Two press reports below:

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/city/2006/01/24/06975bf4-5674-477f-
964d-f99dbabe357b.lpf

Birds were 'sexually frustrated' court told

A COUPLE stand accused of neglect after failing to seek veterinary
help for their "sexually frustrated" parrot and cockatoo.

Sharon Webb and Albert Smith, both 38, went on trial at Cambridge
Magistrates' Court on Monday accused of three animal cruelty charges.

The pair deny causing unnecessary suffering to the birds and a further
charge of keeping the cockatoo in a cage of insufficient size.

Sally, a lesser sulphur crested cockatoo, and Sydney, an African grey
parrot, were seized after an RSPCA inspector visited the couple's home
last May.

The birds had plucked their own feathers out due to a psychological
disorder, the court heard.

Sally had suffered "long-standing" feather loss to her head and top of
her neck, while Sydney had feather loss to his neck, breast, abdomen
and legs.

Michael Taylor, prosecuting, said the bird which has a wingspan of
71.5cm was being kept in a cage measuring 70cm in height and 47cm in
width and in depth.

He said: "Neither had been seen by a vet and neither had received any
veterinary care or treatment. Feather plucking may be complex, but it
is not sufficient to ignore it or treat it yourself or treat it with
remedies that are plainly ineffective."

In interview Smith, who lives with Webb in New Road, Mepal, said he
had nothing to do with the birds. Webb admitted being in charge of the
birds. She claimed Sydney's feather loss was due to dry skin and
Sally's was due to irritation from a scar.

She said: "If it was really serious, I'd take my birds to the vets."

Neil Forbes, a leading avian expert, said the most likely reason the
birds plucked their own feathers was because they were sexually
frustrated.

A hand-reared bird grows up thinking it is human and when it reaches
sexual maturity it becomes attracted to humans, he said.

"When this bird reaches breeding age, they are in biological terms
'breeding machines' and will naturally want to breed with a human," he
said.

There was "no doubt" Sally had suffered over the years, he said.

"This is, without a shadow of a doubt in my mind, obsessive compulsive
disorder, and this is because the sexual frustration has gone on for
so long," he said of the bird.

Sydney's feather loss appeared to be more recent. He said that in all
other respects the birds appeared to be in good health. Both were
making a good recovery thanks to specialist treatment.

The trial continues.



http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/city/2006/01/25/fd021e61-f6ed-477f-
9b48-cc69d64a4c15.lpf

Parrot owners cleared of mistreating birds

A COUPLE accused of mistreating two "sexually frustrated" pet birds
have been cleared of all charges.

Sharon Webb and Albert Smith, both 38, shed tears of joy after
magistrates ruled they had not neglected the parrot and cockatoo,
which plucked their own feathers out.

Speaking outside Cambridge Magistrates' Court after they were cleared,
Mr Smith said: "I'm absolutely delighted the court realised we had
done our best, and I'm looking forward to getting the birds home."

The couple, of New Road, Mepal, were accused of neglect and keeping
Sally, a lesser sulphur crested cockatoo, and Sydney, an African grey
parrot, in too small a cage.

An expert witness called during their two-day trial suggested their
habit of plucking out their own feathers had been brought on by sexual
frustration.

Neil Forbes, a leading avian expert, said the hand-reared birds had
probably become sexually attracted to humans - after mistaking their
owners for their parents - which had led to obsessive feather
plucking.

But magistrates cleared the pair of all charges, and said Ms Webb had
made reasonable efforts to have the birds' condition diagnosed.

Lt Col Johnny Kay, presiding magistrate, said: "Sally got some
veterinary help 10 years ago, and was told there was no cure for the
condition.

"It is unreasonable to expect her to seek out a second opinion from an
avian expert having received this clear diagnosis, and when Sydney
developed the same problem it is understandable she did not go to the
vet."

Mr Smith said the RSPCA had prosecuted him as a "test case" which
could have had implications for thousands of other birdfanciers, and
described his elation at the magistrates' verdict.

He said: "I'm just so pleased, for us and for all the other bird
owners who know feather plucking isn't caused by neglect.

"It's not just us, there are thousands of people out there with the
same problem, and if we had been found guilty by the court then it
would have left a lot of people in trouble.

"It's been incredibly emotional being taken to court. I haven't slept
for the last two nights, and I'm just glad this is over."

The birds will now be returned to the couple, along with the cage -
which magistrates accepted was not Sydney and Sally's fulltime home.

RSPCA officer Jon Knight said he was disappointed by the outcome.

A spokeswoman for the charity said: "We are going to discuss the
matter with our prosecution solicitor to see what can be learnt."



Remember that nasty bit in the debate on the AWB where the government
is not going to ban the keeping of certain types of animal but is sure
that if the welfare organisations believe that it is impossible to
meet the animal's needs in captivity they will bring cases and end the
keeping of those types of animal?

The associated nasty in this case is where the prosecution expert,
Neil Forbes, claims that when birds are reared in captivity they
become sexually fixated on humans and so permanently frustrated.  i.e.
the end of bird keeping.


-- 
Fenris Wolf

RSPCA-Animadversion

http://cheetah.webtribe.net/~animadversion/

SHG

http://the-shg.org