Anger over threat to pet cemetery; CAMPAIGN: Distraught animal lovers vow to lie down in front of bulldozers.Byline: Jane Tyler ANIMAL lovers with pets buried in a cemetery cemetery, name used by early Christians to designate a place for burying the dead. First applied in Christian burials in the Roman catacombs, the word cemetery came into general usage in the 15th cent. in Birmingham face having them dug up to make way for a new supermarket. The RSPCA RSPCA (in Britain) Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals RSPCA n abbr (Brit) (= Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) → SPA f Birmingham Animal Centre and Hospital is selling its current site at Barnes Hill to move to new premises in Frankley. But the Barnes Hill site has a garden of remembrance where at least 90 cats and dogs Cats and Dogs A slang term referring to speculative stocks that have short or suspicious histories for sales, earnings, dividends, etc. Notes: In a bull market analysts will often mention that everything is going up, even the cats and dogs. are buried. Owners have been told their animals will be exhumed and either handed back to them to be cremated or moved to the nearest pet cemetery, which is in Hereford. Some grief-stricken owners are so distraught dis·traught adj. 1. Deeply agitated, as from emotional conflict. 2. Mad; insane. [Middle English, alteration of distract, past participle of distracten, at this prospect they are threatening to lie down in front of the bulldozers. The most likely candidate to take over the site is supermarket giant Asda which two years ago announced its intentions to build there. But the RSPCA has said nothing has been signed yet and it is in negotiations with several firms and will sell the land to the highest bidder. The cemetery is operated by Hereford-based Animal Funeral Services. All plotholders were invited to a meeting earlier this month. Edgbaston parliamentary candidate Coun Deirdre Alden said: "Some owners felt very strongly about it and were threatening to lie down in front of the bulldozers. "They were told that whoever buys the land is not prepared to retain the pet cemetery and will build over it." A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said they had the pet owners' interests as their priority. "The RSPCA, together with Animal Funeral Services, fully appreciate that this is is a very sensitive issue, so by consulting with the individuals involved at an early stage we will be able to identify the best way forward," she said. DO you have an animal buried in the cemetery? If so, contact Jane Tyler on 0121 234 5382 or email jane. tyler@birminghammail.net |
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