I strongly believe that the comments made by Moira Delia are well-founded and it is great to learn that she produces and presents the first-ever programme shown on national television to focus exclusively on animal welfare.
She talked to Raphael Vassallo about how too much kindness can sometimes result in cruelty. And how profound and true, that well-meaning ignorance can be the greatest killer, unless controlled.
The UK is hopefully taking steps to improve our animal welfare issues regarding animal rescues through secondary legislation.
As an invited consultee in the Animal Welfare Bill Consultation (2002) we at Safewings Wildlife Conservation Projects put forward our proposals to improve the animal welfare issues relating to animal rescue and wildlife rehabilitation.
The Animal Welfare Act was introduced in April 2007 and further amendments will be introduced to improve the AW Act under secondary Legislation.
Therefore it is paramount that certain important issues pertaining to animal welfare are fully supported and are not ignored in Parliament.
We are hoping to get full support in seeing key factors introduced and we are seeking help from all animal welfare and animal rights groups and organisations that have a real belief in improving the welfare of animals being kept in captivity, be it domestic animals, livestock, equines or in the rehabilitation of wildlife.
But this cannot be achieved by word of mouth alone and we ask for the support of the media to highlight our petition calling for animal welfare improvements.
At the beginning of March 2009 we submitted a petition for consideration to the Gov Petition site it has of 11th March 2009 now been accepted and can be viewed at: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Pet-wildlife-sep/
Our petition reads: “We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Define and separate wildlife rehabilitation from domestic pet rescues. The new Animal Welfare Act has not addressed the issues relating to animal rescues/sanctuaries. Although this may be addressed through secondary legislation, certain important issues need to be implemented now. It has become all too easy to set up an animal rescue/charity with no experience and for these persons to take in all manner of animals from pet mice through to horses. There are no restrictions to separate those who take in both domestic and wildlife and it is paramount that new legislation separates domestic animal rescues from wildlife rehabilitation centres.
Wildlife rehabilitation is a very specialised field and needs to be kept separate from domestic animals.
Combining both domestic and wildlife on one premises is both stressful to wildlife and can see the spread of disease.
Andrew Meads
Safewings Wildlife Conservation Projects, UK
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