The tribunal was told that in 2018, Ms Miles was part of a group that targeted Surrey Docks Farm dressed in dark clothing, went at night, used walkie-talkies to communicate, and some wore balaclavas. She said the thefts were done in the name of animal welfare, but The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) tribunal said 'deeply-held personal convictions do not justify breaking the law'.
EMILY JANE DAVIES: A ‘militant’ vegan veterinary nurse who was sacked after the police found a rescued turkey holed up in her flat has avoided being struck off for stealing animals from farms.
Self-styled ‘animal liberation activist’ Shakira Miles, 36, was previously sacked over her ties to extreme animal rights groups and for keeping the rescued turkey in her flat.
The group donned balaclavas to raid farms and steal piglets and other animals they perceived to be in poor conditions.
The ‘excursions were planned in advance’ and the group used maps, discussed how to avoid cameras, and carried out reconnaissance visits ahead of the thefts.
They dressed in dark clothing, went at night, used walkie-talkies to communicate, and some of the offenders wore balaclavas.
Ms Miles tried to claim that ‘ethical veganism’ is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act and proclaimed that she wouldn’t be discriminated against – but the tribunal didn’t accept this.
She said the thefts were done in the name of animal welfare, but The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) tribunal said ‘deeply-held personal convictions do not justify breaking the law’ but allowed her to keep her licence and issued her with a warning.
The tribunal was told that in 2018, Ms Miles was part of a group who mainly targeted ‘domestic settings’ as well as Surrey Docks Farm, a working community farm and education charity in London.
At the RCVS tribunal, Ms Miles said ‘she never swayed from promoting animal welfare’ and claimed ‘ethical veganism is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act, and she should not be discriminated against’.
The report noted: ‘The Committee did not accept or see the relevance of [her] justification based on the position of ethical veganism under the Equality Act’…
The tribunal heard that in October last year Ms Miles was convicted of six counts of theft and one attempted theft at Reading Crown Court, Berks. She was given an 18 month community order after appearing alongside co-defendants…
Ms Miles was sacked for gross misconduct after the RVC found she was associated with illegal activities carried out by extreme animal rights groups.
What’s more, the university found she had been in breach of its ‘no pet policy’ by keeping Dorothy in her flat.
After her dismissal Ms Miles attempted to sue claiming she had been discriminated against for her ‘ethical veganism’ beliefs and that she had been unfairly dismissed.
But the panel found that her trespassing and removing animals in a bid to reduce the suffering of animals was not a philosophical belief. SOURCE…
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