Overview
- An adult female hedgehog was found covered in yellow and blue oil-based paint on July 13 and taken to Prickly Pigs Hedgehog Rescue in Otley for urgent treatment.
- Rescue staff scrubbed paint from each spine and gave pain relief after the animal showed restricted movement and breathing problems from glued spines and paint fumes.
- West Yorkshire Police’s Wildlife & Rural Crime unit arrested four males aged 44, 21, 17 and 15 on suspicion of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal under Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
- All four suspects have been bailed pending further enquiries and police have asked the public to report information quoting crime reference 13260401913 or contact Crimestoppers.
- Hedgehogs are listed as vulnerable on Britain’s red list and have fallen markedly since 2000, a context that helps explain heightened public concern and the force’s criminal response.