The Animal Protection Agency (APA) and Animal Aid have today learned of Warwick District Councils acknowledgement that the National Cage & Aviary Birds Exhibition, proposed to take place on 4th and 5th December at Stoneleigh Park would, in fact, be illegal. This turnaround of opinion came as a direct result of a pending judicial review, initiated by local resident, Aileen Vania.
The Pet Animals Act 1951 prohibits the commercial sale of pet animals in public places and Warwick District Council has advised the organisers, IPC Media and Stoneleigh Park that they will put themselves at risk of prosecution should the event proceed.
The National Cage & Aviary Birds Exhibition has, in recent years, been staged at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. Dubbed a giant jumble sale of birds the event was licensed to sell 100,000 birds and an expert ornithologist estimated that around half of the birds would have been captured from the wild.
The annual event has been condemned by numerous animal protection organisations including the RSPCA. Animal Aid, mounted a vigorous and well-documented campaign against the annual National Cage & Aviary Birds Exhibition and the Captive Animals Protection Society and BirdsFirst also played a central role in the investigation of last years event.
Said Elaine Toland, Director of the Animal Protection Agency: "APA are delighted that a single concerned local resident has taken on the Council over its interpretation of the law and won. This is a victory for animal welfare, public health, and the rule of law. Stoneleigh Park should now cancel this illegal event. If they fail to do so, we will expect the Council to take firm action to uphold the law."
For more information, please contact Elaine Toland on 01273 674253
The Animal Protection Agency has an ISDN line for broadcast quality interviews.
Issued: 7th September 2004
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