World’s Loneliest Sheep – Ambaasador for Mental Health Message
A sheep which shot to stardom last month when she was rescued after two years living at the bottom of some remote cliffs, is now helping to encourage steps to prevent loneliness in the agricultural community.
The Scotch Mule cross Charollais ewe was named Fiona by the team of friends; Graeme Parker, Als Couzens, Ally Williamson, James Parker and Cammy Wilson of The Sheep Game, who rescued her after she became known as the “world’s loneliest sheep” when Jill Turner spotted her while kayaking near the base of the cliffs.
The story of Fiona’s rescue attracted interest from the media around the world, with numerous TV stations and newspapers running the story – from CNN and the New York Times to the Sydney Herald.
She is now enjoying life – and lots of company – at Dalscone Farm, Dumfries where she is now helping to raise the profile of RSABI’s #KeepTalking campaign and the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs’ AreEweOK? mental health message.
“Fiona settled in here straight away and she’s doing really well,” said Ben Best, who runs Dalscone.
“We’re delighted that not only has she helped to raise £11,000 for RSABI and the Scottish SPCA, thanks to donations from people keen to help, she is now also helping to spread the word about such an important message at this time of year.”
Carol McLaren, Chief Executive of RSABI, said: “We know there can be a lot of loneliness in the farming community, particularly at this time of year, and the #KeepTalking campaign highlights how important it is for people to keep in touch and keep an eye out for anyone who could be feeling low or lonely.
“We know that just a little kindness can make a massive difference for someone who is struggling.”
RSABI offers free practical, financial, and emotional support including counselling services, delivered quickly after receiving the initial enquiry.
Its free confidential support service is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year, by calling 0808 1234 555 (calls won’t show up on phone bills) or through a confidential webchat service, available on RSABI’s website www.rsabi.org.uk.
You can find further information on the RSABI website www.rsabi.org.uk.
‘American XL Bully’ dogs will be banned following a series of horrific attacks, the UK Government announced yesterday (15 September).
On the back of a number of shocking ‘American XL Bully’ attacks, the Environment Secretary will urgently convene experts to define the ‘American XL bully’ breed type in the next week.
This is a vital first step towards adding it to the list of dogs banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
This group will include police, canine and veterinary experts, and animal welfare stakeholders.
Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said: “Dog attacks are devastating for victims and their families and it is clear that more now needs to be done to stop them and protect the public. That is why we are taking decisive action to ban the American XL Bully.
“This is on top of the work the Government has been doing for some time with the police and local authorities to encourage responsible dog ownership and make sure the full force of the law is being applied.”
Under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, a definition of the ‘American XL Bully’ breed type needs to be specified – including clear assessment criteria for enforcement authorities – in order to impose a ban.
The Government must then lay a Statutory Instrument to add it to the list of dogs banned under the Act. This will make it an offence to own, breed, gift or sell an XL bully. We will do this by the end of the year.
We need to safely manage the existing population of these dogs, therefore there will be a transition period. Further details on how the transition period will work will be provided in due course.
Current XL Bully dog owners do not need to take any action at this stage however, if XL Bully owners do not come forward during the transition period, they will be committing a criminal offence if they are subsequently found to be keeping one of these dogs.
Owners whose dogs are dangerously out of control are already breaking the law, and we already have a full range of powers to apply penalties to them. Under the Dangerous Dogs Act, people can be put in prison for up to 14 years, be disqualified from ownership or their dangerous dogs can be euthanised.
The Dog Control Coalition – which is made up of RSPCA, Blue Cross, Battersea, Dogs Trust, Hope Rescue, Scottish SPCA, The Kennel Club and British Veterinary Association – has long campaigned against banning specific types of dog, which fails as a solution to this urgent problem.
The Coalition, in a joint statement, said: “The recent incidents are deeply distressing and our thoughts are with all those involved and affected.
“The biggest priority for everyone involved is to protect the public – but banning the breed will sadly not stop these types of incidents recurring.
“For 32 years, the Dangerous Dogs Act has focused on banning types of dog and yet has coincided with an increase in dog bites and the recent deaths show that this approach isn’t working. The UK Government must tackle the root issue by dealing with the unscrupulous breeders, who are putting profit before welfare, and the irresponsible owners whose dogs are dangerously out of control.
“The coalition urges the Prime Minister to work with them to fully understand the wide-reaching consequences of his decision to ban American bully XLs, which will have significant impacts on owners, the animal welfare sector, vets, law enforcement and the public.
“It is also critical that any policy designed to protect public safety is based on robust evidence and we are deeply concerned about the lack of data behind this decision and its potential to prevent dog bites.”
Further detail on next steps for developing a ban and information for owners will be provided in due course.
The use of snare traps could be banned as part of new plans to protect vulnerable wildlife and promote sustainable wildlife management.
The Scottish Government is seeking the public’s views on whether an outright ban should be put in place or if any exemptions should be considered. A snare is a thin wire noose used for catching a wild animal for the purposes of wildlife management.
The consultation is also asking for opinions on extending the investigative powers of the Scottish SPCA – a new measure which will help tackle wildlife crime. This will involve giving SSPCA inspectors more authority to search, examine and seize evidence related to incidents of illegal hunting and other offences related to wildlife persecution.
Environment Minister Gillian Martin said:“Snare traps lead to unnecessary suffering for animals and these proposals are part of our ongoing efforts to ensure that wildlife management is both sustainable and humane.
“Currently, only a small number of farmers and land managers use snare traps. More effective and humane forms of managing wildlife are available and we will continue to support the industry to make use of these methods.
“Wildlife crime and the illegal killing of wild mammals continues to blight our rural communities. By extending the investigative powers of SSPCA inspectors, we can ensure that the destructive impact that these criminals have on our environment is diminished and that they are brought to justice.”
Scottish SPCA Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said:“The Scottish SPCA strongly supports this announcement by the Scottish Government. As Scotland’s animal welfare charity, we have long called for an outright ban on the use of snares due to the level of suffering an animal is caused.
“Animals that are caught in snares can be caused unimaginable physical and mental anguish. Following reports from members of the public, we have found domestic animals, protected species and target animals that have all suffered dreadfully in both illegal and legal snares.
“A ban on all snaring is the only way to stop this unacceptable suffering. We are very pleased with the announcement of a ban, which will be a historic moment for animal welfare in Scotland.”
Subject to consultation, the new provisions would be included in the Scottish Government’s upcoming Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill which will aim to protect the environment and help end the persecution of birds of prey.
The consultation will run for 6 weeks from 22 August to 3 October 2023.
The League Against Cruel Sports Scotland has welcomed yesterday’s (Tuesday) announcement by the Scottish Government that it will consult with a view to banning snares.
The consultation, which will form part of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill, will seek views on whether an outright ban should be put in place for the use of snares, or if any exemptions should be considered.
A snare is a thin wire noose used for catching a wild animal, most commonly used for predator control on shooting estates.
Robbie Marsland, Director of the League Against Cruel Sports, Scotland, said: “The League has been proud to join the loud and anguished call over many years for the use of cruel, primitive and indiscriminate snares to be banned.
“While we welcome and applaud the Scottish Government’s intent to consider a ban, we are under no illusions the strength of feeling among those who wish to use snares in the countryside.
“The Government will face fierce opposition to these proposals but the arguments to outlaw their use once and for all, far outweigh any arguments to continue using this as a method of trapping and killing hundreds of thousands of wild animals, and non-target species, every year.”
The consultation is also asking for opinions on extending the investigative powers of the Scottish SPCA – a new measure which will help tackle wildlife crime.
Robbie Marslandadded: “Our field workers have had to document and photograph an appalling array of mutilated foxes, exhausted badgers and even snared cats and dogs in order to demonstrate why these devices should be consigned to history.
“But with snares gone, the killing will continue. While we welcome the removal of one cruel and inhuman method of killing, we still deeply question why hundreds of thousands of animals will continue to be killed each year to make sure there are more grouse to shoot for sport.”
The consultation will run for six weeks from late August until the beginning of October 2023. Following this, the new provisions would be included in the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill which is currently at Stage 1 in the Scottish Parliament.
Scottish SPCA officers recently rescued a bearded dragon after the lizard was dumped in a bin by their owner.
They were called to student accommodation on Hillside Crescent, where a shocked member of staff had found the reptile in a communal bin on 6 July.
Senior animal rescue officer, Sarah Auldsmith, said, “The poor bearded dragon had been left in a large communal rubbish bin but luckily it was found by a member of staff.
“Some international students had recently moved out and it’s suspected one of them left the lizard behind. Unfortunately, as they have now returned overseas we have no way to trace them.
“We appreciate people’s circumstances can change but this is not the right way to deal with an animal you can no longer care for,” she said.
“Thankfully, the reptile was unharmed and they have now been taken to one of our animal rescue and rehoming centres to receive the care they need.”
Bearded dragons are native to Australia but are one of the most popular lizards in captivity in the UK and usually live for 10 or 15 years.
Ms Auldsmith said that due to the condition it was in when it was found last week at the accommodation on Hillside Crescent, it had clearly been cared for before being discarded.
If anyone is concerned about an animal, they can contact the Scottish SPCA on their confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.
Charities are being invited by Scotmid to become its new Charity Partner for 2022/23.
The community retailer is looking for an organisation that shares its values and passion for supporting local communities and would like to build a creative and fun partnership to encourage participation and fundraising from staff, members and customers alike.
With a presence in Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland, the partnership must be able to span a wide geography.
Over the last 20 years, Scotmid has raised millions of pounds for their Charity Partners, including the Scottish SPCA, Samaritans, ChildLine and Alzheimer Scotland.
John Brodie, Chief Executive of Scotmid, said: “Our Charity Partnerships are incredibly important to us. Partners benefit from both an exceptional level of fundraising and extended support in their cause from our colleagues and communities.
“We are excited to hear about projects that can benefit our communities from new potential charity partners.”
Scotmid’s current Charity Partner is Children’s Hospice Association Scotland, better known as CHAS. Funds raised through the partnership have supported the vital development and expansion of CHAS’s outreach service, CHAS at Home, helping the charity on its ambitious mission of reaching every child and family that needs their help in communities across Scotland.
Three other children’s hospices across Scotmid’s trading areas have also benefited from funds raised: Jigsaw, Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice and St Oswald’s Hospice.
Staff working in Scotmid’s food stores, Semichem stores, Scotmid Funerals and Lakes & Dales stores across Scotland, Northern Ireland and Northern England enthusiastically take part in physical challenges, events and traditional in-store fundraising.
Community engagement is also a key element for Scotmid. At the end of last year, children throughout Scotland were invited to design a mascot to represent Scotmid’s charity partnership.
The winning designs, Cuthbert The Fox and Tildy Toadstool, were then brought to life, much to the delight of the talented designers and those who have met the colourful couple!
Angharad Low, Corporate Partnerships Manager at CHAS, said: “It’s been great working with Scotmid to raise awareness and funds for our outreach service, CHAS at Home.
“The passion of Scotmid colleagues, members and customers makes the partnership really special.
“We’re so thankful for the funds that have been raised, which will help families receive quality care in the comfort of their own homes. We would absolutely recommend other charities apply!”
Kirsteen Campbell, CEO Scottish SPCA, said: “Our 2018/19 partnership with the Scotmid Co-operative family was our most successful charity of the year partnership in Scottish SPCA’s history, raising an incredible £325,000.
“Support from Scotmid colleagues enabled us to deliver our ‘Prevention through Education’ programme delivering workshops to 1818 schools and 124 community groups, reaching over 60% of Scotland’s school children! With Scotmid’s support we were able to spread the joy of the human-animal bond further than ever before.
“We’d encourage all charities to apply for this exciting opportunity to be Scotmid’s next Charity Partner.
“You’ll be combining forces with an incredible organisation who really cares about making a massive difference in local communities What are you waiting for? Apply today!”
To apply to be Scotmid’s Charity of the Year 2022/23, please go to:
Dog owners urged to support litter picking and put a ‘paws on plastic’
Recent research from environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful shows that 88% of Scots agree that litter is a problem across Scotland. Litter causes so much harm to our people, animals and our beautiful, natural environment.
Winter is a time of darkness but one in which we traditionally celebrate with various winter light festivals. So, we have joined forces with new charity Paws on Plastic to urge dog owners across the country to keep the issue of litter in the spotlight; tackling it head on to improve the health, cleanliness and safety of all of Scotland’s people, animals and environment.
We are asking dog owners to ‘shine a light on litter’ by highlighting the problems litter causes, encouraging others not to drop it, and picking up a few pieces on each daily dog walk. We’d also like people to share their images on social media as they shine a light on litter.
Heather McLaughlin, Campaign Officer with Keep Scotland Beautifulsaid: “Our evidence shows that the number of recorded dog fouling incidents increases in the darker colder months, and we suspect littering levels creep up too as people feel, under the cover of darkness that they can get away with illegal behaviours.
“However, we along with the thousands of Paws on Plastic members who regularly pick up a piece of litter when out with their dog, are watching, and shining a light on the issue. Please help us this winter to raise awareness of litter, and the good work that you do to pick it up. We want to make litter picking the social norm, not dropping it.”
It is important to stay safe, visible and take care when picking up litter and we have guidance on how to do this as part of our Clean Up Scotland campaign.
Marion Montgomery, founder of the online community Paws on Plastic, which now has over 21,000 members across 70 countries, said: “Paws on Plastic encourages all dog owners to join the campaign to help protect animals and our precious environment.
“It only takes a minute to pick up a couple of pieces of litter when we’re out walking anyway but, with 1 million dogs in Scotland, 12 million in the UK, if we all take a minute, it adds up to a huge impact!
“It even has the double effect of reducing the amount of litter dropped as studies show that fewer people actually drop litter in clean areas. Pledge your support on our new website www.pawsonplastic.org.uk .”
Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: “We are delighted to support this wonderful initiative and to stand alongside Keep Scotland Beautiful and Paws on Plastic to highlight the dangers litter can pose and reduce the amount of litter in our communities.
“Unfortunately, we see first-hand the damaging effect litter can have on animals. We are called out to jobs after animals and birds have become trapped in fishing line or wire. Discarded rubbish can also pose a threat to animals after they ingest it and it becomes a choking hazard or affects their ability to eat.
“People should always dispose of their rubbish responsibly. No matter how small, it has the potential to be hazardous or lethal to pets, wildlife and farm animals. Shine a light on litter’ will help people respect the environment and protect animals from the risks of discarded rubbish.”
With Keep Scotland Beautiful’s annual Spring Clean Scotland set to make a comeback in March next year, supporting people across the country to carry out litter picks, and the Scottish Government currently consulting on a new National Litter and Flytipping Strategy for Scotland which will allow the public to have #YourSayOnLitter until 31 March 2022, this winter campaign will ensure litter doesn’t get lost in the dark!
Scottish SPCA are appealing for information after two ferrets were found on Restalrig Road South on 23 March.
The animal welfare charity was alerted to the incident after a member of the public witnessed two girls leave the animals on a small grassy area and run off.
Scottish SPCA inspector Jennifer Surgeon said: “This ferrets were left in a cat box that was far too small for them. The cage was left open and the ferrets were running loose. Luckily the member of the public managed to contain them.
“Both ferrets appear to be in good body condition but were both very dirty. The cage they were in was also filthy.
“We appreciate that the people who left the ferrets in the area may have intended for the animals to be found but this is not the right way to give up an animal if you can no longer care for them.
“Thankfully, despite their ordeal, they appear to be unscathed and are now in the care of one of our animal rescue and rehoming centres where they are receiving the care they need.
“We would like to find out what happened to these ferrets. If anyone has any information on how the ferrets came to be in this situation they can contact our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”
If anyone is concerned about an animal, please do not hesitate to contact our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.
We need your support today. From as little as £1, you can save lives.
The Scottish SPCA was alerted to the young otters by members of the public after they had been spotted wandering the streets of Inverkeithing last week.
The cubs are now in the care of our National Wildlife Rescue Centre.
Centre manager Steven Gray said, “The cubs are around three to four-months-old. Otters will stay with their mothers in the wild until they are over a year old.
“We suspect their mum was involved in a road traffic accident or some form of disturbance and didn’t return to her cubs so they have gone looking for her. They were seen wandering down the road in Inverkeithing on Saturday night.
“The female cub was spotted by someone taking their bins out. She was making very loud peeping noises which was probably her trying to call for her mum. The members of the public followed at a safe distance to a nearby field where they were able to monitor her until we arrived.
“The pair wouldn’t have survived on their own as they rely on mum so we are thankful the members of the public contacted us.
“One cub is male and the other is female. The female has been named Inver and the male has been called Forth.
“They will stay with us until they are around 12 to 14-months-old, just like with mum in the wild. We will teach them how to feed and take care of themselves and will release them when they are ready.
“Otters are very agile and can have a nasty bite so we would ask members of the public not to approach them as they can react negatively out of fear. They can see humans as a threat, especially when they are feeling vulnerable, so we would advise monitoring the animal and contacting us.
“We have the necessary safety equipment to carefully contain otters and we are experienced in doing so. We wouldn’t want anyone getting hurt or an animal to be caused undue stress.
“If anyone spots a wild animal in need of our help, please call our animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”
Scottish SPCA is appealing for information after a dog was found dumped in a hedge in Gorebridge on Tuesday (9 February) in freezing conditions.
They were alerted to the incident after a member of the public discovered the male dog, believed to be a cream and tan saluki, on top of the six-foot hedge bordering their property.
Worst of all, the poor dog had had all his fur shaved off leaving him at the mercy of the snow and freezing temperatures.
Scottish SPCA Inspector Fiona Thorburn said, “This was an extremely callous act and the dog is incredibly lucky that he was spotted.
“Salukis are thin dogs who feel the cold anyway but without any fur for protection it’s likely he would have succumbed to the elements within a day or so if he hadn’t been found.
“The dog is a young male who is not neutered and who we believe is cream and tan in colour.
“We believe he may have been shaved in an attempt to disguise his breed as salukis are quite distinctive looking dogs.
“He has been taken to one of our animal rescue and rehoming centres where he is receiving lots of care and a warm bed.
“We would like to find out what happened to the dog. If anyone recognises him or has any information on how he came to be in this situation they can contact our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”
