UPDATED: Gone to the Rabid Dogs
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I’ve been informed that the original news agency report, that was picked up by the main stream press, got some of the facts surround this story a little muddled. This blog post has been modified to reflect the corrections starting to appear from the main stream press. As part of the update, we’d like to point out the originally quoted BBC news article still needs to be modified (as of the 24th May) and instead point you over to the Daily Mail updated story and Guardian article that starts with a correction.
What the f&*k! It would appear we have individuals that brings street dogs from Sri Lanka to the UK. It is bizarre that UK import regulation allows this in the first place when Sri Lanka is a known hotspot for Rabies. Turns out that one of the latest batch of puppies from that very country had Rabies and may have infected three people involved in its care.
One of the individuals involved in this incident also runs a UK charity setup to help animals out in Sri Lanka. It should be made clear that the charity, Animal SOS Sri Lanka, wasn’t involved in this particular case as was reported by the main stream press and picked up by myself and the blogsphere at the time.
Now back to the main points of the blog post that were kicked off by reading the original news reports and remain substantively in their original form regardless of who may or may not have brought the infected animal into the UK….
Woof!
Some important questions I’d like to see answered of those individual who feel the need to import stray dogs:
1. Don’t we have enough dogs looking for homes already in the UK?
2. Why import more from a country that is known to be a Rabies hotspot?
3. Don’t we put down enough dogs in the UK every day because we can’t rehome them?
4. Are the dogs flown into the UK thereby contributing to global warming?
The saving grace behind this story is the UK’s system to keep Rabies out of Britain appears to work a treat. Kudos to the people who thought up our quarantine controls.
Now it is fingers crossed time for the three workers that they don’t go all foamy mouthed and start snarling at passing cars!
Technorati Tags: Animal SOS Sri Lanka, BBC, charity, dog, puppy, rabid, Rabies, Sri Lanka
Janice said,
Wrote on May 17, 2008 @ 11:17 pm
The reporting and comments are libellous.
Here are the facts-
The charity has not imported a single dog into the UK. Not a 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 sterlisation/ rabies vaccination/education porogrammes.
The charity also helps poor families and their animls including the destitute Cat Lady of Colombo.
The imported pups were being sponsored and homed by individuals from their own pockets NOT Kim Cooling or the charity as reported.
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.
These libellous links have been passed to the legal team and be assured legal action will follow unless you issue a correction and apology for the damage you have done to the charity and Kim Cooling. You are very quick to condemn sincere individuals based on a story littered with lies. Check on some of the corrections being published in the national newspapers. They have clearly acted before legal proceedings.
Justice will prevail and the truth will be heard.
John said,
Wrote on May 18, 2008 @ 12:31 am
May I suggest a re-read of the blog post, it is reporting on and commenting upon a news story on the BBC website, which seems to still be reporting the same facts. Are you also pursuing the BBC website and their TV news service? This is the sources I used and have directly quoted their website.
I will have no problems correcting the blog post and will issue an apology when the original source does likewise:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7368808.stm
I don’t read newspapers, hence I’ve missed any corrections in the national press. Most newspapers run online versions, so I’m very open to being pointed to a few online corrections and apologies.
I don’t condemn the work the charity or any individual is doing in Sri Lanka, but I do question the fact that some people “linked” with the charity feel the need to import dogs and/or care for imported dogs when we have our own stray dog problem that could do with funding and resources here in the UK.
Please post some links to correctons and apologies and you wlll very quickly see likewise from me. I’ll even make a small donation to my local animal shelter by way of recompense!
A minor edit has been done to this blog post to clear up any confusion surround the people involved.
John said,
Wrote on May 18, 2008 @ 12:43 am
You may also like to get Yahoo to do likewise:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/itn/20080426/tuk-more-puppies-tested-for-rabies-dba1618.html
They quote Jeremy Robinson directly:
I found that while doing a quick Googe for any apologies online… unfortunately my five minutes spent searching could find nothing but more stories of the ilk that you appear to be challenging. One piece of advice: getting the big boys to correct their story will see a massive replication throughout the blogosphere.
Another article you may wish to see corrected:
http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/health/rabid+dog+bites+three+people/2086347
Here’s a good link to other mainstream articles that may require intervention:
http://www.silobreaker.com/DocumentReader.aspx?Item=5_850469130
John said,
Wrote on May 18, 2008 @ 12:50 am
One final comment from me for the time being. I’m glad to see that none of the people bitten by the rabid dogs seem to have been infected. That’s very good news for all those involved.
John said,
Wrote on May 18, 2008 @ 2:02 am
Hey! I did eventually find an article that had been updated and as of the 9th May is along the lines indicated by the earlier commenter.
But I don’t know what the original article stated and don’t see any apology in the updated story. If the apology has appeared in their newspaper then it is worth asking for them to also put it online.
Still, I find it all the more amazing that these dogs were brought into the UK at an age where they couldn’t be given the appropriate vaccinations when leaving Sri Lanka…. well that’s what The Mail article quotes people involved in this case are saying:
Wow! They knew the puppy was ill and it appears that they didn’t issue / enforce the use of PPE kit for their employees or others involved in the care of the animal. Maybe Kim Cooling and the employees who were bitten have a case against the quarantine kennels!!
I’m still interested to hear the rationale of those individuals who think it is a good idea to bring dogs into the UK from Rabies hotspots. I’d also have thought that the personal expenditure involved may have been better directed to the charity efforts in Sri Lanka thereby meeting the greater needs of the many animals over the lucky few.
Needless, to say I’ll be monitoring the BBC sources used in this blog post for corrections and make changes to their quotes as they appear.
John said,
Wrote on May 21, 2008 @ 7:38 am
BBC article checked for update. No difference found in the quoted section.
Awaiting online reference information from the original commenter. None received so far.
janice said,
Wrote on May 24, 2008 @ 12:43 am
Charity chief tells of rabid dog’s bite
Clean bill of health for the staff after kennel scare
Mark Townsend and Caroline Davies
The Observer,
Sunday April 27 2008
Article history
The following correction was printed in the Observer’s For the record column, Sunday May 11 2008
The article below repeated news agency claims that charity worker Kim Cooling was bitten by a rabid puppy which had been imported into Britain by her charity, Animal SOS Sri Lanka. We should make it clear that the dog, along with four other healthy puppies, had been brought into the country by individuals who were not working under the auspices of her charity, which works solely in Sri Lanka.
John said,
Wrote on May 24, 2008 @ 7:43 am
As a show of good will, I’m more than happy to make such a CORRECTION as the main stream press seem to have started to do. I’ve yet to observe anything that can be construed as an apology from any of the main stream press articles found or the quote you have supplied.
Serious point to finish off. If you had contacted me and pointed out the source story wasn’t accurate, providing references along with the true story, but held off with the threats, then we would have got here all the quicker. Legal threats can always be used later if asking doesn’t work! People and organisations tend to go defensive when it looks like lawyers will be involved or the starting point of a conversation is suggesting they will be brought into actions as a matter of first recourse.
Please consider this advice if you find other organisations / people using the information as it is liable to garner more support for your position and result in prompter corrections with less effort on everyone’s part.
One last thought, I take it you know of the PCC?
http://www.pcc.org.uk/