Neoclassic Perk

We've had to cancel I'm afraid - changes in family circumstances mean it won't be practical for us to get to the mainland that weekend - sorry

Good grief - can the poor 1st family not gain approval for anything they do ? As the newly elected president of the US, I applaud his family for doing their research, and realising that their publicly expressed first choice of dog (a mutt) was not suitable for them, and so they sought out a responsible breeder and eventually took on an older puppy which had been returned When compared to the British Monarch, who is a Kennel Club registered breeder of a number of breeds, I know which I support

While Wendy had the best of intentions; mad thought it sounds, a lot of people who gain enjoyment from these images actually do report it to the police or other hotlines themselves - especially if they have reason to think that they have been found out by a friend or family member. The reason very often given to police is that they were "doing research" for a book, or project and assume that this will let them off the hook Common sense suggests that criminals would not make contact with the police themselves, but in reality, this often happens - and Police are made aware that just because someone reports something doesn't mean they are innocent I am confident that this will all be resolved for Wendy in time; but it is a very distressing situation for everyone involved

Oh, poor Wendy I fully understand the processes which led to this situation; sadly, very few people DO report these sites to their local police, so the process isn't in place to deal with people who innocently report it. Police officers "on the front line" (rather than those in specialist units) are given a very basic understanding of the laws they enforce because there is just so much that they can't be experts at all of it. They will have been trained to seize computers and caution anyone who admits to downloading this type of material, in order for specialist teams to further investigate. I have no doubt that Wendy's motives will become clear once her computer is examined - unfortunately, this is likely to take some months as there is such a backlog of work for the expert forensic examiners who do this. The reasons that are given by people who have this material in their possession can be very plausible, and distressing thought it is for Wendy, I hope that the fact that the Police were so robust in their actions is reassurance that this type of crime is taken very seriously

Equestrian disciplines undoubtedly place horses at more risk than if these animals remained green and untrained......but horses have been domesticated in order to serve a purpose; whether that be to work for us, or provide us with enjoyment/entertainment, and that inevitably places them at greater risk. Dogs are domesticated too - they are placed at significant risk when they perform "work" for us, and even dogs that provide entertainment are at "risk" of diseases and injuries that they would not be subject to if they did not share their lives with us. Every individual has a different assessment of the level of "risk" that they are prepared to accept - some people regularly participate in extreme sports; others get ill at the thought of high-risk activities To some people, the risk to a horse running a steeplechase is no different to the risk a dog is subject to when it is allowed off lead in public, but to others, these two circumstances cannot be compared and are worlds apart. It isn't a "right or wrong" issue, imo, but something that individuals have to decide upon for themselves

Legally, that it true - if the animal does not suffer, then it is not illegal to kill one However, it is a criminal offence - destruction/damage to property (like it or not, dogs are considered to be possessions) - which the RSPCA can do nothing about, but the CPS can, if it is in the public interest to prosecute, and if not, then a private prosecution is the only way to obtain legal redress. It is a tragic case; once again, animals are the innocent victims, caught up in a dispute between people who should know better

Our local classified listings site (which is free to list and view) has been overwhelmed with "scam puppy" adverts - you know the sort of thing; "send me a huge fee by money transfer, and I'll send you a cute puppy" which of course, never arrives This has really annoyed the regular site users; and one has posted a long, and comprehensively worded advert, which promotes the use of the well-known specialist "puppy listing" classified websites instead of the local listings Now, I know that neither method of buying a puppy is ideal - but I would like to highlight the fact that the specialist sites are the method of choice for many puppy farmers - we don't have any puppy farms locally, so this is a problem that most locals are totally oblivious too - and they genuinely think that this is a better way of getting a pup than being taken in by a scam Can anyone recommend any links - or suggest wordings for an advert that would explain why using these large, comercial puppy-lisitngs isn't a good idea? Thanks

Brilliant - well done to everyone involved

Thanks - I spoke to Mel a while ago - thanks Mel, your advice was brilliant, but fell on deaf ears I'll keep trying, though!

Is there anyone around who can advise me about an alleged Pit Bull that is being given away on the local free ads? Thanks

Welcome home Barry - it is totally wrong that you have suffered so much in the last 16 months Is there anyone who can clarify a couple of legal points if they know? Did the court return a guilty verdict because the defence did not prove that Barry had been stolen and so therefore, the defendant was the person legally in charge at the time of the incident...... - or - did they return the verdict despite the fact that Barry had been stolen and implying that the theft was the initial event in a sequence that led to the bite, and the defendant was responsible for Barry at the time he was stolen and therefore liable for the subsequent events ? If it is the latter, then this is a hugely significant ruling for all dog owners - and effectively re-interprets the DDA.....

Thank all - he is much better today......I'd not thought of boots - but I wonder if he needs those in order to remain injury free, whether he would be better staying at home for the longer walks? I'm going to try toughening up his pads by doing more pavement walks; using the wax to give a but of protection at first....and we'll see how we go, I think

After a (very) long hike yesterday (not without training to build up to the distance, I hasten to add), my poor boy Molo has a sore/blistered paw I am bathing it in saltwater - and he is being brave and not licking or chewing that much, so I'm hoping it will get better really soon. My question is, can anyone recommend paw-wax or similar and suggest the best place to get it? I want to prevent this happening again

I knew I was coming down with a cold last week (scratchy throat and cough at night) - but took my daughter to Crufts on Saturday anyway, cos she would have been so disappointed - but boy have I paid for it I spent Sunday morning in bed, managed to struggle through work on Monday, but only managed two hours in the office yesterday, and have been in bed ever since! I've got that weird, out-of-body feeling that seems to come with a heavy cold - and I HATE it Has anyone got any suggestions that might help me feel better or preferably , get rid or it all together? Day Nurse/Night Nurse hasn't touched it; sleeping isn't a problem, but staying awake is!

Not as far as I know - it does help keep the dog stable though and increases the chance of the anti-venom treatment to be effective - very few vets have this in stock routinely though, but it can be sourced from Hospital pharmacies.

from Liz Jay on Beardie list, cross posted with permission.... Liz Jay wrote: An old friend of mine has issued her yearly message about snakes. Her son-in - law is an expert on snakes and has said that it's time to warn people that adders are out and very toxic. They will still be in the area of their hibernation, particularly roots of silver birch,and heathland and there can be up to about 20 of them in one place. If the weather gets colder,they will stay around there until it warms up,then they will disperse in small groups of 3 -4 until they have found a mate then eaten. If a dog gets bitten at this time,it is unlikely to survive,unless very prompt treatment can be given,and as the snakes are very sluggish,they will be very slow moving. Please cross post to any other Groups that this might be of value to. Hopefully none of us will be unfortunate enough to come across the problem.

Can anyone enter? Some of my friends have a wicked sense of humour and would make some great suggestions

That could present a problem The only way I managed to press gang my OH into coming was by telling him there was a beer fest a mile away; I don't expect to see him much on the Saturday, and everyone will hear his snoring on Saturday night, wherever he sleeps!

When I booked, she asked if I would like to be near the "dog walk" (I accepted) - if that helps?

My OH has just raised his eyes to the heavens when I read him the headcount!! He then (very sensibly, I think) said that it will be good for our two dogs; they need more socialising in places with lots of people/dogs and this seems like an ideal place to do so, amongst people who understand

Snow - apologies, I should have been more specific - I didn't mean retractions, which, as you say, are rarely an accurate indication of a false allegation In my area at least, a retraction does not result in the writing off of a statistic, the crime is left undetected - but I know that different police forces have different ways of dealing with that, and it is an area where improvements can definitely be made However, there are not infrequent cases where investigation reveals evidence that the "victim" is lying; sometimes as significant as proving the victim and suspect were not even together when the offence allegedly took place! I know of at least one situation where an initial report from a victim was followed by a series of what appeared to be unrelated reports over the following few months; and each of the victims was a friend or associate of the origional victim, although the allged offender (when named) was different It eventually transpired that the origional victim had gained status and kudos within her social circle because of her victimisation; and others close to her were trying to emulate her ! The latter reports were soon *proved* to be false, but even in that instance, the CPS were reluctant to press charges

It is happening; too slowly, but I do think it is changing faster than I expected, really. I work for a large police force, and I genuinely don't know of one male police officer who would trivialise an allegation in any way, ever. They support victims to the very best of their ability while at the same time carrying out a robust and objective investigation in order to maximise the chance of a guilty verdict if the case ever goes to court (a flawed or bias investigation will be grasped by the defence team and used to undermine the case). The problem is that false reporting of rape and sexual assault isn't unusual, and every time a woman makes a false allegation, then it makes things harder for every other genuine victim I wish that society was harder on the women who do this, tbh - no matter what the issues, and no matter what the accused has actually done, it is unforgivable imo to falsely allege rape. It places pressure on already stretched public resources, diverts attention from genuine victims and makes it necessary for all victims to be challenged early on in an investigation

They are beautiful I have cross-posted to COL - I have a feeling they won't be waiting long for their forever home

Jack wasn't given special treatment; he received the same dispensation that many people who find themselves facing similar tragedies are offered. I'm not saying I agree with it, but he did not set the precedent - that happened a long time ago, when the first incarcerated prisoner was temporarily released in order to spend time with a dying loved one I don't consider Jade a martyr - I know several people who have chosen to continue to work throughout their battle against this dreadful disease; sadly, they were also subject to the same criticism that Jade is facing.

I did a mercy dash to collect two rabbits last winter, offered on freecycle under the threat of release into the wild Like you, as soon as I got them home, I panicked! They were much bigger than I expected, (with dewlaps) and I analysed their behaviour minutely and was worried about whether they were pregnant, sick etc etc They were unhandlable, too, and began to fight soon after I got them home! Two things helped me hugely I joined www.rabbitrehome.org.uk, which is an excellent website with an active, experienced forum, and I took them along to the free nurses clinic at the vet practice I use, and met with their bunny specialist They have been an incredible addition to our family - we have converted my daughters old wendy house as accomodation, and they have become friendly and comical; they love to play and have great fun teasing the dogs Well done you for taking this bunny in, and I'm sure you will soon have put your worries behind you