By Sarah Lagan
The
Western Daily Press has won the top honour from the RSPCA’s annual
regional media awards for its coverage of animal cruelty and the work
the charity does.
An example of the WPD’s coverage, which was
chosen from regional newspapers, radio and television in the UK, was
the case of Angela Nelmes who starved her Doberman to death in the boot
of her car and starved her Staffordshire bull terrier to the brink of
death.
As well as telling the full story, the Daily Press decided
to print pictures of the distressed animals that had featured in RSPCA
prosecutions.
The WDP ran a number of campaigns including one
raising awareness of cruelty to dogs in the Philippines which resulted
in an apology sent from the country’s embassy.
Editor Terry
Manners said: “You get a lot of editors saying people don’t want this
at the breakfast table but we have pledged to fight animal abuse.
“We
are fiercely proud to win this award. It’s been a real team effort but
I take my hat off to our photographers who have to go out and get these
gory pictures.”
NSPCC South and South West spokeswoman Jo Barr
added: “Pictures of extreme animal cruelty make difficultviewing but if
you don’t show these pictures and tell the stories behind them, people
will never really understand the truth.”
Most recently the WDP raised £44,000 in six days to save Asian bears.
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