EU votes to spend £1.8million on homeopathy for farm animals

European politicians yesterday voted to spend £1.8million on research into homeopathy for farm animals.

The European Parliament’s agriculture committee agreed to spend two million euros – part funded by British taxpayers’ money – on investigating whether cattle, sheep and pigs can benefit from the alternative therapy.

Homeopathy, which counts Prince Charles among its fans, claims to treat and prevent disease by using greatly diluted forms of herbs and minerals to develop resistance.

Therapy: The EU has decided to spend £1.8m on research into homeopathy treatment for farm animals, including cows, to see if they can benefit

But scientists say homeopathy is a crank medicine – and the only way it could have any  beneficial effect would be due to the placebo effect, whereby people can get better because they believe they have been given medicine that works.

Animals cannot benefit from the placebo effect because they won’t realise they have been given the treatment, say critics.

Socialist and liberal members of the European Parliament’s agriculture committee yesterday backed a move to call upon the European Commission to set up a pilot project to co-ordinate research on the use of homeopathy in livestock farming. 

'Madness': Tory MEP Richard Ashworth attacked the plans to spend the money on something so marginal

Richard Ashworth, Conservative MEP for the South East and spokesman on agriculture and rural affairs, said the scheme was outrageous and an insult to taxpayers.

‘Spending such a huge sum of  public money on something so marginal and left-field would be bad at the best of times. 

‘When governments everywhere are taking severe austerity measures just to balance  the books, to waste millions on highly questionable new-age remedies for cows and sheep is sheer madness.’ 

The website of the British Association of Homeopathic Veterinary Surgeons lists 34 vets offering homeopathy for pets and livestock in the UK.

But in May, the respected British Veterinary Association issued a statement, saying: ‘The BVA cannot endorse the use of homeopathic medicines, or indeed any medicine making therapeutic claims, which have no proven efficacy.

‘As with any medicine, BVA believes that veterinary medicinal products must be evidence-based, with any medicinal claims made by a manufacturer supported.’

The Commons science and technology committee has called for homeopathy to be no longer provided for humans on the NHS, and last year Dr Tom Dolphin, deputy chairman of the BMA’s junior doctors committee, described homeopathy as ‘witchcraft’.

Last night Andrew Miller, chairman of the Commons committee, said: ‘It seems to me absurd to spend money in an area where there are no proven benefits, when there is such a shortage of money around.

‘This is an area which I believe has no proven benefit and is therefore not a sensible use of public money. If they have 2million euros to spend, I would prefer they spent it on animal welfare.’

The mini moos: Tiny breed of cows that grow to just two-and-a-half feet tall The mini-breed are considered holy in their native Sri Lanka and are the smallest cows in the world

These tiny creatures look like new born calves but they are actually fully grown cows standing just 36 inches tall.

Owner Jay Brittain's new additions to her Small Breeds Farm Park near Kington, Herefordshire, are Zebus cows - and are the smallest cows in the world.

The breed, which are regarded as sacred cattle in native Sri Lanka, were saved from the brink of extinction five years ago.

Holy cow: These tiny animals are regarded as sacred cattle in their native Sri Lanka

Their numbers plummeted after indiscriminate cross-breeding with dairy breeds.

Ms Brittain said: 'I first heard about the miniature zebus around 15 to 18 years ago and thought it would just be fantastic to have them here.

They cows stand 36 inches high and weigh just five stone each - a tenth of the size of normal adult cattle.

Fully grown: These minature cows Charlie (left) and Mary. have just arrived in Britain are the smallest cattle in the world

Ms Briattain said: 'They are rare and people just thought they were going to die out and become extinct.

'They have a fatty lump on their shoulders and a hump on the back of the neck - and are very, very friendly.

'People think they are calves and are amazed when they discover they are fully grown adult cows.

'They are no bigger than your average dog and are hugely popular with children.'

Walkies: The cows are no bigger than an average dog

Meet the family of 24 (That’s 2 adults, 2 children and TWENTY pampered raccoons)

A family outing usually involves a bit of organisation. 

But for Michelle and Sean Rhodes, any activity is something of an adventure.

With two children and 20 raccoons to consider, life is no simple challenge.

We are family: Michelle and Sean Rhodes share their Portsmouth home with 20 pampered raccoons. The fury creatures have the run of the house and are regarded in the same way as the couple's two children

Day out: The raccoons apparently feel left out if they are not allowed to tag along on family outings

But according to the couple, the loveable creatures feel left out unless they are allowed to tag along.

And the Rhodes parents are so besotted with their 'gaze' of raccoons that they regard them like their children - 14-year-olds Jacob and Rosemarie - and spend £3,000 a year on their upkeep.

The family even forgo holidays because no-one else can be trusted to look after the animals.

Mrs Rhodes, 39, who does not work in order to care for the animals, and her husband, a business consultant, have dedicated the last four years to raising the creatures who now have the run of their three bedroom terraced house in Portsmouth.

The first member of the gang arrived after Mrs Rhodes stumbled across an unusual-pet seller on the internet.

Pampered pets: Mr and Mrs Rhodes are so besotted with their 'gaze' of raccoons that they regard them like their children - 14-year-olds Jacob and Rosemarie - and spend £3,000 a year on their upkeep

VIPs: The family even forgo holidays because no-one else can be trusted to look after the animals

'He mentioned he had a three-day old raccoon on his books that needed hand-rearing,’ she said. 'We did some research over the internet and thought we would go for it.

'We didn't quite know what we were getting ourselves into, but we thought we'd go for it anyway. The next day we had a four day old raccoon delivered to our door.'

Four years on life, has been totally transformed with every household task being carried out with a raccoon either helping or hindering. 

'Raccoons are my life,' Mrs Rhodes added. 'They are totally part of my family - my husband and kids love them to bits.
'But they are very clever and quite naughty when they put their minds to it.

Growing family: Rosie Rhodes pictured with her new born pet raccoons. These five were bred this year

'In the wild they are naturally inquisitive scavengers and they are very good with their hands.

'They can go anywhere in the home - but I do try to draw the line at the kitchen.

'Having said that I saw one trying to copy the way I cut melon for him.

'I caught him with a knife in his paws trying to help himself to a slice.'

While 20 raccoons might seem a few too many for most, the Rhodes family is expanding. Five youngsters were bred this year and are being hand-raised after they were rejected by their mothers.

Bath time: Michelle Rhodes with Bobo. 'Raccoons are my life,' the mother-of-two said. 'They are totally part of my family - my husband and kids love them to bits. The family even forgo holidays for the animals

'Raccoons take a lot of love and people need to know what they're doing before they take them on,' Mrs Rhodes said.

'When I got my first raccoon I wasn't as aware as I am now. But I wouldn't change my decision to have racoons in the family for the world.'

Raccoons are native to north America where they live in forests as well as cities.

They are so adaptable that since they were introduced to Russia in the 1930's their population has spread across Asia into Europe. They have been spotted in the wild as far west as Denmark.

by dailymail.co.uk

The bear who dared: Awesome polar animal descends 300ft cliff in a bid to scavenge eggs from some VERY surprised birds

• Previously undocumented scene stunned tourists as they watched bear scramble and slip down Russian precipice 
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• It is believed hungry bears are being attracted to more dangerous terrain because usual icy hunting spots are melting 
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For birds nesting on a precarious cliff, the last visitor they might expect to see would be a hulking polar bear clambering down to join them.

Yet this bulky beast somehow managed to descend a craggy precipice in Russia’s remote Arctic archipelago of Novaya Zemlya.

The young male risked life and limb scavenging for eggs along the 300ft-high rock face thronged with hundreds of squawking Brunnich's Guillemots.

Watch the birdie: A hungry polar bear inching down a 300ft cliff face in a desperate search for food on in Novaya Zemlya, Russia

Stunned tourists onboard a chartered ice-breaker boat were left in awe as the watched the previously undocumented spectacle.

American photographer Dylan Coker, who captured the incredible scene, said: ‘The height that the bear was at and the sheerness of the cliff face were absolutely amazing,’ said the 40-year-old.

‘Everyone was terrified it was going to fall.

‘Every so often there would be a gasp from someone on the boat when the bear slipped.

‘It was slipping quite a bit and one point it was stretched right out to reach for eggs in a nest.’

What are you doing here?! The bear approches nesting Brunnich's Guillemots, whose eggs he hoped to scavange

Gone again: The birds raced down the cliff every time the polar bear ventured further down. A quizzical seagull watches from above the bulky beast

Remote: The polar bear before making his daring descent on one of the rocky Ostrova Oranskie islands

Describing the moment the passengers relealised they were seeing a bear on the cliff on one of the Ostrova Oranskie islands, Californian Mr Coker, who now lives in Australia, said: ‘It was a really beautiful place; very foggy, cool, and serene with a sky full of squawking birds.

‘We rounded a corner and suddenly we could see this white blob at the top of some cliffs.

‘The cliffs were at least as high as a five-storey building. At first we thought it might be a large bird or a snow patch but as we got nearer we realised it was a polar bear.

‘Everyone on the boat was quiet, we just sat there in awe.’

Despite its bravado, the bear returned to the top of the cliff without enjoying a full meal after losing its footing several times.

Previously the group of group had encountered polar bears hunting on ice floes in Bukhta Maka, after journeying for two days without seeing land.

In awe: Tourists on a small boat capture the previously undocumented scene with their cameras

Precarious: The bear eventually returned to the top after losing its footing a few too many times

But it is believed that a scarcity of ice has led to bears seeking out food in more dangerous locations.

Mr Coker said: ‘There's a real problem with the ice disappearing due to climate change.

Polar bear habitat: Russia's Arctic archipelago of Novaya Zemlya

‘Traditionally the bears sit by an air hole in the ice waiting for a seal to poke its head out so they can grab it.

‘But because there's less and less ice, the bears are looking for alternative sources of food and have discovered the birds' eggs.’

During the expedition the tourists also witnessed bears swimming hundreds of miles out to sea.

Mr Coker added: ‘They're used to resting on and hunting from ice floes but now the bears swim around until they are exhausted, then they drown.’

This was the first time a civilian boat has been granted permission to sail in these waters, which also forms part of a large military zone.

Mountainous and shrouded in mystery, the Novaya Zemlya archipelago stretches 1000 km in an elongated crescent between the Barents and Kara seas.

Today it remains one of Russia's most restricted and isolated regions.

Aurora Expeditions secured the first permit on condition that two government representatives act as chaperones.

Mr Coker, who recently won an Archbishops Award for his photography, added: ‘We were really lucky to have witnessed it.

‘We could have easily been there on a different day and who knows how often this kind of thing occurs.

‘I will never forget the day I watched a polar bear hunt for eggs on a cliff-edge.

‘I couldn't have imagined a better or more unique adventure.’

Emergency haircut for sheepdog Floyd sees him lose TWO STONE of matted hair

A rescued dog can finally see again after he was so severely neglected he became trapped in a filthy ball of his own matted hair - weighing two stone.

Floyd, an Old English Sheepdog, was picked up by an animal charity after he was bundled out of a van and left tied up with a piece of string on the street.

His dirty hair was so long and matted that he struggled to see, hear or go to the toilet and his claw-like nails made it painful for him to walk.

Neglect: Emma Midgley with Floyd, the Old English Sheepdog, when he arrived at an animal charity after suffering severe neglect. He struggled to see, hear and go to the toilet

But he is now recovering after vets performed a two hour operation to shave off two stone of matted hair and clip his two-inch long nails.

Wendy Kruger, from Wood Green, the animal charity which rescued Floyd, said whoever was responsible for his condition were 'criminal'.

She said: 'We were all extremely shocked and distressed at Floyd's condition. It is the worst case of animal neglect the charity has ever seen.

'Our main priority was to make him as comfortable as possible while we tried to treat his many ailments.

'When he first came in he was understandably frightened and wary of people. He couldn't see, hear, go to the toilet or walk properly.

'Now he has had his hair cut he has got his senses back and is rediscovering the world.

'He is 10 years-old and we don't think he has ever been groomed in his life.

On the mend: Floyd trimmed of two stone of fur and on the road to recovery. He also had his two inch long nails clipped

'Unfortunately, this means his hair and skin is so damaged that we don't believe his coat will recover and grow back.

'But it is very cheering to see him growing in confidence. He is becoming increasingly friendly and has started wagging his tail.

'He is showing good signs of recovery but it's going to take time.

'This is just the first stage of his recovery, Floyd will need extensive treatment to bring him back to full health so he can live out his retirement years.

'To allow an animal to reach this state of neglect is criminal.' 

Floyd was spotted by a member of the public being hauled out of a dark coloured vehicle and tied up in Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire on Saturday.

The old English sheepdog, who is approximately 10 years-old, needed emergency treatment to remove his matted hair, as well as cysts and grass seeds.

He will need further dental, ear, eye and skin treatment but is making a good recovery at the animal charity.

I'm just a shy guy! Timid chipmunk who tried to hide from the camera

This chipmunk wanted to see no camera, hear no camera - then a giant flash bulb drove him NUTS.

The tiny rodent settled on a comfy stump before being startled by a photographer in a garden in Delaware, Ohio, United States.

The Eastern Chipmunk was right at home in the garden of Mark Hardymon, 45, who caught his hilarious expressions on film.

Camera shy: This chipmunk covered up for his close up by Ohio-based photographer Mark Hardymon

A keen photographer, he tempts birds and other wildlife to the garden with seeds, the cute little thing's favourite food.

Mr Hardymon, who builds custom houses for a living, made his furry friend comfortable by constructing his own little perch.

He said: 'I have an old piece of a dead tree set up with a flat rock resting in the crotch of the branches.

'The chipmunks live nearby and will often scramble up the trunk of the tree and feed on the bird seed there.

The tiny rodent had settled on a comfy stump before being startled by the photographer in a garden in Delaware

'The little chipmunk on this day climbed up on the perch for whatever reason and as animals so often do proceeded to groom himself, which is what you see in the photo. 

'At that point it was just a matter of pushing the button as quickly as possible.

'Because it happened so quickly I didn't even know if I had captured it. It was only when I looked back I realised it looked exactly like he was pulling, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil poses.

'Chipmunks can be pretty skittish but the bird food is a strong attraction.

'But once they find the food and realise nothing bad happens, they come and go comfortably. 

'I will set up my tripod a fair distance away and just sit and watch, often for hours as the antics of these creatures are pretty funny.'

The 45-year-old Mr Hardymon, who builds custom houses for a living, made his furry friend comfortable by constructing his own little perch

Mr Hardymon, from Ohio USA, caught the photography bug in high school, and had a darkroom set up in his parents' basement.

He said: 'After college and moving out there was no room for that so it was put on hold until about four years ago when I discovered how good digital had gotten. 

'I like to shoot wildlife and landscapes with a particular interest in bird photography. I find the birds fascinating and photographing them particularly challenging.'

Mr Hardymon's two pet dogs and cat don't make it easy though.

'They enjoy the wildlife but probably not in the way you might think,' he added. 

'Their enjoyment comes mostly from chasing and occasionally catching, although that's not very often.'

Reunited! Couple handed back 16-week-old puppy stolen by motorbike thieves

The delighted owners of a 16-week-old puppy that was snatched by opportunistic motorcycle thieves have been reunited with their pet.

Tiny spaniel Alfie was taken by a pair of thieves in a bank raid-style operation last week and was captured on CCTV.  

Despite frantic efforts by his owners, Pauline and Ian Parsons, both 45, to find him, it was only after their story hit the headlines on Mail Online that Alfie's new owners got in touch.

Puppy love: Pauline and Ian Parsons with daughter Ashleigh Parsons 16, re-united with their puppy Alfie

The puppy was returned by a couple who bought him just hours after he was snatched from outside the family business in West Bromwich.

They said they were walking their own dog when a man approached them and asked if they wanted to buy another dog.

They paid over the £150 asking price for the little King Charles Cavalier spaniel, after being told that he was the last of a large litter.

After seeing press coverage about Alfie's disappearance, the couple contacted the Parsons family to tell them the good news.

Happy to be home: Alfie bounding around the garden with his family after heartless opportunist thieves stole him

A couple over the £150 asking price for Alfie the King Charles Cavalier spaniel after being told that he was the last of a large litter

He was quickly reunited with his rightful owners, who said that he is slowly getting over the ordeal.

Mr and Mrs Parsons, from Coseley, West Midlands, had watched in disbelief as two men roared up on a motorbike and snatched their pet from a playpen outside the family-run Metal Supermarket

The pillion rider got off scooped up Alfie and wedged the dog between him and the getaway rider before they sped off.

Mrs Parsons said: 'He was a bit timid at first, but he's settling back in now.

'It must have been a bit of a shock for him.' 

She added: 'I've got to be honest, I didn't think we'd see him again.

Dog thieves: The dognappers are caught on CCTV after stealing Alfie

'He's so little, and it would be so easy to shift him on to someone else.' 

The Parsons had been tirelessly canvassing their local area in an attempt to find Alfie, as well as posting messages on Facebook and various missing pets websites.

Mrs Parsons said: 'If it wasn't for the press coverage I doubt we would've seen him again.' 

Though the family are 'thrilled' to have their dog back, they hope that their ordeal will act as a warning to others to be vigilant when letting their own pets out.

She added: 'The main thing to remember is that these people are still out there.

A treasured photo of Alfie: Ashleigh Parsons pleaded for help to find her dog yesterday

'I can't believe the nerve of them, they came right up to the door and took him. We are still looking out for them.' 

Stolen: Alfie when he was really small. He was snatched in front of his owners by two men on a motorbike

But the family said they are finding lots of time to spoil Alfie, and that he can look forward to being a pampered pooch for some time to come.

Mrs Parsons said: 'He isn't going to be allowed out of our sight now.' 

The incident last Thursday afternoon was captured on CCTV and the couple are appealing for help in finding the two thieves. 

Mrs Parsons said one of them wore a helmet with a black star and silver lining. 

They were riding a scrambler-type machine with yellow wheels.

She added: 'He's just gorgeous and a brilliant dog – really clever. The customers really took to him as he's a real character. Everybody turned soft when they saw him – even the biggest blokes were reduced to mush.' 

She added: 'We have never had a puppy before. We decided to get one because we could take him to work with us. 

Jayne Hayes, founder of the charity Dog Lost, said the number of pedigree dogs being stolen had soared since the recession began.

'We see 150 to 200 cases a week. People just grab the dogs and sell them on and they get away with it because the police don't do much.

'I've never seen a theft like this before, though. This a worrying development, but there is definitely a market out there for expensive pedigree dogs like Alfie.'