The owner of Geronimo, the alpaca destined for slaughter after testing positive for bovine tuberculosis, has lost her last-ditch legal attempt to save the animal from execution.
You can see recent protests hoping to save Geronimo below:
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) ordered the eight-year-old alpaca to be slaughtered after he was believed to be infected with the disease - having tested positive twice.
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Owner Helen Macdonald, who had imported Geronimo from New Zealand and owns a farm in South Gloucestershire, maintains the tests returned false positives, but was refused permission to have him tested for a third time.
She lost her final appeal earlier this month, and a warrant was signed for Geronimo's destruction.
At the High Court yesterday (18 August), a judge refused Macdonald's urgent application for a temporary injunction to halt the enforcement of the destruction order.
Mrs Justice Stacey concluded there was 'no prospect' of Macdonald succeeding in her bid to reopen a previous ruling.
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Macdonald's lawyers told the court that Geronimo had first tested positive for bovine tuberculosis in 2017, and has been in isolation from other animals since.
The legal team said they were 'deeply disappointed' by the outcome of the court hearing, saying in a statement: "Mrs Justice Stacey did not grant the injunction we were seeking, the result of which is that DEFRA can enforce the warrant to execute Geronimo at any time after 4.30pm on Thursday 19 August.
"Unfortunately, Mrs Justice Stacey has taken at face value the statements by Defra that they have complied with their duty of candour in bringing before the court all relevant information in applying for the warrant.
"We are surprised and concerned by that approach, given the information that has come to light in recent weeks regarding the nine other camelids."
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This refers to reports in the Daily Mail that nine other alpacas and llamas did not tests positive for bovine tuberculosis post-mortem after being ordered to be slaughtered.
Macdonald said: "It's not changed my mind. I haven't done this for four years to just roll over.
"There was always a principle at stake here about valid testing for all animals in the UK, proper science and we're just not getting it. I'm just disgusted really by the whole attitude."
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She has recently received huge levels of public support for the alpaca, with more than 130,000 people signed a petition urging Prime Minister Boris Johnson to halt the killing.
Macdonald added: "It's not over. They seem to want to make it my decision, and make me put my animal to sleep, to get the blood off their hands. I'm not doing it."
A spokesperson for DEFRA said on Wednesday: "We are sympathetic to Ms Macdonald's situation, just as we are with everyone with animals affected by this terrible disease.
"The testing results and options for Geronimo have been very carefully considered by Defra, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and its veterinary experts, as well as passing several stages of thorough legal scrutiny.
"Bovine tuberculosis is one of the greatest animal health threats we face today and causes devastation and distress for farming families and rural communities across the country, while costing the taxpayer around £100m every year.
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"Therefore, while nobody wants to cull infected animals, we need to do everything we can to tackle this disease to stop it spreading and to protect the livelihoods of those affected."
When Macdonald was asked what she would do if officials arrive at her property, she said: "Well, we'll just obstruct. I don't want to break the law. I'm not a criminal. They're trying to make me into one but I'm not a criminal. I will obstruct anyone who comes on to my farm."
Featured Image Credit: PA
Topics: UK News, News, Animals