Sunday, 20 May - 12 noon - Ramsgate, Kent 

19.05.11  A protest rally to mark one year since live animal shipments started at Ramsgate port, provoking a tide of protest, is taking place on Sunday, 20 May at noon.

Compassion in World Farming and the RSPCA are backing the local groups organising the event, which will include representatives from the two charities speaking about the trade and how it can be ended.

We are urging people to come to the bandstand on Wellington Crescent in Ramsgate, Kent to find out more about live animal transport and how you can help end it.

Local people are strongly opposed to the export of live animals 

Ramsgate is the only British port currently being used for live exports to the continent* and opposition to the trade in the town is strong among local people and Thanet District Council, which owns the port.

Ramsgate port is obliged to accept shipments of live animals – mainly young calves and sheep, as it is a legal trade. 

Working together to put an end to this cruel trade

Compassion in World Farming and the RSPCA are working closely with groups in Ramsgate and Thanet District Council to stop the trade completely, but in the interim making sure that the welfare of animals being taken through the port is the top priority.

We are also working with farming and food industries and Euro MPs to find a long-term sustainable solution that enables animals to stay – and be reared - in the UK instead.

Dil Peeling, director of public affairs at Compassion in World Farming, will be speaking at the rally. He said:

We've been working with people in Ramsgate since live exports moved here last May and it's clear to us that there is overwhelming local opposition to this cruel trade.

For anyone wondering why we are so against live exports, the rally is an opportunity to find out.

It's also a chance for the people of Ramsgate to show they don't want these trucks using their ports.

An unwanted anniversary of shame 

RSPCA chief executive Gavin Grant, who will also be at Sunday's rally, said:

This is a sad anniversary, not only for Ramsgate but for the UK as a whole.

There is no good reason why hundreds of sheep and calves should be shipped to face gruelling journeys across Europe just to be slaughtered or kept in conditions which could be illegal here.

The RSPCA has fought against this trade for years and we will keep campaigning to end it for as long as it takes.

Regular RSPCA presence now at Ramsgate port

RSPCA inspectors are now at the docks for every shipment of the Joline, a slow-moving Russian ex-tank carrier which can take up to six hours to cross the Channel to Calais.
   
Inspectors check the condition of the animals on the trucks before they are loaded onto the ferry.   

The trade should be 'on the hook not on the hoof'

Both Compassion in World Farming and the RSPCA have pledged continued support to the people of Ramsgate in their attempts to rid their town of the shame of live animal shipments.

Both organisations believe the trade should be on the hook, not on the hoof.


Gavin continued: 

If meat needs to go to the continent then it should be on the hook not on the hoof.

Meanwhile our inspectors will be here to make sure the law to protect animals is enforced and that those abusing animals are brought to justice.

 

Join us at the rally

A march and rally in Ramsgate last August attracted more than 400 people and we're hoping to raise just as much support this time.

You can help us to end long distance live transport.

Meet us on:

• Sunday, 20 May 2012
  
• at 12 noon
• at the bandstand on Wellington Crescent in Ramsgate, Kent.

 

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Related articles

News

Our inspectors at Ramsgate port for first time in a decade A pledge of zero tolerance to welfare breaches at the ports

RSPCA Insights blog post

The beginning of the end for live animal transport at Ramsgate port    

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* According to responses by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to Freedom of Information requests by Compassion in World Farming.    
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Vets4Pets Discount Vaccination Day - Saturday, 9 June 2012

18.05.12 Cats, dogs and other furry creatures will all be encouraging their owners to take them to a Vets4Pets clinic on Saturday, 9 June for HALF PRICE vaccinations.

For one day only participating Vets4Pets clinics will be vaccinating pets for just £15 as opposed to the average price of £34.

The Discount Vaccination Day on Saturday, 9 June is in aid of our Leaps and Bounds appeal, to which Vets4Pets will be donating a proportion of the proceeds.

About our Leaps and Bound appeal 

Launched in October 2011, our Leaps and Bounds appeal aims to raise £3 million in just one year to build the country's first ever flagship RSPCA animal centre and hospital in Birmingham.
The new centre will provide fantastic specialist facilities for the animals that come into our care, seeing them right through from their rescue and rehabilitation to their eventual rehoming.

It will replace the current animal centre and hospital at Barnes Hill which is now very old and struggling to meet the demands of the high numbers of animals that come through its doors. 

Rewarding pet owners through backing our appeal 

Vets4Pets practice partner Andre Vieites, pictured with ex-Coronation Street star and Leaps and Bounds appeal manager Adam Rickitt, explains why Vets4Pets are supporting the RSPCA.

"The Vaccination Day is the first time we have supported such charitable causes in a big way.

"We wanted to make sure that we weren't only seen to be encouraging donations, but that we reward the loyal pet owners for their support by offering the £15 vaccination service."

£15 vaccinations is a fantastic offer for pet owners

A high turnout is expected on the Discount Vaccination Day, as Adam Rickitt explains:

In the current economic climate it is ever more important to help those who have been affected by the downturn.

The work the RSPCA carries out in this area is at capacity with the reduced giving we have received over the past three years.

It is great that Vets4Pets are not only providing this fantastic offer, but they are also supporting the RSPCA and our Leaps and Bounds appeal for the new animal welfare centre in Birmingham, the flagship facility for the Society.

Don't miss out - book your Vets4Pets appointment today!

To take advantage of Vets4Pets' generous £15 vaccination offer on Saturday, 9 June all you need to do is:

• Book an appointment at one of the Vets4Pets practices listed below.
   
• Quote 'LEAPS12'.

Vets4Pets Carrickfergus - Telephone: 02893 361 800 Vets4Pets Croydon - Telephone: 02086 546 400 Vets4Pets Dudley - Telephone: 0121 557 7711 Vets4Pets Harrogate - Telephone: 01423 886 666 Vets4Pets Northampton - Telephone: 01604 753 300 Vets4Pets Peterborough - Telephone: 01733 890 777 Vets4Pets Preston - Telephone: 01772 254 111 Vets4Pets Rayleigh - Telephone: 01268 772 283 Vets4Pets Sheffield (Birley Moor) - Telephone: 0114 253 1313 Vets4Pets Sunderland - Telephone: 0191 548 7200 Vets4Pets Sutton Coldfield - Telephone: 0121 354 1111 Vets4Pets Wakefield - Telephone: 01924 290 555  

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More information

• Learn why it is so important to vaccinate your pet.
   
• Find out more about Vets4Pets at: www.vets4pets.com
   
• Support and donate to our Leaps and Bounds appeal in other ways at:
  
  www.leapsandboundsappeal.org.uk

 

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17.05.12 We're calling on the people of Wales to join our campaign to improve the conditions for breeding puppies in the nation.
The Welsh Government is planning a new law for puppy breeding in Wales, but their proposals currently contain some significant flaws.
There are four key areas that we have particular concerns about, including how much time a puppy gets to socialise each day.
The consultation closes very soon on Wednesday, 23 May, so please make sure you act quickly.
Tell the Welsh Government what you think - act now!  

Our concerns over the proposals

We're concerned that the Welsh Government's proposals do not go far enough:

• The Welsh Government need to make a strong statement that all councils are expected to enforce the minimum animal welfare standards contained within the regulations and guidance. Lower standards can no longer be tolerated.
   
• The requirement for registration for a licence needs to be lowered from three breeding bitches to two.
   
• Microchipping all puppies and dogs at breeding establishments is a great step forward, but further legislation must be brought forward to ensure:
  
  a) mandatory microchipping is a requirement for all dogs in Wales
  
  b) associated data is robust, so there should be sanctions for not keeping a dog's data up to date.
   
• The proposal to increase the ratio of staff to dogs on site for an establishment should increase from the proposed one member of staff for every 30 dogs to one member of staff for every 20 dogs. 

These points are covered in more detail in the full RSPCA consultation response.

Share your opinion with the Welsh Government

Speak up for puppies in Wales Remember, the consultaion closes on Wednesday, 23 May.

More about RSPCA Cymru

At RSPCA Cymru we rescue, rehabilitate and rehome thousands of animals in Wales each year.
We offer advice on caring for all animals and campaign to change laws to protect animals better, which we will enforce through prosecution.   To see more RSPCA Cymru campaigns and keep up to date with all our news visit: www.rspca.org.uk/wales
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16.05.12 An RSPCA inspector is appealing for information after 'one of the tiniest puppies' she has ever dealt with was dumped with a ruptured eye, during the recent bitterly cold weather.
Little Bob measures just five inches from neck to bottom. He was abandoned last month in the car park of a vet’s surgery in High Street, Redbourn, St Albans.
The poor pup was believed to have been dumped overnight on 26 April and was found by veterinary staff the next morning.

Little Bob lucky to have survived

Little Bob had been left in a cardboard box, but had managed to get out, and was wandering around aimlessly in the car park.
To make matters even worse, Little Bob was dumped with a ruptured eyeball, completely emaciated and suffering from sarcoptic mange.
His eye injury was so bad that it sadly had to be removed by vets, as nothing more could be done to save it.
RSPCA Inspector Mel Fisher, said:

Poor Bob - he is absolutely tiny, and fits in the palm of your hand. He is only around eight weeks old and is probably the tiniest puppy that I have known to be abandoned.

He was dumped during some horribly cold weather, and on top of that he had his ruptured eye and was so skinny, he is a very lucky pup to have survived.

He really has been through it all and he is currently suffering from sarcoptic mange and is riddled with worms.

I cannot believe that someone would do this to such a poor innocent animal.

But he is a fighter and is pulling through and I just hope we can find the person responsible for dumping him.

  Bob is currently being cared for by fosterers as he needs further veterinary treatment.
He weighs just over a kilo and he is currently wearing a dog coat which was made from a woolly hat that was cut in half.
 

Appeal for information

Can you help?

If you have any information about Little Bob, no matter how insignificant you think it might be, we'd really like to hear from you.
Please call the RSPCA 24-hour cruelty line: 0300 1234 999. All calls are treated in the strictest confidence.

Thank you.

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Horrific case of animal cruelty

16.05.12 A woman who left her collapsed Akita dog with maggot-infested wounds out in her garden to die has been banned for life from keeping animals.
Medway Magistrates today heard that Julie Helen Walker of Gillingham, Kent, left her 12-year-old Akita named Ruby to die in the back garden.
When Ruby was found she was emaciated, infested with maggots and suffering from painful ulcers and an eye condition that made it agony even to blink.

Ignorance is no excuse

Walker was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to the dog in August last year at an earlier hearing.
When RSPCA Inspector Caroline Doe arrived at the house she found Ruby collapsed and unable to stand. She told the court:
 

I have never before seen a dog in such a terrible condition. I could literally smell her rotting away, yet she was still alive.

Ruby was taken straight to a vet and immediately put to sleep to end her suffering.
Walker was asked to contact us but ignored all the messages. When Caroline eventually got to interview Walker she was told that she did not realise Ruby was so ill.  

Justice for Ruby

On Monday, 14 May the court gave Walker a 26-week jail sentence, suspended for two years.
She was ordered to pay £3,000 costs, given an electronic tag and ordered to observe a curfew from 7pm to 7am for six months.
Caroline added:

There was simply no excuse for the horrendous way this dog suffered. There is always help available if people can’t cope.

 

Rising tide of animal cruelty

We recently reported a rising tide of animal cruelty.
Whilst we show zero tolerance to animal abusers, as a charity, we're struggling to keep up with the demands on our resources.
Please, help us to continue to prevent cruelty to animals by making a donation online today. You can make a difference to an animal's life.

Thank you. 

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16.05.12 Members of the RSPCA are now invited to vote in the 2012 RSPCA national Council election.

The RSPCA Council comprises up to 25 volunteers elected to serve as the charity trustees of the Society.

Fifteen national Council members are elected by the votes of RSPCA members and serve for three years, retiring on a rotational basis.

This year, there are five vacancies for national Council members to be filled and nominations have been received as follows, in alphabetical order: 

• Mrs Margaret Baker
• Mrs Christine Beaumont Kerridge
• Mr David Canavan
• Mr Kenneth Instone
• Mr David Mawson
• Ms Jane Tredgett.

How members can vote

RSPCA members have the option to register their votes online or by post.

Instructions on how members can register their votes are included in the election material sent to them.

Voting closes at 3pm on Tuesday, 12 June 2012.

Results to be announced at AGM

The results will be announced at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday, 30 June 2012, which is to be held at:

The Imperial War Museum
Lambeth Road
London
SE1 6HZ
Find out how RSPCA members can apply for admission tickets to the AGM. Applications must be received by Friday, 15 June 2012.
 

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Not an RSPCA member? Why not join us today.
 

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An innovative way to support animal welfare

15.05.12 We are the first charity in the UK to launch its very own mobile phone service.

RSPCA Mobile offers a new way to support us with up to 15 per cent of the value of all your top ups helping us fight animal cruelty.

The RSPCA Mobile service is hosted in partnership with Shebang Technologies Group Limited - one of the largest independent mobile phone connectors in the UK.

And throughout the month of May, Go Mobile and Affordable Mobiles.co.uk (both owned by Shebang) will also be donating £1 for every RSPCA Mobile phone contract connection.

Benefits for you

We offer a range of pay as you go mobile phones and accessories to suit your needs.

• Phone calls and texts are up to 40 per cent cheaper than the UK's major networks.
   
• Plus you get 99.8 per cent UK coverage.

Keep your number

It's really easy to bring your existing phone number to RSPCA Mobile.
 

Keep your phone

You can also keep your existing mobile phone and just get an RSPCA Mobile sim pack.

Whatever you choose to do, we'll help you every step of the way.

'A simple way to incorporate giving into your expenditure'

RSPCA Corporate Account Manager, Andrew Lyons, says:

As for many charities, this is an incredibly tough time for the RSPCA so we are always working on new fundraising ideas.

Statistics recently released by the RSPCA show that we have seen an increase in the number of calls we are receiving and the number of animals that need rescuing and caring for.

Costs are increasing all round and at the same time, members of the public are also feeling the squeeze and finding it harder to make donations.

The RSPCA Mobile service offers a very simple way for people to incorporate giving into their everyday expenditure.

Join RSPCA Mobile today! 

We need your support more than ever so that we can continue to be there for animals in need.

So please consider switching to RSPCA Mobile. To find out more visit:  www.rspcamobile.co.uk

And watch out for pay monthy options coming soon!
 
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15.05.12 This year's RSPCA Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held at:

The Imperial War Museum
Lambeth Road
London
SE1 6HZ

Date: Saturday, 30 June 2012
Time: 11am to 1pm (registration from 10.15am)

AGM admission tickets

Members of the RSPCA can apply for admission tickets by writing to:

Chief executive
RSPCA
Wilberforce Way
Southwater
Horsham
West Sussex
RH13 9RS.

Applications for AGM admission tickets must be received by Friday, 15 June 2012.
 

Meeting agenda

The aims of the meeting include:

• to receive the Trustees' Annual Report and Accounts for 2011
• to report the results of the elections to Council
• to consider any approved resolutions.

Notice of any resolutions must be sent to the chief executive at the RSPCA (address as above) and received no later than Friday, 1 June 2012.

Read our guidance on resolutions proposed by members (PDF 43.2KB).   

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Not an RSPCA member? Why not join us today.
 

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Horse crisis continues

14.05.12 We've launched an emergency appeal to find foster homes for hundreds of young horses as the number in our care has doubled in the past year. We are currently looking after 600 ponies and horses which have suffered neglect and cruelty and almost half of them are youngsters.
To tackle the growing horse crisis we have launched our stable future appeal to find fosterers to temporarily look after some of our 270 youngsters which are too young to be ridden.
Sally Learoyd, our equine rehoming officer, said:

Over the past year we’ve seen a huge increase in the amount of horses being disowned or allowed to get into an appalling state because the trade in horses has collapsed.

Young horses being sold in pubs for pocket money prices

Sally added:

I’ve heard of young horses being sold for £5 – less than the price of a bottle of wine.

I’ve heard of horses being bought and sold in pubs and we’ve come across a case of someone keeping a horse on a tower block balcony and feeding it on kitchen scraps.

We have a never-ending tide of young horses coming into our centres. Fostering our youngsters is a way that horse lovers can help us with this problem.

  The recession, rising hay costs and irresponsible breeding are thought to be to blame for the rising number of horses being neglected and abandoned.
We found new homes for a record number of horses over the past year but we simply cannot keep up with the flood of animals which need our help because of terrible neglect and cruelty.
We face a huge £3.2 million bill just to care for the influx of ponies and horses which does not include vet bill or prosecution costs.

What you can do to help

To help ease the crisis we are urging horsey heroes to foster one of our youngsters until they are old enough to be prepared for work and we can find them a new home.
Sally said:

Fostering is a great way for people to have the enjoyment of being around youngsters whilst helping us out in the short term.

Just like teenagers, these young horses need experience of life, a day-to-day routine and a guiding hand.

Being a fosterer is a really rewarding experience. You can see these youngsters’ personalities change and develop as they grow.

 

Become a foster carer

The youngsters available for fostering are aged between one and three and are all happy, healthy and handleable.
All of our youngsters are microchipped, will have passports and tetanus vaccinations.
  If you're interested in being an equine foster carer you must have experience handling horses, grazing and be able to take in a youngster for a minimum of six months.
If you're happy with our fostering criteria, and you're ready to make your application, find out how to apply.

Make a donation

Animal lovers who can’t take on a foster horse can also help by:

• Donating tack
  Caring for so many horses, ponies and donkeys puts a big strain on our equipment so we are always in need of donated goods.
   
• Give a monetary donation
  It costs us at least £5,000 to care for, rehabilitate and rehome each horse. Your support is vital.

Thank you. 

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12.05.12  This poor fox cub needed a helping hand recently after becoming entangled in brambles in a cemetery in Sketty, South Wales.
 
The cub was spotted at the cemetery on Carnglas Road in Sketty, near Swansea, by a member of public.

The animal's neck had become entwined in the brambles and the young fox was unable to free itself.

The member of public called for our help and was able to monitor the situation until we arrived to rescue the cub.
 
After being safely cut free, the fox cub was checked over by a vet and boarded briefly at our Llys Nini Animal Centre.

The young fox was then released in the same spot by an RSPCA inspector, before disappearing quickly into its den.

Spring is a busy time for wild baby animals

Think twice and seek advice if you spot one

RSPCA Animal Welfare Officer Andrew Harris said:

It's still spring and Britain's fox cubs are still out and about having a play - occasionally getting into trouble like this little fellow.

We would urge anyone who spots a cub or fox in distress such as this one to call us, and to try their best to monitor the situation while keeping a safe distance just as the caller did, until we arrive.

 

More wildlife advice and information

For more expert wildlife advice visit our dedicated pages:

What to do with injured wild animals What to do with orphaned wild animals

If you find an injured wild animal, or think a wild animal has been orphaned or abandoned, call our 24-hour cruelty line: 0300 1234 999.

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Your support

Without your support we would not be here to rescue animals in need like this fox cub.

There are many ways you can support us, including making a donation to help fund our vital animal welfare work.

We can't do it without you. Thank you for your support.

 

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