Britain’s rescue centres are on the brink of an animal welfare crisis with many of its centres ‘full or close to capacity’
Overstretched rescue centres are having to turn dogs and cats away and put them on waiting lists, as the cost of living crisis forces growing numbers of households to give up their pets.
While inflation has soared to a 40-year high of 9.1 per cent, the cost of some animal essentials has climbed at an even steeper rate, notably dog food, which has risen in price by more than 16.75 per cent over a year.
Andrew Gillon, director of operations at the National Animal Welfare Trust (NAWT), which operates five rehoming centres in the south of England, said “For the first time, almost all of our centres actually have waiting lists for animals coming into us.
“Financial reasons are always central to why people have to relinquish their pets, so with the added pressures of the cost of living crisis we are seeing, and will continue to see, people unable to look after their animals.
“Most people are absolutely heartbroken when they have to give up their pet. We will never judge, and always support people who try to do the best for the animal. It’s a horrible situation.”
“We’re starting to see the knock-on effects of this as we, and other charities, predicted. Tragically we’re starting to see an increase in the abandonment of pets and growing numbers of cats and dogs being rescued and coming into our care.”
Miracle’s Mission, a charity that rescues and rehomes sick, injured and disabled animals have a lengthy waiting list due to fewer people adopting.
Paul Christian, Patron of the charity, says there the number of referrals are rising but due to fewer people willing to foster or adopt they cannot take any more.
We have a long waiting list of dogs and cats looking for foster homes. We are looking for foster carers to take care of dogs and cats until we can find them their forever homes.
“We’re rehoming and fostering dogs as quickly as we can – but as soon as we free up a kennel space, there’s a dog to fill it again,” he added.
While national organisations are able to make use of vacancies across their network, smaller charities like Miracle’s Mission have no choice but to add pets to a lengthy queue.
Families across Britain are grappling with high fuel bills, record petrol prices and rocketing food costs, as inflation hit a level last seen in 1982.
According to animal charities, it costs £50 to £70 a month to own a dog, while cats cost an average of £80 per month
Despite the costs, more Britons than ever are pet owners. March data from the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA) suggests that more than 3.2 million people in the UK had acquired an animal since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, and 17 million UK households were responsible for a total of 34 million pets.
Ricky Gervais has carved an incredibly successful career from making people laugh but it’s no joking matter when it comes to standing up for the rights of animals!
In 2014, Ricky famously declared; “Animals don’t have a voice. But I do. A loud one. I’m a fucking big mouth. My voice is for them. And I’ll never shut up while they suffer”. And true to his word, Ricky is constantly shouting from the rooftops about bringing an end to animal cruelty. Whether it’s fighting against Fox hunting or battling a historic Bull fight when it comes to all creatures great and small, Ricky has their back.
Thanks to his celebrity status from films and TV, Ricky has a staggering following on Twitter and Facebook and he regularly uses social media to make people sit up and listen. One carefully worded tweet to his millions of followers can bring global attention to animals in fear or danger within seconds. He can encourage charity donations to come flooding in and get everyone talking about shocking examples of cruelty around the world.
In the past, Ricky has used social media to highlight the atrocity of 10,000 dogs slaughtered every year at the annual Chinese Yulin Dog Meat Festival and campaigned to bring it to an end.
He has individually named and shamed ‘big game hunters’ as they’ve posed by their bleeding ‘trophies’. Ricky also posted this message on his Facebook page – “I’m sick of Trophy Hunters trying to excuse their grim sport by saying they provide a service. They exploit the needs of the poor. They pay lots of money to go and shoot a magnificent animal because the authorities need the cash, and then claim they are doing a good deed. It’s not a good deed. Those authorities would rather have the money AND the animal still alive but they can’t afford to. So they’re forced to take money from rich psychopaths who get their cheap fucking thrills from shooting a giraffe or elephant in the head. If they were providing a service THEY would be the ones being paid. Imagine a vet paying you to put down your dog and then taking a selfie next to the corpse. And as for “the money goes to saving there remaining animals”. Oh dear. Where will it end? Can you pay more to kill the Leopard with a hammer if that’s your perversion? They’re already killing with bows and arrows for fucks sake. And would we allow some billionaire sicko to shoot one cancer patient if he gave a million dollars to cancer research? No. Of course we fucking wouldn’t. If they really wanted to do a good deed they would donate the money, and NOT shoot the animal. They would be heroes then. As opposed to murdering scum”.
In 2014, Ricky lent his considerable Twitter celebrity to the campaign against Western Australia’s controversial Shark kill policy. He appeared on social media holding up a sign decrying the WA government plans to catch and kill any shark 3m or over that comes within 1km of a Perth beach. It read: “To the government of Western Australia – Listen to Facts, Listen to Science, Listen to Reason – Stop the Shark Cull.” He also used his appearance at the British National Television Awards.
A local street artist made his own protest by painting a mural on a building which included the anti-cull quote by from Ricky. The cull was later called off!
Also in 2014, Ricky symbolically adopted one of the 130 moon Bears on a Bear bile farm in Nanning, China, a farm that’s set to transition into Animals Asia’s third moon Bear sanctuary. Ricky named the young male Bear, Derek, after his comedy-drama.
L to R – Peter Egan, Ricky’s partner Jane Fallon, Ricky and Jill Robinson (founder of Animals Asia)
Derek was a ten-year-old Bear with a host of problems, as a result of a life trapped in a cage where workers would extract his bile. His head is raw from years of rubbing his head against the bars of his small cage, and most of his teeth have fallen out, with the exception of a few rotten teeth which badly needed to be extracted. His lolloping tongue is a result of a nerve damage, while his right eye suffers from a cataract.
“Derek is a beautiful but very damaged Bear,” said Ricky. “After such a sad and traumatic existence on a Bear farm I am thrilled to have adopted him as one of 130 Bears currently being rescued by Animals Asia in China and long to see him enjoying his new life in the sun! I so admire this historic initiative to turn a Bear farm into a sanctuary and applaud the efforts of everyone involved.”
In the USA in 2015, a female black bear called Ricky who spent 18 years in a cage was freed after a settlement in a lawsuit brought by the Animal Legal Defense Fund
The lawsuit was filed by in December 2014 on behalf of concerned Pennsylvania residents against Jim Mack’s Ice Cream, where Ricky had lived in a small, concrete cage, eating a mix of corn and dog food funnelled onto the floor of her enclosure.
Ricky’s plight drew national attention, and tens of thousands of people (including Ricky) signed petitions requesting her release..
Again in 2015, Ricky helped hundreds of shelter dogs desperately lacking food and medical care. When an influx of 680 dogs arrived at a public shelter in Odai, Romania, the workers knew these dogs didn’t have anywhere else to turn. Despite not having enough food, bedding or even bowls for water, the shelter took them in. They needed help and fast, so London-based partner rescue, K-9 Angels created a fundraising page with an urgent plea for donations “to ease the emergency situation at the shelter.” Over the course of several days, the group had raised only about £4,000 for the Romanian shelter. The money was enough to make sure the dogs had enough food for about two months, but it didn’t come anywhere near what the shelter needed to pay for basic supplies, vaccinations and labour costs. In fact, it was about £26,000 short. That’s when Ricky stepped in and posted the following tweet.
OK. That's The Emmys done. Now back to important stuff. Emergency food & aid for dogs at Odai public shelter, https://t.co/6PS5kSW8Mn pls RT
“Within days we had raised £20,000. Before Ricky retweeted we had only raised £4,000 so it just goes to show the power that animal loving celebs have. We are very grateful,” K-9 Angels founder Victoria Eisermann. The group showed their gratitude with a post in which they called the comedian “an angel” for sharing their fundraiser page. Eisermann added that the group even honoured Ricky by naming one of the young puppies “Ricky.”
Lately, Ricky has been very vocal about Lucy’s Law, the campaign to end the heart-breaking puppy farming trade. Lucy’s Law is named after a remarkable Cavalier Spaniel called Lucy who was rescued from a Welsh puppy farm and became a celebrity in her own right on social media before her death more than a year ago. Ricky regularly posted details on Twitter and Facebook leading to it being a short distance from becoming law.
Ricky’s passion and ability to be vocal has made millions of people painfully aware of such issues as the slaughter of whales in the Faroe Islands and the stolen pet dogs of Thailand that are destined for the illegal meat trade.
Ricky also reminds us all of the huge number of animals in rescue shelters and the importance of the hashtag #AdoptDontShop with his numerous posts.
Ricky is driven to raise awareness and get signatures on petitions that pile pressure on governments. He has put his name to campaigns with charities such as PETA and the Humane Society International. Ricky won’t stop until animals are protected from blood sports, their fur is no longer used as a fashion statement, the Yulin ‘festival’ ends and the last SeaWorld ‘fish tank’ is empty (etc etc!)
This year Ricky donated £427,243 to animal charities from the sale of premium seats for his stand-up tour Supernature.
Ricky said: ‘It is such a privilege to be able to help animals in need, simply by doing a job that I already love.’
Ricky is undoubtedly a voice for all animals and it’s fair to say the world is listens to him.
And a final quote from Ricky……
This is only a small part of what Ricky has done for animals over the years.
…….and THAT is why Ricky Gervais is a animal rights legend!!
Protect All Wildlife
The Mission of Protect All Wildlife is to prevent cruelty and promote the welfare of ALL animals.
We believe EVERY animal should be treated with respect, empathy, and understanding. We raise awareness to protect and conserve wild, captive, companion and farm animals.
It is vital that we protect animals against acts of cruelty, abuse, and neglect by enforcing established animal welfare laws and, when necessary, take action to ensure that those who abuse animals are brought to justice.
Protect All Wildlife are involved in many projects to protect animals’ rights, welfare, and habitats. Money contributed to Protect All Wildlife supports ALL of our worthy programmes and gives us the flexibility to respond to emerging needs. Your donations make our work possible.
“Animals are not here for us to do as we please with. We are not their superiors. We are their equals. We are their family. Be kind to them.” ~ Ricky Gervais.
Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse, animal neglect or animal cruelty, is the infliction by omission (neglect) or by commission by humans of suffering or harm upon any animal. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm or suffering for specific achievement, such as killing animals for entertainment; cruelty to animals sometimes encompasses inflicting harm or suffering as an end in itself, defined as zoosadism.
Animal cruelty can be broken down into two main categories: active and passive. Passive cruelty is typified by cases of neglect, in which the cruelty is a lack of action rather than the action itself. Oftentimes passive animal cruelty is accidental, born of ignorance. In many cases of neglect in which an investigator believes that the cruelty occurred out of ignorance, the investigator may attempt to educate the pet owner, then revisit the situation. In more severe cases, exigent circumstances may require that the animal be removed for veterinary care.
Whether it is Elephants killed for their tusks or beaten so they comply in the Asian tourism ‘industry’, Rhino slaughtered for their horns for ‘traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), animals skinned alive for the fur trade etc, animal activists need to stand together to fight for their rights.
At many elephant ‘sanctuaries’ across Thailand and in other countries, the elephants are taught to fear humans. This is so that they will act with compliancy. From babies they are tied up, starved and beaten in what is known as a ‘crush’. This is the act of breaking a young elephant’s spirit. And it’s mostly true what they say: an elephant never forgets. This means that, with their long memories, elephants remember this period of abuse for the rest of their lives. It ensures that the elephants will do what the trainers (also known as mahouts) say, and are more easily trained.
They are also commonly beaten with hooks and sticks that have nails poking out of them – this is when they are seen to be misbehaving or not following orders, or being too slow to respond. The mahouts want the animals to be constantly putting on a performance for those tourists who are there for elephant riding in Thailand.
UNDERCOVER FOOTAGE SHOWS CRUEL TRAINING USED ON BABY ELEPHANTS TO BOOST THAILAND TOURISM
As poaching and habitat loss ravage rhinoceros and elephant populations, protections for these species are vitally important. Today, all five rhino species and both elephant species are threatened with extinction. Efforts are underway across the globe to save these iconic animals.
Elephants and rhinos often experience painful deaths when poached. Rhinos may have their horns cut off while they are still alive and contrary to belief, elephants do not lose their tusks; they are hacked out by poachers.
More than a thousand rhinos and tens of thousands of elephants are killed each year to feed demand for ivory and rhino horn. The international trade in elephants, rhinos, and other species is the second-largest threat to wildlife after habitat loss. If the market continues to drive poaching, both rhinos and elephants could vanish from the wild as early as 2034.
HORRIFIC IMAGES OF ELEPHANTS POACHED FOR THEIR TUSKS AND A RHINO FOR ITS HORN
Every year, hundreds of badgers meet a horrific death in the name of ‘sport’ in the UK at the hands of terriermen. Many of those who have been caught digging into badger setts have used the excuse that they were after foxes – and many have escaped prosecution by so doing.
The Lychee and Dog Meat Festival, commonly referred to as the Yulin Dog Meat Festival is an annual event starting on 20th of June where an estimated 10,000 – 15,000 dogs and cats are slaughtered for their meat.
The ‘festival’ began in 2010 to celebrate summer solstice. Advocates and restaurant owners say that eating dog is traditional in the summertime. Around 10-20 million dogs are killed for their meat each year in China. However, critics argue there is no cultural value in the festival and it was mainly devised as a way of making money.
While slaughtering dogs is common in China, the festival is seen as representative of the cruelty and lack of hygiene associated with the largely unregulated industry. In addition, many of the animals killed are stolen pets some of which have been seen still wearing their collars.
Some are sent to the festival in small cages without food or water on trucks that can travel hundreds of miles.
Slaughtering takes place in front of the live animals, usually with a club or with a blow-torch to induce the pain and fear that some restaurant owners claim makes their adrenaline-rich meat tastier.
“Psychologically and mentally, they have already died many times,” said Peter Li, a China policy specialist with the Humane Society International.
DOGS ARE TORTURED TO DEATH IN THE BELIEF THAT IT MAKES THE MEAT TASTIER
Trophy hunters pay large sums of money, often tens of thousands of dollars, to travel around the world to kill wild animals. Who can forget the killing of Cecil the Lion in 2015 in Zimbabwe? He was hunted over many hours with a bow and arrow, before being skinned and beheaded by Dentist Walter Palmer.
More often than not animals in their prime and in breeding age are targeted by trophy hunting because of their specific characteristics; their black mane, their long tusks, the size of their antlers, in fact Safari Club International offers prizes for the largest animals killed. Where older males are targeted this can have extreme negative consequences for the herd or pride; older males offer protection to groups and keep juvenile males in line, when they are killed less experienced animals move in, increasing the risk of human wildlife conflict and killing the cubs of the older male. When the elephants with the largest tusks are killed, we have seen the size of elephant tusks in the population decrease over time, making it harder to find food and defend themselves.
CECIL THE LION WAS SHOT BY DENTIST WALTER PALMER IN JULY 2015 AND CAUSED INTERNATIONAL OUTRAGE
More than 10,000 are caught, tortured and killed in the UK each year by huntsmen with terriers – with almost a third of these illegal acts being carried out in Wales. Alarmingly, this figure is rising constantly. Terry Spamer, a former RSPCA inspector, believes that there are around 2,000 people involved in badger baiting currently. However, only around three people are caught and convicted of badger baiting each year, while the majority carry on breaking the law.
Traditional fox hunting was banned in England and Wales under the Hunting Act 2004. In spite of existing legislation, there has been 500 successful prosecutions under the Act. However, many incidents of illegal hunting have gone unpunished.
FOX HUNTING AND BADGER BAITING IS ILLEGAL IN THE UK BUT CARRIES ON WITH WITH APPARENT IMPUNITY
Dogfighting is an inhumane ‘bloodsport’ where dogs who have been bred, conditioned and trained to fight are placed in a pit to fight each other for spectator ‘entertainment’ and profit. Fights average one to two hours, ending when one of the dogs cannot continue.
Dog fights usually take part in quiet, private locations, such as in an industrial unit or farm building. Participants will spend months training their dogs in preparation, much like boxing, the fighters will have to hit a target weight to take part. Organisers will create a fighting ‘pit’ for the dogs to fight within.
Dogs who have been used in fighting often have serious injuries to their head, ears, front legs and chest that are caused as they go head-to-head in a pit. They will also have injuries of different ages, some old scars and some fresh wounds.
IT IS BELIEVED OVER 16000 DOGS DIE EACH YEAR IN ORGANIZED DOG FIGHTS
Each year, thousands of bulls are barbarically slaughtered in bullrings around the world. Over the centuries, bullfighters have found countless ways to rig the “fight” in their favor. Bulls are often weakened with drugs or by having sandbags dropped on their backs. Their horns have been shaved to keep them off balance, or petroleum jelly has been rubbed into their eyes to impair their vision.
Every year, approximately 250,000 bulls are killed in bullfights. Bullfighting is already banned by law in many countries including Argentina, Canada, Cuba, Denmark, Italy and the United Kingdom. Although legal in Spain, some Spanish cities, such as Calonge, Tossa de Mar, Vilamacolum and La Vajol, have outlawed the practice of bullfighting. There are only a few countries throughout the world where this practice still takes place (Spain, France, Portugal, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and Ecuador). ~ HSI.
BULLS ARE TORTURED IN THE NAME OF CULTURE AND TRADITION
Each year from approximately September 1 to March 1, a large-scale hunt of dolphins takes place in the small village of Taiji, Japan, as featured in the 2010 Academy Award-winning documentary The Cove. During this six month season, dolphin hunters utilize drive hunt techniques to herd large numbers of dolphins to shore, resulting in their capture or death.
The captured dolphins may be selected for live trade to aquariums and marine parks for display, while others are slaughtered for their meat. The price for live captures is many times higher than those killed.
THE ANNUAL TAIJI DOLPHIN SLAUGHTER
What you can do to help end animal abuse
We believe EVERY animal should be treated with respect, empathy, and understanding. We raise awareness to protect and conserve wild, captive, companion and farm animals.
It is vital that we protect animals against acts of cruelty, abuse, and neglect by enforcing established animal welfare laws and, when necessary, taking action to ensure that those who abuse animals are brought to justice.
The Mission of Protect All Wildlife is to prevent cruelty, promote the welfare of ALL animals EVERYWHERE, and help END animal abuse.
Please support our work by donating ANY amount, large or small. It only takes a minute and your donations make it all possible. Thank you for your support.
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“Pets, it turns out, also have last wishes before they die, but only known by veterinarians who put old and sick animals to sleep. Twitter user Jesse Dietrich asked a vet what was the most difficult part of his job.
The specialist answered without hesitation that it was the hardest for him to see how old or sick animals look for their owners with the eyes of their owners before going to sleep. The fact is that 90 % of owners don’t want to be in a room with a dying animal. People leave so that they don’t see their pet leave. But they don’t realize that it’s in these last moments of life that their pet needs them most.
Veterinarians ask the owners to be close to the animals until the very end. ′′It’s inevitable that they die before you. Don’t forget that you were the centre of their life. Maybe they were just a part of you. But they are also your family. No matter how hard it is, don’t leave them.
Dont let them die in a room with a stranger in a place they dont like. It is very painful for veterinarians to see how pets cannot find their owner during the last minutes of their life. They dont understand why the owner left them. After all, they needed their owner’s consolation.
Veterinarians do everything possible to ensure that animals are not so scared, but they are completely strangers to them. Don’t be a coward because it’s too painful for you. Think about the pet. Endure this pain for the sake of their sake. Be with them until the end.”
THE FINAL GOODBYE
The most important thing is to not immediately run out and rescue another pet, especially if you only had one. You won’t be in the right emotional state and will be bringing the dog into a place with weak, negative energy — and which still smells strongly of another dog. Give yourself the time and tools to go through the grieving process. If you don’t have other pets but think that you will adopt again eventually, donate your pet’s bedding, toys, bowls, and so on to a shelter now. These will help with the grieving process by not being constant reminders, as well as allow you to start fresh if and when you adopt another pet. Many people do keep their pet’s collar and tags or a favorite toy, though, and these can be a nice memorial touch if you have your pet cremated and the ashes returned to you.
Everyone deals with grief in different ways, which you should keep in mind especially if there is more than one human in the household. Some people may seem to get over it quickly, while others may become depressed for weeks or months. A person may even feel like they’re long past the grief, and then a sudden reminder triggers the feelings of loss all over again.
The important thing is to not let the feelings of grief turn into anger or resentment toward each other, such as feeling that your partner isn’t sad enough or should have “snapped out of it” by now. If you have children, you’ll also have plenty to deal with in explaining your pet’s death to them.
Keep in mind also that the attitudes of people outside your pack about losing a pet are different and many of them, especially those without pets, don’t realize that the experience can be just as traumatic as losing a parent or child. If a friend or acquaintance doesn’t seem overly moved, don’t take it personally.
Although saying good-bye is the hardest part of our relationships with our pets, we can console ourselves by remembering that by rescuing that pet we gave it a chance at a happy life in the first place — and left us with many pleasant memories. Once you’re done with the grieving and back in a positive place, the best tribute you can pay to a pet that’s passed is to give another pet a second chance.
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In 1981, renowned actor James ‘Jimmy’ Stewart read a poem about his beloved dog Beau which left talk-show host Johnny Carson in tears.
Jimmy Stewart And His Beloved Golden Retriever Beau
One of the most renowned actors in history, who enthralled us with classics such as “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Rear Window,” and “Vertigo,” was Jimmy Stewart. He served in World War 2 and the Vietnam War before becoming a veteran of both conflicts. On an episode of “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” in 1981, we got to see a different side of Jimmy as he spoke at length about his deceased Golden Retriever named Beau.
Beau was a loved companion of Jimmy. The adorable dog would crawl into Jimmy’s bed and demand him to stroke his hair and pat his head. When Jimmy was filming in Arizona, he received a call informing him that Beau was dying terminally ill. He poured all of his sentiments for Beau into a poem entitled “I’ll Never Forget a Dog Named Beau,” which he recited on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. We’ll never forget this episode. It touched millions of hearts around the country and world!
You must keep up the volume as you listen to Jimmy deliver his compelling story on Beau. It’s a lovely tribute to his dog, in which he discusses all the wonderful times they spent together. Towards the end of the poem, when Jimmy described with accuracy the emptiness we feel after losing a beloved pet, we were sobbing uncontrollably. Thank you very much, Jimmy, for writing this beautiful and emotion-packed poem.
After many years of raising money for animal charities (£70,000 so far) I now find myself needing help for Gem, one of my beloved dogs.
GEM
Gem started limping and wouldn’t put her right left leg down. We took her to the vet where she had x-rays etc. It now looks like she has a fracture of her right cruciate ligament which may need operating on in the future. Gem was hit by a land rover when she was only two which hasn’t seemed to bother her but perhaps it does now.
So far her treatment has cost £1,100. Unfortunately Gem’s insurers won’t pay out because we have only started with them and it is within the the first 14 days!. Any help would be greatly appreciated. If she needs an operation on her cruciate ligament it will cost £3,500.
Anything raised over the total cost will be given to Miracle’s Mission to help them rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured animals.
Please donate ANY amount, large or small, at HELP GEM.
She wagged her tail as her new mom signed the papers to adopt her.
Old, blind and lost at a kill shelter, Muneca didn’t seem like she had much left to hold on to.
Until the first person to show her kindness came along.
And then, the 18-year-old dachshund refused to let go.
Muneca, an 18-year-old blind Dachshund, was dumped at an animal shelter, leaving her alone and terrified. At this time, she no longer had a home, her vision, or someone to love her.
But Muneca’s story didn’t end with a bittersweet moment at what seemed the end of the line. Hwang’s photograph moved thousands to share her plight.
Just two days after being dumped at the shelter, the Frosted Faces Foundation stepped up to get Muneca out of there.
Suddenly, a dog who seemed to have no one had people all over the world lining up to take her home. She found the perfect fit with Amy Gann. Literally.
“We screened a lot of people and talked to all their references,” Kelly Smíšek, executive director of Frosted Faces, tells The Dodo. “We home-checked a bunch of people.
“By the time we approved someone and they drove to San Diego, I met them, I was very nervous. I thought, ‘I hope we picked the right person.’ And immediately, it was, ‘Oh my Gosh. I’m so glad she’s going home with you.'”
It turned out Muneca had a lot more memories to make outside of that shelter. Even before she found her real home. Like when she soaked in a much-needed bath.
Or when she sprawled out on a picnic blanket, chomping on a treat.
“I can’t put her down,” Gann wrote to Smíšek in a text message. “I have very close family and we pass her along like a new baby in the family.”
In fact, Gann even made a sling for Muneca, so she can keep her close to her while doing chores around the house.
Muneca may not be able to see the setting sun on a California beach, but she can surely feel the warmth that will embrace her for the rest of her days.
Please SHARE this beautiful story to highlight the importance of adopting rescue animals. You can also SIGN UP to receive NEWS & UPDATES direct to your inbox by registering in the top righthand corner of this page.
This is your chance to bid on beautiful original artworks and signed memorabilia in our ‘Charity Auction To Help Disabled Animals’.
This is a sealed bid auction, so all you need to do is decide which item you would like to bid for – noting the reserve price for each – and send us your bid with the lot number and name by email to protectallwildlife@btinternet.com by 21:00 on the 17th of April . We will email you to let you know if your bid is the highest. Postage costs will be calculated when the auction ends. Good luck!
This signed After Life image has been very kindly donated by animal welfare great Ricky Gervais.
Reserve £100
RICKY GERVAIS AFTER LIFE 1
Lot 2
This signed After Life image has been very kindly donated by animal welfare great Ricky Gervais.
Reserve £100
RICKY GERVAIS AFTER LIFE 2
Lot 3
This is an ORIGINAL watercolour, pastel and pencil study of a Badger by wildlife artist Milo. This STUNNING piece measures 54 x 41 cms
Reserve: £100
BADGER
Lot 4
This is an ORIGINAL pencil study of a Rhino by Dane Youkers . This STUNNING piece measures 28 x 36 cms .
Reserve: £100
RHINO
Lot 5
‘The Animals Fight Back’ original watercolour by Charito Lilley. This thought-provoking piece measures 40 x 30 cms
Reserve: £50
THE ANIMALS FIGHT BACK
Lot 6
‘Tails Erect’ by Wildlife Artist Carol Barrett. This ORIGINAL study of Warthogs is in watercolour and ink and is on Rhino Dung Paper! It is mounted and measures 40 x 30 cms.
Reserve: £200
TAILS ERECT
Lot 7
A ‘Dazzle Of Zebras’ by Jan Ferguson. This stunning print measures 41 x 30 cms
Reserve: £30
A DAZZLE OF ZEBRAS
Lot 8
Limited Edition print titled ‘Highland Monarch’ Michael Demain. This stunning measures 56 x 34 cms.
Reserve: £40
HIGHLAND MONARCH
Lot 9
This is an ORIGINAL watercolour, pastel and pencil study of a Cheetah by wildlife artist Milo. This STUNNING piece measures 57 x 42 cms.
Reserve: £100
CHEETAH
Lot 10
This is an ORIGINAL watercolour, pastel and pencil study of a Fox by wildlife artist Milo. This STUNNING piece measures 58 x 42 cms.
Reserve: £100
FOX
Lot 11
This is an ORIGINAL watercolour, pastel and pencil study of a Clouded Leopard by wildlife artist Milo. This STUNNING piece measures 57 x 42 cms
Reserve: £100
CLOUDED LEOPARD
Lot 12
A beautiful print of Tiger cubs by Jan Ferguson. This piece measures 41 x 31 cms.
Reserve: £30
TIGER CUBS
Lot 13
This lot is for an official Scottish Rugby ball signed by the 2021/2022 squad.
Reserve: £75
OFFICIAL SIGNED SCOTTISH RUGBY BALL 2021/2022 SQUAD
Lot 14
This is a stunning ORIGINAL watercolour, pastel and pencil study of a Jaguar by wildlife artist Milo. This STUNNING piece measures 57 x 42 cms.
Reserve: £100
JAGUAR
Lot 15
This is a stunning ORIGINAL watercolour, pastel and pencil study of a pair of baby Snow Leopards by wildlife artist Milo. This STUNNING piece measures 59 x 42 cms.
Reserve: £100
A PAIR OF BABY SNOW LEOPARDS
Lot 16
This is a stunning ORIGINAL watercolour, pastel and pencil study of a Snow Leopard by wildlife artist Milo. This STUNNING piece measures 59 x 42 cms.
Reserve: £100
SNOW LEOPARD
Lot 17
A stunning Limited Edition print titled ‘Endangered Nobility’ by Kim Thompson. This beautiful study of the noble Lion measures 60 x 42 cms.
Reserve: £75
ENDANGERED NOBILITY
Lot 18
‘Mischief Maker’ is a beautiful Ltd Edition study of a Lion cub by Julie Rhodes. It is mounted and measures 560 x 380mm.
Reserve: £50
MISCHIEF MAKER
Lot 19
The beautiful Butterflies In The Round by Cath Hodsman. This Limited Print measures 51 x 41 cms.
Reserve: £50
BUTTERFLIES IN THE ROUND
Lot 20
This lot is ‘A Mother’s Love’, an adorable original watercolour, pastel and pencil of a Lioness and her cubs by wildlife artist Milo. This beautiful piece measures 30 x 28 cms.
Reserve: £75
A MOTHER’S LOVE
Lot 21
Who can resist ‘Those Eyes’? This delightful original watercolour, pastel and pencil study of a baby Orangutan is by Milo and measures 59 x 42 cms.
Reserve: £100
ORANGUTAN
Lot 22
A custom made digital pet portraits makes a wonderful keepsake or present for your loved ones and are ideal for framing.
Reserve: £25
DIGITAL PET PORTRAIT
Lot 23
Street artist Sonny Sundancer’s gigantic painting of an Amur Leopard overlooked the city of Vladivostok, Russia and is part of his worldwide ‘To The Bone’ project aimed at raising awareness about endangered species.
This STUNNING piece of his work is caught brilliantly in this VERY Limited Edition of only 45 prints and measures 50 x 35 cms.
Reserve: £75
AMUR LEOPARD WALL ART
Lot 24
In a very Limited Edition of only 75 prints, this Stunning study of a Sumatran Tiger is by Nick Day. It measures 38 x 41 cms.
Reserve: £75
SUMATRAN TIGER
Lot 25
A beautiful print of a Giraffe by Jeremy Paul. It measures 46 x 26 cms
Reserve: £10
GIRAFFE
Lot 26
A beautiful print of a Zebra by Jeremy Paul. It measures 46 x 26 cms
Reserve: £10
ZEBRA
Lot 27
This is a stunning ORIGINAL watercolour, pastel and pencil study of a Wolf by wildlife artist Milo. This STUNNING piece measures 57 x 42 cms.
Reserve: £100
WOLF
Lot 28
This is a stunning ORIGINAL watercolour, pastel and pencil study of a Sumatran Tiger by wildlife artist Milo. This STUNNING piece measures 57 x 42 cms.
Reserve: £100
SUMATRAN TIGER
Lot 29
This is a stunning ORIGINAL watercolour, pastel and pencil study of a Giraffe by wildlife artist Milo. This STUNNING piece measures 57 x 42 cms.
Reserve: £100
Lot 30
This is a stunning ORIGINAL watercolour, pastel and pencil study of a Giraffe and her baby by wildlife artist Milo. This STUNNING piece measures 57 x 42 cms.
Reserve: £100
GIRAFFE AND BABY
Lot 31
This is a stunning ORIGINAL watercolour, pastel and pencil study of an ADORABLE pair of Cheetah cubs by wildlife artist Milo. This STUNNING piece measures 57 x 42 cms.
Reserve: £100
CHEETAH CUBS
Lot 32
This is a stunning Limited Edition print of a commission for The Miracle’s Mission Rehabilitation Centre. This beautiful piece measures 30 x 21 cms.
Reserve: £25
THE MIRACLE’S MISSION REHABILITATION CENTRE
Lot 33
St. Francis of Assisi Charm. From Assisi, Italy
Hand carried back from Assisi, Italy by comedian/rescuer Elayne Boosler. St. Francis of Assisi is known the world over as the Patron Saint of Animals. Elayne had this charm blessed in the church in Assisi, Italy. It can attach to your pet’s collar or you can wear it on a chain yourself.
Made and bought in Italy, hand carried back by Elayne Boosler, blessed in Assisi’s church.
Reserve: £30
ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI CHARM
Lot 34
Fully signed South African Rugby Union Club Sharks top very kindly donated by former Sharks fullback Joe Pieterson
Reserve: £100
FULLY SIGNED SHARKS RUGBY TOP
Lot 35
Roque was just a few months old when he was rescued by Born Free from a Spanish pet shop in 1998. Rehabilitated at a sanctuary in Kent, he then lived happily for 16 years at BFF’s Tiger sanctuary in India until his death in 2018.
Reserve: £35
BORN FREE FOUNDATION ROQUE TEA TOWEL AND STUFFED TIGER
Lot 36
A MAGNIFICENT original piece of art by the respected Scottish artist, Archibald Peddie. Painted in 1957, this oils on board painting measures 64 x 54 inches.
Reserve: £350
A VASE OF FLOWERS OIL PAINTING BY ARCHIBALD PEDDIE
Thank you for taking the time to look at our auction and happy bidding.
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Amid the horrific Russian invasion, many Ukrainians have been able to leave with their furry friends by their sides. But some people are still having trouble getting to safety. Rishabh Kaushik, an Indian student in Ukraine, has been struggling to get his rescue dog named Malibu approved to fly.
#NoAnimalLeftBehind
Rishabh was trying to evacuate to India amid the war, but he refused to leave without Malibu. The government kept denying his flight without the dog’s paperwork. So, he posted a video online, pleading for someone to help him. All he wanted was for his pup to be safe.
Rishabh was studying software engineering at the Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics Engineering when the war began. He’s in his final year of college, and he adopted Malibu during his time in Ukraine. He named the rescue pup “Malibu” because it means “sweet.”
Rishabh Kaushik with Malibu after arriving in India
Rishabh’s family is from Dehradun, India, so he planned to return there once he realized it wasn’t safe in Ukraine. His family members in Ukraine quickly evacuated the country, but Rishabh couldn’t go with them because of Malibu. He refused to hop on a plane unless his furry friend could be beside him.
The student faced a lot of setbacks when trying to fly back to India. He said the government kept asking for paperwork that he couldn’t obtain because most places in Ukraine were closed. Eventually, he turned to the internet to ask for help. He posted a video sharing his story, hoping someone could find a way for him and Malibu to escape.
“Even my dog is so stressed out about it,” said Rishabh. “He’s really scared about all the bombings happening, and he’s crying all the time with all the bombings happening around.”
After seeing his plea, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) reached out to the Indian government and convinced them to allow pets on flights. With more lenient pet travel restrictions, Rishabh was able to safely fly to India with Malibu by his side.
“There was a lot of documentation in India, the procedure was long. But in war-like situations, they should’ve allowed their own citizens. So, I had put up the appeal. A memorandum had come recently which stated that pets and even strays are now being allowed without NOC,” Rishabh said.
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Badger setts have been targeted by cruel criminals in Co Down, just as the mothers are safeguarding their litters of small cubs.
A badger-baiting gang digging into a sett to recover their dogs
After uncovering a spate of sett attacks, the Northern Ireland Badger Group has issued a warning to residents in the Dromore region.
It claims that badger baiters accompanied by fighting dogs have dug out at least three setts in recent weeks, two of which have been left lifeless.
According to a spokeswoman, “These guys target the mother badger during this time of year because she fights to protect her cubs.
“They go to extraordinary lengths. They dig a deep tunnel into the main chamber and seal the entrance openings, preventing the badgers from escaping.
“The biggest of the setts was still active, but our fear is that they are targeting them at this time of year, when the mother will have cubs.”
The spokesman said the badger baiters dig down to get at the badgers, then loose fighting dogs, leaving the badger dead and badly mutilated.
Badgers will fight to the death leaving the dogs mutilated in the process
“The young badgers would probably be killed in the whole process. It’s a horrible thing – I’ve seen the aftermath a number of times. The badger is completely mangled, almost unrecognisable,” he said.
“I’ve found foxes tied to trees close to setts where they had been baited with the dogs.”
Landowners in the Dromore area who are working with the group are “disgusted” by the cruelty, he said.
“They would certainly have local knowledge – where they dug out the setts is well off the beaten track.
“It’s horrific what goes on in our countryside. Because it happens in the hinterland of Ulster, we only know about it when we get phone calls about people being on the land. It happens well away from public view.”
The spokesman asked local people to watch out for men with shovels and accompanied by terriers or lurchers as well as suspicious vehicles close to where setts would be.
“One of the times to be on the lookout are Sunday mornings. There tends to be less people about then and they take advantage of that,” he said.
“Badgers and their setts are both protected – you are legally not allowed to interfere with them in any way, so if you find any evidence contact police on 101 or ring Crimestoppers, but if you actually see a crime taking place ring 999.
“The police are very proactive on this and take wildlife crime and animal cruelty very seriously.
“The courts have also started giving custodial sentences for animal cruelty. These baiters have committed a crime and there need to be robust measures in place to make them stop,” the spokesman said.
A PSNI spokesman said: “Under the Wildlife Order, if any person intentionally or recklessly kills, injures or takes any wild animal included in Schedule fives/he shall be guilty of an offence.
“It is also an offence to damage/destroy or obstruct the sett. The Welfare of Animals Act (NI) 2011 also legislates for offences in relation to fighting and these include offences which may be linked to badger baiting.”
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PROTECT ALL WILDLIFE 