Geronimo.

[Steevo]

Either we live in a democracy that believes in laws or we do not. Madam Justice is often depicted as blind folded and holding a two edged sword. Quite simply, this means the laws enacted by Parliament apply to everyone, equally.

I find it quite scary when I see civil servants interpreting the law to benefit certain sections of the community against others. Then I start to wonder how long it will be before I and others like me are dragged out and put in camps because we speak out and object to this sort of discrimination.

According to the law, as it stands, Geronimo is scheduled to be destroyed and the full weight of the law needs to be brought against any that oppose this contrary to the law. If folk don't like the law as it stands, lobby your MP and get it changed. But I fear that is too late for Geronimo. He's for the chop!

I fully agree with all that about the law. It's a sad state of affairs when those in charge pander to the whim of the loud minority on many issues, and in the process end up losing the confidence and respect of the majority of the population that they also represent.

 

[BrianV]

Either we live in a democracy that believes in laws or we do not. Madam Justice is often depicted as blind folded and holding a two edged sword. Quite simply, this means the laws enacted by Parliament apply to everyone, equally.

I find it quite scary when I see civil servants interpreting the law to benefit certain sections of the community against others. Then I start to wonder how long it will be before I and others like me are dragged out and put in camps because we speak out and object to this sort of discrimination.

According to the law, as it stands, Geronimo is scheduled to be destroyed and the full weight of the law needs to be brought against any that oppose this contrary to the law. If folk don't like the law as it stands, lobby your MP and get it changed. But I fear that is too late for Geronimo. He's for the chop!

What seems strange about this law lark is that the government tend to bend the rules as they wish, for instance looking at the badger protection act the other day there is a clause that says if badgers are causing damage or disease then a licence can be obtained to kill them, this the government choose to ignore & yet this alpaca which will never be in contact with cattle has to be put down.
Double standards seems to be in play!

 

[Exfarmer]

What seems strange about this law lark is that the government tend to bend the rules as they wish, for instance looking at the badger protection act the other day there is a clause that says if badgers are causing damage or disease then a licence can be obtained to kill them, this the government choose to ignore & yet this alpaca which will never be in contact with cattle has to be put down.
Double standards seems to be in play!

Allpacas do come into regular contact with Humans and spit!

 

[BrianV]

Allpacas do come into regular contact with Humans and spit!

And badgers are constantly in contact with cattle!!!

 

[kill]

You can believe AHVLA too. They did the trials of blood assays for ante mortem tests for alpacas.
Links in this post.

Flying under a flag of convenience?

This disease - zoonotic Tuberculosis - appears to attract the very worst in selective marketing. From the notorious '74 per cent efficacy...

bovinetb.blogspot.com

And also Starcross VI centre did the PCR screens using faeces and sputum from dead alpacas.

Someone else deserves a Gold medal.

As the country is gripped by Olympic fever, with medals and congratulatory speeches at every turn, we offer our sincere congratulations to t...

bovinetb.blogspot.com

The BAS refused to support the PCR screen, but supported Enferplex, the test used on Geronimo, because it gave only a third of an alpaca - 0.34 percent - false positives.
As the final para of our post points out, that may be true, but this test as a stand alone, missed up to 45 percent of clinically positive animals.

The vets who wrote this letter would do well to read AHVLA’s extensive research into z.TB in alpacas.

It’s all been done.

Would idexx or gamma blood test have greater accuracy on Alpacas @matthew ?

 

[HatsOff]

Either we live in a democracy that believes in laws or we do not. Madam Justice is often depicted as blind folded and holding a two edged sword. Quite simply, this means the laws enacted by Parliament apply to everyone, equally.

I find it quite scary when I see civil servants interpreting the law to benefit certain sections of the community against others. Then I start to wonder how long it will be before I and others like me are dragged out and put in camps because we speak out and object to this sort of discrimination.

According to the law, as it stands, Geronimo is scheduled to be destroyed and the full weight of the law needs to be brought against any that oppose this contrary to the law. If folk don't like the law as it stands, lobby your MP and get it changed. But I fear that is too late for Geronimo. He's for the chop!

I thought the civil servants are the ones fighting the court challenge so that the law can be followed?

 

[teslacoils]

I sense a touch of irony that the warrant for its destruction expires one day before "national alpaca farm day". I nearly had a fit driving through a fairly posh local village to see signs advertising "alpaca trecking" where you seemingly *pay actual money* to take these stupid things for a walk. Total joke, but evidence of how we farmers are missing the bunny cuddling trick:

1) open animal sanctuary.
2) blame "mean" farms for pretty standard husbandry.
3) suck up gullible fools' money to essentially stroke old goats.

This alpaca needs euthsnising right now and this whole charade ending before it turns silly.

 

[Cowabunga]

I sense a touch of irony that the warrant for its destruction expires one day before "national alpaca farm day". I nearly had a fit driving through a fairly posh local village to see signs advertising "alpaca trecking" where you seemingly *pay actual money* to take these stupid things for a walk. Total joke, but evidence of how we farmers are missing the bunny cuddling trick:

1) open animal sanctuary.
2) blame "mean" farms for pretty standard husbandry.
3) suck up gullible fools' money to essentially stroke old goats.

This alpaca needs euthsnising right now and this whole charade ending before it turns silly.

Too late. It turned silly long ago. Why the distinction between this animal and our cows? Or even the bull at Skandia Vale Buddist temple several years ago, when the Ministry went in and took it out. Ditto down the road here with Mr Brunt's heifer.

The answer is, of course, 'politics'. Politics means votes, or the lack of votes and popular support. This bloody alpaca just looks cuddly and is a pet and Boris's latest squeeze is guaranteed to be a major influence as well. I reckon they prioritise using the premise of 'f**k the cows and the farmers' livelihoods and safety while prioritising and protecting infected pets and cuddly-looking wild vectors at all costs'.

 

[matthew]

Would idexx or gamma blood test have greater accuracy on Alpacas @matthew ?

I have friend (sensible one) who also breeds alpacas, and few weeks back he had to have a radial test after a breakdown near him. The alpacas were given a priming jab, then two bloods taken. One was IDEXX, not sure on t’other. But all his animals passed. He supported the PCR screen. The skin test on alpacas is rubbish, and that is the only point G’s owner got correct. The whole TB eradication process is geared to bovInes. As is the law supporting it.

What seems strange about this law lark is that the government tend to bend the rules as they wish, for instance looking at the badger protection act the other day there is a clause that says if badgers are causing damage or disease then a licence can be obtained to kill them, this the government choose to ignore & yet this alpaca which will never be in contact with cattle has to be put down.
Double standards seems to be in play!

That is the case. But in 1997 gov.uk introduced a moratorium on section 10 2 (a) of the Protection of Badgers Act, so no culling for disease from then on. For damage to land or property the licensing was passed to a third party which effectively means megabucks to rehome the darned things.
In 2006 the Animal health chaps who arranged the culls, and carried them out, were made redundant from the VI centres.

All that’s left is farmer led and farmer funded groups, answerable to unNatural England. And Carrie Antoinette wants those stopped and replaced with vaccination.

A pretty Berluddy poor show to control a grade 3 zoonotic pathogen. IMHO, of course.

 

[Dry Rot]

I sense a touch of irony that the warrant for its destruction expires one day before "national alpaca farm day". I nearly had a fit driving through a fairly posh local village to see signs advertising "alpaca trecking" where you seemingly *pay actual money* to take these stupid things for a walk. Total joke, but evidence of how we farmers are missing the bunny cuddling trick:

1) open animal sanctuary.
2) blame "mean" farms for pretty standard husbandry.
3) suck up gullible fools' money to essentially stroke old goats.

This alpaca needs euthsnising right now and this whole charade ending before it turns silly.

Be careful what you say. I've recently sold a paddock sweeper to a farmer (or rather his wife) who has diversified into alpaca trekking! There was a fair bit of friendly leg pulling about that I can tell you, but apparently the money is rolling in! The bubble will burst, of course, like it did for fibre goats, but meantime, good luck to them!

 

[Dry Rot]

I fully agree with all that about the law. It's a sad state of affairs when those in charge pander to the whim of the loud minority on many issues, and in the process end up losing the confidence and respect of the majority of the population that they also represent.

In some jobs there are perks, usually small consumer items that the boss won't miss or has difficulty keeping track of. It is particular obnoxious when those "perks" are privileges, like planning permission, certificates, licences, etc.that are handed out to friends and family. And, yes, I am thinking of a particular case so I won't say more. It used to be called while collar fraud, now it's just a fact of life, so roll over and accept it.

 

[Kidds]

now it's just a fact of life, so roll over and accept it.

Seriously?
I can't imagine you are likely to do that, are you unwell?

 

[teslacoils]

Be careful what you say. I've recently sold a paddock sweeper to a farmer (or rather his wife) who has diversified into alpaca trekking! There was a fair bit of friendly leg pulling about that I can tell you, but apparently the money is rolling in! The bubble will burst, of course, like it did for fibre goats, but meantime, good luck to them!

Its serious. I was asked if I had any Highland cattle once - not do they could buy the grass fed, slow produced meat. But they wanted to pay me £10 to have a photo next to one. So much dosh floating about for this sort of thing.

 

[Dry Rot]

Seriously?
I can't imagine you are likely to do that, are you unwell?

Not unwell. but occasionally known to be facetious!

 

[Kidds]

 

[matthew]

I fully agree with all that about the law. It's a sad state of affairs when those in charge pander to the whim of the loud minority on many issues, and in the process end up losing the confidence and respect of the majority of the population that they also represent.

Nothing changes.

In his 1980 report into Badgers and TB, Lord Zuckerman (President of the Zoological Society of London) commented:

143: Even when they are adamant in rejecting what to any informed scientist would be irrefutable fact, the groups most hostile to MAFF's policy are insistent that they are not 'crackpot extremists'.

The fact is that oppostion costs protesters little or nothing - any price is exacted in time by officicals, in pounds and pence by the farmer and taxpayer, and in health by the badger.

Moreover, concern for the animal - whether healthy or tuberculous - is matched by what could be regarded as a cynical attitude to matters which concern public health, as well as a general belief that whatever Government officials do is necessarily misguided.


But four decades on from that report, and as successive governements have increasingly bent over to accomodate these vociferous groups, leaving behind a wildlife reservoir of disease which increasingly infects many other mammals, any trust the people on the receiving end of such non policies may have had, has evaporated.

 

[Exfarmer]

Nothing changes.

In his 1980 report into Badgers and TB, Lord Zuckerman (President of the Zoological Society of London) commented:

143: Even when they are adamant in rejecting what to any informed scientist would be irrefutable fact, the groups most hostile to MAFF's policy are insistent that they are not 'crackpot extremists'.

The fact is that oppostion costs protesters little or nothing - any price is exacted in time by officicals, in pounds and pence by the farmer and taxpayer, and in health by the badger.

Moreover, concern for the animal - whether healthy or tuberculous - is matched by what could be regarded as a cynical attitude to matters which concern public health, as well as a general belief that whatever Government officials do is necessarily misguided.


But four decades on from that report, and as successive governements have increasingly bent over to accomodate these vociferous groups, leaving behind a wildlife reservoir of disease which increasingly infects many other mammals, any trust the people on the receiving end of such non policies may have had, has evaporated.

How true Matthew!

 

[Courier]

So is the animal culled yet ?
Have I missed the announcement with all the more important news of the last week ?
How will the shortage of blood testing tubes impact on routine bTB testing, ‘cos surely the NHS has priority ?

 

[Raider112]

So is the animal culled yet ?
Have I missed the announcement with all the more important news of the last week ?
How will the shortage of blood testing tubes impact on routine bTB testing, ‘cos surely the NHS has priority ?

I'm sure it will knock Afghanistan off the headlines when it happens.

 

[GeorgeK]

I'm sure it will knock Afghanistan off the headlines when it happens.

Mmmm Afghanistan where they've just flown Pen Farthing back along with 100 dogs and 70 cats. Apparently our government caved in to pressure from animal lovers and gave his pets space on a plane instead of the many humans that still needed rescuing. World's gone mad.