Vandaag is de Royal Highland Show begonnen en daar is kennelijk is door de Animal Health (zeg maar onze VWA) gecontroleerd op het couperen van staarten. dat is in het Verenigd Koninkrijk toegestaan, maar wel aan regels gebonden. Je mag de staarten niet te kort afbinden. Dat was kennelijk bij sommige dieren wel het geval.

Lees onderstaand bericht:

25 June 2010 | By Jack Davies

THE first day of the Royal Highland Show saw unrest in the sheep lines as Animal Health officials threatened to stop sheep being shown on the grounds of inappropriate tail docking.

Animal Health Officers at the show inspected all sheep entries, identifying 45 sheep with ‘excessively short tails’.

Following threats to prevent them being shown, a compromise was reached with organisers which allowed the stock to remain on the showground, but Animal Health warned the exhibitors could still face enforcement action.

In a statement, Animal Health said: “In total 45 sheep, owned by 25 consignors, were identified with excessively short tails.

“Exhibitors were alerted that reports will be sent to the Animal Health Offices of their area with a recommendation to follow up with a welfare visit at the farm of origin.

“This may result in further enforcement action and/or a report to the payment agency under welfare cross compliance which may carry a penalty of SFP entitlement.

“In discussion with Animal Health, Royal Highland Agricultural Show Society (RHASS) decided that further action on the showground would be impractical due to the high number of sheep found.”