaesthetic

Some claim the procedure is pointless as the tiny field vole is likely to be eaten anyway

By Javier Espinoza

12:59PM GMT 20 Dec 2015

The RSPCA released the pictures of the operation

on Facebook Photo: RSPCA Facebook

The RSPCA has come under fire after it vets fixed the broken teeth of a tiny rodent, which is likely to be eaten other wildlife anyway.

"The RSPCAS policy on euthanasia is increasingly random as it kills healthy domestic animals while carrying out surgery on wild animals that'll soon die anyway."

Tim Bonner, chairman of the Countryside Alliance

The charity was quick to provide emergency dental treatment to a tiny field vole but this lead to many highlighting this was a pointless exercise because the rodent is likely to end up eaten once it is released into the wild.

The revelations are likely brings its euthanasia policy under renewed scrutiny as some argue the charity uses funds to treat animals that are not expected to live long.

A member of the public took the four-inch vole, which weighs about an ounce, to a centre with one of its incisors broken.

Vets at Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre, anaesthetised the rodent by creating a gas chamber out of a cotton bud box. Then they used small dental instruments to even out the teeth and allow the vole to chew food again.

Continued ...

RSPCA reports sharp spike in number of hedgehog rescues

Animal charity says that around double the usual number of hedgehogs are being brought in to be nurtured back to health

Steven Morris

Tuesday 25 November 2014 14.21 GMT

Some arrived when they were little bigger than a human thumb after becoming separated from their families, while others turned up bigger and beefier, but in desperate need of antibiotics for prickly little coughs. One creature had to be rushed in after a close encounter with a bonfire.

One of the hoglets at the RSPCA's West Hatch
centre in Somerset. Photograph: RSPCA

The animal charity the RSPCA is reporting a bumper year for hedgehog rescues with around double the usual number being brought in to be nurtured back to health before being released again into the wild.

“Nobody is sure why we have so many,” said Carol Noble, wildlife care assistant at the RSPCA’s West Hatch centre in Somerset as she carefully removed one of her charges from its bed of shredded newspaper for its daily weigh-in. “But they are certainly keeping us busy.”

Four rooms at the centre near Taunton are full of crates containing 60 snoozing, snuffling – and sometimes snapping – hogs.

Continued ...

Bigfoot sighting reported to RSPCA by timewasting caller

The RSPCA’S cruelty hotline is being overloaded by time-wasters, the charity reveals.

One man claimed to have spotted Bigfoot, while a wife shopped her husband for not walking their dog.

In another call a woman rang to report an animal being attacked – on TV in the film Call Of The Wild.

And one complained of birds sitting on telephone lines outside her home.

Hotline calls have risen 65% this year.

RSPCA chief inspector Dermot Murphy said: “We haven’t enough staff to deal with this.”

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bigfoot-sighting-reported-rspca-timewasting-2043237#ixzz2ZLKSj6Ff

Eight firefighters and RSPCA worker still can't get cat out of tree after four days

A TROUBLESOME cat stuck up a 65ft tree drew quite a crowd as eight firefighters tried to rescue the forlorn feline.

Five-year-old Narla, a cream and grey tortoiseshell, yesterday spent her fourth night stuck up a large oak tree in Royal Navy Avenue, Keyham, despite a two-hour attempt by specialist firefighters and RSPCA workers to free her.

Narla's owner Tracey Bull said she last saw her mischievous moggy on Tuesday morning.

She said: "I was told by a friend's son that Narla was stuck up a tree in Royal Navy Avenue – it's a good 10 minute walk from my house.

"It's awful to see her up there – she's crying. But she doesn't seem to have any intention of coming down. I can't fault the RSPCA and the fire service, they tried everything to get her down. I'm pretty confident they will rescue her today."

Eight firefighters from Camel's Head specialist rescue team were called to the incident at around 2pm yesterday.

Watch manager Nigel Toms said: "We unfortunately reached a point where it became unsafe to go on, so with the help of the RSPCA we put some blankets and food lower down the tree to entice Narla out. She is a very nervous cat and we seemed to attract quite a lot of attention today and because of the noise Narla wouldn't play ball. Eight firefighters does sound a lot but we need that many for safety reasons."

RSPCA Inspector Beccy Wadey, who was also at the scene yesterday, said Narla looked to be in good condition and was mobile. She said: "Yesterday afternoon we left blankets and wet food for Narla slightly lower down in the tree in an attempt to get her to come down. Narla has gone right to the end of a branch and it has not yet been possible to get her down. Eventually cats tend to come down of their own accord, but sometimes it does take them a while to work it out. We will re-attempt to free her today."

As The Herald went to press Tracey, Narla's owner, said her beloved cat was safely curled up on the blankets left for her by the RSPCA and firefighters.

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/firefighters-RSPCA-worker-t-cat-tree-days/story-17838260-detail/story.html

Heythrop Hunt members admit illegal fox hunting

Members of an Oxfordshire-based hunt that Prime Minister David Cameron has previously ridden with have been fined for hunting foxes illegally.

Richard Sumner and Julian Barnfield, of the Heythrop Hunt, pleaded guilty at Oxford Magistrates' Court to charges brought by the RSPCA.

Film gathered by anti-hunt monitors over four days during the 2011/12 season was played in court.

Sumner and Barnfield were the master and huntsman of the hunting group.

They pleaded guilty to four separate counts, on four separate occasions, of unlawfully hunting a wild fox with dogs.

Heythrop Hunt Ltd also pleaded guilty to four counts of the same charge.

'Landmark case'

The presiding magistrate called the RSPCA's £327,000 costs "staggering".

He said the public could question whether the charity's funds to bring the case to court could have been better spent.

Continued:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-20758022

Fox tried to eat hand of sleeping pensioner

In a letter in Country Life magazine Carey Tesler told how her 83-year-old father-in-law had asleep in a chair in the back garden when he woke by a “searing paid” to see a “mangy-looking fox eating his hand”.
 
When the father-in-law’s neighbour was also troubled by the fox, the neighbour telephoned his local council and asked them to come and get rid of the animal.
 
But he was left baffled to be asked if he still had the fox with him.
 
When the neighbour said no, the council officer replied: “Well next time you see this fox, throw a blanket over him, carry him into your car and drive him to your nearest RSPCA.”
 
It is not clear which council Ms Tesler is referring to, however she lives in London.

Continued: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/9584407/Fox-tried-to-eat-hand-of-sleeping-pensioner.html

RSPCA rescues 'embarrassed' fox with head trapped in floor

Builders discovered the animal's head poking out of a hole in a floorboard when they arrived to carry out renovation work on the room at the institution's de Havilland campus in Hatfield.

It is believed the fox had been trapped under the floor and spotted the hole as a possible escape route, only to discover it was not big enough for its body to fit through.

The builders called in the RSPCA to organise the rescue, and animal welfare officer Kate Wright admitted she was greeted by a 'very odd sight' when she arrived.

'Here was this fox's head poking out of a floor and he was so jammed he couldn't move, and I just had these big eyes staring at me,' she said.

'I actually think he had quite an embarrassed expression on his face.'

The builders used crowbars to lift the floorboard, which allowed Ms Wright to ease the fox's head free and transfer the animal to a cage, before it was released in a safe location.

She added: 'He was a beautiful fox, and although his neck was slightly swollen from being stuck, I think it was his pride that was hurt more than anything as he had been outfoxed by a hole.

'He ran off into the wild, and it was great to think that this was a successful rescue, even though it was one of the more unusual I have had to deal with.' 

Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/910347-rspca-rescues-embarrassed-fox-with-head-trapped-in-floor#ixzz25ZJtGNc3

N. Zealand school criticised for dead possum show

A New Zealand school that staged a morbid fashion show in which children were encouraged to dress possum corpses in colourful costumes has come under fire from animal lovers.

The contest, part of an annual fundraiser for the Uruti School in the North Island, was unacceptable and thoughtless, the New Zealand Royal Society for the Protection of Animals (RSPCA) said.

Children at the school fitted dead possums in a variety of costumes including wedding dresses and bikinis, then arranged them in comedy poses, such as riding a tricycle and painting at an easel.

"It's not something that can be justified, animals deserve respect whether they're wild, domestic or pets," RSPCA spokeswoman Jackie Poles-Smith told AFP Wednesday.

"We encourage empathy to all animals, even when they're dead, and it's a shame that a school is encouraging its children to do this."

The local Taranaki Daily News ran an online gallery of the dead marsupials under the headline "pimped-up possums" reporting an overwhelmingly negative reaction in its comments section, including "sick", "disgusting" and "psycho".

Continued:  http://uk.news.yahoo.com/n-zealand-school-criticised-dead-possum-show-054910506.html

Hedgehog stuck in tin of carrots rescued by RSPCA

A hedgehog is recovering in an RSPCA hospital after being found by the side of a road with its head wedged in an empty carrot tin.

The couple who discovered him cut one end of the tin off to allow the animal to breathe, before calling the RSPCA.

He was taken to the East Winch Wildlife Centre near King's Lynn, Norfolk, where staff managed to free him from the tin.

Photo:  RSPCA

The ordeal left him with minor wounds but a spokesman said the hedgehog was "resting comfortably".

Alison Charles, RSPCA centre manager, said: "This again highlights the dangers that litter can pose to wildlife.

"Incidents like this can easily be prevented if people just picked up their rubbish rather than throwing it away, and remembered to squeeze cans together before throwing them away.

"Had this hedgehog not been found he would have died a slow and painful death."

She added: "I am not sure why he chose a can of carrots to investigate. It is not the normal thing you would find on a hedgehog's choice of lunch menu.

"Perhaps he wanted to see better in the dark."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-18195580

Nature lover leaves wildlife haven to RSPCA – who sell it to be bulldozed and built on Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2136714/Nature-lover-leaves-wildlife-haven-RSPCA--sell-bulldozed-built-on.html#ixzz1tWUf3wRf

The greatest joy in the life of animal enthusiast David Brown was the wild habitat he owned opposite his cottage that was home to foxes, badgers, hedgehogs and squirrels. 

So when he wrote his will, Mr Brown chose to leave his property to the RSPCA – a charity he trusted.

But the RSPCA repaid his trust by selling the land to property developers, and last week, to the horror of his former neighbours, the habitat was flattened – in just 12 hours.

At least six trees, including two large oaks, were sawn down and the site reduced to muddy patch. 

For Mr Brown had made one crucial mistake in drawing up his will – he expressed the ‘wish’ that the area be maintained as an animal sanctuary rather than making it a legal condition of the will.

This technicality allowed the RSPCA to ignore his wishes and instead cash in by selling both the cottage and the land for £295,000.

Neighbours suspected something might be happening when, a week before the diggers moved in, a plaque screwed to a tree in David’s honour was removed and attached to the side of his former cottage. 

It read: ‘In loving memory, David, a good friend to us all. Not forgotten.’

Continued:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2136714/Nature-lover-leaves-wildlife-haven-RSPCA--sell-bulldozed-built-on.html

Dragon cruelty is among more than 100 RSPCA convictions

More than 100 people in the East Midlands were successfully prosecuted for animal cruelty in 2011, according to figures from the RSPCA.

The charity says the number of people being convicted for animal cruelty is rising across England and Wales.

Cruelty cases in the East Midlands have included two bearded dragons who were put inside handbags in a loft and left to die.

A border collie was also stabbed 13 times in a street.

Bonnie survived after being treated at Woodside Animal Centre, the Leicestershire branch of the RSPCA.

Lisa Smith, manager at the centre, said: "She is such a wonderful dog, it was heartbreaking to think she had been treated in such a cruel way."

The RSPCA was unable to trace the person responsible for stabbing Bonnie and the case was closed.

Read on:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17815146

Animal cruelty and neglect convictions rise, says RSPCA

The number of people convicted of animal cruelty and neglect rose by nearly a quarter in England and Wales last year, the RSPCA has said.

Cases included a dog stabbed repeatedly with a potato peeler and a blind kitten found dumped in a carrier bag.

The animal charity said it was facing a funding crisis as a result of having to deal with so many cases.

Its chief executive Gavin Grant said the charity showed "zero tolerance" to people who abused animals.

The RSPCA said other cases included a collapsed and emaciated dog dumped on Christmas morning and a dog which ate her dead mate to survive after being abandoned in a flat.

As well as a rise in those convicted under the Animal Welfare Act and other legislation, there were also increases in both the number of prison sentences imposed for animal cruelty and bans on keeping animals.

Read on:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17821630

Pedigree dogs suffering - RSPCA

Owners of fashionable pedigree pooches are unaware their "handbag dogs" could be "born to suffer", the RSPCA has said.


Research by the animal charity revealed many people believe pedigree dogs and puppies are healthy, quality animals that come from good breeding stock.

However, the dogs, which are primarily bred for their looks, are vulnerable to unnecessary disease, disability, pain or behavioural problems.

RSPCA senior scientist Claire Calder said: "Everyone needs to be aware of the serious health and welfare problems affecting pedigree dogs and that dogs bred for looks are born to suffer.

"A cute-looking puppy or dog can be hard to resist, but the result of not looking beyond this can be thousands of pounds spent on vets' bills and a pet with long-lasting health and welfare problems. This is one of the biggest challenges facing dog welfare in the UK today."

A survey commissioned by the charity found dog buyers are not doing enough research before getting a new pet.

Pollsters asked 2,127 people what they associate with pure-breed or pedigree dogs. The top six responses were that they are expensive, well bred, from good breeding stock, quality, responsibly bred and healthy

Victoria Stilwell, presenter and dog trainer from the TV show It's Me Or The Dog, said: "I have nothing against dog showing and nothing against responsible breeders.

"But what I do have something against is breeding animals just for the way we want them to look, even though that animal is compromised both physically and, a lot of the time, mentally. So we have to change. Why are we destroying these animals just because we like the way they look?"

The RSPCA is launching a campaign, Bred For Looks, Born To Suffer, in order to raise awareness of the issue.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5gLsQ-GVxBbF7rG6T-VhHyqt3MJzw?docId=N0518091324207602435A

Injured cat 'does a Lassie' to lead RSPCA to her newborn kittens

A cunning cat who was thrown out of a moving car led her RSPCA rescuer to her newborn kittens to save their lives, in a scene evoking memories of the TV adventures of Lassie the dog.

The pregnant cat, named Jolie by vets, was seen being cruelly dumped in the town of March, Cambridgeshire.

When the RSPCA found her, she was taken in to be treated for her injuries but had to be returned to the scene because it was clear she'd just had kittens, who had no chance of survival if left to fend
for themselves.

After being left back where she was found, the clever cat meowed loudly until the RSPCA officer began to follow her across a field.

'When she started to get really vocal at first I thought she was calling to the kittens, but then it became clear that she was actually calling to me,' Inspector Knight told Ely Weekly News.

'I began to follow her and she took me through the rear garden, across a ploughed field and into a farm yard. All the time she was calling me and waiting for me to follow.

'She then took me into an old farm machinery barn and led me to behind a stack of old wood and there were her four kittens.'

Inspector Knight said there was no way he would have found the kittens, who still had their eyes closed, by himself because they were so far away from where their mother was found.

The tiny kittens, who were badly dehydrated, are now at the RSPCA Block Fen Animal Centre, where they will stay until they are all fit and healthy and ready to be rehomed.
.
http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/877810-injured-cat-does-a-lassie-to-lead-rspca-to-her-newborn-kittens

Migrating birds rescued at Newgale after high winds

Hundreds of seabirds were left stranded on the coast after being blown off course as high winds and heavy rain cause disruption in parts of Wales.

The RSPCA rescued the Manx shearwaters, which were migrating to Argentina from their burrows on Skomer island off Pembrokeshire.

More than 400 ended up on cliffs and in the surf at Newgale in Pembrokeshire.

The charity said it was the biggest bird rescue in the area since the Sea Empress oil spill in 1996.

The birds - which usually fly off after dropping from island cliffs - were struggling to take off and were getting caught in rough sea.

Keith Hogben, an RSPCA inspector, said he found around 200 Manx shearwaters on the beach at Newgale on Tuesday morning.

"At this time of year, Manx shearwater nesting in burrows come out and go out to sea but unfortunately with all this stormy weather, a lot have been blown back into the cliffs and into the surf," said Mr Hogben.

"Some were on the beach, along with some gannets. We've rescued as many as we can.

"They're designed for swimming and flying, not built for taking off from land. They fall off the cliffs and fly away."

He said he hoped 70% would recover enough to migrate.

Of the 491 Manx shearwaters picked up by the RSPCA, 388 have been saved.

Officers sent 237 of the rescued birds to West Hatch animal centre in Taunton, Somerset, with another 151 set to be transported there on Wednesday.

"Unfortunately we had to euthanise 100 Manx shearwaters due to injuries or low weight, one fulmar and two gannets, which we euthanised at the beach," said Mr Hogben.

"That means so far we have around a 70 to 80% survival, which is really good because rescued wildlife often don't make it - they were very waterlogged, but quite alert and active."

Staff at the West Hatch centre are hopeful that most of the birds will survive.

Peter Venn, the centre's manager, said it had a reputation for dealing with large numbers of seabirds, and after the sinking of the MV Napoli in 2007, for example, it took in 1,000 oiled birds.

West Hatch is known for its expertise that goes back as long ago as the Torrey Canyon tanker disaster in 1967.

Mr Venn said he was anticipating about 300 birds, who will be washed, weighed and cared for until they are released in a few days.

Meanwhile, the RSPCA appealed for the public to notify them of any more distressed birds they came across, saying they were at risk from predators, the weather, shock and hypothermia.

"Juveniles may even be found further afield in Carmarthenshire and Fishguard in northern Pembrokeshire," said Mr Hogben.

"If you live in the area and do come across them, the best way to capture them without encountering their sharp beak is to throw something like a towel over them and then carefully put them in a box."

The number to call is the RSPCA's 24-hour helpline on 0300 1234 999.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14790237

Government backs cull of badgers

The Government has announced controversial plans to introduce a major badger cull in England to tackle TB in cattle.


The RSPCA said it was a "black day for badgers", claiming the scientific case to support the mass slaughter of the animals had not been made.

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman acknowledged there was "great strength of feeling" about the issue but told the Commons: "I believe this is the right way forward." More consultation will be carried out before any mass cull is allowed but the Government plans to carry out a pilot in two areas.

The Secretary of State said badger control licences would be issued by Natural England under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 to enable groups of farmers and landowners to reduce badger populations at their own expense.

If controlled shooting was found to be effective and humane, the policy could be introduced throughout England. Scotland and Wales set their own policy as disease control is a devolved issue.

Mrs Spelman hoped that her announcement would send a clear message to the farming industry, saying: "If culling is ultimately authorised, we will look to the farmers involved to show that they take their responsibility very seriously, and that they are committed to delivering culling effectively and humanely."

David Bowles, director of communications for the RSPCA, said: "This is a black day for badgers - a day we have been dreading. At a time when the Welsh Government has stepped back from a cull, the Government in England is slowly shredding its own animal welfare credentials."

The RSPCA said vaccination of badgers, increased levels of testing, improved biosecurity and stricter controls on the movement of cattle were more effective ways of eradicating bovine TB in cattle for good.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said nearly 25,000 cattle were slaughtered in England last year because of bovine TB, which cost the country £90 million.

The problem is particularly bad in west and south-west England, where 23% of cattle farms were unable to move stock off their premises at some point in 2010 due to being affected by the disease.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/badger-cull-combat-bovine-tb-030634161.html