Dear Reader

Cruelty to animals comes in many guises and presents a variety of challenges to veterinary nurses.

In this edition of the VNJ is a moving article, written by veterinary nurse, Hayley Walters, about her personal response to an animal welfare crisis in Thailand. It is a heart-rending account of dogs – destined for export to Vietnam for slaughter for human consumption – being ‘rescued’ and housed in shelters which themselves offer little respite and pose huge challenges in terms of local cultural standards, nursing and basic care.

The fatal outcome for the kittens was inevitable and apprehension of the culprits unlikely. But the mere fact that the callous incident took place at all in this country in 2013 should set alarm bells ringing. And there can be no excuse for such cruelty.

Both instances offer us a ‘wake-up’ call and demand a similar response. Yes, it is easy to make the initial condemnation of the acts of cruelty; the solution, however, is not to be found in judgement and punishment alone – both of which are outwith our remit – but rather in education.

We live in a world in which, through the instant reportage of online media, we are constantly exposed to horrific news of war, disasters and atrocities that are beyond belief. Such is the unrelenting nature of this exposure, that there is a danger we can become immune to the extent of the suffering involved and, after a while, fail to feel the pain or to offer a response.

Ironically, in the face of this, it is sometimes a ‘little’ news story that will bring us up short and jolt us into reality. Such was the case a few days ago when BBC Radio Cornwall announced that the Police were requesting witnesses to come forward who had seen kittens being thrown out of the windows of a red VW Polo car on the road to Falmouth.

Instead of railing at the situation in Thailand, Hayley gives of her patience and expertise as a compassionate solution and the antidote to her frustration.

And closer to home, perhaps instead of simply tut-tutting at the wanton cruelty meted out to the Cornish kittens, we should actively seek to address its root cause; by taking every opportunity to educate not only our existing clients but also the very people who come to own pets by default and who, in the absence of proper education, resort to the repulsive remedies of the occupants of the red VW Polo on its way to Falmouth.

Author

David Watson BVetMed MA MRCVS 

Editor

To cite this editorial use either

DOI:10.1111/vnj.12069 or Veterinary Nursing Journal Vol 28 pp 306

• VOL 28 • October 2013 • Veterinary Nursing Journal