HI All
First and most importantly, Finlay is still alive. He is improving but physically there are still many months of recuperation to go, such is the level of his deterioration. We promised to show you recent pictures of Finlay after he was returned to us. Well here is one of them and we apologise in advance if this causes upset. The picture above shows the extent of his physical demise. You can clearly see his rib cage and how his body collapses inwards between his rib and pelvic area. This is called pronounced abdominal tuck. Look how gaunt his back end is. His leg and hip bones are very visible. The muscle that once covered his shoulders and rump has now disappeared. He has lost all of his bulk. You will also note the poor condition of his coat. That once sleek and shiny coat is now scruffy and patchy due to the excessive shedding he has endured.
Click on our news link to compare the above picture (and another one) to a video taken just days before Finlay was seized by the police. You can see he was in absolutely prime condition before his detention:
https://www.wildcathaven.com/news
It is clear that Finlay has endured unnecessary suffering during the 4.5 month detention by the police. An independent vet report shortly after Finlay's return states:
'At my general clinical examination, the cat appears underweight, with palpable ribs and bones, with reduced muscle masses if compared to a normal 20 months old male cat. The cat appears continuously and interruptedly self-grooming, hair is disomogeneous and hairs can be easily be broken/pulled off'.
This assessment is unambiguous and highlights the severe stress and trauma Finlay has endured. Incredibly Andy Dunbobbin, the Crime Commissioner for North Wales, has publicly claimed that 'all standards of care were adhered to'. Well, we have extremely strong evidence that this is simply untrue. There is clearly a lack of acceptance that the treatment Finlay received caused suffering and this goes all the way to top of the Police Force.
As you all know, we fought hard to get Finlay back and we could not have done it without your support which allowed us to employ the best legal team we could. Our priority over the last few weeks has been to ensure his recuperation from his time in police detention. Finlay is a fighter and he is making progress. However, he should never have been exposed to this misery in the first place. He should not have been seized, he should not have been detained for 4.5 months and he should not have endured mental and physical suffering whilst in police custody. To add insult to injury, the police still refuse to release Finlay's vet records despite our pleas that they will better inform his onward care.
We know that many of you care deeply for Finlay and from the thousands of messages we have received from you, we know too that there is a strong feeling that those responsible for what has happened, should be fully held to account. It is not right and it is not acceptable and it must never happen again to any animal.
We therefore move to the next phase of our campaign which is to obtain 'Justice for Finlay'. Our legal team who helped secure Finlay's return, now stand ready to hold the police to account. They have advised us to set up a standalone crowdfunder for obtaining Justice for Finlay and ensuring that he gets the future he so rightfully deserves. Finlay cannot speak, so collectively, we will speak for him. If you want to support the next phase of our work please visit:
https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/justice-for-finlay-1/
Thanks so very much
Emily (Director of Wildcat Haven) and Finlay.