Bristol Man Convicted Of Getting His Dog Drunk

A Bristol man has been the first person ever in the UK to be convicted of ‘the administration of poisons or injurious drugs to a protected animal’. Andrew Wilson forced his dog ‘Bronx’ to get drunk on Stella, and hit the Bull Mastiff cross over the head.

Full story: News:lite

New Website Launched To Help Enforce The Hunting Act

RSPCA:

A new website has been launched by leading animal welfare groups to help police officers and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) with the enforcement of the Hunting Act.

The website - www.huntingact.org - is a factual resource created by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) and the RSPCA….

RSPCA Rescues 70 Animals On Christmas Eve

RSPCA:

New homes are needed for 70 animals rescued by the RSPCA in Sussex on Christmas Eve after they were found living in poor conditions with a family who were unable to care for them properly.

Three dogs, 30 cats, 35 birds and two rats were removed from a house in Bexhill, East Sussex, during the afternoon of Wednesday, 24 December 2008…

Sea Shepherd To Return To Land To Refuel

Sea Shepherd News:

After chasing the Japanese whaling fleet for 2,000 miles from the extreme Western end of their hunting territory near Commonwealth Bay in the Australian Antarctic Territory, to the Eastern side of the Ross Sea, the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin has been forced to cut off the pursuit to return to land for refueling…

Credit Crunch Or Free Lunch?

Are people using the credit crunch as a good guilt free excuse to get rid of their unwanted pets? 

Teckels Animal Sanctuary in Whitminster has been inundated with abandoned animals from Christmas, leaving the centre with no choice but to turn away unwanted pets.

Teckels boss says that many people are handing over their animals saying that they can’t afford food: ‘But when I offer them free food, they make up another excuse’.

She also said that some people don’t want their dogs over Christmas as they want ‘peace and quiet’; others hand in their dogs to Teckles, only to pick them back up six days later (they can only be re-homed after 7 days), so that their dog has had free board and lodgings!

Read more: This Is Gloucestershire

Dogs up for adoption: Teckels

Conservationists Search For Escaped Beaver

Conservationists are searching for a six-stone beaver who escaped from a farm in Lifton, Devon and has been felling trees up to twenty miles away on the banks of the river Tamar. 

The beaver’s originally scarpered in October with two others who have since been caught.

Full story: BBC News

Prince Edward Faces Possible RSPCA Probe

Telegraph:

The Earl of Wessex faces a possible criminal investigation for animal cruelty after photographs showed him appearing to beat two gundogs with a stick during a royal pheasant shoot…

British Wildlife Struggle To Survive Due To Erratic Weather

The National Trust says that British wildlife is struggling to survive due to erratic and unseasonal weather, they warn that another wet summer in 2009 could spell disaster for our insects.

Full article: BBC News

Katherine Jenkins Ignores Anti-Fur Protest

Worthing Herald:

Katherine Jenkins has ignored boos from animal rights campaigners as she joined thousands of bargain-hunters at Harrods’ winter sale in London…

Isn’t Fox Hunting Supposed To Be Banned?

Today, the biggest day of the hunt calender, saw around 300 hunts blasting horns and setting off with their hounds to seek out and rip apart foxes; The Independent asks:

‘Has the hunting ban really changed anything, or should the law be redrawn?’