Merry old England
From ANIMAL PEOPLE, June 2000:
The Royal SPCA in April honored Josie Russell, 12, sole survivor of a hammer assault several years ago that killed her mother and sister, for keeping a five-day vigil over three sheep who were trapped on a ledge at a slate quarry last October near her home in Caernarfon, North Wales. Russell and her friend H a z e l M c W h i r t e r spotted the sheep, and her father Shaun Russell was eventually persuaded to call the RSPCA. Rescuing the sheep from the 100- foot-high ledge in slings took about five hours.
The pro-foxhunting Countryside A l l i a n c e embarrassed the Royal SPCA in early May by hiring away former RSPCA London branch development officer Angela Egan––who reportedly brought with her memos purportedly from senior RSPCA executives, ordering her to delay processing membership applications from people who also belong to the Countryside Alliance and/or Countryside Welfare for Animals Group. The Royal SPCA has been fighting attempted hostile takeovers led by foxhunters for about four years.
The British Charity Commission has reportedly investigated the Born Free Foundation as result of a complaint from staff about alleged self-dealing after Will Travers, the son of founder Virginia McKenna, was made chief executive after 16 years of service. Initially a volunteer, Travers worked his way into a paid post. Upon becoming CEO, handling an annual budget of about $1.3 million, he received a raise to £31,000/year––worth about $50,000 U.S.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, campaigning for decades around saving corncrakes, is reportedly in a quandary because though rare in Great Britain they have turned out to be quite common in Russia.
