RSPCA Photos and Awards

My first rescue after being posted to the Brecon Beacons in the winter of 1994/5. A mountain pony had fallen through snow into a mountain stream and was trapped with just it's front legs on the bank. Luckily my fellow Inspector Jim Farr who had been posted out with me was able to assist and together we managed to pull her out. Then had to find our white RSPCA vans in a blizzard.
Horses were always the main problem, whether it was in the Welsh Valleys, Bristol or even Hereford. I always ended up with the big cases no-one else would touch. Nice to get some recognition for all the hours of hard work.

When the Sea Empress oil tanker ran aground as it was trying to enter Milford Haven Harbour in West Wales I was one of the first three Field Staff deployed to assess the impact and start rescue operations.
Being presented with my medal and certificate by Peter Davies the Director General of the RSPCA at the RSPCA RCC (Regional Control Center) in Brecon , Wales.

Looking dodgy in my best 'Dress Blues'. A thorn between roses (Chaps on the end not included)

Even as a trainee I was destined to deal with equines. I was awarded the Antonia Parry Award for best equine knowledge.

The actual Antonia Parry shield. Can't believe how young I looked.

RSPCA Passing out ceremony after 6 months of grueling boat, rope and legal training. Class A 1994

Animal Welfare Legislation and CSI workshop Malaysia

Together with the SPCA Selangor in Malaysia I conducted two short workshops on current animal welfare legislation and evidence gathering. These were held in the SPCA education room on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th March 2011.

Ee Lynn one of the SPCA volunteers and a Lawyer by profession conducted the first section on Malaysian legislation and how to report cruelty.

The workshop was well attended particularly on the first day with many professionals such as lawyers, vets and media professionals eager to take part. Altogether we had almost 40 participants over the two days.

The workshop was a mixture of presentations, discussion and practicals and each participant had a manual and workbook with notes and information.

The Malaysian Animals Act 1953 is very similar to the old UK Protection of Animals Act 1911.

The workshop comprised 4 sections with a short break for lunch after the second.

Nothing too graphic was used so as not to upset the squeamish.


What exactly is and isn't evidence certainly surprised quite a few people.


With so many professionals and representatives from other SPCA's there were plenty of questions and discussion.
Each participant received a certificate and CSI Animal Welfare baseball cap.

Participants came from as far away as Singapore and even Thailand.


The coveted 'CSI Animal Welfare' baseball cap.

Don't worry if you missed the workshop you can get most of the information in the Global Animal Welfare Solutions Field Manual. Alternatively if there is enough interest we can run another one or even come to your organisation or club. Just e-mail me for more information. glyn@gaws.co.uk

TV 2 Live Breakfast Interview

On Monday 14th March 2011 the SPCA Selangor asked me to fill in for them on live Breakfast TV where there was to be a debate on the current state of animal welfare in Malaysia. So after a very early start I found myself having my nose powdered and sitting in the very impressive domed building that hosts the set of HOT (Hello on Two) produced by TV2.

The two hosts were Steven and Annie who are exactly how they seem on the screen , fun and friendly .

The set was in a large circular studio with a big domed roof and there were a number of other sets spread around the studio . The colour scheme was designed to wake up even the sleepiest of guests.

The hosts particularly Annie were very switched on and aware of the subject. I'm always amazed how professional presenters like Annie can switch topics so easily and still ask really relevant questions. The topic after the discussion on Animal Abuse was relationships and the guest speaker was an Austin Powers look alike Life Coach complete with white suit, a brightly coloured scarf around his neck and funky glasses. Yeah Baby !

The other guest was Dr Paul Jambunathan a consultant psychologist and lecturer. Also a fun guy and apparently well know for his wacky dress sense . Between a consultant Psychologist in a psychedelic jacket , a life coach dressed in a white suit and the vibrant primary colours of the set I could have been forgiven for thinking that I had been transported back to the 1960's !

I'm never very comfortable when cameras are around and certainly not someone who looks good from every angle (or ANY angle for that matter !) I definitely have a face for radio !

There is an American ventriloquist called Jeff Dunham whose act includes a puppet called 'Achmed the Dead Terrorist'. His catchphrase (along with a piercing stare) is " I kill you" . I guess if I decide to give up my day job I can always fill in for Achmed when he is on holiday. Check out Achmed and Jeff on YouTube and see what I mean.

LCO Taiwan

In January this year I visited Taiwan as a guest of the Life Caring and Animal Rescue Organisation Taiwan.

LCO is the largest animal welfare organisation in Taiwan and has shelters and staff throughout Taiwan Island. They provide a 24 hour service for animal cruelty incidents as well as injured and sick stray animals. From their HQ in an industrial area just outside Taipei they run a fleet of rescue vehicles , a mobile neutering clinic as well as a team of senior staff charged with investigating cruelty.

They also have at least 4 shelters split roughly North and South as well as two offices which double as mini shelters.

Apart from animal cruelty one of the main problems in Taiwan is the indiscriminate use of 'gin' or leg hold traps which are freely available in most hardware stores. These traps which are pretty crude locally made affairs cause immense pain and suffering to the stray animals and along with road accidents contribute to a large population of 3 legged dogs and cats.

Whilst I was there they organised a 'White Rose Parade' to lobby the government to improve animal welfare legislation. Lots of supporters and their pets attended and the day was a huge success.

Top (Above) Gin Traps and dog that had been deliberately blinded by juvenile being displayed during White Rose event, Middle - LCO vehicles arranged at event , Bottom - Senior LCO staff in Taipei.
Above - traps on wall outside LCO HQ Taipei.

At White Rose Event - Can't understand why I needed my own personal External Affairs Police Officer keeping tabs on me all day !! (Not like I look dodgy or anything)

Fundraising at a night market in Kaohsiung. (Above)

Dog shelter near Kaohsiung.(Above)
Newly built shelter near Tainan. (Above)

LCO have some very high tech equipment including hand held fiber optic camera's, GPS units and real time satellite tracking of all rescue vehicles. Response vehicles also have on board cameras and carry rescue equipment including dart pistols and blowpipes.

Animal Police and Animal Rescue Taiwan style.


Unfortunately LCO do not have an English language website yet but it is on the way. A very impressive animal welfare organisation and one many in the region can only aspire to emulate.

Evacsak

Just to let you know that Global Animal Welfare Solutions can now supply animal rescuers in Malaysia and beyond with the Evacsak.

Evacsak has been around in one form or another since 1992 when Rebecca Rodriguez an animal rescuer first designed the prototype to address the problem of how to evacuate lots of cats from an animal shelter in an emergency. Large pet carriers big enough to cope with lots of cats were unwieldy and to use individual pet carriers was impracticable. Storage of enough pet carriers or cages was problematic and all in all she was faced with a dilemma.

Animal rescue organisations have been using pillow case type bags for some time (I regularly used a pillow case to transport snakes and reptiles when I was an RSPCA Inspector) but no one had actually come up with a robust enough design that could be used for cats and small dogs.

Evacksak is the result of extensive testing in the field and has been used in real emergencies like Hurricane Katrina in the US. It is in daily use with many of the major animal welfare charities.

If you are an animal rescuer it is an ideal piece of equipment to keep in your car . You can't always carry a cat carrier or cage in your car but you could carry an evacsak or two. Folded in its carrying pouch it is about the size of a sheet of A4 paper (obviously a few cm's thicker) and can easily be stuffed under the seat or in the boot. You never know when you might see a stray cat, kitten or puppy by the roadside and with the evacsak and a towel you are always able to transport the animal safely and without worrying about it escaping. The larger size will accommodate a small terrier and the evacksak is washable so can easily disinfected.

If you live in an apartment or condo and have a number of cats the Evacsak is ideal to keep for emergencies in case you need to evacuate in a hurry. You wouldn't be able to easily store or carry 3 pet carriers down the stairs but with the Evacsak you can safely and securely transport your pets on your back.

More pictures of the Evacsak in use to follow but if any of you know Poodley who belongs to Nicole at the SPCA Selangor she has already examined the product and found it very comfortable.





















It comes in two sizes, the smaller is 21 x 21 (approx 55cm x 55cm) whilst the larger one is 27 x 27 (approx 70cm x 70cm).

There is an introductory price of 82RM (Smaller version) and 88 RM (Larger version). This is the discounted animal rescuer price. (Postage not included)

To purchase an Evacsak please e-mail me on glyn@gaws.co.uk or phone me on 01767 55138 (Malaysia only). Alternatively I will be at the SPCA Selangor Animal Shelter on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th March if you want to pick one up in person.

For more details on the features, specifications and warranty check out the manufacturere website www.evacsak.net .

Global Animal Welfare Solutions are an official supplier of Evacsak.

BFM Radio Interview.

BFM the Business Radio Station in Malaysia were kind enough to invite me on their afternoon show to talk about animal welfare issues.

They were also interested in the recent poodle abuse case on Facebook and the lack of effective enforcement of existing animal welfare legislation here in Malaysia.




Thank you Meera (the presenter) and all at BFM for the invite.

Animal welfare legislation and CSI workshop

I will be running 2 one day workshops on Saturday19th and Sunday 20th March covering animal welfare legislation and evidence gathering.

The aim of the workshops is to explain how the legal system works, the legislation currently in place to protect animals in Malaysia and how you can start thinking like a professional animal cruelty investigator. Now whilst you cannot prosecute people for cruelty yourself you can pass any evidence you come across to the appropriate authorites . Do you know the difference between real evidence , documentary evidence, hearsay evidence , circumstantial evidence and direct evidence ? Do you know how to collect it in such a manner athat it is admissable in Court ? Does your vet know how to write a statement so that it can be used in legal proceedings ?



The workshop is open to anyone from animal rescuers who might have to take an abused dog to a veterinary surgeon and want to put a file together so that they can make a complaint to the Police or DVS right through to someone who is just curious as to how the law works and wants to know more about animal welfare in Malaysia.

Venue - Education Room SPCA at Jalan Kerja Air Lama .

Date and Time - Saturday 19th March 2011 and Sunday 20th March 2011 . 10 am till 2 pm

Schedule :

• 10 - 11 am - Introduction and presentation on the Animal Protection Legislation in Malaysia and the legal system and procedures.


• 11 - 11.45 am - What constitutes evidence, how to collect and present it in a legal manner. How to write a Police report, veterinary statement and record investigation information.


• 11.45 - 12pm Coffe / Tea Break.
  

• 12 -12.45 pm - Photographic Evidence and Crime Scene Investigation.

• 12.45 - 1.30pm - Animal Welfare Investigation Techniques

• 1.30 - 2pm - General Q & A session.

Resources - Participants at the course will recieve a folder containing the current legislation and print outs of the power point presentations and a selection of blank forms and templates along with an 'CSI Animal Welfare' baseball cap and a certificate .

Cost 50 RM per person

Booking a place - There will be a maximum of 15 people per day. Please contact me via e-mail for more information or to book a place. glyn@gaws.co.uk

Don't be a chicken - book your place today !