Heartbreak over fate of Geronimo

NEARLY 20 years ago I rescued a tiny grey kitten who had been tortured by youths. Callously, they had burned his coat to the skin with cigarette ends.

We named him Smokey due to the colour of his slate-grey coat. Not too long after, we took Smokey for a health check at the vets and a blood test showed feline leukaemia. However, we returned for a second test six weeks later, which thankfully gave a negative reading. The vet described this as a miracle but looking back the original test may have been flawed.

Smokey went on to give us 17 years of unconditional love and still today I can visualise him enjoying an afternoon siesta.

Similarly, Helen Macdonald, owner of Geronimo the alpaca, is courageously battling to save his life and has taken on the establishment. Geronimo has returned two positive tests for bovine TB. Miss Macdonald and her team of professionals believe these are false positives because he had been “primed” by being injected with bovine tuberculin. Moreover, he tested negative four times in New Zealand, where he originally lived.

Ms Macdonald is asking for a third fair and appropriate test. However, Defra (the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) has showed no compassion and have a warrant via the courts for him to be put to sleep.

From Smokey’s experience, I can well believe that the two tests in England were botched. After four years in the UK Geronimo is showing no signs of the disease.

Miss Macdonald has huge support with over 120,000 calling for a third test. Stanley Johnson, Chris Packham, Dame Kelly Holmes and Joanna Lumley have given high-profile support.

DJ Snowden, by email