A woke veterinary nurse has dodged being struck off after the police found a rescued turkey in her flat.
The self-proclaimed “animal liberation activist” had initially been fired as a result of her connections to extreme animal rights organisations – and for keeping the bird called Dorothy in her home.
Shakira Miles, 36, was a member of extreme groups which organised “excursions”, wearing balaclavas to descend on unsuspecting farms to steal piglets and various other animals that they deemed to be treated poorly.
At the Royal College Veterinary Surgeons (RSCV) tribunal, Miles argued that “she never swayed from promoting animal welfare”, claiming that “ethical veganism is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act, and she should not be discriminated against”.
Making her case, Miles argued that “she never swayed from promoting animal welfare”
The report read: “The Committee did not accept or see the relevance of [her] justification based on the position of ethical veganism under the Equality Act.”
“She told the Committee that while she physically did not take all of the animals, she was involved with, and part of a group, in which others did.
“She was in a vehicle outside the various premises from which they were taken for five out of the seven incidents.
Additionally, the activist informed the committee that she believed that the animals were “suffering and were either going to die or continue to suffer without intervention”.
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The document added that the defendant took the animals to a place where they could receive a high level of care, where she personally covered the costs of vet bills for the animals in question.
However, the panel said: “For the avoidance of any misunderstanding, the Committee would like to make it clear that, while it accepts that an individual may hold deeply-held personal convictions on a matter, that does not justify breaking the law in order to uphold those convictions.
“The Committee rejects entirely [Miles’] attempted justification of genuinely-held beliefs, as well as her lack of acceptance of the sentencing judge’s assessment of the risk of harm to the animals which were stolen.
“The Committee also does not accept [Miles’] justification that the stolen animals were now thriving in better conditions, and that one of the farms had subsequently been closed down.”
Alongside her co-defendants, she was previously handed an 18-month community order at Reading Crown Court for keeping a rescued turkey in her flat (Stock)
PA
The panel said that there was a low risk of re-offending, asserting that the defendant did not intend to break the law and that she had shown “insight” into her conviction.
They concluded that the defendant ought to receive a reprimand, as well as a warning as to her future conduct.
During the legal proceedings, the court heard that Miles had been previously convicted for six counts of theft, in addition to an attempted theft at Reading Crown Court in Berkshire.
Alongside her co-defendants, she was handed an 18-month community order.
In 2022, the nurse hit the headlines after she unsuccessfully attempted to sue the Royal Veterinary College – her former workplace.
She had been fired after it came to light that she was hiding a rescued turkey in her flat.