Animal Matter Spring/ Summer 2023

HOW

Stats and trends with a focus on cost-of-living

CONTENTS

PAGE 3 - WELCOME FROM OUR CEO

PAGE 10 - AN OPEN LETTER FROM MIKE FLYNN

PAGE 14 - PUSHING FOR LEGISLATIVE CHANGE FOR ANIMALS

PAGE 20 - WHAT IS AVIAN INFLUENZA?

PAGE 4 - NEWS IN BRIEF

PAGE 12 - INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTINE DEVLIN, LEGACY AND IN-MEMORY MANAGER

PAGE 8 - HOW YOUR SUPPORT HELPED US IN 2022

PAGE 16 - SUPPORT US WITHIN YOUR OWN COMMUNITY

PAGE 22 - GILLY MENDES FERREIRA, DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION AND STRATEGIC RELATIONS, DISCUSSES GROUND BREAKING NEW BOOK

PAGE 24 - REHOMING TAILS

PAGE 18 - WHERE VOLUNTEERING WITH THE SCOTTISH SPCA CAN TAKE YOU

PAGE 26 - EVENTS CALENDAR

WELCOME FROM OUR CEO

Kirsteen Campbell Chief Executive

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Animal Matters Magazine.

In 2022 the cost-of-living crisis presented a huge challenge to many across Scotland, and the Scottish SPCA was no exception.

The crisis has created a perfect storm of rising animal welfare issues alongside pressure on our income. We saw calls to our animal helpline to give up a pet treble in 2022 and these pleas for help have continued to rise by another 17% in the first two months of 2023.

This alarming increasing demand on our services comes at a time when people have less disposable income to give to charity and our own costs are rising – it costs over £56k a day at present to run the Scottish SPCA, which is a 14% percentage increase from 2022.

We are conscious that we have a unique role in animal welfare

in Scotland and it is our privilege to be there supporting animals and people in need in every community, every day. As we reflect on another turbulent year, I am so proud of everything we managed to achieve. We faced the challenge head on, continuing to rescue animals in need, innovating our services and supporting people in communities throughout the country. You can read more about the work we did in 2022 on page 4.

As ever, we have only been able to carry out this work thanks to fantastic supporters like you. Every single person who supports us is an animal rescuer in their own way because we simply wouldn’t be able to rescue animals without you. Read a special thank you from our chief superintendent, Mike Flynn, on page 6.

Despite the challenges of the past year, there’s a lot to look forward to in 2023. You can read about the work we’re doing to

influence important legislative changes, as well as researching the link between animal abuse and other kinds of abuse, and how to educate future generations on animal sentience as part of our work in preventing animal cruelty. And of course there are amazing community events, volunteering opportunities and fundraising challenges to get involved in.

We hope you enjoy this latest issue and, as always, thank you for helping us to continue to rescue animals. Your continued support makes you a vital part of our rescue efforts and we couldn’t be more grateful.

The animals and people of Scotland need your support now more than ever and you truly are providing a lifeline for those in need. Making sure the Scottish SPCA is there for all animals, always. Thank you.

PET AID EXPANSION

Last winter we launched our Pet Aid to support people and pets who are struggling during the current cost-of-living crisis, and the service is going from strength to strength.

We now supply 41 food banks and community larders across Scotland with pet food supplies, and we’re ready to extend this service with the introduction of our Pet Aid veterinary initiative.

We will soon be looking to recruit

a community veterinary nurse manager who will help establish and develop the Pet Aid veterinary service, and then support the recruitment of a dedicated community veterinary nurse (CVN) team.

The first CVN team will be based at our Glasgow centre’s veterinary clinic and report into our chief veterinary officer, Ian Futter. The service will be piloted in the Glasgow and West region initially to ensure we are being compliant with Royal College of Veterinary

SHARON CELEBRATES 50 YEARS

Surgeons guidance, but with a view to running the service nationally long term.

This is a brilliant first step in rolling out our Pet Aid veterinary service, and we hope to expand in the future. It is in an animal’s best interest to stay with their owners where possible, and this service means we can hopefully enable more people and pets to stay together which will ultimately relieve pressure on our centres.

A veteran of Scotland’s animal welfare sector marked 50 years of service at the Scottish SPCA this year.

Sharon said, “It is incredible to think that I’ve been with the charity for half a century. Since I joined this amazing organisation, animal welfare in Scotland has come on leaps and bounds and it has been an honour to be a part of the organisation at the heart of this for the past 50 years.”

For several nights, she slept beside Paddy in his kennel to keep him company. Against the odds, Paddy pulled through and went to a loving home.

Sharon Comrie, who currently works in our fundraising team, first joined the Society as a 13-year-old volunteer back in 1973. Throughout an illustrious career, Sharon has worked in a number of roles.

Sharon has gone above and beyond for thousands of animals throughout her life. One such animal was Paddy the dog. When he arrived at Sharon’s centre, his prognosis was bad. Vets expected Paddy to pass away, and Sharon did not want him to be on his own.

Several years later, Sharon was walking down the street in Dundee city centre when she heard a commotion nearby. A dog bounded up to her and began to smother her with kisses. It was Paddy, who remembered her kindness after all that time.

Thank you for all your amazing hard work over the years, Sharon!

NEW MEMBERS OF THE BOARD

We have welcomed five new trustees to our Board since October 2022, Steven Naismith, Helen Page, Willie Finlayson, Ed Alford and Caroline Trotter.

Steven was previously the interim head of retail at Edinburgh Airport. He brings over a decade of experience in the financial sector and has put his expertise to use in his work with other Scottish charities such as Waverley Care.

Prior to choosing to follow a career in Board and advisory earlier this year, Helen was the chief brand officer of Virgin Money UK (formerly Clydesdale Bank) for almost a decade. During that time, Helen also served as Helen also served as the Chair of Virgin Money Giving.

Willie co-founded FWB Park Brown 1993, which is now a leading independent UK Executive Search business. It acts for a range of clients - PLC, Private Equity, Family and Not-for-Profit – in disciplines such as Chief Executive Officer, Non Exec Directors and Chairs for those leading functions in Operations, Finance, HR, IT, Legal and Sales & Marketing.

Ed spent the last two years at the high street fashion retailer New Look transforming their technology landscape and prior to that was part of BP’s top 100

ADVENTURE CLUBS

As part of our Animal WISE initiative the education team will be running Adventure Clubs again during the summer holidays

This year we are asking our supporters to sponsor a space at one of our Adventure Clubs for a child in the community who would not usually get the opportunity to attend such events. They will be able to do something fun, make new friends,

leadership team acting in CIO and Senior VP positions between 2012 and 2020. Last year, he was recognised by Computer Weekly as the 4th most influential UK tech leader in the private sector.

Caroline has worked in the investment industry for over 35 years. In her most recent role at Aberdeen Standard Investments (now known as abrdn), she was responsible for driving excellence in the management of key strategic client relationships and partnerships.

meet our team and animals and become Animal Wise.

This allows us to raise money for the Society, connect with the local community and give children the chance to experience a great day out!

Clubs will be held during the summer break at three of our rescue centres:

10-YEAR BAN FOR DOG ABUSE

34-year-old Mark McGregor from West Lothian was handed a 10-year ban on owning, keeping and working with animals on 25 November following an investigation carried out by our inspectors. He was also given a 108-day restriction of liberty order.

Scottish SPCA inspector, Fiona Thorburn, said, “On 5 March 2021, we attended the property of Mark McGregor following a report from witnesses that he had been seen violently striking his dog in his back garden. The information surrounding the attack carried out on his dog was very graphic and of a serious nature.

“The caller had concerns that the dog, a seven-month-old male, tan

and white Staffordshire bull terrier cross called Murdo, had been beaten previously as he had been seen with swollen lumps on his head.

“When we attended, it was immediately apparent that Murdo had a noticeable swelling on his head. He approached me wagging his tail and jumping up in a friendly manner but when McGregor approached him, he appeared scared. He cowered and urinated on the floor.”

Murdo was removed under section 32 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 to be taken for a veterinary examination.

“The veterinary examination uncovered damage consistent with the traumatic injury reported to us

“Murdo was transported to one of our rescue and rehoming centres for ongoing care and to ensure his welfare.”

by the witnesses, leaving Murdo with a large lump on his head.

Murdo has made a good recovery and has since found a loving home

COUPLE HANDED LIFETIME BAN FOR NEGLECT

A couple from Aberdeenshire were sentenced to a lifetime ban each for owning and keeping any animals, a community payback order and a 12-month supervision order on 23 February following an investigation by our inspectors.

41-year-old John Symons pled guilty to numerous charges of causing unnecessary suffering to several of their animals and failing to ensure the welfare of all animals under their care at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on 24 November 2022. His 36-year-old wife, Victoria Symons, pled guilty to one charge.

They failed to provide necessary veterinary treatment resulting in suffering to their animals. They did not provide a suitable or clean living environment thus preventing them to exhibiting normal behaviours, nor were they provided with a suitable diet. The

Symons failed to protect their animals from suffering, injury and disease.

Scottish SPCA inspector, Fiona McKenzie, said: “I tried on several occasions to work with John and Victoria Symons in relation to their animals. Initially a number of animals were removed reducing them to an acceptable number of two dogs and two cats. Both the

Symons disregarded advice given and continued to accumulate multiple animals.

“We feel the lifetime ban on owning or keeping any animals handed to both John and Victoria Symon is a justified outcome for the suffering their animals had to endure.”

“We feel the lifetime ban on owning or keeping any animals handed to both John and Victoria Symon is a justified outcome for the suffering their animals had to endure.”

OWL RESCUE

OWL RESCUE

We successfully rescued an owl who was trapped in the flue of a wood burning stove in Hazlehead, Aberdeen.

We were alerted to the incident when a member of the public called our animal helpline to report what they thought was a hawk trapped in their wood burner at an address on Macaulay Park on 10 October.

Scottish SPCA animal rescue officer, Lynn Cruickshank, said, “This was quite a tricky rescue and when I first arrived all I could see was the bird’s feet and some feathers sticking out of the wood burner.

“I managed to get hold of the bird and get them out of the flue but I

WHAT A HOOT!

“Thankfully the owl was unharmed from their adventure. The bird was checked over and given some food and water. They were then released back in to the wild none the worse for wear!”

couldn’t get them past the damper at the top of the stove. I then realised the bird was a tawny owl and too big to fit!

“Unfortunately after a while we were still really struggling so I called the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for assistance. That allowed us to complete the rescue successfully.”

BALLO THE OTTER

BALLO THE OTTER

Ballo the otter came in to our National Wildlife Rescue Centre just before Christmas after he was found near Kinross at the side of the road by a member of the public.

He had been hit by a car and heartbreakingly, people were driving over him and past him. Thankfully one person noticed that his head was moving and that he was in fact alive!

When Ballo arrived he was much more lively than when he was found. Our wildlife assistants needed to sedate him in the car as he was understandably feisty after his ordeal and was reluctant to be caught.

Once sedated he was taken to our vet suite where a series of x-rays and a physical examination were carried out to see what damage there might be. Amazingly, there wasn’t a single break or fracture and all of his teeth were intact. Ballo had a gash on his face and nose which needed treatment, but luckily he started eating well so all of his medication could be put in his food.

He was in our care for a few weeks until his face healed, he gained weight and became strong and fit enough to survive in the wild.

We were so pleased when Ballo was released at the beginning of the year near to where he was found.

BALLO THE OTTER

HOW YOUR SUPPORT HELPED US IN 2022

In 2022 we faced one of the most challenging years in our 183-year history.

The cost-of-living crisis, difficulty paying vet bills and the low-welfare pet trade have all emerged as key drivers of animal welfare issues in Scotland, and we have been stretched to our limit.

However, thanks to the support of people like you, we’ve been able to continue our vital work across Scotland helping animals, and people, in need.

Our free animal helpline fielded over a quarter of a million calls (252,265). Over 4,000 people who called the helpline were looking to give up their pet, more than three times as many as in 2021. The majority cited financial issues including vet bills as their main problem.

In response to the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on people and pets, we pioneered Pet Aid in August 2022. The service, which works with local foodbanks and community projects across Scotland, is now available in 41 locations nationwide. Pet Aid provides vital pet supplies to people when they need them most. Our inspectors worked directly with pet owners too, providing support to hundreds of people in their own homes.

Despite the challenging climate, we also continued to rescue, rehabilitate, rehome and release animals across Scotland.

Our animal rescue officers and inspectors responded to 86,078 reports of animals in need – over 235 per day. This included assisting over 13,000 dogs, almost 8,000 cats and over 3,000 hedgehogs!

Our animal rescue and rehoming centres found homes for 3,434 animals. We also continued to offer support to individual farmers and the wider sector in 2022, assisting 2,282 farmed animals throughout the year.

The world-leading National Wildlife Rescue Centre treated 4,908 wild animals, 74% of which were successfully released back to the wild. This included much-loved Scottish wildlife such as seals and red squirrels.

One of the cruellest aspects of the cost-of-living crisis has been that we’ve had to take more animals into our domestic centres, whilst finding it harder to rehome them due to people’s wariness about taking on an animal during such an uncertain time.

We piloted a fostering service in summer 2022, and we will be continuing this throughout 2023 to get animals in to the right environment quickly, and maximise use of the free space we have to get animals who really need help into our care. This service is in the spirit of doing the best we possibly can for animals as we navigate the current economic and societal challenges.

We spearhead efforts to tackle organised crime in animal welfare in Scotland and last year was no different. During 2022, we launched 124 investigations into the puppy trade, 52 investigations into the illegal ear cropping of dogs and 72 probes into animal fighting and badger baiting.

Thank you for everything you’ve helped us to achieve in 2022 and we look forward to what we can achieve together in 2023.

AN OPEN LETTER FROM MIKE FLYNN

By now you will have read at least some of this magazine which outlines some of the astonishing work we did in 2022 and continue to do in 2023. You will have read about the many animals we rescued from illness, injury or abuse.

What you may not realise is that you have been a vital part of every single one of those rescues.

Your donations, fundraising efforts, time given as a volunteer, calls to our helpline to alert us about animals in need and the many other ways you show your support for the Scottish SPCA make you a part of the rescue effort.

Without animal rescuers like you we wouldn’t be able to be there for animals like Billy the saluki. After having his leg amputated,

he was returned twice to our Ayrshire Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre when his new homes didn’t work out.

Thankfully, he finally found his perfect new family in October 2022.

After arriving with a leg injury that was swollen and causing him to limp, he was given pain medication and moved on to his next stage of rehabilitation.

Your support helped care for him for 300 days while we searched for the right home.

You’ve also played a vital part in rescuing wildlife like Sanchez the hedgehog, who was our wildlife hospital’s longest resident of 2022.

However, we then discovered he had ringworm and he developed a skin infection on his left hand side. He seemed to be doing well in his recovery, but every time his skin was almost healed the wound would open up again. We sent away skin samples to investigate why this was happening, and found several species of bacteria.

Once we knew the cause, our skilled team could take a more targeted approach with antibiotics to close the wound. After several months in our care we were delighted when Sanchez was finally healthy enough to be released to a support-fed site so that he could readjust to life in the wild.

You helped us rescue Sanchez, provide the medical care he needed and ensure he could return to the wild where he belongs.

Every single person who assists the Scottish SPCA in any way is an animal rescuer, and should be proud of playing their part.

This is why we’ll be launching a new campaign in May celebrating the part members of the public play every day in some extraordinary tales of animal rescue. We hope you’ll look out for our new television advert in the coming months and feel proud to tell people you are part of Scotland’s emergency service for animals.

Thank you again,

Mike Flynn

What made you apply to be our legacy and in-memory manager?

I am a big animal lover and some of my earliest memories are of playing in the back garden and obsessing over every neighbourhood cat or dog that passed by. This passion for animal welfare and the great outdoors led me to studying a Bachelor of Science in Zoology. After graduating, I decided to focus on charitable legacies and applied for the role with the Scottish SPCA. It is a relatively unknown method of giving but contributes to a huge share of income, especially for the Society.

The Scottish SPCA is an organisation I have always admired and I feel so proud to be a part of. I am also particularly thankful to the charity for giving me the opportunity to adopt my first dog, Albie, who I brought home from the Glasgow centre as a three-month-old pup. He is so friendly and happy and has settled in well.

What is your favourite part of the job?

I really love getting to speak to our supporters and hearing all of their stories. Their passion for animal welfare is so inspiring! I also really enjoy travelling all

over the country and visiting all of our hardworking rescue centres and the animals in their care. Getting to see first-hand the people and pets you are helping is incredibly rewarding.

CHRISTINE DEVLIN, LEGACY AND IN-MEMORY MANAGER, ON HER NEW ROLE AND WHY LEAVING A LEGACY IS SO IMPORTANT

Why should people leave a legacy to the Scottish SPCA in their will?

A legacy or gift in a Will is an amazing way to support the causes you care about. Instead of donating cash towards a gift right now, you get to make a future pledge to the Scottish SPCA which can be either a percentage of your estate, a fixed cash sum, or even a specific item. Simply give your solicitor the following details and they will be able to send your gift:

Charity number: SC006467

Registered address: Scottish SPCA, Kingseat Road, Dunfermline, KY11 8RY

You can also make use of our free Will writing service if you need any help putting one together or having it updated. We know compiling a will is a big decision and we are so thankful for those past, present and future who have decided to leave us a legacy and help us be there for all animals, always.

Are there any events planned for 2023 that we should keep an eye out for?

I will be hosting a number of events this year which will see our frontline staff discussing the importance of our work, plans for local activity and the huge impact of legacy giving for the charity.

So far we have the following dates and locations:

The Burrell Collection in Glasgow, 11am on 17 August

Callendar House in Falkirk, 11am on 21 September

A light lunch will be provided alongside a tour of the venues. Please email me on christine. devlin@scottishspca.org if you would like to book a space or if you would like to know more about leaving a gift in your Will.

We have been really busy pushing our Public Affairs manifesto over the last year and we’re thrilled to have made some fantastic progress!

At the end of January 2023, the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill which aims to close the loopholes of existing hunting legislation was passed. The Bill also pre-emptively banned trail hunting, where a group with dogs follow an animal-based scent. We’re confident this Bill will improve animal welfare by greatly reducing the chances of wild mammals being pursued and killed by dogs.

We are calling for an end to greyhound racing in Scotland. The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) reported that, from 2017 to 2020, 197 injuries were reported at Shawfield. There were also 15 deaths tragically. Despite being the

PUSHING FOR LEGISLATIVE CHANGE FOR ANIMALS

only remaining licensed venue in Scotland for greyhound racing, Shawfield’s doors have remained shut since the pandemic forced its closure. Greyhound races are now held at the unlicensed ‘flapper’ track at Thornton Stadium in Fife where there is no requirement to record injuries or deaths.

The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) presented a report to the Scottish Government and, although we continue to call for an outright ban, we endorse the recommendations in the report as a way of improving current animal welfare standards. These recommendations call for independent veterinary attendance at every greyhound race, and this supervision will minimise unnecessary suffering in the event of an injury and may even prevent it altogether as vets will have the power to

prevent a dog from racing if they are deemed unfit. SAWC also strongly recommends against any future development of greyhound racing tracks in Scotland, which we are absolutely in agreement with.

In March we visited Holyrood with The Kennel Club to call for a ban on electric shock collars. At the moment, existing Scottish Government guidance advises against the use of electric shock collars as a training tool. As recently as 2018, there was cross-party support in the Scottish Parliament for introducing a total ban. Electric shock collars are already banned in Wales and we are hopeful that Scotland will shortly follow.

The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill has not returned to the UK Parliament yet, despite our continued efforts in collaboration with many other UK-wide animal welfare organisations calling for it to progress.

THE BILL AIMS TO:

• Ban the import of dogs with cropped ears and docked tails.

• Raise the age of pups imported to six months, with tighter restrictions on pregnant females.

• Ban the import and export of live farm animals for fattening and slaughter.

And lastly, we responded to the Wildlife Management (Grouse) Bill consultation which was seeking information on snares and glue traps. We strongly campaigned for their outright ban, believing these barbaric devices have no place in modern Scotland. We also clearly stated our view that no animal should be killed for sport, and this includes the shooting of grouse, which the Bill states should require a licence. While we accept that most grouse shooting estates are law abiding, management needs to be addressed to ensure that illegal practices are not taking place and those working on the estates do not persecute or unnecessarily kill animals.

SUPPORT US WITHIN YOUR OWN COMMUNITY!

GOT SOME TIME TO SPARE? WE ARE ON THE HUNT FOR INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS OF VOLUNTEERS TO SUPPORT OUR FUNDRAISING TEAM.

BY HELPING US ON AN AD-HOC BASIS AT VARIOUS COLLECTIONS AND EVENTS, YOU WILL PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN BOOSTING INCOME FROM COMMUNITIES ACROSS SCOTLAND

SO, WHETHER YOU ARE AN EXPERT EVENTS PLANNER, CONFIDENT PUBLIC SPEAKER OR SIMPLY WANT TO HELP RAISE AWARENESS OF SCOTLAND’S ANIMAL WELFARE CHARITY, WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.

DON’T HAVE THE TIME TO VOLUNTEER? THAT’S OK! YOU CAN SUPPORT SCOTLAND’S ANIMALS BY FUNDRAISING ON YOUR OWN TERMS THROUGH…

TAKING PART IN ONE OF OUR MANY FITNESS AND ADRENALINE CHALLENGES.

ORGANISING A PUB QUIZ, SWEEPSTAKE, CAMP OUT, BAKE SALE, SPORTS DAY – OR COMING UP WITH YOUR OWN IDEA!

RAISING MONEY IN CELEBRATION OF A SPECIAL OCCASION.

HOWEVER YOU CHOOSE TO SUPPORT US, YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT ALONE – OUR EXPERT FUNDRAISING TEAM WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A CHAT. SEND AN EMAIL TO FUNDRAISING@SCOTTISHSPCA.ORG OR CALL OUR HELPLINE ON 03000 999 999 AND ASK TO SPEAK TO A MEMBER OF THE TEAM.

WHERE VOLUNTEERING WITH THE SCOTTISH SPCA CAN TAKE YOU

Volunteering with us is a great opportunity to get involved in animal welfare and is such a rewarding way to spend some of your free time. It can even kick-start your career, like it did for our National Wildlife Rescue Centre’s assistant manager, Maddy.

Maddy has been at the centre for almost two years now, after previously volunteering for one year.

Maddy said, “I started volunteering during lockdown as a wildlife driver which involved transporting animals from the wildlife sheds in Glasgow and Lanarkshire to the wildlife hospital. This was a great experience as I was able to learn a lot about handling different species of wildlife, particularly birds and small mammals.

“The most exciting animal I transported was a grey heron as I had never had the opportunity to see one up close before!”

“Alongside volunteering as a wildlife driver I also volunteered in the small mammal section at the centre. From doing this I learned lots more about what was involved in caring for hedgehogs and I was

able to assist with tasks such as cleaning and feeding. Volunteering allowed me to learn skills that I could then bring to the role when I was successful in becoming a seasonal wildlife assistant in 2021.

mammals, some of which we will need to feed up to every hour!

“My favourite part of my job is getting to release the animals that we have cared for back into the wild. One of my favourite moments was releasing two juvenile buzzards, who we had named Marcus and Lightyear.”

“Working at the National Wildlife Rescue Centre is incredibly rewarding, and every day is completely different! We have four different sections (small mammals, large mammals, birds and seals) so depending on what section you are working in you could be caring for a wide range of different species.

“Most wildlife comes in to our care from volunteer wildlife drivers or our animal rescue officers. Wildlife arrives from all over Scotland so we never know what to expect.

“In the spring and summer we are kept particularly busy rearing orphaned birds and

“It was amazing to see them progress from when they first came into the centre as chicks to then be able to see them take their first flight in the wild. I feel very lucky to be able to work for the Society with such incredible wildlife and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

Our volunteers make such a difference to the work we do. We literally could not do our job without them. From our wildlife hospital to our animal rescue officers, not to mention our veterinary teams, headquarters, and other animal rescue and rehoming centres, there’s an opportunity for everyone.

Find out about our latest volunteering opportunities by visiting our website: scottishspca.org/support/volunteer

WHAT IS AVIAN INFLUENZA?

Avian influenza, often called bird flu, is a highly contagious viral infection which can infect wild and domestic birds.

Avian influenza has been a growing issue for 20 years. It originated in poultry farms but rapidly spread to wild birds. How infectious and deadly it is can vary from year to year. The most recent outbreak has proven to be the most devastating yet. Populations of some wild bird colonies, particularly seabirds, have been the worst hit. It is often fatal, and birds who catch it will suffer.

Our wildlife operations lead, Sean Meechan, explains how we’re supporting the national response to avian influenza, and how we’re continuing to rescue birds wherever we can.

“The severity of the outbreak of bird flu just over 12 months ago had the potential to throw a real spanner in the works for us. For most of spring, we continued to admit birds as normal to the National Wildlife Rescue Centre. But, as the situation worsened, we had to take steps to prevent avian influenza from entering the centre.

“At the time we decided to put restrictions on admissions in place, we had over 900 wild birds on site. There’s a good chance a single positive case of the disease would’ve led to every bird at the centre being put to sleep to prevent the spread. That would have undone thousands of hours of hard work our team had put in to rehabilitating all of those birds.

“Our helpline team did their best to support people who called about birds, and our rescue officers and inspectors did all they could to treat birds in the field. Once these birds had been released, we introduced new biosecurity measures and a quarantine process so we could admit most species of bird safely.

“This allowed us to admit everything except from waterfowl and seabirds, where infection rates have been alarmingly high. We’re continuing with that process in 2023, but we’ve invested in more

space to allow us to quarantine more birds. It would have been straightforward for us to keep a blanket ban on bird admissions, but that’s not the way we do things. Animal rescue isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.

“We’re also supporting the national response to bird flu. I regularly meet with the Government and other organisations to discuss how we can take coordinated action to protect our wild and domestic bird populations in future.”

GILLY MENDES FERREIRA, DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION AND STRATEGIC RELATIONS, DISCUSSES GROUND BREAKING NEW BOOK

You are editor and contributing author to a new book entitled Understanding Animal Abuse and How to Intervene with Children and Young People, can you tell us briefly what this book is about?

This book is all about identifying when animal abuse has occurred and encouraging support to be sought for those involved, particularly if the person involved is a child or young person. Children or young people may harm an animal for lots of different reasons and it can often be an early indicator that they need support themselves.

Through the delivery of our Animal Guardians programme we have seen that abusing an animal is not always intentional; sometimes it’s through a lack of understanding on how to interact with an animal or failing to read the animal’s behaviour. There is a recognised link between animal abuse and violence towards humans. Over the years we have seen adults who have been convicted of

domestic violence and other serious crimes who have had a history of abuse towards animals. If the early indicator signs can be recognised and addressed there is the opportunity to break this cycle of harm between animal abuse and human abuse.

What do you hope this book achieves?

Animal abuse is a societal issue and we need people to recognise and talk about it more. When a child harms an animal, often people’s immediate reaction to the situation is that the child is trouble. We hope through this book we can shine a spotlight on this societal issue, encourage in particular those who work with and support children and young people but also parents and carers, to recognise the early indicators that ‘when an animal has been harmed’ something

else may be wrong in that child or young person’s life and to give them the support they need.

Who is this book aimed at?

This book is aimed at anyone who works with and/or supports children and young people or who works in the field of animal welfare. You could be a teacher, a social worker, family support officer, police officer, youth support officer, work for a children’s or youth charity, work for an animal welfare organisation or work in a veterinary practice. Importantly, you could also be a parent or carer who just doesn’t know how to stop this situation happening in your home and needs support.

What can we take away from this book and what can we do to help?

Regardless of the role you play in society, we want people to recognise and acknowledge that animal abuse occurs and have the support to do something about it. We have advised in the book the right approach to take when you have knowledge that animal abuse has occurred or indeed have witnessed abuse towards an animal. We need people to read this book so that when animal abuse is witnessed, or they know that animal abuse is occurring, they don’t just observe but can take action.

Animal Guardians is a free one-to-one education programme suitable for three to 16 year olds. Together with our youth engagement officer, the child engages in a range of games and activities to help them learn about animal emotions, what animals need to keep them healthy and happy, and how to be responsible when around animals.

When Craig* started on our programme he didn’t want to engage at all. Six months on from taking part in Animal Guardians he hasn’t done anything unkind to his dogs or any other animal. He now loves going on walks and enjoys seeing the sheep, lambs and cows and talks about them with empathy.

If you would like to know if your own child or a young person you work with would benefit from this programme or have any concerns about their behaviour towards animals, please phone for guidance on 03000 999 999 or email animalguardians@scottishspca.org

*a pseudonym has been used to protect this young person’s identity.

REHOMING TAILS

Giant bunnies. Claire and Katie, came in to our care at the beginning of 2022 after their owner sadly passed away.

They were loved so much in their previous home and, after spending almost 300 days at our Aberdeenshire centre, we were thrilled to find them a loving home once again in November.

Their new owner says she feels so lucky and that, from day one, it has felt like they have always been a part of the family.

We’re so pleased they have settled so well in their new home and they even get on great with their forever family’s four cats!

BONNIE

CLAIRE & KATIE

Bonnie came in to our care in February 2022 after her owners could no longer care for her.

Bonnie spent her early days fearful of our staff and would not let anybody close. Fast forward a few weeks (and a lot of treats) and Bonnie eventually let a team member into her kennel and take her for a walk.

As Bonnie started to become more comfortable in her surroundings, her personality began to shine through and it was clear that, underneath her scared outer shell, was a really loveable dog.

Now happy to interact with the team, Bonnie was seen by our vets who then operated on both of her eyes and gave her a clean bill of health.

Happy and fit, Bonnie was put up for rehoming and spotted by Karen. It was love at first sight and Bonnie went home with Karen and became part of the family.

Panther came into the care of our Dunbartonshire centre in April 2022 after sadly being found abandoned.

Although he was quite shaken from the ordeal, he was in good physical condition overall and just required some treatment for his eye. After being given a clean bill of health and lots of TLC, Panther started his search for a new family.

We’re thrilled to say that, after 176 days with us, he found the ‘purr-fect’ home with music teacher Shae.

Panther now performs his own catwalk down the piano keys during music lessons and even likes to meow along on occasion! On his days off from teaching, he can be found zooming through his tunnel or scarpering after his feather toy before settling down for a snooze on Shae’s lap.

PANTHER

In November last year Lawrie the ferret was brought into our care after being found injured and hobbling in a field in Fife. Unfortunately the damage to his leg was beyond repair and Lawrie had to have it amputated.

While recovering from his treatment, he was fostered by one of our staff members, who gave him lots of love and attention and showed him that life with three legs isn’t all bad!

In January Lawrie then found his forever home with Rae. He is still a young boy and finding his paws but, after being neutered, he will be introduced to Rae’s other ferrets, Maple and Esmee, who are also rescue animals.

Rae says he still zooms around and doesn’t let his amputation hold him back. He loves playing in his macaroni box and licking your nose before snuggling in for a cuddle.

EVENTS CALENDAR

Kiltwalk Aberdeen - 29 May

Edinburgh Marathon Festival - 28 - 29 May

Men’s 10k Glasgow - 19 Jun

Kiltwalk Dundee - 20 Aug

Bark in the Park - 26 Aug

Kiltwalk Edinburgh - 17 Sept

Scottish 10km and Half Marathon - 24 Sept

Loch Ness Marathon - 1 Oct

Bark in the Dark - 7 Oct

Ben Nevis at Night - 14 - 15 Oct

Firewalk - 3 Nov

Men’s 10k Edinburgh - 22 Oct

Woman’s 10k Edinburgh - 22 Oct

Musselburgh

CHALLENGE YOURSELF TO RUN FOR RESCUES IN ONE OF THE FUNDRAISING EVENTS TAKING PLACE ACROSS SCOTLAND THIS YEAR.

WHETHER YOU’VE NEVER RUN BEFORE AND WANT TO DO YOUR FIRST COUCH TO 5K, OR ARE A RUNNING ENTHUSIAST LOOKING TO TAKE ON YOUR FIRST MARATHON, THERE’S SOMETHING TO SUIT ALL ABILITY LEVELS.

BEST OF ALL, YOU WON’T JUST BE HELPING YOURSELF SET A NEW PERSONAL BEST, YOU’LL ALSO BE HELPING TO RAISE VITAL FUNDS FOR THE SCOTTISH SPCA SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE THERE FOR ALL ANIMALS, ALWAYS.

SCOTTISHSPCA.ORG/SUPPORT/EVENTS

Aberdeen

Central Scotland

Inverness

Glasgow

If running is not your thing, then why not join the Kiltwalk community this year and take on a three, 14, or 23 mile Kiltwalk in aid of Scotland’s different, push yourself to the limit with an adrenaline pumping fundraiser to help us rescue, rehabilitate, rehome and release even more animals! Parachute for Paws is back this year for the first time since 2019, taking place on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 August.

Tick off your bucket list with a 10,000 – 15,0000 ft skydive over scenic Errol in Perthshire.

We have a limited number of spaces for Parachute for Paws and Zipslide the Clyde, so don’t miss out!

For taking part in any of these events you will receive a FREE Scottish SPCA t-shirt, a fundraising pack and dedicated support from our fundraising team.

You could also Zipslide the Clyde on 9 September, a truly unique and thrilling way to see Glasgow’s cityscape and raise funds for Scotland’s animals. This event is a 100ft high and 1000ft long adrenaline challenge, launching from a crane next to the stunning Glasgow Riverside Museum, which has never been done before.

Find out more and sign up for upcoming events on our website: support/eventsscottishspca.org/