A shared office space in Harrogate has issued an urgent plea for help after an injured pigeon was found in the building this morning.

Staff at Community House on East Parade discovered the young bird hiding behind a box in reception this morning.

They turned a cardboard box into a makeshift home and are attempting to keep it alive while help is found.

Karen Weaver, strategic lead at Harrogate and District Community Action, which is based in the building and has responsibility for it, said:

“We’re keeping it hydrated but it’s not keen to eat so far.  So if any one can offer it a good home and more expert knowledge than we have here we’d love to hear from them ASAP.”

Staff at Community House, which has 30 serviced offices, believe the pigeon was dislodged when the building’s gutters were cleaned yesterday.

https://twitter.com/KarenWeaver2020/status/1643572483977629696

They think the bird is too young to fly and contacted animal welfare charity the RSPCA but it was unable to help.

Ms Weaver said:

“We need someone to give it some TLC, help it feed and drink, hopefully survive and thrive and then fly off.

“We’ve got interest from the teenage daughter of one of our team  but mum would be happy for it to be rehomed elsewhere if we can find someone willing this afternoon.

“We get lots of requests for help here at Community House but we’ve not had one from a homeless bird before!”

Community House reception can be contacted on 01423503700.

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The RSPCA has said that two dogs who were so thin their ribs were protruding when police seized them are now healthy and seeking new homes.

Rocco, a mastiff, and Smudge, a lurcher, were taken from a home in Harrogate when Robbie Nelson refused to sign them over to the animal welfare charity last year.

A vet who examined the dogs concluded both animals were malnourished.

He gave Rocco a one out of nine score on a body condition test, which is classed as a state of emaciation, while Smudge scored two out of nine.

Robbie Nelson, 24, of Woodfield View, was banned from keeping animals for five years when he appeared in court in July.

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His brother Charlie Nelson, 28, of Woodfield View, Harrogate, was also disqualified from owning pets for five years when he was sentenced this month.

RSPCA inspector Tom Hutton found the dogs underweight and living in accommodation littered with household waste, scrap bikes and dog faeces when he was called out by police to a flat on Starbeck High Street on March 18, 2021.

The flat was covered in dog faeces.

The RSPCA said today that under its care, Rocco and Smudge have returned to a healthy weight and condition and the charity will “now look to find them loving new owners”.

Inspector Hutton said:

“We thank North Yorkshire Police for alerting us to the dreadful situation Rocco and Smudge were in. It meant we were able to rescue them and now we will be able to find them new homes where they are loved and cared for.”

Rocco (left) and Smudge now, looking healthy and seeking new homes.

A Harrogate man has been disqualified from owning pets for five years after being found guilty of neglecting two dogs.

Charlie Nelson, 28, of Woodfield View, was found to be in breach of the Animal Welfare Act at York Magistrates Court yesterday.

The court heard Nelson did not take reasonable steps to look after a mastiff called Rocco and a lurcher called Smudge at High Street, Harrogate, on March 18 last year.

Court documents reveal he was banned from keeping animals “to ensure no animals suffer at the hands of the defendant during this period”.

They also show an order was made under section 33 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 depriving him of ownership of a dog and for its disposal.

Nelson was also ordered to pay costs of £200 and a surcharge of £95 to fund victims’ services.

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North Yorkshire Police issued warrants in July for the arrest of Nelson and his brother Robbie Nelson after they failed to turn up in court to face animal cruelty charges.

Robbie Nelson, 24, of Woodfield View, was subsequently banned from keeping animals for five years.

The RSPCA said Rocco and Smudge were malnourished and living in a flat covered in faeces and with carpets soaked in urine.

An RSPCA picture of the flat where the brothers kept dogs.

A Harrogate man has been banned from keeping animals for five years after being found guilty of cruelty.

Robbie Nelson, 24, neglected a Mastiff called Rocco and a Lurcher called Smudge at a house on High Street, Harrogate, in March last year.

The case was brought by animal charity the RSPCA.

Nelson failed to turn up in court to respond to the charges on December 17 last year and was found guilty in his absence.

Police issued a warrant for his arrest on the same day and eventually arrested him in June.

He was then remanded on bail for pre-sentence reports to be prepared.

Nelson, of Woodfield View, Harrogate, appeared before North Yorkshire Magistrates Court in York on Tuesday for sentencing.

Magistrates disqualified him from owning or being left in charge of any animal for five years.

He was also ordered to pay £200 costs and a £95 surcharge to fund victim services, and was given a community order to undertake rehabilitation activity.

The RSPCA will decide what to do with Rocco and Smudge.

North Yorkshire Police has said it will refer the owner of four dogs who were left inside a baking hot car to the RSCPA.

The Stray Ferret reported yesterday that bystanders at Oak Beck Retail Park off Skipton Road had to smash a Land Rover Discovery window to free the dogs.

They had been trapped for over half an hour without even a window open.

Fortunately, there were vets working at the nearby Vets4Pets, which is inside Pets At Home.

The Labradors were given treatment and after a health check that showed they were OK, were handed back to the owner.

But that might not be the end of the matter. A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson has confirmed that an officer spoke to the male owner and will refer the incident to the RSPCA.

A spokesperson said:

“Members of the public witnessed the dogs being left unattended with the windows up and seemingly without air conditioning for around 30 minutes.

“One of them smashed a window on the vehicle and the dogs were taken into the care of a vet.

“Police spoke to the owner of the dogs and are due to report him to the RSPCA.”

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What powers does the RSPCA have?

A Harrogate family was left stunned yesterday after their beloved family cat Django was found — five years after they thought they had lost him forever.

Lisa Watson and her husband used to live off Knaresborough Road with Django, a black and white puss they had owned for over two years.

The cat was microchipped but one day Django disappeared and never returned.

Lisa, who had a close bond with her pet, was frantic with worry.

She joined Facebook groups, printed posters and went out every night for four weeks looking for her.

She even went to see a clairvoyant who told her that Django had been killed and she should move on. She said:

“It broke my heart. I thought, that’s my closure, I’m never going to see him again.”

When Django went missing, Lisa was five months pregnant and she said the stress of losing the cat contributed to her giving birth two months early.

But years later, she never stopped thinking about Django and wondered if he was still out there.

The family moved to a different part of the Harrogate district but whenever they were in the area they used to live, they would take a detour to see if they could spot Django.

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Fateful phone call

Everything changed yesterday when Lisa had a phone call from her husband. He cryptically asked her what phone call would she never expect to receive.

She immediately responded with: “Finding Django”.

Django had been found at Fodder by the Great Yorkshire Showground, and after her microchip was scanned by a local vet, it led her back to Lisa.

When she picked Django up, he did not look like a cat that had been struggling to survive in the wild. He was well fed and decidedly chunky.

She described the emotional reunion with the affectionate mog.

“He leaped into my arms, picked up his head and nuzzled my face.”

Lisa and Django have a lot of catching up to do. The family now has some other cats and a five-year-old son who is delighted to have a new pet.

Lisa said:

“If Django doesnt wander off again he’ll be mine for life.

“It’s like when people get reunited there are mixed emotions. You’re glad but you’re strangers again. A lot has happened, there are new family members and the dynamic has changed!”

Lisa urged anyone who sees a cat they think might be a stray to get their microchip checked by a vet. It could help another family be reunited with their long-lost pet.

A Harrogate man has been found guilty of mistreating two pet dogs.

Robbie Nelson, 23, of Woodfield View, appeared before magistrates in York yesterday.

He was accused of failing to provide a suitable environment for a mastiff type dog called Rocco and a lurcher type dog called Smudge.

The case was brought by animal charity the RSPCA.

Nelson failed to turn up in court to respond to the charges on December 17 last year and was found guilty in his absence.

Police issued a warrant for his arrest on the same day and finally arrested him on Sunday.

At yesterday’s hearing, he was remanded on bail until June 28 for pre-sentence reports to be prepared.

Bilton’s Peter the Peacock is now happily living among fellow peacocks on a farm in Lancashire.

Peter had wandered around the Tennyson Avenue area for years and was considered part of Bilton. Facebook and Twitter accounts were set up in honour of the enigmatic bird.

But in June last year Peter vanished, which shocked the local community.

It emerged a resident had contacted the RSPCA about Peter after he was seen limping, and the colourful creature was whisked away to the vets for treatment.

Residents in Bilton mobilised and considered launching a campaign to bring the bird back. Bilton councillor Paul Haslam even offered to rehome him on his farm.

But their efforts were in vain, as the RSPCA said they had already found a new home for him.

A year on from the saga, the Stray Ferret asked the RSPCA for an update on Peter, and it’s good news.

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After visiting the vets, Peter crossed the Pennines for rehab with a specialist keeper in Lancashire.

He has since been happily rehomed on a farm with other peacocks, also in Lancashire.

His new owner said:

“Peter is doing really well and he enjoys wandering around on 400 acres of nearby farm land. He no longer limps on his right leg and he enjoys sleeping in his own barn.

“He tends to keep himself to himself but has the company of three other peacocks when he is feeling sociable. We love having him and are delighted that he is happy here.”

An RSPCA spokesperson said it’s the “perfect home” for Peter:

“Peter lived for many years on his own but was found to be injured.

“He was returned to full health in our care and a new home was found with many other peacocks for company where he will be able to spend the rest of his days.

“We are grateful to the residents who cared for him but it would have been illegal under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to release him back into the wild in Bilton because peacocks are classed as a non-native species. Fortunately, we were able to find him the perfect place to live in Lancashire.”

A Killinghall woman has contacted the RSPCA as part of the attempt to solve the mystery of the village’s missing peacocks.

A muster of peacocks has roamed the village for years but there are fears about 10 have been killed.

The number of peacocks rose sharply in the last couple of years, prompting some residents to say they were sick of the noise and calling for action.

Just two peahens remain, prompting fears somebody has taken matters into their own hands.

Sarah Leanne Hughes said it was possible the birds had been re-homed by the animal charity, which re-homed Peter the Peacock from Bilton. She added:

“I have spoken to three different people at the RSPCA. I’m just asking for advice to see if they have been reported.”

“All I want to know is where the birds have gone. It’s the not knowing that’s awful. People are starting to point fingers. Somebody’s name has been mentioned a couple of times but it’s not a witch hunt.”

Ms Hughes set up the Killinghall Peacocks Facebook page two years ago to celebrate the peacocks, which used to visit her garden regularly.

She moved to Killinghall from Bilton and whereas sightings of Peter were rare, she saw the Killinghall birds regularly. Her home, on Cautley Drive, is close to the tree where the animals roost.

Peacocks roosting in Killinghall last summer.

Ms Hughes said the number of page members had doubled recently amid concern for the peacocks’ welfare. She said:

“It’s causing a lot of upset in the village. Somebody knows something and they should do the decent thing and say what has happened.”

Ms Hughes has asked Killinghall Parish Council to discuss the peacocks at tonight’s monthly meeting.

The Stray Ferret has asked the parish council if the matter will be raised and whether it plans to take any further action to investigate the plight of the birds.

Sue Reid, the clerk, said the peacocks were not on the agenda for the monthly meeting at 7pm but the annual parish meeting, which followed at 8pm, was an open forum that gave residents the opportunity to raise any subject they liked.