Geronimo the alpaca killed as legal row ends

[Robbo]

An alpaca at the centre of a legal row with the government has been killed.

Geronimo twice tested positive for bovine tuberculosis, and the Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) ordered him to be euthanised.

Owner Helen Macdonald disputed the results and mounted several High Court challenges to save him.

Defra staff dressed in blue overalls, goggles and masks, accompanied by police, arrived at her farm earlier and led Geronimo away to be destroyed.

A spokesman confirmed the destruction warrant had been carried out after Geronimo was taken away from his pen and loaded into a trailer, which then left the scene under a police escort, with a number of protesters watching on.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-58255378

Thoughts on this?

Is it true the tests are inaccurate?

Or is the owner just being dramatic when she knows full well this is normal procedure.

On the face of it, it seems quite harsh, was there nothing else that could be done? If the animal is living effectively in isolation on a farm, I'm not really seeing the danger it poses.

 

[Hotwired]

Complete drama queen.

Farmers have had to have entire herds destroyed but this one animal must have special treatment.

 

[dlockers]

Thank god that whole Afghan thing is over.

 

[Yaayuh!]

It's a shame they didn't test the animal once more and carried out by an agreed 3rd party, since it's been almost 4 years since the original tests.

Complete drama queen.

Farmers have had to have entire herds destroyed but this one animal must have special treatment.

To be fair, that's a little different as farmers just see money down the drain rather than any other attachment.

 

[Lysander]

Bristol

Tells you all you need to know. That place is as bad as Brighton these days.

 

[fiacha]

It's a shame they didn't test the animal once more and carried out by an agreed 3rd party, since it's been almost 4 years since the original tests.



To be fair, that's a little different as farmers just see money down the drain rather than any other attachment.

Not true, every farmer I know has an emotional attachment to their herd. The hardest of farmers still have favorites and "pets" that their children helped to raise. Even more so with dairy herds where the farmer will probably have helped deliver many of them. They are not just a source of income.

 

[Bear]

Complete drama queen.

Farmers have had to have entire herds destroyed but this one animal must have special treatment.

I get that farmers might be at risk but this is her pet. I would be mortified if someone wanted to destroy my dog and would fight to keep it alive

 

[Minusorange]

Surely they could done one final test before destroying the poor creature ?

 

[Ahleckz]

Seems odd they are using a test from 2017 to condemn him. You’d think the reasonable thing would be to retest, and go from there. Having numerous court battles must be much more costly than this?

Hopefully the people getting upset about this realise that millions of animals are needlessly killed every year and reflect on their food choices if they haven’t already.

 

[dlockers]

 

[Hotwired]

Seems odd they are using a test from 2017 to condemn him. You’d think the reasonable thing would be to retest, and go from there. Having numerous court battles must be much more costly than this?

You mean the positive test followed by another positive test they already had?

Apparently 4 years is how long you can hamper disease control by harbouring an animal known to be infected before DEFRA turns up to with a police escort to end the farce.

 

[adolf hamster]

To be fair, that's a little different as farmers just see money down the drain rather than any other attachment.

when they have a family to feed one presumes that losing a massive chunk of income is probably going to be a significant emotional event.

 

[dl8860]

when they have a family to feed one presumes that losing a massive chunk of income is probably going to be a significant emotional event.

Stupid farmers, worrying about earning a living

 

[Rimsy]

Surely they could done one final test before destroying the poor creature ?

that would set a rather dodgy precadent for future cases of similar nature where an animal owner doesnt want their pet destroyed

 

[Minusorange]

that would set a rather dodgy precadent for future cases of similar nature where an animal owner doesnt want their pet destroyed

Would it matter ? Just do a test a month or so prior to destruction to ensure the test is accurate and upto date instead of relying a test that was done 4 years ago

Imagine if we started culling everybody who tested positive for Covid last year, 5 years in the future

 

[Heinz57]

To be fair, that's a little different as farmers just see money down the drain rather than any other attachment.

My sister owns and runs a cattle farm with her husband, she tries to be detached but I know she definitely feels it when they lose one.

 

[whitecrook]

Thank god that whole Afghan thing is over.

And that whooe covid thing thank goodness thats gone as well. Now can we get back onto aliens and gold digging overlords?

 

[bJN]

Would it matter ? Just do a test a month or so prior to destruction to ensure the test is accurate and upto date instead of relying a test that was done 4 years ago

Imagine if we started culling everybody who tested positive for Covid last year, 5 years in the future

The only reason it's taken four years though is because this entitled old fart was appealing every (correct) decision and throwing her toys out of the pram. Whichever way you look at it, the animal had a disease that has to be closely monitored for and dealt with appropriately. Regardless of whether it is livestock or a pet. Sure it's a hard take, but thems the rules. Doing "just one more test" would be pointless. If you doubt a test, you retest - that was done. Four years ago!

 

[robfosters]

You mean the positive test followed by another positive test they already had?

Apparently 4 years is how long you can hamper disease control by harbouring an animal known to be infected before DEFRA turns up to with a police escort to end the farce.

Stop it, your compassion is reducing me to tears

 

[robfosters]

What pees me off though is the way it’s destroyed.

It’s a pet, would it be too hard to get a vet to give it a lethal injection on the farm with its owner there to comfort it rather than drag it away looking terrified to what I can only assume would be an abbatoir.