RSPCA News

Young muntjac deer rescued from railings

25.02.12

A young muntjac deer got more than he bargained for earlier this week when out for a midnight feast by getting stuck in metal railings.

The stranded buck was thrashing around near Marsh Lane in the village of Curdworth near Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands on the morning of Monday, 20 February.

When RSPCA Inspector Daniel Cole arrived the deer had managed to pull most of his body and his four legs through the railings, but was stuck by his back end.

Deer back in the wild thanks to Warwickshire Fire and Rescue

With the assistance of a couple of locals, Daniel tried to free the deer using a car jack.

But when this was unsuccessful, he called for expert help in the form of Warwickshire Fire and Rescue.

They used special equipment which widened the gap in the railings, freeing the deer within minutes.

Daniel said:

Many thanks go to officers from Warwickshire Fire and Rescue as their help was invaluable with this rescue.

The deer was clearly distressed as he was making an alarming noise, screaming like a child.

With any wildlife rescue we do our utmost to keep the animal as calm as possible, preventing undue stress.

I put a towel over the deer's head which quietened him down.

He had sustained a few minor grazes but thankfully nothing major.

So once he was free it was in his best interests to allow him to immediately return to the wild.

Interesting muntjac facts

Muntjac deer were first introduced from China to Woburn Park in Bedfordshire in the early 20th century.
Deliberate releases and escapes from Woburn, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire led to feral populations establishing. They are now widespread in England.
They are generally solitary animals or can be found in pairs.
They are active 24 hours a day, but make more use of open spaces during the hours of darkness. Peak times of activity are at dawn and dusk.
After feeding, long periods are spent 'lying up', when the deer lies down to ruminate.
A common name for muntjac is 'barking deer' resulting from the repeated, loud bark given under a number of circumstances. An alarmed muntjac may scream, whereas maternal does and kids squeak.

More about our animal rescues

We rescue wildlife, farm animals and pets from all sorts of situations, from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

Read more about our animal rescues, plus get advice on what to do with injured wild animals.

Hero dog Hercules found in appalling state fights back

On road to recovery thanks to animal hospital staff

24.02.12

A malnourished lurcher found abandoned and injured had almost given up on life until he started to receive some tender loving care at our Birmingham Animal Hospital.

The thin, injured lurcher dog has been named Hercules as hospital staff consider him a hero.

Thought to be no more than one year old, Hercules came into the hospital in an awful state.

He had numerous wounds on his legs, a broken tooth and weighed just 13kgs, with a normal weight for the breed being between 20-25kgs.

Lots of TLC is helping Hercules to fight back

Hercules was found lying in a back garden in St James Road, Handsworth, Birmingham on Sunday, 12 February. He was unwilling to walk and seemed to have given up.

Blood tests have identified there is no underlying medical condition to explain his neglected state.

He now has moist dressings on three of his legs and is on a nutrition plan to build up his weight. He is also receiving two forms of pain relief and antibiotics.

But what is really helping Hercules to recover is all the love he is now receiving, which he is positively revelling in!

RSPCA Inspector Nicky Foster who rescued Hercules said:

Poor Hercules was not in a good way when I took him into Birmingham Animal Hospital.

To find such a young dog in such a poor condition was upsetting, especially as I did not know what his fate would be.

He had wounds on his knees, hocks and feet and many didn't appear fresh.

We don't know what caused the injuries, although it is always possible he was hit by a car.

We are all delighted about how well he is currently responding to treatment as he is such a sweet-natured dog.

He appears quite happy and relaxed in the hospital. Maybe this is because of the affection and attention he is receiving from staff. But maybe also because he prefers to be in the safe, warm environment of the hospital rather than in the environment he came from.

Do you recognise Hercules?

Please help our investigation

Nicky added:

"We would like to find out who owned Hercules and how he was found in such a poor state and ask anyone who recognises him to please get in contact."

If you have any information at all about Hercules, no matter how insignificant you think it might be, please get in touch by calling the RSPCA 24-hour cruelty line:
0300 1234 999.

Help us continue to rescue animals like Hercules

Our Birmingham Animal Hospital and Animal Centre is now very old and struggling to meet the demands of the number of animals that come through its doors.

It is moving to a bigger and better site so that we can continue to help more vulnerable animals like Hercules.

To find out how you can help, please visit our Leaps and Bounds appeal.

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

Enough is enough - we stand up for animals

Five ground-breaking pledges which we hope will change this country for animals forever.

23.02.12
This country may be known as a nation of animal lovers but we don’t always live up to that reputation.

So today, and for the first time, we’re making clear pledges towards significant long-term changes in animal welfare.

We are committing to:

Increase the proportion of UK farm animals reared in higher welfare systems.
End the overpopulation of companion animals and tackle related issues.
Reduce the number of exotic animals kept as pets and increase their humane care.
End euthanasia of any rehomeable animal.
Reduce the number of animals in the UK who undergo severe suffering when used in experiments.

Animals have suffered for far too long

Our new chief executive, Gavin Grant, said:

For far too long, animals in this country have suffered from people’s cruelty, ignorance or neglect, and unfortunately some of these problems are getting even worse.

Enough is enough, and that’s why we’re committing to doing our level best over the next five years to tackle some of these issues.

Take a stand for animals

We’re aiming to achieve our pledges over the next five years, and hope to publish annual updates on what has been accomplished.

Gavin added:

These pledges are bold but they’re achievable. They show the astonishing range of our work, from helping animals used in research to campaigning for better welfare for farm animals.

Make no mistake, there’s a lot to do so please take a moment to look at the pledges and have a think about how you can help because everybody across England and Wales can help make these pledges a reality.

Whether it’s just spending an extra few pence on higher welfare food, or giving an animal a loving new home, everyone can play their part.

For more information on what we’re doing to achieve our five pledges and how you can help visit: www.rspca.org.uk/pledges

The animals you will be helping…

The number of animals in this country may surprise many people.

More than 900 million farm animals are raised in the UK each year.
The UK pet population is estimated at 22 million owned pets (excluding fish) with about eight million cats and eight million dogs.
Animals are often used in research establishments as well, and in 2010 there were 3.72 million scientific procedures carried out involving animals.

Make the world a better place for all these animals.

Take the pledge!

Doggie defence!

22.02.12

The RSPCA has joined forces with the UK’s largest mail auditing company, Postal Audits, to help tackle the problem of how to deal with 'dangerous' dogs.

The company, that provide mail auditing, measurement and postal consultancy services, have donated £20,000 to help fund a role within our companion animal science department, to look at how to work with dogs with aggression or other behavioural problems.

At first the research will be used to help staff and volunteers working with animals in rescue and rehoming centres, but in the long term we hope the advice can be used by anyone coming into contact with dogs on a daily basis – such as postmen, district nurses, utility workers, home care and social workers.

6,000 postal workers injured a year

Derek Fairhurst, managing director of Postal Audits said:

The startling fact is that at least eight people have been killed in the last four years, and over 200 more have been seriously injured by dogs.

What we also see in our line of work is the staggering number of postal workers who are injured – around 6,000 a year. That is why we have funded this work with the RSPCA to try and tackle the problem head on.

Tackling the problem

The RSPCA is often the one left picking up the pieces when people fail to train and socialise their dogs properly. Irresponsible dog ownership leads directly to abandonments; injuries to both dogs and humans and a rise in so-called status dogs – where owners buy dogs that make them look tough or that can be used for fighting.

James Yeates, head of the RSPCA’s companion animal department said:

It is heart-breaking to have to deal with the fall-out of poor dog ownership and this donation will help us make a real difference to tackling this problem.

We know that dogs can show aggression because they feel threatened or have had negative experiences in the past, so we hope that this vital research will help protect both animals and humans in the future.

Scientific officer Jenna Kiddie has already started work at the RSPCA and has been out and about working with dogs in our centres across the country.

More information

Find our more about understanding dogs' needs in our dogs pages.
Read more about dog behaviour and check out our advice about dog aggression.
Improving dog ownership and welfare - find out what irresponsible dog ownership actually means.

Flipping fabulous cage-free egg pancakes!

21.02.12

This Pancake Day we're celebrating the fact that more than 50 per cent of eggs produced in the UK are now from cage-free hens, which makes for some flipping fabulous cage-free egg pancakes!

It's a massive step forward for animal welfare, especially when you consider that in 1995 more than eight out of ten eggs (86 per cent) were laid by hens kept in cruel barren battery cages.

But did you know hens are still kept in cages?

Not all eggs are cage-free

On the downside about 16 million hens in the UK are still kept in cages with less usable space than an A4 sheet of paper each.

After years of waiting, an EU ban on conventional barren battery cages came into force on 1 January 2012. But so-called 'enriched' battery cages are still allowed.

Remember to check the ingredients too

And we mustn't forget that many of the eggs from caged hens are used in catering at restaurants or as ingredients in ready-made meals and food such as cakes, sandwiches and ice-cream.

For Shrove Tuesday (21 February) supermarket shelves will be stocked with batter mix and ready-made pancakes, some of which could contain eggs laid by hens in cages.

Choosing cage-free eggs

Your shopping choices really do make a difference to the lives of millions of laying hens.

Eggs

All egg boxes are labelled with how the hens were farmed. Always choose these labels:

Freedom Food eggs
free-range eggs
organic eggs
barn eggs.

Eggs in ingredients

The following supermarkets use cage-free eggs in their own brand products:

Marks & Spencer (and all other products too)
Waitrose
Sainsbury's
The Co-operative.

Or look out for the following ranges which all use cage-free eggs as ingredients:

Extra Special range at Asda
The Best range at Morrisons
Finest range at Tesco.

More about eggs

To find out more, download our free guide:

Your guide to choosing cage-free eggs (2.81MB PDF)

Plus visit our laying hens campaign page where you'll find a tasty recipe for Rhubarb and Ginger Pancakes.

We hope you have a flipping fabulous Pancake Day!

Abandoned earless rabbits need good new homes

Fears rabbits' ears were cut off deliberately

20.02.12

We are appealing for good new homes for abandoned rabbits in Kent, including three whose ears are feared to have been cut off.

Two of the poor bunnies are white and were found dumped in Quex Park in Thanet, Kent, on Friday, 10 February.

One is missing half an ear and the other has both ears missing.

These two white rabbits were found along with a black rabbit who has both ears intact but had an infected eye.

Then, on Saturday, 11 February, a brown rabbit was also found with both ears missing.

The unfortunate foursome are currently being cared for by our Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone Branch until new homes are found for them as our Isle of Thanet Branch had no room.

Possibly a despicable act of cruelty

Cattery and small animals manager, Katie Harris, at our Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone Branch said:

We can't be completely sure, but we think that someone may have deliberately cut off the rabbits' ears and dumped them.

If so, this is an absolutely despicable thing to do to any animal and we would like to hear from anyone who thinks they might know who was responsible.

Housing donations and new homes sought for rabbits

As well as seeking loving new homes for the rabbits in its care, our Tunbridge wells and Maidstone Branch desperately needs appropriate rabbit housing as the animals are currently in temporary housing.

There is no room for any more rabbits likely to come into the branch's care over the next few weeks.

Katie added:

We really need to make sure we have enough housing, including large hutches, shelters and exercise runs for these rabbits and any others we take in.

Donations would be very welcome so we can continue to add to our rabbit accommodation.

And of course if anyone thinks they can offer a permanent home to any of our rabbits we would also like to hear from them.

How you can help

1. Adopt a rescue rabbit

The branch currently has six rabbits ready for rehoming.

As well as those mentioned above, Peter Rabbit, a brown lop-eared rabbit pictured right, is also looking for a new home.

He was found in Mote Park in Maidstone earlier this month.

So if you're thinking of getting a rabbit, please consider adopting two or more of these rescue rabbits. Bunnies are social animals which like to live in compatible pairs or groups.

You can find out more about rabbits and the care they need in our pets pages.

2. Donate rabbit housing

Any donations of appropriate rabbit housing or money towards rabbit housing would be very much appreciated too.

To adopt or donate, please contact:

RSPCA Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone Branch

Telephone: Katie Harris on 07595 997674

3. Help our investigation

If you have any information at all about what happened to the abandoned earless rabbits, no matter how insignificant you think it might be, we'd really like to hear from you.

Please call us in confidence on our 24-hour cruelty line: 0300 1234 999.

Thank you.

'Give it up for a pup' this Lent

18.02.12

This Lent, we're asking you to give up something you love for 40 days to help raise money for our Leaps and Bounds 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.

Give it up for a pup - are you up for the challenge?

So if your New Year's resolutions have fallen by the wayside, here's your chance to try again!

This year the 40 days of Lent start on Wednesday, 22 February and end on Saturday, 7 April.

But you don't have to do it for Lent. You can start your challenge whenever suits you.

All you have to do is...

Give up your one guilty pleasure in life for up to 40 days.
It can be anything from chocolate, smoking, your favourite tipple or even taking the lift.
Give a small donation to our appeal for every day you succeed.
You can donate anything from £1 to £40 or more. Every penny counts.
Raise £30 or more and receive a FREE Gastro Card.
This discount card gives you great savings in over 200 restaurants in the West Midlands.

Not only will you see a healthier and fitter you, you'll be helping to raise much-needed funds for our Leaps and Bounds appeal at the same time.

How to get started

Email us for your free RSPCA collection pot at:
elockett@rspca.org.uk

And then start making your daily donations.

At the end of your 40 days, there are four easy ways to submit your donation to our Leaps and Bounds appeal.

Donate online at: www.leapsandboundsappeal.org.uk
Call us on 0300 123 8001
Text 'RSPCA' to 70800
Each text donates £5 to our appeal and will cost your standard network rate.
Send a cheque made payable to RSPCA Leaps and Bounds:
RSPCA Leaps and Bounds Appeal
Queensgate
121 Suffolk Street
Birmingham
West Midlands
B1 1LX

And you can keep us updated on your progress at our Leaps and Bounds Facebook page or our Leaps and Bounds Twitter page.

Thank you and good luck!

Own goal for bedraggled badger

17.02.12

A bedraggled badger that was difficult to distinguish due to being so badly caked in mud has been rescued by the RSPCA from a football net.

Discovered on the morning of Monday, 13 February, trapped in the net on school grounds at Henley-In-Arden High School in Warwickshire. The young male badger has now had a much-needed wash and is barely recognisable as the same animal.

The badger was tightly entangled in the netting but still displayed a natural defence instinct, baring his teeth when RSPCA Animal Collection Officer (ACO) Simon Dix approached!

Simon put the youngster on a grasper and carefully cut him free but as he wasn’t able to remove all the netting from his body he was transported to Vale Wildlife Hospital in Tewkesbury.
Visit the website: Vale Wildlife Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre.

A much-needed wash

The netting was particularly tight around one of the badger’s front legs causing major swelling.

Under anaesthetic the netting was successfully removed and the badger received some pampering in the form of a warm shower.

Having received antibiotics and anti-inflammatory tablets the badger is coming on well.

It is hoped he will be released back to the wild within the week.

A preventable hazard

ACO Dix said:

This badger was in a really sorry state when I got to him and would have been unable to free himself without human help.

He could have been struggling all weekend which might explain his unkempt condition.

Netting such as goal nets pose a real hazard to our wildlife and sadly we get too many calls to injured wild animals that are trapped in them.

There is a really simple way to prevent this from happening and that is for nets to be removed after use and safely stored away. When we attend a call where a wild animal has died in netting it is so tragic and entirely preventable.

Anyone who finds an injured or trapped wild animal can call our 24-hour cruelty line on 0300 1234 999.

More information

Find out more about what to do if you find an injured wild animal.
Read more about our wildlife rescues.

We can't do it without you!

Please help us continue to do our vital rescue work - donate online.

Elusive duck entangled in litter freed by fellow mallard

Duck suffered unnecessary distress for over a month

16.02.12

A female mallard duck in Worcester who became entangled in a plastic can holder and evaded capture for more than a month has been freed by a fellow mallard.

We received many calls from concerned members of the public about the distressed bird, with the first report on 19 January.

Rescue attempts by RSPCA officers and the local swan rescue failed because she was still mobile and able to fly, and concerns began to grow for her welfare.

But as people were feeding the ducks at Gheluvelt Park in Worcester over the weekend, a drake stood on the plastic and off it came!

'Litter can have devastating consequences for wildlife'

RSPCA spokesperson Judith Haw said:

We are delighted that the duck is now free from the litter, however the duck's distress and discomfort was completely unnecessary.

We hope people will learn from this incident that a casually discarded piece of litter can have devastating consequences for wildlife.

Litter costs lives

How you can help

Cutting the loops of plastic can holders before putting into a rubbish or recycling bin can help to prevent incidents like this and save an animal's life.

Find out more ways you can help in our advice page - litter costs lives.

Could you foster a cruelty case dog?

15.02.12

We are looking for foster carers for dogs being cared for at two of our animal centres, while their owners are being investigated for cruelty.

The dogs are being cared for at our Southridge Animal Centre in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, and at South Godstone Animal Centre, in Surrey.

The dogs are usually kept in the kennels while the cases go through court, but the process can take months and the dogs cannot be found new homes until the cases have finished.

We have begun a scheme where the dogs are cared for in people's homes instead of in kennels until the cases have finished and the dogs are found new permanent homes.

Making a huge difference to a dog’s life

RSPCA animal welfare projects officer, Liz Andrews, said:

We are looking for experienced dog owners who are willing to take on a dog for a temporary period, understanding that they will have to give that dog back at the end so we can find him or her a loving new home.

The dogs need to be taken by the foster carer to see a vet every two weeks as part of the ongoing care while the investigation is carried out and the prosecution goes through court, but all expenses will be paid for by the RSPCA.

Foster carers can have their own pets at home if they get on with other dogs, but all other dogs at home must be neutered and vaccinated.

Liz added:

There are some things that people need to understand before they take on a foster dog. For instance, you can’t let them off the lead when you are out because they do still belong to someone else and we can’t lose the dogs.

And there is always a small chance that we may lose the case and the dog be returned to its owner, so all these things have to be taken into consideration.

But this is a wonderful thing to do, and really makes a huge difference to these dogs.

Can you help?

Anyone interested in fostering can contact Liz on 0300 123 0306 to find out more.

Potential foster carers will be visited at home by the RSPCA to talk about the role and will have to provide two references, ideally one will be from their current vet.

Would-be fosterers for Southridge Animal Centre should live within 15 miles of the animal centre in Potters Bar.

More information

Our animal welfare work wouldn’t be possible without you!

Find out more about fostering.
Read about other ways you can get involved.

RSPCA News

Young muntjac deer rescued from railings

Deer back in the wild thanks to Warwickshire Fire and Rescue

Interesting muntjac facts

More about our animal rescues

Hero dog Hercules found in appalling state fights back

On road to recovery thanks to animal hospital staff

Lots of TLC is helping Hercules to fight back

Do you recognise Hercules?

Please help our investigation

Help us continue to rescue animals like Hercules

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

Enough is enough - we stand up for animals

Five ground-breaking pledges which we hope will change this country for animals forever.

We are committing to:

Animals have suffered for far too long

Take a stand for animals

The animals you will be helping…

The number of animals in this country may surprise many people.

Doggie defence!

6,000 postal workers injured a year

Tackling the problem

More information

Flipping fabulous cage-free egg pancakes!

But did you know hens are still kept in cages?

Not all eggs are cage-free

Remember to check the ingredients too

Choosing cage-free eggs

Eggs

Eggs in ingredients

More about eggs

Related news articles

Abandoned earless rabbits need good new homes

Fears rabbits' ears were cut off deliberately

Possibly a despicable act of cruelty

Housing donations and new homes sought for rabbits

How you can help

1. Adopt a rescue rabbit

2. Donate rabbit housing

3. Help our investigation

'Give it up for a pup' this Lent

Give it up for a pup - are you up for the challenge?

How to get started

Thank you and good luck!

Own goal for bedraggled badger

A much-needed wash

A preventable hazard

More information

Elusive duck entangled in litter freed by fellow mallard

Duck suffered unnecessary distress for over a month

'Litter can have devastating consequences for wildlife'

Litter costs lives

How you can help

Related news article

Could you foster a cruelty case dog?

Making a huge difference to a dog’s life

Can you help?