Old Coulsdon animal sanctuary boss criticises those who mistreat snails
Lucy Buckland
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"JUST AS PRECIOUS AS CATS AND DOGS": Anna Thompson, who helps at Emma Semple's sanctuary, with one of the abandoned snails
Photo: CRNA20100816E_12 by Neale Atkinson
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"JUST AS PRECIOUS AS CATS AND DOGS": Anna Thompson, who helps at Emma Semple's sanctuary, with some of the abandoned snails
Photo: CRNA20100816E_01 by Neale Atkinson
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"JUST AS PRECIOUS AS CATS AND DOGS": Anna Thompson, who helps at Emma Semple's sanctuary, with some of the abandoned snails CRNA20100816E_02 by Neale Atkinson
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"JUST AS PRECIOUS AS CATS AND DOGS": Anna Thompson, who helps at Emma Semple's sanctuary, with some of the abandoned snails CRNA20100816E_02 by Neale Atkinson
FOR some people they are slimy, slow and even a bit of a nuisance.
But one animal lover believes snails are just as important as cats or dogs and has spoken out against the "stupid people" who breed the creatures, then cruelly dispose of them.
Emma Semple, who runs an Old Coulsdon animal sanctuary, is caring for more than 50 snails after the tiny creatures were dumped on her doorstep.
The 31-year-old says families often become bored of snails, which as hermaphrodites lay a constant stream of eggs, and after breeding them either kill them or throw them away in the woods.
For Emma the thought of discarding the African land snails is as disturbing as killing one of her precious dogs.
She said: "For me a life is a life, no matter whether it is a cat or a dog or a snail.
"It is not acceptable for people to kill them just because they have bred so much in their cages. These people are so stupid and it makes me so angry.
"I had one person tell me about how they dropped their snails into bleach to kill them – it's just not right at all.
"Imagine doing that to a cat or a dog, people just wouldn't. My ethics and morals wouldn't allow me to do something so cruel."
Now Emma, who mainly rehomes furry pets, is searching for a home for the creatures – but, like any of her animals, they have to go to a good home.
She said: "Although it is legal to post snails, we won't because they could get crushed by the postman or even stepped on.
"We won't give them to reptile shops who want to feed them to their animals because a life is a life to us. We won't just chuck them in the woods because they can upset the ecosystem. You should never have any animal as a pet and abandon it to the wild."
Emma, who plucks out the snails' eggs from their soil every day to avoid extreme breeding, says the creatures are easy to look after – all they need is some vegetation and a tank.
But she warned that to stop them breeding you must take out their eggs and the best, ethical way to deal with the eggs is to freeze them.
If you think you can offer the snails a home, log on to furryfriendsrescue.co.uk
4 Comments
by dave, New Addington
Saturday, September 04 2010, 4:11PM
“My Kids smash them with hammers, it makes a mess but it keeps my kids off the street where they like spray painting cars and front doors with crudely drawn pictures of todgers”
by ewww yuck, croydon
Thursday, August 26 2010, 8:34PM
“Thats just wrong!! eating them. Must be like eating a giant bogey.....poor snails.”
by Anon, Anon
Thursday, August 26 2010, 6:00PM
“I love snails....but only on a plate with garlic sauce yummmmmmmmm”
by meme, Brom
Thursday, August 26 2010, 3:16PM
“Who gives a s it about the snails? Get over yourself and get some slug and snail pellets!”