Whilst my main work is helping the refuges and associations involved with podencos and galgos, occasionally I feel driven to expose wrongs in the UK, from where I hail originally. This is one such occasion. First of all, please watch this video. Remember, this is 2013 in England - not 2013 in Asia! Afterwards, if you feel you want to take action against the perpetrators of these atrocities, please copy and paste the following letter into an email and send to the address given. (email to: animal.health@staffordshire.gov.uk) Thank you.
Animal Health Division
Staffordshire County Council
Wedgewood Building
Tipping Street
Staffordshire
ST16 2DH
Tuesday, 21st May 2013
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to you with regards to the appalling animal welfare standards on a farm in Staffordshire.
Hillside Animal Sancturay took video footage of this for the first time in March 2013. Hillside have contacted Staffordshire Trading Standards Animal Health Division and you did visit the farm. However, no action appears to have been taken.
Two months on, Hillside returned to find the conditions of the animals continued in the same appalling way; lame, injured and sick animals; carcasses of dead animals, even one piglet's carcass appears to have been half eaten; animals lying in their own faeces without bedding; sows in sow stalls and sheep similarly kept; and animals without free access to clean water. The link below shows footage of these animals first in March 2013 and then again in May 2013:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqFObU4v_gI
Clearly these standards of animal welfare are not acceptable and it has now been two months that these animals have to endure these conditions. One of your personnel can be heard clearly in the video saying that the video footage is not admissible evidence. However, I cannot believe that your officers have visited that farm and been around the animals' stalls and not seen the very same appalling conditions.
I have tried to contact Staffordshire Animal Health Division, but a recorded message says that no officers are available. I have emailed DEFRA as they too should be aware of what is happening.
As your intervention to this point has not improved the conditions of neglect, what further actions do you intend to take? These animals cannot continue to live like this.
I look forward to your reply.
Yours faithfully
(Your name, town, country)
My letter now sent.
Posted by: Beryl Brennan | 21 May 2013 at 02:18 PM
Disgusting, I will send the letter and email Defra as soon as I get back home. I will be making a donation to Hillside. It is brilliant what they do and I received a letter from them recently saying that they are really struggling to make their payments. This is really sad, they have so many rescued animals, including horses and they really need support.
Posted by: Kathryn | 21 May 2013 at 06:12 PM
Email sent... I find it so incredibly sad and pathetic that we STILL have to tell people, in 2013, how to behave like human beings... especially in a so-called "civilized world".
Posted by: Danielle Hart | 21 May 2013 at 06:45 PM
ok then i will contact in writing the council of that area but what worries me i know the out come for these animals they will all be slaughtered not the way to go if they can be saved i will also contact the rescue who did this vidio and ask if it would bo pos for them to rescue them and keep them once the decision been made to go ahead just done a letter to head man of one of our grey rescues here im disgusted and upset about what i learnt about another grey here its been bugging me and i have put pen to paper now and will be sending in a couple of days seeing as i didnt get reply via email
Posted by: jenny | 22 May 2013 at 08:24 AM
just emailed hill side animal farm asking them to take these farm animals when the decision is made and told them i can put a small donation through to them when they have these animals explained to them i do table tops and rely on people ggiving me things for to raise money for the spanish galgos and podenco rescues they have sent me a reply saying they will get bk to me and i have also subscribed to their mailing list they are actually about 140 mile from me at a guess
Posted by: jenny | 22 May 2013 at 09:06 AM
The thing is it's whether Hill Side can actually afford to take the animals. They are already unable to meet their costs as it is. I believe they have 200 horses, along with all the other animals, imagine the cost of feeding them and vets bills etc. It would be nice if they could take them but it must be a daily struggle just to survive with the recession and people not being able to donate as much. I hope it is a good outcome for these animals.
Posted by: Kathryn | 22 May 2013 at 11:08 AM
Thank you for making us aware of this, Beryl. Have done the emails and will share the video and appeal.
Posted by: Kate | 22 May 2013 at 01:28 PM
i seen on a comment after the vidio that some of these animals have now been moved an investigation is underway they say they have been moved to another farm
Posted by: jenny | 22 May 2013 at 03:11 PM
email sent this is an outrage an absolute outrage i cant understand all the foot dragging when animals are in this bad shape are they just hoping alll the animals will die so they dont or wont have to do their jobs or is it that they think noone is looking or cares? I also shared this action
Posted by: FlorenceE | 22 May 2013 at 11:24 PM