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Well, I thought the same thing but, now when the commercials come on it says, "A special ENCORE presentation" Instead of saying that its coming on it says that it will be an encore presentation so apparently they will not be having them and Crufts is the most popular dog show IN THE WORLD!
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*Get a Grip Get an Aussie*
Karen that is a wonderful poem, you are very talented with words. I picked out this poem for Carrie and her friends, the author is unknown.
To Carrie and friends
If I could...
send you sunshine on a rainy day or the stars on a cloudy night.
a robin's song, a kitten's purr or the smile of a child
If I could...
send you the smell of a rose, the roar of the ocean, the colors in a sea shell or a fresh mountain breeze.
If I could...
send you a sunset in springtime, a tumbling waterfall, or the quiet of a forest, or the softness of a cloud
If I could...
send you the taste of a snowflake, the light of a moonbeam, the flight of a butterfly, or dewdrops in the early morn.
If I could...
box up a rainbow and send it to you I would,
because I want to send you joy.
This truly is my wish to all of you
If only I could send you joy!
Jackie
Thank you all so much - the poems had us all so touched by your kindness and thoughtfulness we were quite speechless. You will never know how much it means to my friends that people all over the world are thinking of them. It is a sad fact of life that news becomes old very quickly and even in this country the plight of farmers and animals alike is no longer the major news of the day. This makes those isolated feel ten times more alone.
We now have an astounding 139 cases confirmed, one that is just about to be confirmed by all accounts, and around 141 farms under suspicsion. It is spreading through cattle herds as well as sheep, this is bad news as it means the path of infection has been lost - it is loose and unpredictable and out of control.
The ministry of Agriculture are warning that the level of manpower is just not enough to cope with the slaughter and burning and a backlog is building - this is also a major reason the outbreak is spreading.
Badminton Horse Trials have now been cancelled (three day eventing).
I heard on the news today that the hoof and mouth disease may have made it to the US. Some used farm equipment was sent from England to one of the states in the US (don't remember which one) and it's being quarantined and then disinfected. I am not sure why used farm equipment would have been shipped, I did not hear the whole story, but they are worried that it'll spread before they can prevent it. Hope not. It's scary and it spreads so fast.
I heard the same news, but didn't get the particulars. It is a dreadful disease for people of all countries. We all hope and pray there will be an end to this soon for everyone.
While your Government and port authorities must take any risk seriously, it is highly unlikely that any animals have been infected from farm machinery. As soon as the equipment was known to come from the UK it would be disinfected. Do you know if it was on a farm before the origin was discovered or if it was spotted at customs?
It is now 21 days since the first case of Foot and Mouth was confirmed. Yesterday was a record day - 25 new confirmed cases. 19 today. This makes the total number of farms where all sheep, pigs, cows and goats have either been slaughtered or are awaiting slaughter to a massive 168.
The Government and the Ministry of Agriculture are discussing a range of issues now. Up to 500,000 sheep, so far all healthy animals, may be slaughtered in their fields as the lambing season starts. Animal welfare and the increased risk of infection are the reasons why such a measure is being considered.
Calls for the army to move in to help with the disposal of slaughtered animals are growing - it is estimated that around 50,000 - 90,000 dead animals are lying in fields and farmyards awaiting disposal. Each one has the potential to spread the disease even further via scavengers - foxes, badgers, rats and birds.
The disease is running rampant - the chain of infection has been lost and birds and airborne virus are being blamed for the continuation of the spread.
One case was a shock and it spread fear through the coutryside - 168 was unthinkable three weeks ago and there are no farmers sleeping well tonight.
The tourism trade is now in deep trouble too, the country as a whole losing around £21 million a week in revenue through cancelled bookings alone.
Riding and trekking centres are begining to feel the edge of panic and some are saying that they have one to two weeks left without income before they can no longer keep their horses. As there are no markets open to sell them at.....
This is a nightmare without end.
We are in a safe area at the moment - there are no cases within a hundred miles of us. Thank goodness this community is pulling out all stops and pulling together to try and keep the infection away. There is a £5,000 fine for anyone walking their dog on the Plain or on farmland or on any grass area. There is still a feeling of dread, it seems impossible to think we will escape - what was the unthinkable is like a bomb ticking over the Plain and the community. We are , of course, obsessed. Every morning, we check the new areas infected, every lunchtime and at least four times during the evening, then last thing before bed.
I can only thank you all again for your support for my friends who are just coming out of the shock of events and starting to believe what has happened. They also are just realising how far flung the support has been and how many people are listening and reacting even although they feel so isolated and alone.
Hi, Carrie & Friends ~
Sure wish there was something we could either do or say that would make this terrible curse go away... Know that we are all praying for you.
For anyone who is not sure just what "Foot & Mouth Disease" actually is, here's a link that explains it pretty well. Note that "Foot & Mouth" is not the same as the other dreaded disease "Mad COw Disease". But read for yourselves at: http://www.howstuffworks.com/framed....uestion586.htm
There are a lot of other links to the subject at the bottom of the page.
Thanks Phred for the info about the Foot and Mouth. I was wondering if it could affect people or our fur legged kitties and doggies, so that helped clear things up. Yikes. I really hope there is an end to all of this. It's scary to see something like this happen, and the plight it has on the people! I wish there was something that could be done. Know that everyone there is in our thoughts and prayers, and we're hoping there will be an end to this nightmare!
We have 205 confirmed cases in the UK.
France has confirmed the first case of Foot and Mouth on the continent - this is so out of control.
This is becoming a nightmare and I feel so terrible for all of our friends in the UK and other European countries. Interestingly enough, we're finally hearing more and more about it on our local news reports. I had heard earlier that the first case had been reported in France. Carrie, please know that we are all devasted about this situation, and know how lucky we are that it isn't affecting us directly.
Our prayer is that things will improve soon for all of you.
Logan
I heard on the news earlier this morning that around 300 sheep are going to be slaughtered in Central Italy for suspected Foot and Mouth disease. There are rumours that Germany and even Argentina might be affected.
Is there no end to this terrible disease? It is so devastating!! My prayers are still with you.
Sue
We have 27 new cases today in the UK - the total now, 131.
Italy is awaiting test results on suspected animals.
Argentina has confirmed one case of Foot and Mouth.
The United Arab Emirates have confirmed 8 cases.
Saudi Arabia also have a confirmed case.
I just really don't know what else to say at the moment except that the light at the end of the tunnel is not even on the map. My friends say we are not even in the tunnel yet.
[This message has been edited by carrie (edited March 14, 2001).]
Carrie, I don't know how you and your friends carry on except by keeping the faith.
England has the brunt of this terrible epidemic, but now the whole world is at risk.
There aren't too many words one can say!
My last post should of read 231 confirmed cases - the total is now 260!!!!
The Government are now planning to kill all healthy animals in a three km radius of any confirmed case of Foot and Mouth. Many farmers are against this, they have worked so hard to keep their stock disease free and have lived under extreme stress. Many are threatening to band together to stop the authorities reaching their stock.
I think I heard last night that there is suspition that Lambs in Vermont might have it so they are being tested. But I am not sure if that is true.
Carrie I know this sounds like an of the wall question, but as a spinner I have a feeling of being part of this whole thing. Can seman and eggs be harvested fron the healthy animals before the slaugher? I work on a project called spin a rare fleece, which we spin fleeces from rare or endangered breeds to then they are shown at clothing shows, fairs,and conventions. I fear we will lose a lot of the rare breeds left in the european countries. I samples can be saved and the used as insemanations to those we have in uninfected countries it could save them. Have you heard of any one doing that kind of thing? We are getting nothing as answers on the couple of spinning and knitting boards I use. Thanks Corinna ( still praying for all)
Carrie, this is all to much for the people to bear, the press is finally taking this serious over here and reporting the awful slaughter being done over seas. Not much we can do or say but keep our prayers going that there will be an end to this horrible
killing of all those animals and that the farmers will get some relief.
Thank you, again, for your concern and caring - you will never know how much you touch individuals caught in a rollercoaster that nobody seems to have control of. It is appreciated, deeply, by more people than you know.
The total of farms that, tonight, are without beasts to take care of in the morning is a staggering 297.
A case in Shropshire has come to light - the farmer had one goat and 786, yes that is the correct number, sheep that were obvious Foot and Mouth cases. Who knows how long his farm has been infected and how far the infection has spread from his animals..... but you have to have some small sympathy. The creatures he lied about and hid are all now gone.
Any rare breed that is under threat is a lost cause in this country, at least. The moment of birth, the first breath is the moment of infection. This is such a relentless disease that if embryos are not already stored, sadly, now is not the time to do it. On that score, at least, Britain can be proud - we have such a huge collection of rare domestic as well as wild animals, most of which are part of the international "Frozen Zoo" project.
Hoof-and-Mouth, 260 cases
Hiding from this disease
Seems as fruitless as hiding from the air
As hiding from the changing seasons
As hiding from the windy rain
that finds you no matter what you hide behind
Keeping your animals safe and healthy
Amidst hysteria of people and government
Seems as likely as keeping your feet dry
When crossing a rushing stream on moss-slick rocks
Possible, and so hard you try, possible
But so improbable, it seems
Watching your neighbors' livelyhoods
The inn-keeper, the butcher, as well as the farmer
Go up, literally and figuratively, in smoke
Is as heart-wrenching as seeing a sudden flood wash away a home
And being helpless, from your safe hilltop,
To do anything but cry out in despair
Knowing the pain and heartache you share
The fears and dread of farmers
in Europe, in Argentina, in our own Vermont
The bleak sight of empty countryside
No soft bleat of sheep of shuffling snort of hog
And knowing we cannot help
Tears at our hearts like a sharp rock in a brook-bed
When it meets an unsuspecting bare foot
The cold brookwater washes away the blood
But cannot touch the pain
As we can offer sympathy and understanding
But cannot hope to help heal the wounds
Your battered countrymen bear, but still, we offer
Crrie thanks for answering my question. I sure hope we here in the United States can keep this nightmare from happening here. Hopefully then we can help your countries rebuild from stock here. I know it doesn't help the loss of many bloodlines and time in the breeding programs . I have another question is it only cloven hooved animals or are the draft horses I love so mach in trouble too?
It is only cloven-hooved animals that are in danger from it. Horses can carry it, but they are not affected by it, thank heavens for at least one kind spared.
Karen, your words totally capture the feeling of impotence. It is now three weeks since the first case and things are at desperation point for many farmers. Families have been kept apart - friends of mine work on different farms, they have a five year old son that a Grandparent is caring for and have not been able to see him or each other for nearly two weeks now.
The Government has issued a statement today saying that this situation is likely to go on for several months.
In Cumbria the Chief Veterinary Officer is meeting with farmers tomorrow to try and talk them into allowing healthy stock to be slaughtered in a bid to stop the disease.
In Scotland there is less resistance to the scheme as farmers there are worried that if the whole of Scotland is infected they will have nowhere to go to restock.
We have 325 cases in the UK now - another massive rise today of 25 new cases.
Horses are not infected with the virus but are potential carriers so any horses in an infected area are not allowed to move from the farm or yard they are in.
The Netherlands have reported, yesterday, that they have a suspected case of Foot and Mouth.
In the UK the cases confirmed yesterday was a massive 45!!
I also heard that there have been cases in Kazakhstan, though the report was unclear. Our hearts ache for you all.
Carrie, the news does not sound very encouraging, there has to be an end to this nightmare sometime soon. I see from our news that they think they have found a farm in Vermont with goats who they are pretty sure have Mad Cow disease. I thought that disease was confined to cows. Every day we hope to hear from you that the number of cases of Foot and Mouth disease will go down and it seems to increase. Those poor farmers, we just can't even imagine the agony they are going through along with you seeing your friends losing their animals and farms. We have just about run out of words, I think only prayers will help now.
Now I'm not sure if it was goats or sheep!
[This message has been edited by jackiesdaisy1935 (edited March 21, 2001).]
The Netherlands have now confirmed three cases of Foot and Mouth - they can not find the source of infection which is very scary as it means they also don't know the pattern of likely spread, if any.
We had another 40 new cases confirmed yesterday - 85 in two days!!
We have been told not to expect the peak of the disease until May - farmers under intolerable pressure can see no end or relief.
BSE only affects cows. There are, however many variants of spongiform ecephalitis - CJD in humans, scrapies in sheep. There is a known feline variant. It is also known to affect some wild deer populations in the USA.
Another 42 new cases yesterday - total is now 479 farms that have lost all stock.
The slaughter of healthy animals has started in Cumbria to try and create a zone around infected areas that the disease will not be able to spread over.
Animals are really suffering now. Sheep that are without grazing in their fields, due to the length of time they have been there and the bad weather we have had in the last few weeks, are now lambing. Many lambs are being lost as they are either drowning or dying from exposure.
Farmers in affected areas are finding it harder every day to carry on.
Carrie, we all really thank you for the up dates as painful as they must be. i have another question, I know hoof and mouth ,and mad cow are different but havig trouble getting Truthful facts about the "scapies?" in sheep.it has to do with the Vermont sheep, it seems they have been watching them since 1989?Two showed up with antibodies but no active virus. It sounds just odd to me ,why wait so long and if no active case why distroy the whole flock? I know you probley don't have all the answers but if you know some place to look. My vet can't even answer these questions. thanks Corinna
Scrapies is the form of spongilitis ecephalitis that affects sheep. (BSE is the form that affects cattle and CJD is the form that affects humans.) Once cases have been confirmed in cattle the whole herd is slaughtered as a precaution to prevent the spread of the disease. This is because the route of infection was largely unknown until recently. Now it is known that infected material from an animal has to be ingested by another animal for that infection to spread. It is accepted that BSE originated as the brain and spinal cord material from infected sheep was fed to cows. Waste material from infected cows (ie the brain and spinal tissue) was then processed and put back into the feed given to cows. (Most "normal" people would see the feeding of any material from an animal source to vegetarian animals ludicrous and full of hidden dangers.....but what do we hippy tree huggers know?)
It has been confirmed that at least seven cases of CJD in this country can be directly linked to the victims eating tissue that was contaminated with brain and/or spinal tissue from cattle. It is accepted that this is the route of infection.
For sheep, I'm afraid I know little, although scrapies is an older form of the disease. I will see what I can find and get back to you.
We now have 501 cases of Foot and Mouth, the first in the Republic of Ireland was confirmed yesterday.
The Government has warned that if the disease is not under control soon then half the country's stock of susceptable animals will be culled.
This is just so sad for our friends in England and Europe.
When things go wrong,
As they sometimes will,
When the roads your trudging,
seem all uphill,
When the funds are low,
and the debts are high,
And you want to smile,
but have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must,
But don't you ever quit.
We have 559 confirmed cases.
The powers that be have predicted that we will not see the end of this until, at least, August. By then they estimate the total number of farms to loose livestock because of infection to be 4,400.
The Government have now authorised the culling of all livestock susceptible to the disease in all farms adjacent to an outbreak. In Southern Scotland, Cumbria and Devon, where the "hot spots" are, a three km cull zone is still in operation.
We went to visit with my in -laws today. A forty minute journey that, at this time of year, is usually a joy. New lambs and calf heavy cattle are the normal and delightful scenes to look at. Today we saw a small herd of deer in one field and a flock of about twenty sheep in another. Two seconds after I shouted, "I saw some sheep!" we passed the "INFECTED AREA" sign. Those fat and peaceful sheep will be gone in the morning.
Foot and Mouth has touched our lives deeply. My friends have seen the animals they bred and cared for, cherished and were proud of killed and burned. They have been isolated for a month in an empty farm. They still wake at four every morning and can find nothing to fill their waking hours.
Foot and Mouth is now less than three miles, as the crow flies, from our doorstep. This does not make it worse or more real to us, somehow it's inevitable.
The really frightening thing is that thirty seven years ago farmers were saying, "They won't let this happen again, they will never forget this!" In thirty years time will we have learned anything?
Carrie, being a strict vegetarian I never thought this horrible foot & mouth would actually have an effect on me simply because any shortage of meat was a moot point...that is until I read your last post. I realized that this is not just a loss of meat in the market, it's the slaughter of way too many innocent animals, animals not even bred to be meat animals, and the potential bankruptcy of many farmers. And until I read your last post, I never actually thought that among all the slaughtered animals, there had to be some very special individuals who were "pets" to the farmers. I am not saying I did not care about the disease, it is still horrible and sad and scary, but I realized that it's not just affecting the animals that were going to be slaughtered anyway, it's affecting mother animals, baby animals, "pet" animals, working animals, dairy animals and it's cutting off possibly all sources of income for alot of people. I can't imagine if computers all went dead tomorrow...not only would I be out of work because I do desktop support, but so does my husband. It would leave us either living with my mom or out on the streets...it would cause us to have to sell our cars, our possessions, and worst of all...we could no longer afford pets. It's not just about the animals that were going to get slaughtered anyway. Unfortunately I did not realize that until reading your last post. I was narrow-minded to think that, it affects an unmeasurable amount more then that. I am so saddened for all those people who have to send their entire stock of sheep, cattle, pigs, and whatever else is infected or in an infected area to slaughter. In reality, they are not only losing their animals but I can imagine most may also being losing their homes/farms/jobs/income due to this. Is there anything the Government is doing to help the farmers make it through this? Are they setting up a fund for all farmers affected so people don't lose their homes and possessions? Are farmers going bankrupt? I feel bad for not seeing the full reality of this horrible disease just because I don't eat meat. I hope there is an end to it soon before it spreads even further, and I hope the farmers who are losing their animals are able to cope and find other means of income, and I hope that the animals who are sent to slaughter have a quick, painless death with little suffering and fear, and most of all, I hope all of those empty, lonely fields are once again dotted with healthy animals soon. I am headed to bed now, but feeling awfully heavy hearted and guilty for not realizing sooner how sad this disease truly is. I will say a sincere prayer tonight this heartbreaking disease to be over and done with, Carrie...and I will mean it http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/frown.gif
My heart cries for all the families whose lives have been changed by this horrible disease. A case has now been found in the Netherlands. I keep thinking about my former neighbor. Until 2 years ago I lived in a small town in Belgium. My neighbor was an elderly man who owned cows. Every morning I would see him walking to his fields with his horse to tend to his herd. He would always have a smile and would wave as he passed. I remember driving through the countryside, filled with cows, goats and sheep and smiling because it sort of reminded me of home. Carrie, your last post brought tears to my eyes. I'm imagining all those fields now empty. I think of my former neighbor. Bless him and please keep this horrible disease from him. I know all of these people affected are hard workers. They have to be it is a hard job. This is their lives as well as thier livelihood. I pray for them all. I am curious, as Adore asked, is the government going to provide aid? Is there a fund set up? I would be more than happy to donate. Anyone remember Farm Aid years ago?
Thank you both so much for your kind thoughts and words.
I, too, am a vegetarian and the supply of meat has not been too badly affected as yet. Areas that are not known to be infected have special movement orders to get stock to approved, disease free slaughter houses.
As for compensation..... once you have a suspect animal and the MAFF people come in to test and investigate they look at how many sheep and how many cows you have and calculate the current market value. In some cases this is taking four or five days. The Government will pay each farmer the price set by these officials. This does not take into account the 50 dairy cows that were your Grandfathers dream and aim when he began his breeding programme. Nor the 200 sheep that you have ploughed years of time and money into to be the best in the district. It does not take into account the quality, time, breeding, money or heart that is put into every farm animal in this country.
We are up to 628 cases in the UK.
Several mass graves have been dug in a disused airfield in Cumbria and the bodies of up to half a million sheep are to buried there to try and clear the backlog. They are setting up pens so that animals can be brought in on sealed lorries and culled on site.
Farmers now have a choice on how compensation is worked out - they can take an estimate that every animal is worth the same as the first ten or so evaluated and be paid that for every culled animal. Their other option is to have an independent evaluation.
The Lake District reported it's first case today. The nearest case is forty miles away. Thousands of domestic animals roam wild over this area and it was thought to be out of harms way. A devastating development to say the least.
Our main headlines are now the local elections due for May 3rd. It is traditional for the general election to take place on the same day ( election for government). As the crisis becomes worse farmers are saying that to hold a national election at such a time is, at best, insensitive and at the other extreme a sure fire way of spreading disease.
The tourist industry is in a terrible state. The Government is telling people that the countryside is open as long as you stay on the roads and away from any livestock and wildlife.....
Be assured that if you are visiting England this year you are not facing a health risk to you, your family or your pets. If cities such as London are your destination then nothing has changed. If you are planning to holiday in the countryside then it really depends where you are going.
Foot and Mouth is not passed on to humans in any way - it is not usually fatal to the animals that it does infect- it does create suffering and weak and unproductive, sickly livestock.
Carrie that is such a devestating report.
Those poor farmers, as you say they may have stock going back to their Grandfather and were proud to keep the line going. Although we feel so bad for them, we cannot imagine how they really feel unless we were in their shoes. San Diego has just begun air roundtrip from England and they are checking everyone to see if they have been in the countryside or carrying meat products etc.
I think this Country is finally realizing how serious this is for our friends in Europe. Please tell your friends we think of them and say a little prayer for them every day.
Day 36 and we have 729 cases of Foot and Mouth.
The army is now helping to cull sheep that are brought in to the large pits dug in Cumbria.
Vaccination is now being seriously considered as a firebreak measure - all animals that are vaccinated will then have to be slaughtered - as we are not coping with the cull and burn policy. There are around 100,000 dead animals lying in fields and yards awaiting disposal and well over that awaiting slaughter.
Nearly 500,000 animals have already been slaughtered, burned and buried.
The Government has said that around 1.3 million sheep were moved around the country between the times of the disease reaching the UK and the first outbreak being confirmed. A staggering number of animals with no record of movement or identifaction - let us, please, learn from that if nothing else.
The Government has also started to open up tourist attractions in the countryside and are insisting the financial implications of the tourism lost is greater than the risk of the disease spreading. Stonehenge is now open as is Old Sarum, both near us. Local farmers, already in despair, are astounded that such measures can be taken when they have been under such strain financially, mentally and emotionally. Nearly 300 footpaths and rights of way over farmland, in Wiltshire alone, have been opened. A Ministry of Agriculture spokesman said that as it has been two weeks since the last outbreak in Wiltshire it is a reasonable measure. We live on the edge of Salisbury Plain, right on the border with Wiltshire. The nearest outbreak to us was around two weeks ago - two and a half miles away.
Ireland has just reported it's second suspected case - the first was over two weeks ago.
Does this make sense to anyone?
Are we going to screen everyone going onto footpaths and visiting Stonehenge? (The answer there is no, in case you are wondering.)
We have felt we were sitting on a time bomb. People check their stock at the last possible moment before the light fades and then sit most of the night worrying what they will be faced with in the morning. Every morning that you have to drag yourself out to milking or to see how the lambing is going is a nightmare walk - at best you have thin cows, at worst you have dead sheep and lambs that you couldn't help despite the pain they have been through. The worst thing is not even Foot and Mouth anymore, in many cases it is a kind of relief from the constant worry about the hardship your stock is facing.
A scheme has been set up where farmers can ask for voluntary slaughter of their stock on welfare grounds. A vet must then come in and confirm that conditions warrant slaughter. There is such a shortage of ministry vets that such requests are not a major priority at the moment. Farmers that can see no way to allieviate the suffering of their animals are being told that requests for welfare slaughter will take three to four weeks to implement. Some are begining to pray for Foot and Mouth to put an end to their animals suffering as it is a quicker end than waiting for starving, drowning and ill animals to be put down.
At 5pm on April 1st there was 909 of foot and Mouth in the Uk.
955,000 animals have been slaughtered or identified for slaughter.
610,000 animals have been slaughtered, of which 178,00 remain to be disposed of.
There are 345,000 animals awaiting slaughter.
The numbers are staggering. Our local elections have now been pospotned for a month - June 7th - it is taken as read that the General Election will be on the same day. It is the first time since the Second World War that the date has been put back due to a National crisis.
There are still misgivings as many experts think the situation will be worse by June, not better.
This disease in our lives is no longer a nightmare. It is not something we could of imagined, even in sleep. There is no sign of an end or a slow of infection. The feeling persists that if action had been taken quickly then these scenes of slaughter, burning and burial would not be so common place that the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food could see fit to cut the reports of numbers infected farms. If you know where to look you get one update each day.
Hi Carrie: Have been missing your posts, glad to see you are back, even though the news is still not good. It's impossible to understand the horror the people are going through seeing their animals being destroyed by the thousands and thousands. I'm sure they are in a state of shock as any caring individual would be. Did they not find the source of the foot and mouth, I though I heard something to that effect. We are all so appreciative of you keeping us posted. All we can do is hope and pray for a solution soon.