The principal of the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has apologised after vegan activists complained about a naked calendar featuring an image of several students posing with sheep.
The college said the calendar would still be published but the “ethically challenged” image would be removed.
The photo featured seven male final-year students standing holding live sheep in front of them. According to the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA), the technique they used to handle the animals is called tipping, “a standard handling mechanism in animal husbandry”.
The technique allows vets to examine areas of sheep, such as their feet, that are not accessible while the animals are standing. The BCVA says sheep tipping is “widely recognised as being safe and pain-free for the animals”.
The Veterinary Vegan Network (VVN) said in a Facebook post, since deleted, that the photo was “deeply disturbing”.
The RVC said some students received comments that were “obscene, threatening and … illegal” following the post. It said the threats would be reported to the authorities.
The college’s principal, Stuart Reid, apologised to those who had been offended by the image but said there was “no place for harassment or threats” directed at students.
“It is with a rather heavy heart that I pen this note to a rather wider readership than I might have anticipated,” he said. “For a number of years, the RVC student body in final year have produced a calendar, a proportion of whose proceeds go to nominated charities.
“There can be no denying that in more recent times these activities have started to divide opinion, both within the RVC community and in wider society.”
Reid said the college had learned lessons about “the need to understand a changing world”.
“No student is being blamed, individually or collectively, and we will work together to ensure these events do not happen again,” he said.
“To those who have taken offence at the calendar, I apologise. It may have fallen short of the standards some expect in terms of animal welfare, but that responsibility is mine. The complaints and attacks should be directed to me and me alone.”
A spokeswoman said students affected by the backlash would receive support and the calendar would be published on a date yet to be confirmed.
