Hi
Hope this is ok Simon. <3
I am hoping you wonderful people can help as this group is the best for most things in life not just our shared JW experience.
As many of you know since leaving JWdom I have become totally involved in exotic hedgehogs and now run my own rescue for them. There is a horrible hereditary disease called Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome that has appeared in the UK. It was known in other countries but this disease is only diagnosed Post Mortem as it is a neurological problem and manifests itself by leaving lesions on the affected hedgehogs brain. Symptoms are similar to muscular dystrophy in humans. We have isolated the lineage of the suspected carrier of this gene but we now need to find out if any from that line have died from WHS in the past or if they are still alive with or without symptoms or if hedgehogs prior to this one died from suspected WHS but no-one was notified. If we can stop it now we can eliminate this awful disease from future UK hedgehogs.
This is where I need your help. How do I start/make a survey, preferably free and get it out to hedgehog owners? Many are on social media so those are not a problem but how do I reach others? Is a pdf the way to go or a website. There are thousands that need to be contacted.
I know this is going to be a mammoth task but there are several of us have volunteered so I don't have to do it alone but I don't even really know where to start and as yet have no funding but if the cost is not too much we can pay for it ourselves.
I really hope someone can point me in the direction I need to go. Thank you
Amelia xxx