Politicians forget voters’ love for animals at their peril

Row over ex-marine’s dog shelter may come back to bite ministers, writes Andrew Woodcock

The row over Paul Farthing’s dog shelter may erupt in the government’s face (PA)

The summer of 2021 has been one of those times when politicians come to rue the remarkable love the British public feels towards animals.

First there was the saga of Geronimo the alpaca, placed under a death sentence – still not carried out – as part of official efforts to wipe out bovine tuberculosis.

Dismissed by some as a typical “silly season” story occupying the newspaper front pages while the political world was quiet, the fate of Geronimo has nonetheless gripped millions and forced ministers into awkward contortions as they tried to hold the line that there were no exceptions to their destruction policy.