This is good to see – a notice I spotted this week in Walsall Wood. Please call the coppers if you see anything concerning.

Here’s an absolutely horrific story currently running across local media – on Monday evening, 28th November 2016 a local resident found a badly injured dog at Chester Road up by Brownhills Common – the dog, later christened Elf, was suffering horrific injuries consistent with being used as a terrier in badger baiting.

This is a an awful story, and Elf has suffered terribly, but I’m concerned at the same time for the plight and protection of local badgers and their setts – we have a considerable local badger population in the area which I’m careful not to discuss here for exactly this reason.

Our open spaces hereabouts are a haven for mustelids where they can be untroubled by farmers and their unfortunate road ‘accidents’, so evidence of baiting is a huge concern.

I ask any local people who walk or use local green spaces, parks and commons to be aware of their local badger setts can call the police or RSPCA in the event of any human disturbance at all.

We have our own dedicated wildlife crime officer covering the local area, whose notices I saw just this week. Please contact PC Richard Collins if you have any suspicions – call 101 and ask for extension 6001 or email richard.collins@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk.

My thanks and best wishes to the who found and are treating Elf, who by all accounts is a lovely dog. Please people, if you have any information, for the sake Elf and the local wildlife, please do contact the police or RSPCA.

The Walsall Advertiser wrote:

Elf the dog with ‘horrific’ fighting and badger-baiting injuries rescued from Brownhills in Walsall
By Walsall Advertiser | Posted: November 30, 2016

By Ashley Preece

Image from the Walsall Advertiser.

The RSPCA is appealing for information after a dog with injuries consistent with fighting with badgers was found in Walsall.

The female Parson Russell terrier-type dog, thought to be aged around eight to 10 years old, is missing part of her bottom jaw.

She was found in Chester Road, near Brownhills, by a member of the public on Monday, November 28.

The dog, who has been named Elf, was wearing a radio transmitter attached to a red collar (below) – a tactic used by people who take their dogs badger baiting so that they can locate their dog when they are down in a badger sett.

The person who found her took her to a local vet, who immediately called the RSPCA.

RSPCA inspector Laura Bryant, who is investigating, said: “Elf was clearly in a bad way, with fresh wounds to her ears and a horrific old injury to her jaw – which the vet said is consistent with fighting with a wild animal.

“She has been through such a lot but she is incredibly friendly.

Image from the Walsall Advertiser.

“I suspect most of her life she has been used to locate badgers in their setts, clearly taking a battering in the process and never receiving vet treatment.

“She has either got lost in a badger sett or been dumped – either way, Elf is in the best place now and is getting a lot of love and attention from RSPCA staff.

“It is horrific to think of what she appears to have been used for and we are appealing for people to come forward with information.

“If you know anything about Elf and how she came to be this way, please call us in complete confidence on 0300 123 8018.

“We also urge anyone who sees any groups of people with dogs – particularly wearing a radio transmission collar – acting suspiciously in the area to contact us or the police.”

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