Kendal Shepherd, renowned animal behaviourist and vet, is asking us all to call on government to repeal the recent changes made to legal aid. This concerns many areas of life, but here Kendal explains how it will affect dogs and their owners: “I am a veterinary surgeon and clinical animal behaviourist, presently almost entirely engaged in assessing the temperament and behaviour of dogs whose owners have fallen foul of the Dangerous Dogs Act. Over the last 3 years the hourly rate for a veterinary surgeon (there is no category for someone who puts themselves at personal risk to ensure public safety) as well as travel time allowances have both been slashed by 28%, at a time when all other living costs are rising dramatically. At the same time, solicitors eligible to apply for legal aid on behalf of their clients have been forced to put work out to tender and to accept the cheapest expert. AS we all know, cheapest is not likely to be the best. This can only result in a lowering of standards in my and any other field of expertise, hence compromising the quality of information courts are given and justice for any defendant. In my particular field, I know that it will result in insufficiently experienced experts giving evidence in court, an increase in risk to public safety, or on the other hand, dogs needlessly dying through lack of suitable expertise in practical assessment. Given that dangerous dogs are such an issue and concern at present, I cannot understand how the government have thought to cut the very funding that the country needs to keep children safe.” Please sign here: change.org/en-GB/petitions/david-cameron-uk-government-save-legal-aid-to-protect-access-to-justice-for-all?share_id=ClMTsAWsgd&utm_campaign=friend_inviter_chat&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=permissions_dialog_false
Posted on: Tue, 21 Jan 2014 10:32:02 +0000
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