Liam Ardito (33) of Newbury Avenue, Great Coates, Gary Cannon (27) of Alfred Bannister Mews, Laceby and Mark Smith (53) of Broadway, Grimsby were all jailed for four months on each count to run concurrently.

Ardito and Smith were banned from keeping dogs and birds for at least 10 years and Cannon from keeping dogs for the same period.

Nigel Burn, prosecuting for the RSPCA, described their behaviour as “intentionally cruel”, telling district judge Daniel Curtis, sitting at Grimsby Magistrates’ Court, it amounted to ‘torture’.

The court heard that Smith had thousands of images of dogs attacking animals on his computer and memory sticks found in his home.

The trio filmed themselves and took photos as they laughed and joked , while their dogs tore wild animals to pieces.

During one clip, an unknown man (who’s identity the RSPCA are seeking) holds up an injured fox to the camera, before laughing as he throws the stricken animal back to a waiting dog.
RSPCA Inspector Cliff Harrison, from our Special Operations Unit, said warrants carried out at the homes of the three men last August revealed one of the biggest hauls of graphic animal cruelty imagery ever.

A collection of more than 600 catalogued folders on seized computers contained thousands of photos that showed a raft of animal cruelty, including one defendant stealing wild Sparrow Hawk chicks from their nest, while others show the men digging into fox dens and setting their terriers onto terrified foxes.

An RSPCA investigating officer described it as the most disturbing he has handled in 23 years.

Below is a full list of charges each of the three men admitted

Liam Ardito:

• Causing unnecessary suffering to dog by causing it to fight with another animal
• Jointly causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by a dog
• Causing an animal fight between a dog and a fox
• Jointly with Gary Cannon causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by a dog
• Causing an animal fight between a dog and a badger
• Causing unnecessary mental suffering to a fox by caging it
• Jointly with Gary Cannon causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by a dog
• Jointly with Gary Cannon causing unnecessary suffering to fox by causing it to be attacked by two dogs
• Jointly with Mark Smith causing an animal fight between two dogs and another animal
• Jointly with Mark Smith causing unnecessary suffering to a black and tan terrier by making it fight with another animal
• Jointly with Mark Smith, taking wild birds, namely sparrowhawks
• Keeping premises for use in animal fighting

Gary Cannon:

• Jointly with Liam Ardito causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by a dog
• Jointly with Liam Ardito causing an animal fight between a dog and a badger
• Jointly with Liam Ardito causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by dog
• Jointly with Liam Ardito causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by two dogs
• Jointly with Mark Smith causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by a dog

Mark Smith:

• Being present at an animal fight between a fox and a dog.
• Aiding and abetting Liam Ardito in causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by a dog.
• Two counts of aiding and abetting Liam Ardito and Gary Cannon in causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by a dog.
• Being present at a fight between a dog and a badger.
• Being found, in Broadway, in possession of a trap for the trapping of wild birds.
• Aiding and abetting Liam Ardito and Gary Cannon in causing unnecessary suffering to two terrier dogs by causing them to fight with a fox.
• Aiding and abetting an unknown person to cause unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by a dog.
• Together with Liam Ardito, at Littlecoates Road, causing an animal fight between two dogs and an unknown animal.
• Together with Gary Cannon, causing unnecessary suffering to a fox by causing it to be attacked by a dog.
• With Liam Ardito, causing unnecessary suffering to a black and tan terrier by causing it to fight with an unknown animal.
• Possessing a wild bird, namely a curlew.
• Possessing a wild bird, namely a rook.

1. Foxes are usually very shy creatures that will stay away from people, not go looking to attack one. They are certainly not evil.

2. A fox attacking any human is extremely rare. In fact there are many more people bitten by a pet dog each week than a fox in what.. a year, most probably! Does this mean we need to cull all dogs too?

3. Where is the real evidence of this fox attack? I am yet to see real proof that it was a fox that ‘attacked’ this child. Until we see clear evidence I do not think we should believe everything we read.

4. There are still many people who do not support the fox hunting ban and would love to have foxes culled, including members of the government. And I believe they will go to any lengths to show the fox in a bad light, in an attempt to sway the opinions of members of the public.

I would just say to you all, please do not believe everything you read! Some of the articles out there are absolute rubbish and only opinionated, one-sided nonsense.

Please sign the petition below to say No to a cull on our urban foxes.

No cull of urban foxes

The footage shows horses being beaten with metal poles, illegally stunned in groups of 3 at a time and on one part, a horse regains consciousness hanging upside down before having its throat cut.

The footage was captured by animal welfare group Hillside, at the Red Lion abattoir in Nantwich, Cheshire.

They also witnessed sick or injured horses that hadn’t immediately been put down.

The founder of Hillside, Wendy Valentine said ”We have rescued around 700 horses and we were concerned about where we were saving them from”.

“It’s unbelievably depressing there. They shouldn’t be shot or stunned in front of each other like that. It’s total disrespect for animal welfare”.

Horses are seen to be stunned and slaughtered in front of one another, something which is illegal under the Welfare of Animals Act 1995, as it causes severe distress to the animal.

The Food Standards Agency told the Daily Mirror it has revoked the licenses of two slaughter men after a probe into the video.

FSA head of Approvals Craig Kirkby said  ” as soon as we got the footage and reviewed it we took immediate action to revoke the slaughter men’s licenses”

“We will also look to gather further evidence to see if we can prosecute”.

The Red Lion Abattoir told Sky News it views animal welfare and public health with paramount importance.

In a statement it said: “In attendance at the Red Lion food abattoir are three full time Food Standards officers comprising of an official veterinarian and full-time meat hygeine inspectors throughout production.

It said the incidents were ‘not the norm but of an isolated nature’ and they have taken disciplinary action against the individual featured.

The statement continued: “I agree horses should individually enter the stunning area and most certainly not three at a time.

However small horses and ponies having spent years together as companions are difficult to separate. Horse lovers would understand that.

My opinion and that of other veterinarians is it is better to keep those types together to reduce the stress, providing swift dispatch is achieved.”

An RSPCA spokesperson said the organisation is viewing the footage and will decide whether to prosecute.

In a statement it said: ” The footage is shocking and upsetting to watch. With the welfare of animals (slaughter or killing) Regulations 1995 in mind, we have concerns that the horses appear to be in the stunning pen at the same time rather than individually as the law requires.

We also have concerns about some of the animals that appear to be injured. We have requested a copy of the unedited footage with a view to investigating.”

Former government chief veterinary officer Keith Meldrum, who viewed the footage, has told sky news he was shocked by the appalling breaches of animal welfare.

“We see three animals stunned at the same time and it is totally illegal and contrary to welfare slaughter regulations,” he said.

“It’s a significant welfare problem for a number of reasons. It’s harder to render them unconscious in a group and they have a higher chance of regaining consciousness before you’ve completed the procedure”.

Roly Owers, Cheif executive of World Horse Welfare, said “the breaches of, from what we’ve seen, are throughout: from the care of the animals to the slaughter process.

“Horses are intelligent animals. When the see an animal stunned in front of them you can only imagine the distress that animal is going through. There are, without doubt, welfare issues here and it is plain illegal”.

Sign the petition here to request the Food Standards agency fully review the footage taken at the Red Lion abattoir by Hillside Animal Sanctuary, with a view of prosecuting those responsible for breaches of the Welfare of Animals regulations 1995.

A gang of around 10 poachers shot and hacked off the elephants tusks in Tsavo East National Park on Saturday. Officials believe it is down to a rise of mostly Asian demand for ivory jewellery and ornaments.

“It shows the great lengths these criminal cartels are ready to go to, to get ivory. It’s really tragic”, Kenya wildlife service spokesman Paul Udo said.
He also said it was the worst single incident of its kind recorded in the East African country.

Elephant poaching in Kenya dropped in 1989 when the government banned the trade in ivory, but there has been a rise in the illegal poaching in recent years.

Demand for ornamental ivory is rising fast in Asia in tandem with growing Chinese influence and investment in Africa.

The Kenya wildlife service said the gang were being hunted by foot, dog and aerial units.

“The entire family of 11 elephants have been confirmed poached and tusks chopped off. All the carcases had bullet wounds”, the service had said in a statement.

In May last year, 359 tusks weighing 1.6 tons impounded in Sri Lanka were found to have come from Kenya’s Mombasa port.
Then last October, police found 214 tusks worth £820,000 hidden in a coffin and fertiliser bags in neighbouring Tanzania.

Smugglers had planned to transport the ivory to Kenya for onward shipment to Asia.

The government has signalled that it is unlikely to try to lift the ban on hunting with dogs within the next year.

The Environment Secretary said there was no point in holding a vote, as hundreds of hunts gathered for the biggest day in the hunting calendar.

“Fox hunting is a barbaric and cruel act that should NEVER be legal or condoned! It is a past time that has no place in a modern world and certainly not a country that is supposedly one of the best for animal welfare. Make your voice heard and stand up against this barbaric act of cruelty to make sure this law stays in place.
Let’s fight every step of the way, for those who don’t have a voice and can’t be heard”.

- Emma Davock (Founder of LPA) 

Helpful links:-

http://www.league.org.uk/

http://www.nwhsa.org.uk/

http://www.sabs.org.uk/

Read about the hunting act here.

The brave rescue team, wearing waterproofs and protective clothing, could be seen lifting the dog from the iced-over lake and afterwards, physically rubbing the dog in an attempt to keep it warm.

The dog was then lifted on board a small boat and pulled to shore, where it was then carried to a waiting ambulance.

www.pawsforthought-alfieslaw.co.uk

Thank you all,
Emma (LPA Admin)

The elderly German Shepherd, called Prince, was found collapsed, surrounded by dumped rubbish, litter and a filthy mattress and was initially assumed dead when he was discovered last Friday.

He was taken to the Mayhew Animal Home in Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green, where he was found to be covered in his own faeces, his coat was matted into hard rocks of hair and he was too weak to lift his head.

Although the 13-year-old dog was wearing a collar with his name on it he was not microchipped.

Due to the severity of his condition he sadly had to be put to sleep.

Prince’s plight is one of the worse cases of cruelty and neglect of a pet seen by the charity in its 126-year history.

Gen Wilkinson, a vet at the Mayhew, said: “This is an absolutely horrifying case of cruelty and neglect.

“Prince was severely dehydrated and had irreparable neurological damage, meaning that he was unable to move his back legs or tail and was doubly incontinent. He was suffering immensely and this had been going on some time. He was also very underweight and tried to eat when we offered him food despite being so weak.

“After shaving his matted hair we discovered maggots burrowing into the pressure sores on his body, which had been caused by his low weight.

“The only decision we were left with was to bring his life to a peaceful end but he should not be forgotten. Someone must know who Prince belonged to.”

The Mayhew is urging anyone with information about Prince’s owner to come forward.

They are also asking people horrified by this case to sign their petition, calling for compulsory microchipping for all dogs and for the government to push ahead with this in response to the DEFRA consultation.

Zoe Edwards, the Mayhew’s animal welfare officer, said: “When I initially saw Prince I thought he was dead. He was lifeless, filthy and the smell coming from him was like sewage.”

She added: “I really don’t understand the mentality of some people. This was obviously someone’s pet who loved them enough to once get him a decent collar and have his name engraved on it.

“It is hard to believe that someone owned this dog for this long only to discard him alongside some old rubbish in a park.

“The condition of the dog indicated to me that this would have taken several months, if not years, for him to get into this mess.

“I always give people the benefit of the doubt in my job and always try to be non-judgmental but in this case there is no excuse for the way this dog had been left. Someone must have seen the state that Prince was in and you would have had to have been blind to not see how this dog was suffering.”

If you have any information on the identity of Prince’s owner call the Mayhew on 020 8969 0178 or email info@mayhewanimalhome.org.

Content copied from london24.com

Up to 50 puppies have been recovered from two cars in Dublin as part of an animal cruelty investigation. 

Twenty-five Jack Russells and a number of cocker spaniels, springer spaniels, terriers, beagles and labradors were discovered when police stopped two cars on the Old Malahide Road in Coolock on Tuesday.

It is believed the dogs had been brought into the country from the UK and were to be sold on the black market for several thousand euros.

The puppies were found in boxes in the rear of both vehicles.

Officers from the Dublin Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals have taken the animals into quarantine.

Two men, one in his 20s and the other in his 30s, were arrested at the scene and taken to Coolock Police Station.

They have been charged in connection with the incident and will appear before Dublin District Court early next month.

Content taken from news.sky.com

The rescue of two baby gorillas from poachers in the Democratic Republic of Congo has highlighted the threat they are under from ongoing violence in the region, wildlife officials have said. 

The two apes were saved in the space of a week, but Emmanuel de Merode, the director of the Virungu National Park, said it was likely several other gorillas were killed in the abduction.

“Baby gorilla trafficking is terribly damaging for endangered gorilla populations because many members of the gorilla’s family will probably have been killed to obtain the infant,” he said.

The first baby gorilla, a nine-month-old female now named Isangi, was brought to wildlife authorities on September 13 by a community conservation group that said it had rescued the infant from a local militia group called Raiya Mutomboko, which means Angry People in Swahili.

The second was seized in a sting operation in the city of Goma on September 20 by rangers and local officials acting on a tip-off.

“Posing as a buyer, a park contact went to the house to see what information he could gather. A man produced a small backpack with a baby gorilla inside that he was hoping to sell,” park officials said on their blog.

The four-month-old female has been named Baraka, which means Blessing in Swahili.

Baraka’s captors claimed they had rescued the infant gorilla from the Walikale area where several armed groups compete for control of mines.

The two infants are now being cared for at the Senkwekwe sanctuary in the park, which is also home to three mountain gorilla orphans whose parents were killed in 2007.

They will spend three-months in quarantine together under the care of three wardens.

Vet Eddy Kambale said in a statement that Isangi was in good shape but Baraka was weak and dehydrated.

Fighting between rival militia groups in the region has made it impossible for the authorities to find out how many Grauer’s gorillas, also known as eastern lowland gorillas, have been killed.

The species only exists only in eastern DR Congo and experts estimate that fewer than 4,000 remain, down from about 17,000 in 1995.

Virunga has a small family of Grauer’s gorillas but most of the apes live in Kahuzi Biega national park and forests, including the Walikale area.

Officials fear a recent decision to allow oil exploration in the the Unesco World Heritage Site could put the apes at further risk but the country’s hydrocarbons minister says it could bring much needed security.

content taken from news.sky.com