A landmark case here in the UK has resulted in a £1,500 fine for a man who drowned a squirrel, bringing up the possibility of hundreds of other people across the UK potentially facing legal action.
Raymond Elliott pleaded guilty to drowning a grey squirrel after it raided his nut feeders out in his garden which were intended for the birds. A neighbour reported Mr Elliott to the RSPCA after the squirrel was drowned, resulting in legal action by the charity.
A spokesman for the RSPCA said:
“Drowning grey squirrels causes unnecessary suffering, as this case demonstrates. Realistically the only humane method would be to take the squirrel along to vet, as you would with a pet.”
However, the RSPCA have been roundly criticised for taking legal action. Tim Bonner from the Countryside Alliance said that the court action was merely an attempt from the RSPCA to push its animal welfare agenda, rather than being concerned about Mr Elliott’s actions being inhumane.
“Killing grey squirrels is a good thing – there are far too many of them and they threaten our native species and woodland. It is absolutely ridiculous that the RSPCA has spent thousands dragging this man through the courts when he was clearly unaware of the law.”
“They are using the courts as a propaganda vehicle.”
Even Carri Nicholson from Save Our Squirrels has come out in support of Mr Elliott:
“I feel very sorry for this man being prosecuted as most people don’t know the law and it’s not always clear what they should do.”
What do you think? Should the RSPCA have pursued this case in the courts and should a guilty verdict have been delivered?
Woburn Safari Park in Bedfordshire has come under fire from the government agency Defra following an inspection made back in January. The criticism relates specifically to the lion enclosure used overnight in the winter, with the report stating: “There were clear signs of fighting between the animals; the overnight house was inadequate in space provision [...]
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Next month on July 10 politicians in Spain are due to vote on whether bullfighting should be banned in the Catalonia region. With this in mind WSPA has recruited Ricky Gervais to front its campaign, with Ricky Gervais himself saying: “Sometimes the worst kind of cruelty is done in the name of entertainment. It sickens [...]
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The RSPCA has also been renowned for never turning away animals, whether found on the street or brought in by their owners who can no longer care for them. However, a funding crisis has brought about a change in this policy for the very first time. Instead they’ll be focusing on caring for animals which [...]
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Polar bears are normally known for patrolling to the Arctic ice but incredibly an exhausted polar bear has been spotted on the Isle of Mull on the West coast of Scotland. Dave Sexton, the RSPB officer patrolling the Isle, spotted the polar bear: “We rounded a headland on the west coast of the island and [...]
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Figures for last year have been published, showing that 2009 was one of the worst years on record for wild bird poisonings in Scotland. At least 27 protected birds of prey poisonings were recorded, with these figures also significantly lower than the reality as many poisonings go unreported. Amongst those 27 birds were: 2 Golden [...]
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The World Society for Protection of Animals (WSPA) has a new high-profile supporter in its campaigning for a bringing in a set of new international laws to protect animals. In Simon Cowell’s own words: “The World Society for Protection of Animals struck a chord with me, as it’s a global charity that recognizes the needs [...]
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In 1900 there were an estimated 45,000 tigers living in the wild in India’s many forests. By 1972, the year in which poaching was officially outlawed, tiger numbers had dwindled to 2,000. Today the Indian government claims that 1,411 tigers are still alive but this is a highly contentious figure. The real figure is likely [...]
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A new study, carried out by WWF, suggests a bleak picture for the Royal Bengal Tigers located along the along the Sundarbans coast in Bangla. As Colby Loucks, WWF-US deputy director of conservation science, says: “It’s disheartening to imagine that the Sundarbans – which means ‘beautiful forest’ in Bangla – could be gone this century, [...]
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Reacting to the tragic news that a trainer at the SeaWorld park in Orlando, Florida, was killed by one of its killer whales, WSPA has called for an end to the practice of keeping killer whales in captivity. The victim, Dawn Brancheau, was apparently grabbed from the side of the pool and pooled under water. [...]
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