... and it's nothing to smile about.
Posted on 04/29/2002 5:59:42 PM PDT by 2Trievers
BRITAIN’S pets are set to get their own “bill of rights”. Ministers are planning legislation that would guarantee cats, dogs and other pets a minimum quality of life.
Under the rules owners could be prosecuted if they failed to give pets what they needed — ranging from adequate food and water to enough space and companionship.
The legislation would be the biggest change in Britain’s animal welfare rules for almost a century. It could include codes of conduct for owners of cats, dogs, horses, rabbits and birds.
The RSPCA, which is working with the government on the changes, has already drawn up provisional standards.
Elliot Morley, an environment minister who is drawing up the proposals, will make a speech on Tuesday outlining possible recommendations. He will say that animal welfare legislation, which dates back to 1911, is out of date.
“We need to modernise the law by setting minimum standards for the animals in our care. We have an obligation to treat animals in the way that a civilised society expects,” he said.
The most important change is expected to be the creation of a new offence of treating animals in a way “likely to cause suffering”. At present animal owners can be prosecuted only once an animal is clearly suffering. Under the proposed law, police and the RSPCA could prosecute owners if it were believed they had broken the accepted standards for that species.
Cat owners could be prosecuted for cooping up pets and not giving them the chance to roam in a garden. Budgie owners who confine birds in small cages or keep them on their own might be prosecuted, too.
The debate will centre on how far the government is prepared to go to protect pets. The RSPCA wants “five freedoms” to be adopted for all pets and circus animals. It believes they should be entitled to:
Frank Widdowson, the RSPCA’s director of legal services, said: “There should be a ‘duty of care’ so that anyone in charge of an animal has a legal responsibility to meet these standards.”
Morley said he accepted the basic principles but the final form of the bill was yet to be decided: “These criteria have been discussed by government advisers. They are widely accepted and easily understood.”
And when their time comes, I will personaly take care of it, and if someone gets in my way...'nuff said.
FMCDH
The normal behavior of most animals is to eat each other. I doubt this is what the warm and fuzzy Animal Rightists of Britain mean. I'm also sure they're not including the rights of hunting dogs in this measure, as they've already campaigned to ban fox hunting, so those dogs are out of a job and will probably end up being destroyed. The Animal Rightists don't really care about animals anyway - they're just into preening over their own bogus self-righteous moral superiority.
I'm sure you're the same.
I got their preening tool right here...Husqvarna 2.5 w/16" blade.
FMCDH
You've got that right friend...I'm even thinking of "Groking" them, if you've ever read "Stranger In A Strange Land"...
FReegards,
FMCDH
For those who don't know, I'm not criticizing when I provide such links.
I'm just doing it on an "FYI" basis.
Guilty as charged here in Durango!...(if one of my dogs catch and chew one of the little varmints, what can the Varmint Protection Society do to me?...Never mind, I don't think they'd dare try)...
FMCDH
I can see the deadbeats overjoyed by that one. 75% of the after hours calls I get are due to neglect and deadbeats that believe that veterinary care is a God given right and there is no reponsibility to pay. Veterinarians are private businessmen that have to pay their own bills, there is no insurance or government handouts to subsidize the care of the animals that we see that are owned by those that don't have the money to take care of the animals responsibly. No wonder there are so many British Veterinarians practicing here in the US and few, if any, American Veterinarians in Britain in private practise.
... and it's nothing to smile about.
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