Comments on: BREAKING NEWS: Rabies Infected Dog in Britain

By: Janice

Janice — Sat, 24 May 2008 02:02:57 +0000

The reporting and comments are libellous.
Here are the facts-
The charity has not imported a single dog into the UK. It never has and not a single penny of charity funds has been used for this purpose.
The charity was founded last year for one reason -to help animals IN Sri Lanka by acquiring a base, building a veterinary clinic and conducting sterilisation/ rabies vaccination/education porogrammes.
The charity also helps poor families and their animals including the destitute Cat Lady of Colombo.
There is no animal welfare in Sri Lanka. No RSPCA. Few safe havens for animals. Dying and suffering animals are everywhere and cruelty is endemic. Pups are dumped on rubbish tips where their eyes are pecked out by crows. Dogs sustain fractured spines on the roads and maggot infested wounds. That is the reality. This charity work relentlessly to help these animals-working as volunteers 16 hours a day in their holidays from fulltime employment.
The imported pups were being sponsored and homed by individuals from their own pockets NOT Kim Cooling OR the charity as reported.
How was rabies brought to North London? The pup died locked away in Quarantine. The sole purpose of UK quarantine is rabies control. There was never a risk to the public or pets/wildlife. The pup was in fact vaccinated against rabies and had been seen by numerous vets in Sri Lanka and issued with a health certificate. She had no clinical signs and was playing happily before becoming ill and dying 48 hours later. Those who were nipped were all vaccinated against rabies. All quarantine staff are vaccinated because every animal that enters UK quarantine is a potential rabies risk. Those involved in the charity have helped 1000’s of animals in the UK. One member won rescuer of the year for re-homing over 18,000 otherwise doomed animals from death rows throughout the UK. She sterilises all the animals before re-homing.
People are very quick to condemn such sincere individuals based on a story littered with lies. Check on some of the corrections being published in the national newspapers and do not be so quick to judge others before learning facts first. WHAT A DISGRACE!

By: Gnasher

Gnasher — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:07:26 +0000

Are there not enough dogs that need help in the UK as it is without bringing in dogs from areas of the world where rabies is endemic?

How did three people end up getting bit, were they all from the charity or were they kennel workers?

As kind as it seems to bring in these 13 dogs, instead of putting them in to quarantine for 6 months and spending whatever it costs to bring them over here multiplied by 13, why could the money not be used to have some kind of vet clinic out on the ground in Sri Lanka to help animals?

With animal charities saying that there are 100 thousand plus dog in UK that are treated as stray dogs and a percentage is not claimed that require rehoming, why add to that number by bringing in even more dogs?

I personally feel that those well meaning souls and animal welfare charities who fetch stray dogs even from the Republic of Ireland make rehoming those strays from within the UK more difficult.

Do UK donations from supporters of animal charities in the UK go towards helping dogs from another sovereign nation, do they not have any animal welfare services or animal charities of their own in Eire or something?

Why not start bringing dogs in from USA or Australia whilst we are at it?

By: ordinary dog owner

ordinary dog owner — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 16:43:12 +0000

Laudable as it is to help dogs from overseas, there are thousands that need help in the UK, why add to the numbers?

this incident shows just how dangerous it is to bring in dogs, they brought rabies to North London!