Posted by Abigail on 30/05/08, filed under News | Leave a comment
On Wednesday 28 May 2008, some of you may have tried to contact our branches in Worthing without success. It transpires that there was a major fault at the Worthing BT Telephone Exchange that meant not only could we not receive calls, but we couldn’t make them either. In addition, our internet, email and fax were all out of action due to the fault. This could have been very distressing for owners whose pets were with us in the Hospital and so we pooled together as many mobile phones as possible and contacted worried clients that way.
We are so sorry if you were worried and caused unnecessary distress by this incident. Unfortunately, the situation was entirely beyond our control but BT were able to rectify the problem later on that evening.
Let’s hope it doesn’t happen again!
Posted by Abigail on 28/05/08, filed under Wildlife | Leave a comment
Early on Bank Holiday Monday, Alison, Trainee Veterinary Nurse and I were cleaning out, feeding and treating the wildlife in our specialist wildlife unit here at Grove Lodge. Imagine our surprise when we opened the door to check on one of the hedgehogs, being treated for lungworm, to find not one kennel occupant – but four! The hedgehog had had three bouncing babies during the night! Mum and babies are doing well and will be relocated by WADARS when the babies are a bit older.
Posted by Abigail on 14/05/08, filed under Wildlife | 4 comments
This adorable fox cub (pictured right with our Nursing Assistant, Karin Salcher) was brought in to Grove Lodge by WADARS one night recently after being found in High Street, Tarring. After a thorough health check, she was sent to recuperate in the capable hands of Rogers Wildlife Rescue in Woodingdean. As you may have seen in last week’s Worthing Herald, members of the public are deliberately poisoning foxes, seeing them only as vermin and a nuisance and perhaps that is what happened to this little one’s mother.
Members of the public absolutely must not deliberately harm foxes – it is cruel and illegal and carries a penalty of up to 6 months in prison or a fine of £5,000 per animal harmed. It is worth remembering that DEFRA have never categorised the fox as vermin.
To avoid your bin bags being investigated by foxes, keep them in a secure bin and not loose in the street. If that is impossible, try to put bags out for the bin men in the morning, rather than leave them out overnight when foxes are at their most active.
Chickens and rabbits must be locked up carefully overnight as a fox does not understand they are your beloved pet and sees them as a tasty dinner.
Why not try learning more about our urban foxes - take a look at the website of The Fox Project, based here in the South East, at www.foxproject.org.uk. They are a charity dedicated to helping foxes and their website gives fascinating facts to help you understand and enjoy foxes and excellent advice on deterring foxes from your garden should you wish to do so.
Contact WADARS on 01903 217788 if you find an injured or sick fox and they will collect it for you.
