Archive for NEEPS North East Eco-friendly People's Site          NEEPS Forum Index -> Views on the news kimmie this really annoys me! the Police should know better, i hope this policeman is punished the way jo bloggs on the street would be punished for this!! Quote: Two German Shepherd police dogs have died in the heatwave after being left in a car by their handler. The dogs were found dead in a police car parked outside Nottinghamshire's force headquarters in Arnold at 2.15pm on Wednesday. The Independent Police Complaints Commission said it received a referral from the force and is deciding whether to investigate - the RSPCA is investigating the incident. A statement from Nottinghamshire Police said the welfare of its animals was "of paramount importance". It said: "We endeavour to take every measure possible to ensure their well-being and safety." It takes nine weeks of intensive training and costs more than £7,000 before a police dog can go out on patrol. The maximum sentence for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is six months in prison and a £20,000 fine. Nottinghamshire Police said the handler has not been suspended. Peter Davies, the force's assistant chief constable, said: "This is a tragic incident and we value the important work our police dogs carry out on a daily basis. That is why we swiftly reported this incident to the RSPCA and we will be working with them very closely." It is believed the dogs' handler was not on duty at the time and had called in to the force's headquarters at Sherwood Lodge, leaving the dogs to over-heat in the parked car. It is not known how long they were left in the car but temperatures in Nottingham on Wednesday hit 29.4C. lachlanandmarcus Im surprised the handler hasnt been suspended, considering what joe public would face. Maybe the RSPCA will prosecute. I always wonder at peeps who drag dogs around in boiling hot weather when they would be so much happier back at home in the cool. Id rather the dog peed on the floor if I didnt get back quick enough, than I would they died in misery in my car! Smooth Hound unbelievable idiot   thats what they call endevouring to do there upmost for the safety of there dogs.   words mean nothing, its actions that count, and they certainly didnt in this case wildgarlic It's disgraceful and I hope they do investigate properly - should be the same rule for the police as it is for everyone else. Forget-me-Not News It's totally heart breaking!!!!!!!!!   I agree with L&M, they're so much better off at home. It's too hot for walks right now, unless early, early in the morning or during the evening. Beth Sassinak Will someone tell my stupid dog that it is too hot to play ball. She is follwing me round the garden throwing the ball at my feet. The house door is open for her but she refuses to stay inside or even shelter under a bush. Silly devil Smooth Hound as long as shes got lots of nice cold water available and some shade if she wants it then she will be fine. tookys the same, he likes to lie out in the sun, but he disappears inside from time to time, to lie down in there, lazy dog, and with all these jobs to do you would think he would help a bit, mind you he would be more of a hindrance anyway Julie They can't just let it slide now it is out in the public arena, there would be an outcry. Domestic pets and horses seem to get more sympathy than other animals, it seems to me. Nobody mentions it if an owner doesn't bother to clip their sheep and lets them swelter in the heat until the end of August, or doesn't bother at all. I can't understand why humans seem to feel it more when it is a dog or horse, they all matter. mike and louise We were saying the same thing yesterday Julie. It really should be a welfare issue when sheep are left unclipped over the summer- not only because of heat exhaustion, but flystrike and getting cast. Julie It already is!! I read all the stuff they send from Thainstone and the Scottish office, and very boring it is at times, but that one I know for certain. They can drop dead with heat exhaustion under a heavy fleece in this weather. Not shearing can hide a case of fly strike until the damage is so extensive the animal has to be destroyed. These summer evenings are a constant risk. You should have this booklet in your possession already but here is an online version. The shearing regs are from paragraph 52 http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/w...e/farmed/sheep/booklets/sheep.pdf mike and louise Thanks for that, I don't think we have that booklet. We actually got ours sheared a bit earlier, because we wanted to see what was going on under the fleeces of the new 5, and we're glad we did, you can always give shelter if the weather is a bit cold. I haven't put the goats out today as it is cooler indoors and the rabbits are inside with air cooling units. It's a constant worry, keeping them cool. Levi had to go to the vet for his booster, I thought he was going to have a heart attack, he was so hot and so wound up. Why is it not enforced if it is a welfare issue, let me guess its impossible to control. We have seen loads of sheep around who can barely walk the fleeces are so heavy. Sassinak I remember seeing on TV about a marino ram that had escaped gathering for 3 years in the outback of Australia somewhere. When they finally got him in for shearing with a 4 year fleece it was an incredible sight lol Julie I remember that Ram. I think it was seven years of fleece though. Our two Suffolks had a three year growth on them when we got them. They were surprisingly easy to clip though, which I hadn't expected. The sheer weight of wool stopped them from moving around and helped to pull itself away from the break as I clipped. The wool was beautiful inside and so clean but unusable unfortunately as each fleece was grown into the next. They went round the field leaping into the air when they were done. It must have been wonderfully liberating after carrying all that weight on their backs for so long. M&L, the shearing season is quite long and still going on now and for the next month at least. Many sheep can't be clipped until their wool rises properly as the shears catch in the wool if the break hasn't grown out sufficiently. You would risk slicing into the skin if they weren't quite ready. The trick is to not leave it so late that they haven't time to put on some regrowth before the winter months, but late enough to make it easy for the sheep and the shearer. I used to get caught out every year with my elderly Texel ewe who I would think was ready because her wool was leaving her head round the neck but when I got halfway down there would be no break at all. I left her longer this year and what a difference. I would imagine that if an unshorn flock was spotted or reported by the end of August there would be questions asked though. The shearers will have been incredibly busy this week - along with hay making. lachlanandmarcus I did Sheila head sheeplet by hand last weekend......and have now ordered sheep blades for my horse electric clippers! It was such hard work and altho I did my best Im not sure I can face the others by hand. Sheila still has a bit too much wood and is a bit tufty. On the positive side, the only bleeding was from me when I stabbed myself with the shears, not a single nick on Sheila and she was in lovely condition underneath, no nasties! Her lambs had to give her a good sniffing tho before they recognised her! monkey nuts I have sheared two of mine up to now, only four to go. Both of the sheep sheared have never ben sheared before. The first was ok to shear and looks quite good but the second!! she kicked and threw herself around so badly that I sheared her standing up in the end. The end product looks ok but I was knackered!! Back to the poor police dogs. I parked in Ellon yesterday and watched a traffic warden walking through the car park, not checking the parking tickets, checking the backs of cars!! Maybe the message is getting through. Smooth Hound i hope so. its damned hot  in a car nina Glad to hear that the PC involved is being prosecuted.I hope that anyone else who does this to an animal is also charged.When I was showing dogs in the 60s and70s the tannoy was always appealing for owners to go to their cars because a dog/dogs are in distress.Animal wefare and police would regularly smash into cars to save dogs.Is a rosette for one dog worth leaving others to suffer in the car park.I remember one show on a scorching hot day when hundreds of cars heading to a show were held up for several hours on the motorway.Quite a few dogs died that day-mainly short nosed breeds.That was a tragedy but not through neglect.Owners were helpless to get their dogs away from the heat.Cars,dogs and heat are just not compatable.The time it takes for a car to become dangerously hot is minutes,not hours and leaving windows open a few inches is as much use as a chocolate teapot. I do feel sorry for the PC involved-the bond between any working dog and it's handler is always very close.He will never forgive himself for what happened and no punishment will ease his pain.I hope this tragegy and the publicity surrounding it has raised awareness and may spare other animals from suffering. lachlanandmarcus well looks like the handler will be prosecuted http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/8160753.stm        NEEPS Forum Index -> Views on the news Page 1 of 1