The RSPCA
31st. March 2001

Call to End Unnecessary Cull

The RSPCA has written to MAFF urging it not to slaughter animals that have no proven link to foot-and-mouth disease. 

The Society insists that the current speculative cull is a "step too far" and only animals that have a clear link to the disease - such as sharing a market or being in very close proximity to an outbreak - should be killed in an effort to stop the spread.

Animals are being killed in the hope of slaughtering 'missing' stock that cannot be traced back to markets known to have traded in infected animals.

No link

RSPCA chief veterinary officer Chris Laurence said: "This disease outbreak is extremely serious and we understand that drastic measures are necessary. However, we do not accept it is necessary to kill animals with no proven link to the disease, it is simply a step too far”.

"This crisis has reinforced the Society's belief that we must have a far more effective system in place to record the movement of sheep. The current system clearly hasn't worked”.

"If there are speculative culls the government risks killing the wrong sheep in the wrong place." 

Army help

The Society has also urged MAFF to employ the army's services to help build pyres, dig trenches and provide food and shelter to sheep in outlying areas. 

Mr Laurence continued: "It is quite clear from our contact with farmers that skilled and unskilled manpower is desperately needed in the countryside to help avoid animal suffering and also to ensure that carcasses are disposed of quickly and effectively. RSPCA staff are already fully-stretched providing such assistance."

RSPCA staff, including vets, nurses, farm animal livestock officers and inspectors have volunteered their services to help in the crisis - covering areas from lambing to the supervision of slaughter.

In Lincolnshire and East Anglia inspectors and animal collection officers have been working around the clock to help provide feed and shelter to stranded ewes and assist them with lambing. In Devon inspectors have also worked alongside farmers moving stranded sheep in accordance with MAFF guidelines.

Their web-site is:
http://www.rspca.org.uk/content/news.storyd.htmls

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