Today Jessica Collins, the Admin of the Facebook Group Spearmint the Seal Appreciation Society, spoke with Bel, the Manager of West Hatch RSPCA today. Here is what Jessica shared:

"Bel reassured me that the wildlife team at the centre are working very hard to accommodate Spearmints' health and wellbeing. They can't move her into a pool with other seals until she has finished her treatment and she is slow to respond to this. However she continues to eat and is now a little more settled in her surroundings although still showing some signs of stress. They will update us if anything changes.

"I asked about the dreaded euthanasia question and she explained that they use a very lengthy and complex matrix to make this sort of decision. In Spearmints' case this would be done by a specialised team at head office in addition to the vetinary team at the centre. I spent a bit of time asking about the Seal Sanctuary, while she didn't dismiss the idea she did say that the team were only really focusing on the current situation which is getting Spearmint better. This could take some time, although it is dependant on many variables so no timeliness could be given. She just asked us all to be patient and couldn't speculate on any options for now.

"In the meantime I suggest we focus on the positives and that she is eating and settling. I also feel it is important to keep the euthanasia agenda on the table but let's all focus much more on her recovering from her ear infection. We can all show how much support she has and how she touched the hearts of so many people. If we keep positively promoting the Seal Sanctuary as an option, that is if release in the wild is not on the cards. This will remind the RSPCA that they should make an exception to their rule if at all possible.

"Can I ask we all sign the petition and keep commenting on their posts but please remember that the individual people caring for Spearmint are working really hard and doing their best to make her better. Seeing and hearing things about them having other agendas is really hurtful when they really do care. They are governed by policies that are controlled by people who do not work at Westhatch and although they chose to do so they do it for the Wild animals in their care and because they want to do their best for them."

There is also an update from West Hatch Facebook page:

"Spearmint was brought into our care because of concerns for her health and welfare. She is still undergoing treatment for an ear infection but this has not stopped her making the most of the facilities. We've been overwhelmed by supportive messages about Spearmint's welfare - and we'd like to reassure the public that our experienced team, who specialise in wildlife rehabilitation, are doing everything they can for Spearmint. Our busy team must focus on looking after the animals in our care so we won't be able to give daily updates or respond to individual queries. However, we are conscious that people are eager to hear about how Spearmint is getting on, and will be providing a public update when there is any significant change to her progress."

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Thank you all for signing and sharing my petition. We are close to 1,000 signatures! Please keep it going!