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CAMPAIGN NEWS Day of action report -monitoring the Flint & Denbigh hunt.
January28th 2012 I was out monitoring the F & D in Cefn with two colleagues, Emma and Dafydd, who were excellent! We drove round looking for the hunt, occasionally spotting them. After noticing that the hunt were heading in our direction (by this time it was about 2/45) we decided to leave the car and clamber down into a covert. We had just positioned ourselves down a steep muddy bank when suddenly a panic stricken fox came running out of nowhere - it stopped briefly to look back (at the hounds chasing it) before running on. The hounds were just 20 seconds behind this poor fox. We couldn't follow because this wood is set on a very steep and slippery muddy hillside, overgrown with dense bramble - the river far below. Two riders could be seen below in a field beside the river (heading north - the same direction as the hounds). The other riders were nowhere to be seen. The huntsman below was on his phone as soon as he realised we had the hounds on camera. There is no way on Gods earth that this hunt could have followed the hounds through this covert - it was too steep and covered in dense gorse and spikey bramble - so why send the hounds through such dense cover if they could not possibly follow, unless they were fox hunting? Some of the hounds were literally covered in blood and we did hear some terrible screaming/yelping and growling coming from two woods earlier on in the day. Unfortunately we were too far away to see what was really happening, but I do believe a fox was killed because the screaming was followed by a long mournful note on the horn, signifying a kill. Hunt followers were out, but not many of them - some verbally abused us as ever, accusing us of being paedophiles, while others just sniggered. A quad bike appeared with a very large man astride and upon seeing us he proceeded to tie a piece of black plastic onto a piece of rope to simulate a trail - then later on this bit of plastic had been replaced by neatly shredded plastic ribbons. Strange that he never laid a trail through the wooded areas where the hounds were being encouraged to enter - yet he managed to lay them in a couple of fields, no doubt for our benefit, since he and his companions were trying to get our attention by pointing at the bit of plastic being dragged through a small field - the hunt had long gone by this time. The police officer I spoke to was about as much use as a chocolate fire guard - he just kept telling me that the police could not take sides and that he believed the hunt were just trail hunting. In other words I was fobbed off. There were around five quad bikes in the area - four left the entrance of Cefn Estate in a convoy - two of them had terriers inside boxes, see picture. It worried me that they could have had a dug out fox inside one of the boxes because they were seen disappearing towards the wooded area where a little later we encountered a fox being chased. The fox was just feet away from us and the hounds not far behind. I am convinced the hunt were responsible for the killing
of two foxes in Cefn last Saturday and hunting a third near the hamlet of Wigfair, near Cefn. We heard the two kills
but couldn't see them - and as i pointed out above, we did hear the horn call that signalled a kill...a short time
later we saw two of the hounds, one with blood around its mouth, the other was drenched with blood
all over its body. It didn't look like their own because there were no obvious signs of injury. Three female hunt followers were quick to point out that foxes needed to be controlled otherwise we would be overrun with them (such ignorance, no doubt fed by their vile hubbies). Then they said that the hunt were only trail hunting so no foxes get killed - so which is it ladies? Either the hunt are controlling foxes or they are just trail hunting??? These quite elderly women also said that killing foxes using dogs, including terrier-work, was humane, and all the while tenderly holding onto their pet dogs. Their excuse for showing selective compassion was that foxes are wild animals, so were fair game!!!! One of the women proudly said that her husband was out with the hunt on his quad-bike. No doubt a terrier-man - such kind people, eh? This hunt don't trail hunt (I wish) it is my view that they kill foxes cruelly and for fun and it is just a matter of time before we gather sufficient evidence to prove this in a court of law. Each time we monitor we discover a little more about this hunt - getting ever closer. Judi COMPLAINTS NEED TO MADE TO ESSEX POLICE FOR IGNORING BLATANT LAW BREAKING. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8951211/Familys-horror-as-fox-clubbed-to-death-on-patio.html Dear John, I am
putting this up on a blog I contribute to and wonder if you will join me in making a complaint that Essex police who are
failing in their duty. Yours etc., Simon Wild ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the 12 December 2011 it was
reported that the Essex and Suffolk Hunt had invaded a garden in Bradfield and savaged a fox they had been chasing. A witness,
who himself is pro-hunt, stated that the fox had been clubbed to death by a huntsman. As usual in such an incident there is an immediate denial of wronging: "They were hunting with a bird of prey and the pack accidentally picked up on the scent of a fox which attracted the hounds... there was no offence committed on the hunt, which was legal." This would be laughable if it came from a huntsman but staggeringly this quote is by a spokesman for Essex Police. We know that the Essex and Suffolk hunt are using a European Eagle Owl to try and carry on hunting by exploiting an exemption in the Hunting Act relating to Falconry. This is the only form of exempt hunting where more than two dogs are allowed to flush a wild mammal from cover. Eagle owls take small prey, generally up to the size of a rabbit. Theoretically an eagle owl may take a small cub under certain circumstances, particularly if the owl did not appreciate the size of its prey. However, this incident occurred in mid December. By this time of the year, foxes born in the spring are the same size as, and very difficult to tell from, adult foxes. Effectively they are adult animals; fox cubs are born around March, and small cubs (of the size that may be taken by an eagle owl) occur from May to early July, outside the foxhunting season.Eagle owls are very difficult to get to hunt, and generally hunt best at dusk (or early morning) and only in quiet conditions: certainly not near packs of hounds. This is clearly a deliberate abuse of the "falconry" provision listed under Schedule 1 of the Hunting Act 2004 and clearly an offence has been committed
WAAC REPORT ON SNARING
This is why we decided to start a petition to ban snares and hopefully we will reach five thousand signatures before Christmas to then show local politicians the public's condemnation to the use of these vile instruments of torture. Most members of the public were quite shocked to hear that snares are being used on the Bodrhyddan Estate in North Wales. Any member of the public who wants to sign the petition or help us get more signatures can contact me personally at waac@rocketmail.com BADGER GROUP - Well deserved award. Congrats to Michael Sharrett who is
such a lovely person, so dedicated. Michael and his lovely wife invited me to stay when I went down to
South Wales to support a protest against the hunt. He managed to get a terrific turn out - something I struggle
to achieve here in North Wales, which is a hotbed of cruelty, selfishness and ignorance. So this brings me neatly to our
latest campaign, that of snares. Unfortunately I
cannot even get these disgusting things mentioned in the North Wales press these days, no doubt they don't want
to upset the Bodrhyddan estate whose shooting tenant allows his game keepers to use AB snares. Most of these snares
(set in three woods) were attached to loose logs which as far as I know are illegal. It looked
as though one poor animal, a badger I think, had been trapped in one because I found what looked like a badger
hair stuck to the noose that had been cut. Badgers tend to get snares trapped around their chests or middle
so this would mean cutting the snare to get the poor animal out. Plus the game keeper for this shoot hates
foxes and badgers - he told us as much the first and only time we met and spoke to him. It was shortly after he
had taken up the post and we had been taking our dog for a walk around the lanes close to one of the woods mentioned.
The keeper had been hiding up a tree, with wait for it, he was using a high powered rifle that carries a
lethal killing range of up to two miles. When we told the police about this, they did nothing, so seemingly they
too put the Lord of this land before the suffering of animals and never mind that this rifle is so powerful it made
the ground shake when the keeper pulled the trigger....
So much for compassion for animals, eh? - I think there are less caring reporters and people here now than anywhere else in the UK and that is saying something! Certainly there appears to be far more journalists that don't give a fig than there were twenty years ago. Having said that, they are only too happy to report pet rescue on a regular basis which is good if it helps some animals find a loving new home but what about countless farm animals and foxes that suffer greatly in North Wales? Don't they count? Don't those of us who give our hearts and souls into campaigning against cruelty, count? Or are people in general becoming too desensitised, too self absorbed, less human to give a damn anymore? How scary is that? But thanks to people like Michael Sharrett we have dedicated people who try to balance good against evil. Well done Michael - well deserved!! Judi WORLD DAY of ACTION for ANIMALS
October 1st 2011 The weather in Llandudno was wonderful and the sun certainly shone down on Mike Bird and partner Donna Hutton who organised the event in Llandudno. I went along on behalf of WAAC to take Viva's message re their Cadbury calf campaign to the public. We were joined by Sally Horne and Ruth Goldberg working on behalf of Animal Aid so all in all it was a good day that gave the animals a voice.
REPORT FOR VIVA'S DAY OF ACTION. September 29th 2011
"We chose market town Mold, to inform shoppers about the desperate plight of dairy cows and in particular male dairy calves because these animals are being slaughtered just for being born the wrong sex, said WAAC spokesperson, Judi Hewitt. Viva chose to target Cadbury's to hit home the message to the public that there is nothing kind about dairy. Viva investigated 15 Cadbury farms and found problems which exist on every dairy farm. Over 100,000 male calves are shot each year. Females are kept to replenish the herd but never see their mothers again. Selective breeding has produced udders that have to carry up to 40Ibs weight or more before each milking - the result is excruciating diseases such as mastitis and laminitis. I was particularly upset by the story of one male calf - though this happens to thousands of male calves every year - when a hunt worker arrived with his pick up truck already laden with the bodies of freshly killed unwanted calves and a cow from another farm - animals destined to be fed to the hounds. The calf calling for his mother was led out into the yard, falling over on wobbly legs, and was then lifted onto the pile of bodies on the trailer and shot in the head. But what really got to me were the farmers words as he casually told Viva's undercover investigator that this calf won't be bawling much longer. After the calf had fallen on top of the bodies of other dead animals, the huntsman smiled back at the farmer, before driving off. These unwanted calves are the bi-product of a very cruel industry and it is why we give up our time to help VIVA spread the message to the public - because only dairy customers can stop the suffering. OUR 'FIRST' ANTI-HUNT CAMPAIGN OF THE SEASON HELD IN RHYL. Sept 17th 2011 Campaigners against repeal of the hunting act took to Rhyl High Street to remind the public why hunting with hounds was banned. Trail hunting is still allowed in law and hunts that abide by
the rules have nothing to fear but other hunts have been found to be blatantly flouting the law and with the police
being so inactive, it means that only a few of us are out there trying to gather evidence of hunt cruelty and
law breaking. This is the reason there have so far been so few prosecutions against mounted and organised
hunts. But we need to remind these hunts
that the law is the law and few things are more socially divisive than a group or gang of people who think the law does
not apply to them. Councillor Brian Blakely
who supports our campaigns said, "It's time that this present government and the Crown Prosecution Service took the
ban seriously and understood that the majority of decent public citizens in this country want the ban to stay and they
want it to be enforced." Wales Against Animal
Cruelty said, " For anyone who thinks that hunting is just about class hatred, they should go onto the internet and check
out IFAW's disturbing films that not only show hunt cruelty in the raw but also the bully boy tactics of
pro-hunt supporters towards anti-hunt monitors by trying to prevent monitors like me from gathering evidence of
law breaking." Our campaign message is Hounds
Off our Wildlife We have fought too long and too hard for this vile cruelty to just carry on as though
there was no ban. Our hard earned efforts to stop hunt cruelty should not be ignored - too many animals depend on us so
we have to make it work.
URGENT
Take action I've just been tipped off that Peterculter Golf Club have not only reinstated a member accused of beating a fox to death...they also have a policy of fox culling in place, and kill around 4-5 foxes a year. This is a golf club....why are they killing foxes? It's no wonder they didn't want to ban Forbes, he was essentially doing their d...irty work for them. They have not only destroyed the habitat of the fox to build the club...but they are dispatching the foxes as well. I think this needs to be brought up in the media and people on here should contact them to ask why they are killing wildlife! The phone number is 01224 734994 and email is info@petercultergolfclub.co.uk
A REALLY GOOD DOCU FILM RE URBAN FOXES.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRJPWDEKUe4
Hi here
is the documentary i have made, thank you for all your help and i hope you enjoy it. thank you ivan kokuti Anyone who enjoys a bit of baiting can have fun watching Jim Paice being ritually
humiliated in the Commons on the wild animals in circuses issue. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13454403 Alan
WAAC says - Thanks Alan for sending the video through; but this minister and indeed any minister that supports cruelty and torture of wild animals are too drenched in the blood of innocent animals to have any sensitivity that would force them to ban the use of wild animals in UK circuses. If they banned wild animals in circuses it would scupper their plans to get back to legally killing foxes, deer and hares again. By using the ridiculous licencing scheme mentioned for circus animals, means it could pave the way for them to licence hunts as well. In other words, a bloody nonsense that would mean business as usual for vicious hunts. Judi REPORT ON VIVA's CRACKED EGG CAMPAIGN. Some members of Wales Against Animal Cruelty took their vegan message to Denbigh (Friday 13th). "Although the weather was showery we were able to hand out 150 leaflets to passers by and post the remaining 150 through letter boxes in the district. We were there to inform the public that up to 40 million male chicks get killed every year because they are the wrong sex to lay eggs. Viva investigations exposed an industry that sends males chicks down a conveyor belt to be either gassed or crushed in a machine called a macerator. Many people are not aware that the egg on their breakfast table plays a major part in the deaths of up to 40 millions infant birds a year and causes untold misery to hens that suffer both in intensive and many so called free range systems. We hope that our event has at least raised awareness of this issue and also the health benefits of a vegan diet." For further information contact info@viva.org.uk The Wright Stuff WAAC activist campaigning outside Prestatyn and Rhyl polling station wearing badger suit and holding neat little placard saying VOTE FOR ANN JONES TO STOP MASSACRE OF BADGERS IN WALES - good response in both places and was invited into Rhyl High School to have photo taken with a teacher who is mad about badgers. The Headmaster and the teacher signed LACS petition against the cull too - so all in all, a great day. Plus Ann Jones AM retained her seat with over 4,000 votes over her Tory opponent. Well done Ann!.
http://www.johanntasker.co.uk/blog/election-setback-for-badger-cull-plan/ Elin Jones AM, the Minister for Rural Affairs in the last Welsh Assembly acknowledges that she lost votes due to her TB eradication policy: “I know that I have lost a significant number of votes in this election due to my TB eradication policy and I faced a concerted campaign to oust me as the local AM by local anti-cull activists. However, this was never a one-issue referendum and I’m pleased that the people of Ceredigion recognised this and re-elected me on the basis of my hard work on their behalf”. (From Tivyside Online.) A PAC supporter sent me this analysis of the results in Elin Jones’ constituency): Compared with 2007 – the last election Elin Jones Plaid lost 2798 votes i.e. 19% of her 2007 total. Lost 7.9% share of the vote – 49% - 41% National loss to Plaid was 3.1%. Elin Jones loss was 7.9% so had a significantly greater swing against HER than Plaid had Nationally. Liz Evans Lib Dem anti- cull held onto the Lib Dem vote – down 0.9%, down about 4% nationally. Labour and Greens both anti cull, picked up 4058 votes compared with 1530 in 2007 (Greens didn’t stand in 2007). Looked at another way: Pro cull vote 12020 Anti cull vote 17056 The analyser concludes ‘ the PAC campaign in Ceredigion had some effect’ and as I wrote earlier acknowledged by Elin Jones. As a personal addendum I wonder how many votes Elin Jones lost Plaid throughout Wales? The 17000 respondents to the badger cull consultation who were completely ignored by Elin Jones (as they were in the earlier consultation) are the type of people who would turn up to vote but hardly likely to vote Plaid when their voice wasn’t heard.
Derek
OUR FIGHT TO SAVE THE BADGERS Wales Against Animal Cruelty supported Dyfed activists against the cull in a procession
for badgers through the busy streets of Aberystwyth yesterday, April 30th. A mock funeral was also help for
badgers which are destined to be wiped out in Pembrokeshire in the coming weeks/months. The grim reaper marched ahead
of the crowd to serve as a warning that badgers face extinction in Wales if the Welsh Assembly does not overturn their 'unscientific'
culling policy. I know we keep harping on about this but how many
more innocent badgers are going to have to die and how much more public money do we have to throw away before
those in power finally understand that wiping out badgers out from large area's will not make any meaningful difference
to bTB in cattle, in the long run. Time is short now - so please do these animals a favour and let the public see how their vote this Thursday can make all the difference. Voting for their anti-cull AM's will send a stark message to the Welsh Assembly Government that they must start to listen to the public who elect them. Remember £50 million has already been spent in a pilot cull that killed thousands of harmless badgers. Save the Badgers: Letters to Parliament and Welsh Assembly
Please click on the link above, and let Elin Jones (in my view a deceitful person) know your views BEFORE the Welsh vote on Wednesday 23rd March. Thanks, Judi Well, it's a very worrying time for us with the decision on the cull coming
so soon - next Wednesday in fact. This is why we took our campaign to Rhyl and Llandudno in one day. It
is really important that we get the message out to the public ASAP that they need to contact
their AM's urgently by telephone or email, to try to persuade Elin Jones not to go ahead with her unscientific
cull of badgers. We are urging the public to contact their own respective AM's to voice their opposition
the cull that we hope will send a stark reminder to Elin Jones that she has a duty to respect the Welsh Assembly
Governments public consultation, that showed 4;1 against the cull. Betty
Lee from Clwyd Badger Group said, "It is appalling to have a Minister being less than candid about this important
information. If the vote goes against the campaign to save badgers from a needless cull, then we need new AM's that
will listen to the science." Ann Jones AM, an
opponent of the cull said, "I will be voting against this unnecessary cull". Judi Hewitt said, It seems Elin Jones doesn't give a damn about public opinion and is intent on killing
thousands of healthy badgers to appease her friends in the farming lobby. This is unjustifiable cruelty on a massive
scale that will do nothing to prevent bTB in the long term. It seems we are heading for a countryside devoid of wildlife,
is this what we want for our children? Rev Thompson had this
say, " As a retired cleric and campaigner for the rights of animals for many years, I am dismayed
and disgusted that Elin Jones, a Christian herself, could put forward such a callous proposal that will nothing
to halt TB and will cause untold suffering to badgers and other wildlife caught up in the killing frenzy."
CAMERA EQUIPMENT NEEDED URGENTLY, FOR HUNT MONITORING! Can anyone help WAAC by donating a good quality video camera and button spy camera? We urgently need equipment to enable us to monitor the hunt more effectively. Please contact waac@rocketmail.com if you can help? Enforce the ban campaign begins as Prime Minister Cameron pledges repeal within
months. Why
are the papers staying silent on the issue of fox hunting? Since the ban most of the press appear to be overwhelmingly pro-hunt
and this has not gone un-noticed by the people who read the papers. Hunts are still hunting the traditional way and the police are doing nothing to stop them. Yes,
they are happy to take any evidence presented to them by hunt monitors - but according to my colleagues in the South
of England, who have plenty of hunt monitors, and so regularly show film footage of illegal hunting to the police,
this is just never enough, even though it is very good evidence. Hunts are still using terrier-men complete with quad bikes, dogs, drain rods and spades
and these thugs for want of a better description, intimidate and terrorise anyone who dares to try and film
them. Foxes are still dying a very cruel death at the hands
of hunters that refuse to stop their savagery. Clearly the ban needs to be strengthened, but whilst former
fox hunter now prime-minister David Cameron remains in power this is never going to happen. So we have
to remind hunters that though the press seems reluctant to talk about the cruelty inherent in fox hunting, we won't stop
until we achieve our goal - we will continue in our endeavour to put pressure onto any future 'decent' government
that will hopefully have the courage to finally put an end to hunt brutality. The police meanwhile just pay lip service to what is essentially
anarchy in the countryside. According to my sources, they do nothing about reports of illegal hunting even when people
ring them up to say they've seen it happening The police always respond to this by telling any
concerned citizen that the hunt have already informed the police that they are just trail hunting, and the
bizarre thing is - the police believe it!. But the public are not fooled
by this statement - it's demoralising for us and reinforces the view that hunters really are above the law. And though many now believe that the hunt ban is safe, while Mr Cameron occupies number ten, our wildlife remain in grave peril - not least because any hope of getting the ban strengthened is never going to happen under his leadership. And another damning indictment of this new government is the fury his government unleashed on one of their own, Commons Speaker John Bercow, who dared to speak out against fox hunting after previously being a hunt supporter. He was attacked viciously in the press by his own party. In fact they wanted rid of him as speaker! In my view, had he spoken in defence of killing with hounds, he would never have received this same vitriol by his scornful critics. But by and large, it's been a rotten year so far for our wildlife - not only have they had a severe winter to contend with but also a powerful hunting/shooting lobby eager to take what nature had missed. And just to cap it all, we have 'he who shall not be named' hell bent on gathering enough death eaters to finally get his wish to repeal the hunting act. Judi Hewitt www.walesagainstanimalcruelty The following article appeared in the Western Morning News David Cameron said that while there were "more important things" than hunting for MPs to deal with, he reaffirmed his opposition to a ban that became a totem of the Labour Government's 13 years in power. In a message to the thousands of hunt supporters across the Westcountry who campaigned for pro-hunt MPs at last May's General Election, Mr Cameron pledged that a vote on the issue would happen "in the months to come". The issue has cooled within Westminster, but pressure is still strong among the grass roots in the countryside for a repeal of the ban, particularly as prosecutions of hunts in the West continue.  Mr Cameron said: "The promise was made that the House of Commons will have an opportunity to vote on repeal and we will have that vote. "There are more important things for us to deal with, but it is important that we keep to that promise," he said. "Everyone knows that the Hunting Act isn't working, it is a bad piece of legislation and I repeat my commitment that when the vote happens in the months to come, I will be voting for repealing the legislation." Sneaky Elin
Jones!!
Monday 31st January 2011: To: Press, Welsh AMs, Other Organisations, Supporters with email WHAT IS GOING ON? The Minister for Rural Affairs Elin Jones is currently reviewing the thousands of responses to a consultation on a Badger Control Strategy for a defined area of west Wales (IAA) prior to making a final decision, and has allegedly not yet done so. Despite this, pro-vaccination group Pembrokeshire Against the Cull have been told by landowners from around the proposed badger cull area in west Wales, that Welsh Assembly Government officials have already arranged for local vets to carry out badger sett surveys on their land in preparation for placing cage traps for a cull. Bio security visits are normally arranged by Vets to discuss ways to reduce risks of cattle catching TB from a variety of sources. It does not normally include a sett survey and as yet there is no legal requirement to show anyone badger setts. In addition it has been suggested that culling may be happening outside the Intensive Action Area which is extremely worrying. A few months ago the Minister told PAC that she is not in favour of issuing licences for individual reactive culls covering only small areas as this is known to increase the risk of bTB breakdowns in adjacent areas and spreads infection in wildlife. Pembrokeshire against the Cull chair Celia Thomas said “We are currently trying to obtain clarification of the situation from Elin Jones the Minister for Rural Affairs as it appears that preparatory work for a cull may have started before the consultation and all the legislative and legal processes have been completed. Until we receive a response from The Minister, we are advising land owners who are contacted or visited by anyone wanting to carry out badger sett surveys to ask for, and verify where possible with WAG:
Demonstrators set to out-fox cruel vet in Cupar At 12 noon on 26thJanuary, a peaceful demonstration will be held outside the Eden Veterinary Practice in
Cupar to deliver a message to vet Keith Talbot, the press and public. MISINFORMATION KILLS INNOCENT ANIMALS. DON’T FALL INTO THE PRO-HUNTING TRAP! On Boxing Day 2010, Eden vet Keith Talbot trapped and killed two foxes in Maidstone, Kent and proceeded to boast to local press about his victory. Talbot justified his actions by claiming the animal he killed was ‘twice the size of a normal fox’ and had been responsible for the death of his parents’ 19-year-old cat. Stories such as this strike fear into the public and rightly so, but are they true? Were Talbot’s actions justified? Is it a coincidence that since pro-hunting Prime Minister David Cameron came to power, ‘monster’ foxes have suddenly appeared on our streets? All about Keith, the ‘killer fox’ and Cameron: · Keith Talbot is a member of ‘Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management’ formerly known as ‘VETS FOR HUNTING’ · The killings took place at the same time as the Fieldsports Channel launched a competition that challenged viewers to ‘kill the largest fox in Britain’ · The ‘giant fox’ was only seen next to the remains of the elderly cat. Wildlife expert John Bryant states that because foxes are scavengers, yes, they would have fed on the 19-year-old’s remains but not killed it · Talbot did NOT see the fox kill the cat · As well as running a cattery, Bryant used to take in injured foxes. The foxes never ONCE displayed aggression toward his feline guests · DAVID CAMERON is a well-known supporter of blood sports. Pre-election, he promised to repeal the Labour-led ban on hunting with dogs. There are more MPs against hunting that supportive of it. Cameron needs support, and quick... Talbot’s scare story and others like it are putting a new fear of foxes into the general public; unbalanced stories which do not allow the public to make their own minds up. On 26th January at 12noon, the demonstration outside Eden Veterinary Practice aims to set the record straight. Dressed in furry fox costumes, demonstrators will be handing out leaflets and talking with the press, Eden customers and locals to redress the balance and reveal the TRUE facts. The message is clear: MISINFORMATION KILLS INNOCENT ANIMALS. DON’T FALL INTO THE PRO-HUNTING TRAP! For further information, please contact Paul McDonald: 07999 812994 Notes to editors Quick fox facts: · Culling does not resolve the perceived problem of urban foxes. Kill a fox, and another will move into its lair. There are non-harmful methods available for the ‘moving on’ of these shy but intelligent creatures · Surveys have shown that there is NO evidence to prove the urban fox population has increased in the past 20 years · Only 16% of foxes live in our cities, the rest dwell in rural areas · Foxes that are hunted in rural areas actively shun human contact and are therefore rarely seen · Foxes are not turning into oversized ‘monsters’. The Harper Asprey Rescue Centre states that their average body length is between 50 and 90cm · Despite Talbot claiming that one of his trophy foxes weighed in at 26.5kg, the
Maidstone-based Fox Project has confirmed that – based on over the 7000 foxes it has taken in across two decades –
not one has weighed above 18kg. We have
had some success in getting some of the disturbing images from this page taken down but there are still some left to report. Our main aim is to get this vile page taken down completely: http://www.facebook.com/pages/BRING-BACK-FOX-HUNTING/391618915180 Please press the report button at bottom of the page as "violence" - it encourages law breaking and contains graphic images. Lets keep our foxes safe from these horrible people. Please sign the petition. http://www.facebook.com/l/f259dnaQ5NroWqwhiRekrGkyvPw;www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-the-officially-sanctioned-inhumane-slaughter-of-deer-in-fairfax-county/
we need 10,000 signatures and still have a long ways to go. This is from their hunters log on killing of does, fawns, yearling and even pregnant does, read how heartless bowhunters are! http://www.facebook.com/l/f259dY1qabuYPBbjD_P6hegOGOw;mathew5-7.blogspot.com/2010/10/this-doe-right-here-came-looking-for.html NEW CAMPAIGN BEGINS, TO STOP BADGER CULL IN WALES Spokeswoman for Clwyd Badger Group Betty Lee, joined forces with some members of Wales Against Animal Cruelty to urge the public to sign a very important consultation document that had been drafted by the Welsh Assembly and copied by the Pembrokeshire Against the Cull to take to the streets and so allow the public a chance to take part and add their voice. This makes it impossible for the Welsh Assembly to ignore public concerns. Betty Lee, a conservationist, and an expert on badgers, was on hand to speak with members of the public. Mrs
Lee had this to say about the current situation, " The Welsh Assembly Government still wish to press ahead with a badger cull even though they were defeated
in court by the Badger Trust.. The Welsh Assembly are now using public consultation to find what support there
is in Wales for a badger cull? The consultation is open to all but has been addressed mainly to the farming community.
Pembrokeshire Against the Cull
have made their response by covering the two main points of concern to those of us against a cull because killing badgers will have no
positive effect on bTB and also because the police having the power to enter land to facilitate the killing of badgers against the land owner’s
wishes." Founder of WAAC and a VIVA supporter Judi
Hewitt speaking on behalf of Viva said, " How many times do we have to remind the Government in both England and Wales
that £50 million spent on a 10 year independent investigation by top Scientists (ISG) concluded that although some badgers
do have TB, it is not easily passed on to others. The irony is that it was cattle who spread the disease in
the first place because it was unheard of in badgers before the 1950's. Badgers are now being made scapegoats by the
farming unions who refuse to believe in the science. Modern
intensive farming is at the root of this terrible disease and so until people recognize that cattle are not mere machines
to abuse, this and other terrible diseases will continue to plague these poor animals and those who farm them." It was heartwarming to see that even on such a freezing cold day, the people
of Rhyl were willing stop to add their voice to the protest."
EVIL OLLERTON HUNT IS STILL BAGGING
FOXES TO CHASE AND RIP APART. I was sent the account below yesterday by one of my contacts who has given me permission to forward it. It speaks for itself, illustrating the way the hunters are hunting as before the ban with the support of the police. All this and these barbarous people are backed by the Westminster political establishment of all three main parties. This
barbarism will shortly be dressed up as the 'Middle Way' and under 'self regulation'. We must defeat them. ----------------------------- Just thought I'd let you know that we went out sabbing today in Ollerton and the hunt were very threatening to
us from the outset - I was tripped over by a horse and another sab was knocked on head by a rider. Apparently someone seen
they had a fox in a bag and released it to chase. Before we had a chance to properly sab them, the police, who had been telling
us to leave the area or we'd be arrested (for no reason), chased us across a field with an Alsatian and led us into a
trap between 2 dog handlers - basically no matter which way we'd have turned, we'd have been chased by the dogs. They
held us in this trap while they investigated 'aggravated trespass' claims (for about 2 hours). By the end of it, about
17 police vans/cars had turned up, as well as a police helicopter. The police themselves were typical pro hunt cops...one
even went 'haven't you's got anything better to do?' (haven't they got any real criminals to catch?).
Apparently they told the hunt to pack in as well, cause they were concerned about 'breach of the peace' between the
two groups. Whether they did actually tell the hunt to quit, I don't know - but I'd be surprised if they did...I think
they held us for 2 hours simply to allow the hunt to carry on.
By the end of it, we all had to give in our details and have our photographs taken (or face arrest, of which 3 sabs were). The inspector responsible for it all was named 'Ford'. I may actually write to my MP about it. At the stage we were held for 2 hours we were on a public footpath (not on private property). The way we were treated, as well as the fact the police ignored an illegal hunt involving a fox which was previously captured and released, is completely unacceptable. Also, how can the police justify 17 vans/cars, a helicopter, and 2 police dogs...when people are murdered they use less resources, yet this was a case of 'breach of the peace'. These evil hunt criminals continue to be protected by the police - we should all make complaints about this to the relevent authorities and spread the word to the public Judi TAKE HEED ANTI-HUNT LOBBY
Exactly as predicted, they are gearing up to repeal the Act on the back of the so-called 'Middle Way' of 'self-regulation' and a sham wild mammals protection bill. This will take them a year to put in place and by then they will have the numbers and the whole thing rolled out the public in a great propaganda exercise. We underestimate these people at our peril. In some quarters people have been saying repeal is off the table but the total opposite is the case. The next 12 months are make or break and a massive campaign must be put in place to alert the public and MPs to this huge con trick. Chris ------------------ 'A list has been drawn up of people thought to be persuadable - and they are being wined and dined.' One of the MPs involved in the operation said that it would take at least another year before enough people have been won over, which is why no vote is being planned before early 2012. ' ACTION ALERT-PLEASE PASS WIDELY An indication
of how deep the bloodsports influence in Parliament now goes (and how bad generally things have got) can be seen
from the fact that the Chairman of the Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare(APGAW)
is now a staunchly pro hunting and pro badger killing MP He is Neil Parish, a Tory MP. He was a South West MEP for 10 years and was elected
MP for Tiverton in Devon at the 2010 election - let alone that he's now Chair of APGAW. He's on the Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee. This man:- (and none of this is on the APGAW website, surprise surprise) 1/ Comes from a Somerset dairy farming family and managed the family farm until he took up politics. 2/ Has told LACS he will vote for Hunting Act repeal. 3/
He supports the proposed badger cull in England. 4/ He has endorsed publicly
the CA 'Oscars', two of which are given for [senior and junior] 'Hunter hero of the Year'. 5/ He put in a written Commons question recently, complaining that farmers wanting to move livestock
faced 'too much bureaucracy'. [You'll remember it was largely the ease and frequency of such movements that
turned the F&M outbreak from a local smoulder to a national inferno] 6/
He was photographed happily barbecuing meat to promote food poisoning awareness for the FSA. 7/ Despite an associated profession of concern for animal welfare, he supported the nightmarish Nocton plans
for its super-large herd intensive cattle farm in Lincolnshire, in a piece on the site. 8/ He's extremely keen on sharply reducing regulation on farmers [you can imagine what that might mean for
livestock welfare standards]. 9/ He is a very keen supporter and
promoter of meat production and consumption. He criticised Lord Stern, who headed the last Government's Climate Change
Review and authored its widely-respected report, for saying that large-scale livestock farming was unsustainable. Parish takes particular exception to this para from Stern:- “Meat is a wasteful use of water and creates
a lot of greenhouse gases. It puts enormous pressure on the world’s resources. A vegetarian diet is better.” Parish retorts:- "I could not disagree more.
If an individual wants to choose not to eat meat for personal reasons, fine. But for a senior scientist to victimise British
livestock farmers and to encourage consumers to boycott British meat and dairy products is irresponsible." I'm sure
you will not be happy about having a hunt and badger cull supporter chairing any 'Animal Welfare'
Group?! Going that way it seems:- the Treasurer of APGAW is
none other than Lord Soulsby, the pro-hunt vet who spearheaded the effort to rubbish the Bateson Report on deer hunting.
Please e mail the APGAW secretariat with your views: Please also contact Green Party leader Caroline Lucas MP, who
is a Vice Chair of APGAW, with your concerns. Disturbingly,
the secretariat support for APGAW is provided by the RSPCA.What is clear is that this group is an establishment rubber
stamp for the commodification of animals,not to mention the sheer hypocrisy of any group claiming to be supportive of
animal welfare being chaired by a supporter of bloodsports and badger culling.PLEASE PUBLICISE AS WIDELY AS POSSIBLE.THANKS This article at least picks up on the 'regulatory authority' plans. (OTHERWISE KNOWN AS GOVERNMENT BACK STABBING) 'The Countryside Alliance, which opposes the ban, hopes the creation of a new Hunting Regulatory Authority under the chairmanship of the Labour peer Lord Donoughue will convince waverers that the hunting community accepts it cannot go back to life as it was before the ban.' I maintain that we are now at point of greatest
danger because the CA are a ruthless machine and the new legislation will be introduced sooner rather than later.I have it
on very good authority that this plan is at advanced stages of development. It will win over significant numbers of wavering
MPs (which it is designed to do) and if passed it will snooker us for generations. Bear
in mind also that even some new intake wavering Labour MPs may be won to the hunt side because a senior Labour
Peer is involved.There are at least three Labour Peers the higher echelons of the CA and they closely involved in the current
plans. A lot of softening up will be being done. Many Lib Dems who are in two minds but currently in the anti hunt camp
will see it as a good 'compromise'.Many Conservatives who are currently anti hunt will be offered a way to please
their leadership whilst at the same time appearing to have backed something that will 'not bring back hunting as it was.' It
is of course the mother of all lies. The truth will be smothered in the deceit that is at the centre of hunting. Day in and day out the CA will be quietly but effectively
turning the numbers in their favour with this new plan. Cameron was put in place
with hunt money, hedge fund billionaires with links to some of the biggest hunts in the country.These people are not in the
business of fading away and waiting for five years to see what happens or simply rolling over and accepting defeat. They will role out their new 'regulatory authority' and do loads of propaganda, making it all
appear terribly reasonable and that they have 'changed'. In fact it is
like the Mafia taking over policing. We
must alert the public to this massive and looming threat and without delay. It is not sensible or clever to be making
the public feel the danger has passed or is diminishing. Chris
World Animal Day of Action.
Mike Bird and Donna Hutton held their 'World Animal Day of Action' campaign in Llandudno, North Wales. The event was one of many being staged all over the world. Many animal cruelty issues were mentioned in the day of action, including the dreaded badger cull, the threat to the hunting act by the Coalition government, animal experiments and the terrible on going live export trade. The event was supported by Sally Horne from West Wales Animal Aid, WAAC's Judi Hewitt and activist Emma Thomas. Wales Against Animal Cruelty take part in Brian May's 'Save Me' campaign to Llandudno. Brian May's Save Me campaigns are being held all over Britain in a day of action supported by VIVA, LACS and Animal Aid and other smaller groups opposed the return of barbaric hunting. Wales Against Animal Cruelty have pledged to take in all North Wales towns to ask the public for help in reminding the Coalition not to repeal the hunting act. We've already campaigned in Rhyl and Wrexham and there will more to follow as the weeks and months go by - or at least until the Coalition get the message that the public are opposed to any return to cruelty. The message from many people in Llandudno was that any U-turn would be heartbreaking for animals lovers. There were tears in the eyes of some people as they looked at our banners - surely these people have rights as citizens of this country to enjoy wildlife without having to witness a hunting minority brutalising animals on their doorstep. Most of those in distress at the prospect of a return to hunting were country people shopping in Llandudno.
Brian May's Save Me campaigns are being held all over Britain in a day of action supported by VIVA, Animal Aid, LACS and smaller groups like WAAC, opposed the return of barbaric hunting. Wales Against Animal Cruelty did their part by taking to the streets of Wrexham to remind the public that the threat to the hunt ban is very real. It is inconceivable that the only decent legislation ever brought in to protect our foxes, deer and hares is being threatened by a government riddled with Countryside Alliance members and supporters. We intend sending a strong message to MP's of all parties that destruction of the hunting act is not an option. It took over 80yrs of hard fought for legislation to get this one small step for our wildlife, so we will not let these animals down. Repeal is not an option - it would be a disaster in terms of animal welfare if the pro-hunt Tories got their way. The Lib Dems 'were' opposed to repeal before the general election but since gaining power seem to be in the pockets of their Tory masters and so have now betrayed their voters by agreeing to a free vote that could see terrible cruelty brought back to our countryside. People died trying to defend the foxes from hunt brutality so any U turn is unthinkable. It would be an insult to the memory of these brave souls and the moral cause they stood for. We're supposed to be a civilised society - but a return to cruelty would mean we are still savages. Brian May's campaign needs every animal lover in this country to add their voice to the protest. They can do this by logging onto his Save Me website or by contacting VIVA, Animal Aid or LACS and then signing their on-line petition. Postcards are also available from Viva and Animal Aid. Please don't let our foxes, deer and hares down - no animal deserves to be hunted until
they're so exhausted and frothing at the mouth that they can no longer move. No animal deserves to be ripped
apart for fun. HUNTS BREAKING THE LAW - CUB HUNTING IN DORSET 2010
HUNT SABS HAVE JUST PUT THIS FOOTAGE UP ONTO YOUTUBE. IT MAY NOT SHOW MUCH TO THE PUBLIC, BUT ANYONE WHO UNDERSTANDS HUNTING WILL KNOW. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPAWXs8r9h4 MESSAGE FROM ED MILIBAND - PLEASE SUPPORT HIM! "I fully support the ban on hunting with dogs which was a milestone in animal welfare law. The chasing and killing of these wild animals for so-called sport has no place in a civilised society. If I am elected leader I will vigorously defend the ban and fight any attempt to repeal it by the coalition government.' ---- If you are a member of the Labour
party or an affiliated union then please join me in giving your first preference vote to Ed.
ANTI-HUNT CAMPAIGN TO BE HELD IN WREXHAM - SEPT 18th 2010 Have decided our next campaign will be in Wrexham on the 18th Sept. This is a national campaign regarding
defence of the hunting act, so need all available people to take part. If you know of anyone who would give us a
couple of hours, then that would be great! Ask anyone you know who cares about protecting the ban to come along and to be
part of the campaign. I hope to have fox masks and leaflets from Viva and I also have my own up to date banners, so
your presence at the demo is all that is needed. If you want to make a small donation to Viva, then that's
up to you - it will help towards their costs. PLEASE PERSUADE OTHER GOOD PEOPLE TO COME ALONG, EVEN IF YOU CAN'T. JudiXXXX A NEW ANTI-HUNT CAMPAIGN BEGINS, TO HIGHLIGHT THE CONTINUED THREAT TO HUNT BAN.
Wales Against Animal Cruelty began their new campaign drive starting in Rhyl, to highlight the continued threat to the hunt ban by the new Coalition Government. August is traditionally cub-hunting season that sees many cubs killed by hounds. Hunts need to train young hounds to become efficient killers and fox cubs are easy prey for their hounds because they're inquisitive young animals that have not learnt to be wary. This is why most foxes killed by hunts are cubs butchered in their first year. The new Conservative/Lib Dem coalition are being very cagey about when MPs will have the chance to vote on a parliamentary motion that will decide whether to hold a free vote on the ban. This is why we are campaigning now to make the public aware that hunting is still very much on the Tories political agenda. The cabinet is mostly made up of pro-hunt supporters, some even hunt themselves, so it's imperative that we keep the hunting issue alive in the public mind so that they are aware of the risk to this hard fought for legislation. It did after all take over eighty years to bring about. We intend taking our campaign message for stronger enforcement of the hunting act to every major town in North and Mid Wales and we also will be urging our South Wales colleagues to do likewise. This is one law that should not be destroyed by this new Government which is riddled with hunters - it should be strengthened. Dear Friends, Following the recent historic ban on carted stag hunting in Ireland, campaigners against blood sports are hopeful that the Irish government will follow up this achievement by banning the horrific practise of live hare coursing, in which hares are used as live bait in contests between competing greyhounds. Here is a link to a film of what hare coursing in Ireland involves: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFdjBy5S8k8 Thousands of hares are captured annually in Ireland for this “pastime”…to be chased and terrorised in wired enclosures for “fun” and “entertainment”. Many are mauled to death; others die of stress-related ailments or internal injuries after being released back into the wild following the coursing events. Other hares, mainly the ones deemed unsuitable for coursing, are used to “blood” dogs as part of their training. This involves feeding them live to greyhounds. The greyhounds also suffer injury, ill-treatment, and neglect in coursing. A decision will be made by the Irish government shortly (at some point before the end of August) on whether to permit yet another season of this barbaric blood sport. The hare-coursing season itself, if allowed to go ahead, would begin in the final week of September. The Irish government is sensitive to outside opinion as tourism is one of our most lucrative industries, so messages from abroad can influence the decision. Can you congratulate Ireland’s Environment Minister John Gormley on his achievement in banning carted stag hunting…a brief message will suffice…And ask him to now consider banning live hare coursing in Ireland? You can contact him at: minister@environ.ie Thanking you, John Fitzgerald, Campaign for the AbolitionOf Cruel Sports PS. It would of course be most helpful if you could pass this appeal to another group or campaigner. Thank you!
Majority say yes to pigeon cull - please vote NO
now:
HARE PRESERVATION TRUST News Bulletin 9216 July 2010 Enforcement of Hares Preservation Act Following an alert of a pub in East Yorkshire selling pies containing hare during the 1 March - 31 July prohibited period we had an excellent response from David Jenkins, Force Deputy Director (Wildlife Crime) of Humberside Police. The incident eventually proved to be a genuine oversight on the part of the pub concerned. Speaking of his other work on wildlife protection David said: “Humberside Police now run a very proactive response to all poaching, particularly day time hare coursing and we are already in preparation for the next "season" which is not too far away! Our new Poaching Policy will be in place along with improved training for staff. Force Wildlife Crime co-ordinators will be meeting later this month and we intend to co-ordinate a Regional response to targeting offenders who cross County borders. This region will include every Force north of Lincs, Derbyshire up to Scotland. We also operate very closely with Farmwatch members and run a fast text messaging system to alert all members to offenders vehicles. This has proved to be extremely effective. We also take positive action against offenders.” Leveret upsets domestic chores!Linda Fisher e-mailed us recently to say she has a leveret in her garden which has made its form against one of the trees and seems to be around for most of the day. Linda said: “I don’t know much about hares but am amazed that this leveret sleeps in the same place every day. It means that mowing the lawn and hanging washing out is severely restricted - but worth it.”Police success against hare coursing PC Paul Marina, who works in the North Herts rural area has reduced coursing incidents by 70 per cent since 2003. PC Marina, who has worked for the police for 27 years and is considered one of the country’s top hare coursing authorities, has a 100 per cent conviction rate once the illegal coursers are prosecuted in court. He said: "We operate a zero tolerance policy. "When I started, there were around 120 incidents related to hare coursing every year. Last year there were 24. Last year, out of 26 call-outs, we arrested 13 people, of which, 12 were convicted or cautioned in connection with hare coursing." It is heartening to hear of this success against a barbaric pastime which Harold Wilson attempted to ban in 1969 and 1975 with support from no less a Conservative than Margaret Thatcher on both occasions. More snaring incidents A missing dog was found alive recently after surviving three weeks trapped by her neck in a crude wire snare in Abbottsford, East London. The “miracle” golden retriever, Rosebud, is thought to have survived by drinking dew from the leaves of plants around her. Also, a badger found wounded in a snare in the Scottish borders has been treated for its injuries at the Royal Dick Veterinary Hospital in Edinburgh and released back into the wild by the Scottish SPCA. These shocking incidents show, yet again, the indiscriminate nature and cruelty of snares and they must be banned. All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.Edmund Burke (1729-1797) HPT PO Box 70 Crediton EX17 4ZQ info@hare-preservation-trust.co.uk Panorama on BBC1 tomorrow evening at 7 is on the 'fox attack'. No doubt it will be biased! Hope I'm proved wrong!
Our poor much misunderstood foxes are already the most persecuted animals on earth. Judi
LUSH CRITICISED FOR HELPING HSA - Hunt Saboteurs Association.
NATIONAL MEDIA, LESS THAN TRUTHFUL - so what's new? Not a headline ever likely to be seen, but far more accurate than those published. Here is a much more honest summary, but far too boring for the media. June 16th 2010 The Advertising Standards Authority dismissed almost all of the
complaints concerning the LUSH/HSA campaign. 1/ The campaign did not unfairly denigrate hunts
and hunters; 2/ the claim "a whopping 75% of the population want to see hunting with
hounds remain a criminal activity" is substantiated by evidence; 3/ the claims "Hunting
hounds usually lead short lives and are often killed ... when they are no longer useful" and "When hounds are no
longer useful to the hunt, they are usually killed ..." were substantiated by evidence from the Burns Report. This quoted
the CA and MFHA confirming that foxhounds were often put down when they were no longer useful to a hunt, which at the time
was estimated to be around 3,000 hounds a year. 4/ the videos offered were not misleading; 5/ the claims "Scientific studies show that hunting with hounds plays an 'insignificant' part of
regulating fox numbers" and "Scientific reports indicate that hunting with hounds plays an 'insignificant'
role in controlling fox numbers" were substantiated by evidence. The only claims considered to be insufficiently substantiated were 1/ the
implication that hunts were intentionally and regularly breaking the law 2/ the implication
that the Hunting Act was not being properly enforced 3/ "Hunting hounds usually
lead short lives and are often killed and fed back to the pack when they are no longer useful" and "When hounds
are no longer useful to the hunt, they are usually killed and their bodies sometimes get fed back to the pack" The adjudication is here but it is also copied immediately below with some comments in blue by me - Peter B. Issue 129 complainants raised a number of different issues. They challenged whether: 1. ads (a), (b) and (c) were offensive to, and unfairly denigrated, hunts and hunters; NOT UPHELD 2. the claim "... a whopping 75% of the population want to see hunting with hounds remain a criminal activity" in ad (c) was misleading and could be substantiated; NOT UPHELD 3. ads (a), (b) and (c) misleadingly implied that hunts were intentionally and regularly breaking the law; UPHELD,not surpisingly, as though it is true, the evidence is not sufficient. 4. ads (a), (b) and (c) misleadingly implied that the Hunting Act was not being properly enforced; UPHELD, not surprisingly. I believe it to be unenforceable when the rabble falsely claim to be trail hunting. And similarly for beagling when they claim they are chasing rabbits or whatever, and mink hunts claim to be hunting rats or whatever. The three deer hunts are claiming research and observation. The Act is enforceable in respect of coursing, and many convictions indicate that it is being enforced. 5. ads (a) and (c) misleadingly implied that any form of hunting with dogs was illegal; NOT UPHELD 6. the claims "Hunting hounds usually lead short lives and are often killed and fed back to the pack when they are no longer useful" in ad (a) and "When hounds are no longer useful to the hunt, they are usually killed and their bodies sometimes get fed back to the pack" in ad (c) were misleading and could be substantiated; UPHELD BUT only because of the small part relating to the claim of feeding dead hounds back to the pack. The major part was NOT UPHELD See this extract from the adjudication. We noted the Report quoted the CA and MFHA confirming that foxhounds were often put down when they were no longer useful to a hunt, which at the time was estimated to be around 3,000 hounds a year. We therefore considered that the claims "Hunting hounds usually lead short lives and are often killed ... when they are no longer useful" in ad (a) and "When hounds are no longer useful to the hunt, they are usually killed ..." in ad (c) were unlikely to mislead. That is not something the rabble wish people to know about. 7. the leaflet (a) and online sales promotion (c) were irresponsible, because claims such as "If you want to get involved in direct action ..." in (a) and "... the hunt sabs take direct action to save animals ..." in (c), promoted direct action against hunts and were likely to provoke violence; NOT UPHELD 8. the videos on the online sales promotion (c) were misleading because it was unclear whether they were filmed before the Hunting Act came into force; NOT UPHELD 9. the claims "Scientific studies show that hunting with hounds plays an 'insignificant' part of regulating fox numbers" in ad (a) and "Scientific reports indicate that hunting with hounds plays an 'insignificant' role in controlling fox numbers" in ad (c) were misleading and could be substantiated. NOT UPHELD Assessment 1. Not upheld The ASA considered that it was clear that the focus of ads (a), (b) and (c) was on the 2004 Hunting Act and the illegal hunting of foxes with hounds, rather than on all hunts and hunters. Although we acknowledged that some hunt supporters might object in principle to ads for an organisation such as the HSA, we did not consider that such advertising was likely to cause serious or widespread offence. Furthermore, because we considered that consumers would understand that the claims in the ads related to illegal hunting specifically, rather than to hunts or hunters in general, we also concluded that ads (a), (b) and (c) had not unfairly denigrated hunts and hunters. On this point, we investigated ads (a), (b) and (c) under CAP Code clauses 5.1 (Decency) and 20.1 (Denigration) but did not find them in breach. 2. Not upheld We considered that the claim ... a whopping 75% of the population want to see hunting with hounds remain a criminal activity" implied that a representative survey of the UK population had recently been carried out to gauge support for the continuation of a hunting ban. We noted the claim was based on the results of an independent survey of 2003 adults, taken shortly before the online promotion appeared, which showed that 75% of those polled believed that fox hunting with hounds should remain illegal. We concluded that Lush had substantiated the claim and that it was therefore not misleading. On this point, we investigated ad (c) under CAP Code clauses 3.1 (Substantiation) and 7.1 (Truthfulness), but did not find it in breach. 3. Upheld We considered that the claims "Despite the Hunting Act taking effect ... organised hunts around the country are still chasing and killing foxes" in ad (a), "THE HUNTS ARE STILL AT IT! ... Unfortunately there are still hunters who are intent on breaking the law ..." in ad (b) and "Since the Hunting Act came into force in 2005 there has been widespread breaking of the law by foxhunts" in ad (c), along with repeated references in the ads to hunts breaking the law, would be understood by consumers to imply that some hunts were regularly and intentionally breaking the law. We also considered that those claims were objective claims capable of substantiation. We noted that Lush had offered to provide testimonials from people who had witnessed hunts breaking the law. However, we understood that the CAP Code stated that testimonials alone did not constitute substantiation for a claim and that opinions expressed in them must be supported, where necessary, with independent evidence of their accuracy. We noted the pledge on the Hunting Declaration website and newspaper articles that reported alleged breaches of the law, which Lush had supplied as evidence for the claims. However, we understood that the Hunting Declaration website had not been updated since 2004 and that the newspaper articles were dated 2006, soon after the Hunting Act came into force. We considered that that evidence was not sufficiently robust to support the claims that hunts were intentionally and frequently breaking the law. We therefore concluded that the claims had not been substantiated and were misleading. On this point, ads (a), (b) and (c) breached CAP Code clauses 3.1 (Substantiation) and 7.1 (Truthfulness). 4. Upheld We considered that the claims "... police have stated it's not a priority to enforce the law and have left the hunts to continue their blood sport with little fear of prosecution", "Until the law is tightened up and properly enforced ..." and "Hunt saboteur groups go out ... and do the job Westminster and the police have failed to do" in ad (a), "Please do your bit by actively enforcing the law of the land ... other animals cannot be safe until you make the commitment to take action" in ad (b), and "police are not making an enforcement a priority, so for hunts, it's business as usual", "It's disgraceful that the Hunt Saboteurs Association ... are obliged to enforce a law ..." and "... usually police don't collect evidence or prosecute hunts ... If police got more involved in enforcing the act [sic] ... a lot fewer animals would suffer" in ad (c) implied that the law was not being properly enforced by the police. Whilst we acknowledged that the ad (c) also stated that "many people have been prosecuted under the new law", we did not consider that that statement alone countered the overall impression created by ad (c) that the Hunting Act was not being properly enforced. We understood that, because the Hunting Act was the law of the land, the police had a duty to enforce it and that the ACPO guidance suggested that they would do so proportionately and according to priorities. We also understood that a number of prosecutions had been instigated since the passing of the Hunting Act. We recognised that, for a number of reasons, there might be difficulties in gathering evidence of illegal fox hunts, but we also noted that we had not seen evidence to suggest that, if the police were in possession of such information, that they would not enforce the law. We therefore concluded that on this point the ads were misleading. On this point, ads (a), (b) and (c) breached CAP Code clauses 3.1 (Substantiation) and 7.1 (Truthfulness). 5. Not upheld We noted ad (c) explained that the Hunting Act outlawed the chasing and killing of foxes with packs of dogs and whilst it was legal to hunt with hounds, it was illegal to use those hounds to chase and kill wildlife. We also noted ad (a) referred to hunting and killing foxes with dogs as a breach of the Hunting Act, and explained that saboteurs were needed to monitor and sabotage those instances of illegal hunting. We considered that it was clear that ads (a) and (c) referred to the illegal hunting of foxes with hounds in particular, and concluded that consumers were unlikely to believe they implied that all forms of hunting with hounds was illegal. On this point, we investigated ads (a) and (c) under CAP Code clause 7.1 (Truthfulness) but did not find them in breach. 6. Upheld We understood that the 2000 Burns Report was an independent, comprehensive inquiry into the issues surrounding hunting and, in the absence of more recent research, we considered it to be an authoritative report on the subject. We noted the Report quoted the CA and MFHA confirming that foxhounds were often put down when they were no longer useful to a hunt, which at the time was estimated to be around 3,000 hounds a year. We therefore considered that the claims "Hunting hounds usually lead short lives and are often killed ... when they are no longer useful" in ad (a) and "When hounds are no longer useful to the hunt, they are usually killed ..." in ad (c) were unlikely to mislead. We also noted the newspaper interview from 1992 and details of the HSA reported incident from 1997 provided by Lush. However, we did not consider that anecdotal evidence, which was also dated, was sufficiently robust substantiation to support the claims that hounds were fed back to the pack when their hunting lives were over. Because we had not seen evidence to support those particular claims, we concluded that they were misleading. On this point, ads (a) and (c) breached CAP Code clauses 3.1 (Substantiation) and 7.1 (Truthfulness). 7. Not upheld We noted ads (a) and (c) invited consumers to become involved in direct action by joining the HSA, supporting them either financially or by becoming a hunt saboteur and described the kind of activities they undertook as part of their campaign. We understood that Lush defined "direct action" as action used to obtain demands, but we considered that that in itself did not necessarily suggest violent means. We noted there were no descriptions of violent acts in the ads, and that ads (a) and (c) referred to using "peaceful means to protect wild animals" and "non-violent means to protect hunted animals" respectively. We therefore did not consider that the ads suggested that violence would be used to achieve the HSA's aims, or that such acts would be required by joining or supporting the HSA. Whilst we acknowledged that the actions described in the ads, such as using hunting horns or harmless sprays to cover the fox's scent, could be disruptive, we did not consider that they would be regarded as violent activities by most people. We therefore concluded that ads (a) and (c) did not condone, or were likely to provoke, violence. On this point, we investigated ads (a) and (c) under CAP Code clauses 2.2 (Social responsibility), and 11.1 (Violence and anti-social behaviour) but did not find them in breach. 8. Not upheld We noted the videos were not dated, but nonetheless understood that they were all filmed after the passing of the Hunting Act. However, we considered that, because the videos were illustrative of the kind of action the hunt saboteurs were currently involved with, consumers were unlikely to be misled by the omission of the dates of when they were filmed. We also noted some of the photographs were taken before the Act was passed, but because we understood that they were also illustrative of activities currently undertaken by hunt saboteurs, we did not consider that they were likely to mislead consumers about the kind of action taken by the hunt saboteurs, the reaction from hunt supporters and riders, or the outcome of a hunt. We therefore concluded that the videos and photographs were not misleading. On this point, we investigated ad (c) under CAP Code clauses 7.1 and 7.2 (Truthfulness) but did not find it in breach. 9. Not upheld We noted the claims that hunting with hounds played an insignificant role in the control of fox numbers, in ads (a) and (c) were based on the conclusions of independent scientific research carried out for the Burns Report and also by further subsequent research. We therefore considered that the claims had been substantiated and concluded that they were unlikely to mislead. On this point, we investigated ads (a) and
(c) under CAP Code clauses 3.1 (Substantiation) and 7.1 (Truthfulness) but did not find them in breach BOYCOTT ALL NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS FOR TWELVE MONTHS, IN PROTEST AT THEIR VINDICTIVE CAMPAIGN AGAINST OUR BELOVED FOXES, AND THOSE OF US WHO LOVE THEM. Please vote NO to the repeal of the hunting act. Kyouken Okami's (age 14yrs) tribute to our fox campaign.
A very beautiful and moving tribute - well worth a visit. And although it was not Kyouken singing, I felt she did a good job of using some of our film footage (that was used on Judi's Song) to great effect. Kyouken is a very compassionate girl and for one so young, I must say she's a really talented film maker. Thankyou Kyouken, for this lovely film. visit KyoukenOkami's channel while MPs consider how they will vote on hunting act repeal, Minority Pastime goes live on http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiemoviesonline.com%2F&h=46a6b . Please pass on the link so that as many people as possible see the film. LIB DEM'S SELL OUT OUR WILDLIFE www.Save-Me.org.uk
Please join Brian May's SAVE ME campaign and help save our wildlife. Help us to spread the word by getting every single one of your family, friends and colleagues to sign up to the SAVE ME pledge. We need more people to stand up and be counted. This is a fight to stop barbaric hunting with dogs being brought by the new Prime Minister, David Cameron, who has pledged to overturn this very hard fought for ban as soon as possible. All we want is for everyone who cares about animals, to add their names, and to say NO to the Tories bringing back killing with dogs/hounds. It will cost you nothing, but I promise, it will make you feel really good about yourself. Thanks, Judi Fox hunting repeal under threat
after coalition talks We must not let Britain go to Cameron's hunt dogs.
Cameron is now Prime Minister, God help us! This fox hunter, deer shooter has crept into power and will no doubt want to reward his cruel hunt supporters with a return to barbaric hunting. These people gave millions in donations to the Conservative party to help them fight and win this election. Billionaire Lord Ashcroft, was one of them, and he is going to want his money's worth. William Hague an avid supporter of hare coursing was the one who helped get Ashcroft his peerage back in 2002. All these hunt thugs care about is getting their legal right to torture animals to death again. They don't give a toss about the economy. And they obviously haven't suffered monetary problems as a result of a Labour Government, otherwise how come they've been able to give millions to Cameron to fight the election? We compassionate folk have a huge fight on our hands - we cannot and we will not allow hunt criminals to get their jollies off killing animals for fun again. This would show Britain up as an immoral, bloodthirsty country that is still being ruled over by the rich, corrupt and powerful. Let's take this fight all the way - our wildlife deserves our protection. And let's not forget, corruption wherever we find it should stamped on and stamped out!! The most disturbing thing about the Lib Dems decision to cosy up with the Tories, is that many people including many animal rights people voted for them because of their commitment to animal welfare, and ofcourse their promise to safe guard the hunt ban and even to strengthen it. If Nic Clegg reneges on this, then his party will get even less support next time around from the electorate. In fact it could all but destroy the Liberal Democrats. Prime Minister David Cameron is 100% pro-hunt. So let's make sure we fight even harder to expose his pro-hunt agenda. It won't be too long before we in Wales are heading for the Welsh Assembly elections. Let's make sure we only vote for compassionate AM's of whichever party. In other words anti-cull, anti-hunt candidates. This is one fight we cannot afford to lose. Judi GULLIBLE BRITISH PUBLIC & DIRTY MEDIA PLOT!! The savages have taken control! I would like to thank all those who voted for Chris Ruane, our Labour Party candidate who defeated Tory candidate Matt Wright with a good majority. I would also like to extend congratulations to Labour's anti-hunt candidates Mark Tami, Ian Lucas and David Hanson for their outstanding success. Labour in Wales did really well, considering the dirty media plot that has been demonising
Labour since the ban was made law. The English are obviously a gullible lot - taken in by
a millionaire fox hunter. It won't just be the foxes screaming as they get their guts ripped out by hounds,
Cameron will rip the guts out of this whole country in more ways that one. Lets just make sure that he doesn't
get his way on civil liberties, because it will make criminals of decent compassionate anti-hunt people. WAAC delivered in excess of 17,000 anti-hunt leaflets door to door and I like to think that animal
lovers and those appalled by Cameron's plan to overturn the hunting act, contributed to Chris Ruane's overall
success and that of Mark and Ian. It's been a really tough fight for WAAC in
North Wales, and we still have a massive uphill struggle to keep the ban and to stop Cameron from rewarding
his hunting (criminals) supporters with a repeal. But we will do everything within our
power to make it known to the wider public the truth about Cameron's rise to power and the hunt's blood money
that went into funding his election campaign. Killing with dogs is a savage and cruel sport
and should never again be allowed to happen with the blessing of any government I
once read that a nation can be judged by how it treats its animals - Cameron is now Prime Minister of Britain - a cold and calculating man, who
for recreation, enjoys killing animals. In other words, we are now being ruled over by a savage in Britain.
And it won't just be the animals who will be badly treated if he gets his way, it will be people too - even
those poor fools with very little money who stupidly voted Tory. It looks like
Winter could be here for a long time to come - get ready for real poverty, the ruling class has taken back control
from the gullible poor.
Judi Hewitt Matt Wright the Tory Candidate tried to get the police to have us removed 'from outside' the polling station. When that didn't work, his aide tried to say my banner had an upsetting image. Then they tried to say I couldn't show David Cameron's (airbrushed) face. Matt Wright showed total arrogance when he refused to answer any emails I sent to him over a very lengthy period (six months). I stood up to him at a public meeting in Rhyl just a few days earlier, where I informed the public of his stance on the hunting issue, and how he supported a free vote (that I've no doubt he would have used to overturn the ban) the only protection foxes, deer and hares have ever had from a goverment. Good riddance Mr Wright! You were soundly beaten and 'rightly' so!' Don't come back! We got lots of support from members of the public in agreement with us - the only ones to complain were the Tory party and one or two of their supporters - an old couple who drove past to go into the polling station. They put their car window down and said gruffly "Go away". Obviously these miserable old people haven't yet heard that we are now live in a Democratic country where people are supposed to have freedom of speech. Judi SONG FOR THE FOXES
Words & music by Roger Burke - Sung by singer turned activist Judi Hewitt JUDI'S SONG - For The foxes  3 min 47 sec - 11 May 2010 Uploaded by judi756 www.youtube.com And so it begins.... Daniel Kawczynski is the REAL
face of Cameron's so-called 'modern' conservatism! See news report at link below which includes segment of the
Vote OK video. I warned
people back in 2005 that the first election Cameron fought as head of the Tory party would be the one where all the plans
of the hunting fraternity came together. I was told by some
people in our movement that I was a maverick and that the Tories would never touch it. We are now one week away from
a real danger of these people having all their objectives fulfilled. Please help spread the message in the remaining days wherever you can..Cameron WILL re-legalise bloosports! Chris
I couldn't agree more Chris! A very worrying time for those of us trying to stop cruel Cameron and his top men (all avid lovers of hunting) from overturning the barbaric 'sport' of killing using dogs. And if you believe the polls, it's hard to believe that the public are being taken in by this blood-sports fanatic! Do they really believe that this Tory party are going to make them richer? Dream on - he's there because the blood-sports sadists wanted him there!!!! The C/A have used the press to great effect! For this they should be congratulated! Between them, they have systematically dismantled Labour and all because they could not stand the thought that the public had said 'no' to their vile fun. It's a national disgrace and the public will be just as much to blame as Cameron if hunts are once again allowed to set a pack of dogs on to a terrified animal for the SHEER FUN of seeing it torn apart by a pack of dogs baring snarling, gnashing teeth!!!!!! I'm heartbroken that this could soon be business as usual for thug hunts so I'm stating here and now that I will never recognise hunting as legal again, and I personally will do all that is in my power to try to spare a few foxes at least from the brutes who have consistently broken the law and could soon be rewarded by the Tories for it! I don't want to be a hunt sabatuer, but I could soon find myself trying to disrupt hunts. I will also be checking out land - all land that is hunted over to look for artificial earths (hunts leaving carcasses around an earth to encourage foxes to breed). There is no way it will ever be business as usual for hunts - they are too despised now by many people. After all, the truth is out about fox, deer and hare hunting. Judi CHECK OUT THIS LINK AND READ AN EXCELLENT BLOG BY ALAN KIRBY, A POWA ASSOCIATE
http://alanpowa.wordpress.com/
Below are excerpts from the rural manifesto
launched today by Hilary Benn.
In addition, the manifesto was a great deal toned down in its
support for shooting (one sentence about 'responsible shooting' only with none of the style of language
of previous election manifestos) and even having the words 'consider banning snares' will upset the shooting
lobby a great deal. This is all
evidence that we are making a lot of progress on these matters and further evidence (if any were needed) of how absolutely
essential it is we get a Labour government back in.
IMPORTANT
MESSAGE FROM OUR COLLEAGUE, CHRIS GALE I am delighted that today my party, Labour, has launched a comprehensive manifesto (attached) on green issues which includes some very important animal welfare commitments. All this would be wrecked if we get a Tory government and the Liberals cannot be trusted on animal welfare, along with much else. It was worth the wait for this document and it includes a major development, not only a commitment to ban wild animals in circuses (opposed by the Tories) but a commitment to review the Hunting Act code of practice. 'In the next Parliament we will ban cages for game birds and wild animals incircuses. We will continue the review of wildlife crime legislation, including the The gamekeepers exemption in the Hunting Act is something many of us have long called for the removal of.This
would seal the fate of the hunters who exploit this loophole.This manifesto commitment to review the Hunting Act provisions
and tighten it up is a major milestone. The Prime Minister,Ed Miliband and Hilary Benn have shown clear and decisive leadership
on these matters. We would have none of this progress and commitment to continue to improve animal welfare without a Labour
government. IT
IS ABSOLUTELY VITAL THAT WE SECURE A FOURTH TERM LABOUR GOVERNMENT! Chris "At least 75 per cent of Britons are on our side. That's about 45
million people. The only hard thing is getting them all to realise what is happening, in the 3 weeks left before Election
Day. If we can just harness the power of the great majority of animal lovers in this country we CAN still make a difference.
We are in the right. That helps too." Brian May PLEASE REGISTER YOUR SUPPORT (CLICK ON THE BANNER BELOW TO TAKE YOU TO SITE)-THIS IS A HUGELY
IMPORTANT CAMPAIGN TO SAVE THE HUNT BAN LAUNCHED BY WORLD RENOWNED ROCK GUITARIST AND SCIENTIST BRIAN MAY. PLEASE FORWARD FAR AND WIDE TO ALL YOUR CONTACTS AND ASK THEM TO REGISTER THEIR SUPPORT ON THE
SITE AND TO FORWARD ON THE LINK TO ALL THEIR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES. Many thanks! Chris
Country mag's racist slur on black MPThe leading article in the Earth Dog-Running Dog publication criticises the MP, an opponent of fox hunting, for being "typical of her species", and claims people living in her East London seat are "drug abusers", "muggers" and "scroungers". The magazine proclaims itself to be the house journal of terrier men who are an integral part of fox hunts, and those who hunt with lurcher dogs. The magazine carries the logo of the BFSS. Editor David Harcombe, who wrote the editorial, says he has no regrets. A terrier man with the Cwrtycadno fox hunt in mid-Wales, he said: "I resent Oona King. She is the daughter of some immigrant ... telling us what to do. What right has she got to criticise the people of this country? How dare she attack us when her and her kind are always asking for special privileges for minorities?" Ms King, MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, had appeared on Question Time when she spoke against hunting. Mr Harcombe, the founding editor of the magazine, wrote in his editorial: "Unfortunately she is typical of her species. If she really wants to dictate then let her tell her drug- abusing constituents what to do ... when I was in the forces many years ago ... I often passed through her constituency late at night, on the Tube - could I do that now in safety without the very real risk of being mugged, assaulted, or even murdered? "I am British and proud of it. We ... are being eroded by all-comers descending on our land and taking advantage of all we have earned for ourselves. They claim 'rights' and then tell us that we have no rights." Mr Harcombe said the magazine has a circulation of about 4,000. It has trade membership of the BFSS. Ms King said: "I am appalled by this outburst. I am sure the majority of decent, law-abiding people living in the countryside will be equally appalled. In politics, you learn to accept criticism and even personal insults, but this description of the people living in Bethnal Green and Bow ... is beneath contempt." Excellent new campaign launched today by Brian May. See also: VIXEN & HER CUBS KILLED BY LLANBRYNMAIR HUNT
A vixen and her cubs were cruelly killed by a local hunt last week (April 3rd 2010) on a hillside known as Newydd Fynyddog (about 14 miles south of Machynlleth) in Mid Wales. My courageous colleague Keith Hartley, who witnessed the atrocity, albeit through binoculars, was kind enough to provide the above photo's of the murdered vixen, and the earth where she and her cubs were sadistically killed. The police did eventually respond, but it took three calls to get them to the scene. The delay meant that this evil scum had time to put their dogs in to the earth to flush out the frightened vixen and rip apart her terrified cubs. The vixen was shot after she fled the earth and her remains were left at the scene. I am calling on anyone in and around the area to contact me, if they feel they can either help out or monitor these sick people. The local huntsman in the area is Mr John Corfield, but it's not absolutley clear whether this man was one of those responsible. However, this hunt are known to use a white Ford Transit van which was at the scene - the police did take their details, so you can draw your own conclusions. Please complain to the hunt Secretary Edward Evans, Tel 01650 521212 to ask why they are 'seemingly' still killing foxes despite the ban. Please keep your complaints polite. I'd just like to add - what kind of mindset do these people have? How do they sleep at night knowing that their victims are lying alone in the dark, blooded, cold and lifeless? Because no decent human being could ever do to an animal what these barbarous sub humans find so easy. They torture defenceless animals to death without a thought! These awful people also have no idea of the effect their perverted pleasure has on decent compassionate people. God damn them!! Please go onto the following site and send emails to your local parliamentary candidates. We are only a few weeks away and we need them to know that people who care deeply for animals are important would be voters BATTLE TO KEEP THE BAN FIVE REASONS NOT TO VOTE TORY BRITAIN AT CROSSROADS-SIX WEEKS AWAY FROM VICTORY OR CALAMITY FOR
OUR WILDLIFE AND COMPASSIONATE VALUES SIX WEEKS TO SAVE OUR WILDLIFE FROM CAMERON There are now just six weeks left
until we face an election which will define the future for animal welfare in this country and our status in the world. If David Cameron becomes Prime Minister it
will be the equivalent of the Countryside Alliance being given the keys to Downing Street. The Tory leader and his henchmen would unleash a war on our wildlife and all the progress we have made
will be swept away. We could be just six weeks away from Countryside Alliance Chief Executive Simon
Hart becoming a Tory MP. We could be just six
weeks away from the cruel and the cowardly popping the champagne corks as their long planned smashing of the Hunting
Act becomes reality. The Tories would repeal the Hunting Act and also introduce a slaughter of badgers across England. PLEASE DO WHATEVER
YOU CAN IN THESE REMAINING DAYS TO HELP STOP THIS CALAMITY. There are seats in every region where the majority over the Tories of the sitting anti-hunt
MP is very slim. PLEASE HELP THESE CANDIDATES WITH WHATEVER TIME YOU CAN SPARE. Please also remember
that a vote for fringe and minor parties like the Greens will simply help the hunters and mean the loss of
anti-hunting MPs and their replacement with pro-hunt Tories SIX WEEKS TO STOP THE CALAMITY-SIX WAYS TO HELP 6 WAYS
TO HELP
WE KNOW THE WHOLE CRUEL TRUTH ABOUT HUNTING WITH DOGS, BUT FOR THOSE WHO DON'T BUT
WHO WANT TO FIND OUT - THEN PLEASE VIEW THE FILM FOOTAGE ATTACHED.
Be warned - it contains horrific and graphic images of hunt cruelty. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtLEcInu9Us Although muddy, the fox was a young male, that had been disembowelled and the tail taken,
and still warm when filmed. LETTER FROM 'ANIMAL'
IN PORTUGAL Badger Rally in Cardiff March 8th 2010 Betty Lee from Clwyd Badger Group, Mold co-ordinator
Hugh Roberts and Judi Hewitt founder of Wales Against Animal Cruelty, joined hundreds of people in Cardiff to protest
outside the Welsh Assembly, against the badger cull which is expected to start this April. The organisers of this rally did a brilliant job to get so many people to stand up for the innocents about to be massacred. The main speaker was John Evans from 'Save the Badger' who did a great job, but there were also speakers from various other major animal welfare organisations, including VIVA, Wildlife Trust, Badger Trust and Animals Count. There were even some land owners speaking out which included organic farmers. All were adamant that killing badgers was the wrong approach to tackling bTB. We believe that the massacre of these innocent animals is being undertaken because the majority of the farming industry are reluctant to take responsibility for their own farming failures. We also believe that bTB is very profitable to farmers. Campaigners are also concerned at the rumours that some members of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, BASC (hobby shooters) have been employed by WAG and are already in training for this gruesome slaughter. Some say it is being undertaken on a site in North Wales in preparation for the killings to start in Pembrokeshire (South West Wales) this April. It's worrying that badger cubs born
later than others, will be too young to fend for themselves, and so will be left to die slowly in their setts. There's
no hard and fast rules that says all cubs will be independent by the time the killings are expected to start, in
about three weeks time.
If David Cameron gets the keys to number 10, it will roll back our fight for wildlife for decades to come. Basically, it will be a return to the dark ages. It will once again be legal to torment animals to a horrible death for the gratification of a minority who just want to abuse them for fun. How can any party call themselves progressive and compassionate (as the Tories have) yet want a return to barbaric killing with dogs? This is the best animal welfare act ever brought in by any government and the leader of the Conservatives, David Cameron wants to reverse a very hard fought for ban on cruelty. It's enough to make you despair! However we did get to see David Cameron, who went by us in a flash. And even though it was only for a split second, it was long enough to see his face go red with anger when he saw our banners and decided to ignore our questions. All we really saw of him was his disappearing back. The Tories are trying very hard not mention the hunting act, but I believe their silence speaks volumes. It tells me that they know full well that most people would be appalled to discover that Cameron wants to overturn this animal welfare act. This is why we are so determined to get to as many voters as possible before the election.
WAAC TAKE TO THE STREETS OF BETWS Y COED Campaigners from Wales Against Animal Cruelty took more signatures, this time in Betws Y Coed, whilst campaigning against the Tory threat to the hunt ban. David Cameron has pledged to get rid of the hunting act, which comes as no surprise since Mr Cameron has a love of blood sports. He and his wife are fox hunters and Mr Cameron also likes deer shooting. Since starting this campaign last Autumn we have accumulated just over 11,000 signatures from all around North Wales. This figure should continue to rocket in the coming weeks as we continue our campaigns throughout towns in North and Mid Wales. We have also been doing door to door leafleting and so far we have completed thirteen towns and villages. .We're hopeful we can keep this ban with the help of the British public. WAAC will continue to fight to close loopholes in the hunting act. We have already written to Hilary Benn with a number of suggestions that would put a stop to extremist hunts who think they are above the law. We've also been urging the public to check out our website to see for themselves the truth about hunting with hounds and also to get the latest news from around the UK. KEEP RABBIT RESCUE CENTRE OPEN
Please sign this petition and forward to your contacts http://www.petitiononline.com/rabbit10/petition.html http://www.rabbitresidence.org.uk/ PLEASE PASS WIDELY-THANKS CAMERON'S BARBARIC BRITAIN Today I am a launching the final phase of my e-mail campaign in the
run up to the election which is now just weeks away. We are approaching a critical crossroads and there is no room for half-hearted
approaches or holding back on taking the fight to the Tories. I am sending this e mail to the
General Secretary of the Labour party and Hilary Benn and asking them to put the excellent and hard hitting new IFAW IN ACTION video on every Labour website, the main Labour site, MPs websites, the Labour You Tube page and so on. This video
shows Cameron's barbaric Britain, what he would bring back to our countryside. It
is this slogan I want to hammer home in these remaining weeks. This is the last chance saloon for our wildlife and civilised
values and we must show exactly what it is that Cameron represents and exactly what the
consequences for our wildlife would be of a Tory election win. I am also with this e-mail urging Labour
officials to get this video link and stills from the film into supportive newspapers such as the Daily Mirror and to
ask that Labour PPCs do a press release alerting the public to the contents. The film can be embedded on websites using the code below: <object width="425"
height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hXs3WFndvb8&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess"
value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hXs3WFndvb8&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"
width="425" height="344"></embed></object> The link for the film is: This film should be everywhere where Labour has an internet presence. Chris
CRUELTY IS EXPOSED!!!! use code below to embed on your website or blog etc. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hXs3WFndvb8&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed
src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hXs3WFndvb8&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"
width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
I sent IFAW a letter about this yesterday. Sadly scenes like this are still repeated daily across the UK due to the weak legislation. I received a debrief from the CPS in January after they dismissed yet another complaint - backed up with video footage of a fox kill. The lawyer informed me that to prove 'intent' I would probably need footage of a hunter shouting 'kill the animal', otherwise it will be just an accident!! Its a real shame that IFAW and LACS appear to be content with weak legislation and that they failed to endorse the campaign by POWA to tighten up the hunting act by removing the word 'intent. But hey.....as long as the donations come in. It seems mad to me that under this legislation terrierwork is still legal. In the words of a Mid
Wales terrierman to me "the labour party didn't ban terrierwork, they legalised it!" Hence look at magazines
like earth dog running dog, etc and you will see page after page of foxes being killed by terriers.....all protecting game
birds as per the legislation!!
Anti-hunt campaigner. Hunting ban and Tory repeal featured on Politics Show West today, see link below STARTS AT 29 mins 48 SECONDS Dan Norris MP for Wansdyke did a really good job. James Barrington of the Countryside Alliance will give you indigestion like anything unpleasant and past
its sell-by date. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00qy3by/The_Politics_Show_West_14_02_2010/
BE WARNED, TRAITOR TO WILDLIFE JIM BARRINGTON, ACCUSING ANTI-HUNT OF BEING CLASS DRIVEN - HE REALLY IS A PRIZE IDIOT!!! Could I please ask for you to spare a few minutes to sign this petition regarding the hunting ban. It
would be excellent if you could pass the link on to as many people as possible.. http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/loopholes/?signed=fde83eb.38138d HOW COULD ANY DECENT PERSON WANT TO VOTE TORY OR PLAID CYMRU WHEN THESE PARTIES WANT
TO GIVE HUNT THUGS (LIKE THOSE IN THE FOLLOWING FILMS) A LEGAL RIGHT TO RETURN OUR BEAUTIFUL COUNTRYSIDE INTO THE
BLOOD SPATTERED KILLING FIELDS AGAIN, AND FOR WHAT? SO THAT HUNT SUPPORTERS CAN HAVE THEIR OWN SICK PLEASURE
BACK WITHOUT THE WORRY OF BEING PROSECUTED FOR ANIMAL ABUSE? WHAT KIND OF GOVERNMENT WOULD SAY IT'S OKAY
TO ALLOW SUCH GROSS CRUELTY? WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT 'US' AS A SO CALLED CIVILISED SOCIETY IF WE ALLOW
SUCH A MONSTEROUS GOVERNMENT INTO POWER? MESSAGE FROM, A MINORITY PASTIME We have 500 supporters - that's a great start. I'd like to see if we can double that number by, say, Monday... and begin to get the message out. How? Well this is it - if each one of us could personally invite one friend who maybe doesn't know about this issue that could do it. Couldn't it? http://www.facebook.com/l/36ffc;www.aminoritypastime.net With thanks, Mic -------------------- To reply to this message, follow the link below: http://www.facebook.com/n/?inbox%2Freadmessage.php&t=344899501801&mid=1e873f7G5af3361ac430GeeeccG0&bcode=2gol_ A Minority Pastime is an independent documentary feature film
due for release in Spring 2010 New trailer for the film below, see 'trailer 2010'. http://www.aminoritypastime.net/
Newly uploaded footage New footage of David Cameron's hunt. These people are the real face of Cameron's Tory party and will be rewarded with the swift re-legalisation of stag hunting, hare coursing and fox hunting should the Tories win the election. There
is no such thing as a safe Tory vote if you value compassion, decency and a future for protecting our wildlife
from the cruel and violent in society. KEEP TORIES HISTORY
More
footage... This is the reality of what David Cameron's Tory party represents. You will not see this footage
on TV in the run up to the election because it shows the reality of the people who installed Cameron as leader of the Tory
party in order to ensure hunting will be legalised should the Tories win. When Cameron
and Nick Herbert talk about hunting they deliberately use language that masks just what it is they support. These films uploaded
by my colleagues (who show incredible bravery in going amongst these thugs) cut through that Tory/Countryside Alliance
double-speak so beloved of the media. If more people saw just what kind of
people they would be associating with by voting Tory it would damage the Tories immensely.
Clwyd
Badger Group pledges support to new campaign group 'Save the Badger'.
The WAG is undemocratic: the public response against the cull must be overwhelming as just from our areas we know thousands of signatures and emails and a great many letters against the cull have been sent out. Could we find out just how many of these communications the WAG is going against? The cull is not planned on scientific grounds – as we all know, even the chief vet Christianne Glossop admits this. Her excuse is that her only interest is to eradicate bTB, not to learn anything. If she did follow science she should have listened to Prof Bourne! So she neither wishes to listen to best current scientific advice nor to learn from her planned cull! Eradication of bTB is impossible except possibly in the very long term and never with current farming practices. CG knows only too well how the tests miss reactors AND that some farmers are tempted by our generous compensation to actually plan for bTB (Recent case of farmer injecting cows with dirt to get positive TB result. He may be a tiny minority but the general poor level of animal husbandry and cattle movements create an impossible task.) Previous badger slaughter in Britain has never lead to anything like eradication of bTB. The case in Ireland where whole areas have been cleared of badgers by the horrifically cruel use of snares should be a lesson for all civilised countries. In fact bTB in 2007 after years of slaughter, far from being ERADICATED, is back up to 2002 levels. Further afield she refers to New Zealand and destruction of possums (non native) because of bTB and wild boar in Spain as wild life carriers being killed in bTB areas as some sort of justification for the Welsh cull. Is this relevant to Wales and has bTB been eradicated there? When in Pembrokeshire, after all the badgers have been eradicated – but the disease has not – please can the taxpayer have a break. Farmers who then get cattle with bTB SHOULD NOT GET A PENNY OF COMPENSATION. It could only be bad husbandry, poor testing and illegal movements! (as we have known all along – and inspite of CG’s best but naive intentions). Finally, the whole business of farm subsidies and compensation which has contributed to a nose dive in biodiversity (where are our most biodiverse sites? Not farmland! Many brown field sites are far richer and that is saying something!) and cost the tax payer £billions needs total re-evaluation. Foot and Mouth, mad cow disease and bTB are but three of dozens of farm stock diseases. The real cost of ‘cheap’ food is hidden, paid for by the tax payer without his/her consent, and not by the customer. And bad husbandry is rewarded! This should stop. From Betty Lee, Clwyd Badger Group WAAC TAKE ANTI-HUNT CAMPAIGN TO RHYL Since starting this campaign last Autumn we have accumulated just over 10,300 signatures from all around North Wales. This figure should rocket in the coming weeks and months as we take in every major town in North and Mid Wales and leaflet every village door to door between now and the general election on May 6th. We would like to thank Labour MP Chris Ruane for his unstinting support for our anti-hunt campaign. And I would also like to thank him for his personal letter to me, stating that he will continue to do his utmost to ensure the ban continues and is properly enforced. I will of course keep the pressure up on Mr Ruane to ensure he keeps his word should he win another term in office. WAAC will continue to fight to close loopholes in the hunting act. We have already written to Hilary Benn with a number of suggestions that would put a stop to extremist hunts who think they are above the law. ANTI HUNT CAMPAIGN HELD IN COLWYN BAY AGAINST PRO HUNT MP DAVID JONES Wales Against Animal Cruelty held a campaign in Colwyn Bay (Saturday, 30th) in protest at Clwyd West MP David Jones, who supports David Cameron's pledge to overturn the hunt ban. WAAC Spokesman Graham Marks said, "It's inconceivable that any MP or candidate
would want a return to killing with dogs." Our
message to the public, please don't vote for anyone who supports a return to cruelty. The ban on
hunting took eighty years to bring about and it terrifies us that we could be heading back to the dark ages. Hunting
has little to do with so called pest control and everything to do with entertainment. The Countryside Alliance have long used the argument that hunting with
hounds is their human right. They lost that argument in the European Court of Human Rights, but it hasn't stopped
their supporters continually spouting off about a right to kill wildlife. We have a hard fight ahead of us, and very little time to get our message
out, which is why we will be visiting every town throughout North Wales, leafleting in rural areas and doing
street campaigns in all the major towns, between now and the election.
House of Commons - Early Day Motion The following EDM was tabled on 26 January 2010. Nick Ainger
This link takes you to the blog of Geoffrey Woollard, standing as an Independent in Cambridgeshire.
It is notable for his excellent views on hunting which are scattered throughout his blog. Here is an extract from
the first you will come to. He is Mr Nick Herbert, who is the Conservative 'Shadow' Defra Secretary (and
who makes the right noises, agreeing with Hilary Benn, regarding the need for increased home-grown food production), but whom
I have known since he worked as a junior at Conservative Central Office. I was on a national committee that he served as secretary
and I discovered then that he was less than competent. Indeed, I actually taught him how to write minutes and about how it
was needful to get said minutes out in good time. Anyway, Master Nick has 'done well' since, but he is definitely a bête noire for me because, ever since he was a leading light in what became the Countryside Alliance, he has worked night and day for the retention and then - post the 2004 Hunting Act - the un-banning of fox hunting, hare coursing and stag hunting. I have a particular hatred for hare coursing, having fought it for the best part of five decades and that is one of the reasons why I plan to stand at this General Election. There are, of course, several other reasons. In my opinion, Mr Herbert is too narrow in his known interests to become a Cabinet Minister in Mr Cameron's prospective government. He is obsessed with blood sports to the point of depravity. I am not saying that he is personally depraved but participation in the blood sports that I have mentioned is a form of depravity. I oppose the un-banning of fox hunting, hare coursing and stag hunting. Mr Herbert opposes me. Well, let battle commence. Bernie would like you to visit the following online campaign, by iPetitions: WAAC demo (supporting Viva) was held in Denbigh (Friday 22nd January) in protest at the Welsh Assembly's plan to kill badgers. Spokesman Graham Marks, for Wales Against Animal Cruelty (WAAC) said," We want this Welsh Assembly to know that although we're far from the Senedd, they cannot continue to ignore us.. It's disgusting that WAG plan to go ahead with their killing programme, despite overwhelming scientific evidence that has shown culling badgers does not work. This Welsh experiment has nothing to do with science and everything to do with appeasing the FUW. We believe that It's a cruel cull based on prejudice and superstition. The fact they will start killing badgers before the Badger Trust's Judicial Review is contemptuous. We had an excellent reponse from the public which has given us more encouragement to carry on our fight to save
badgers from a senseless inhumane slaughter. It's complete madness to kill these animals when they can be immunised." During the protest, WAAC had a meeting with pro-cull AM Brynle Williams, but could find no mutual agreement, apart from both sides admitting that Defra's plan not to microchip trapped badgers in England and instead paint mark them, is stupid. Meanwhile WAAC will continue to protest against the badger cull, until AM's who support this extermination programme are voted out in the 2011 elections." True face of David Cameron's 'vile' hunt supporters Click onto the following film.... http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=fCb6UhJLRes This film (newly posted with more
to follow) shows the true face of David Cameron's hunt supporters. These are the cruel and
the violent who will have their man in power should the Tories win the election. The hunters are at the centre of the
Tory election machine across the country. David Cameron is the Countryside Alliance candidate for Prime Minister. He would deliver the re-legalisation
of hare coursing, stag hunting and fox hunting swiftly. People who engage in debased violence towards sentient creatures for enjoyment could soon be in power
in this country. They would take us back many decades and launch a war on our wildlife and those who seek to defend it. We must work to stop the Tories taking
power. It is the fight of our lives and one we must win. Once they are in power it will be too late. TORY MP & HUNT SUPPORTER NIC HERBERT - FROM NOW ON WE'RE GOING TO
HUNT THE SABS Tory Shadow Environment & Rural Affairs Spokesman Nick Herbert MP is speaking at the University of Chichester on Thursday 28th Jan at 6:30pm. See details attached and below plus pic of Herbert. Herbert was one of the
founding members of the Countryside Alliance and was formerly Political Officer at the British Field Sports Society. One
of his quotes during his time at the BFSS.... "From now on we're going to start hunting the
saboteurs" Should the Tories win the election this bloodsports fanatic will be in charge of
Defra. He is one of Cameron's key bloodsports lieutenants. If people in the region can organise a peaceful
demonstration outside the venue on the evening of the talk that would be excellent. Thanks Chris
Report from Flint & Denbigh protest
& Brian May's message of support See pics from Denbigh re our protest against the Flint & Denbigh Hunt. I've attached two pics - but the one with the Mayor has to be the winner. This year he was not part of the hunt ceremony and instead stood with us to have his picture taken. For once the fox had a say in this years Boxing Day parade. We would have had more support, but many people who promised to attend stayed away for fear of reprisals by hunt supporters. Having said that - there were plenty of people in agreement with us. Only a handful took leaflets and deliberately screwed them up throwing them back at us. One elderly hunt supporter stood stony faced and very slowly tore one of our leaflets up in front of us to make a point. But what really sickened us were the parents of two young children who were encouraging their kids to remove our banner from a railing. And when they couldn't remove it, they encouraged them to jump up and down on the part of it that was trailing on the ground. It took guts for us to stand in the midst of hunt supporters and even more guts to speak out openly through a megaphone about hunt cruelty. It felt a bit like David and Goliath, but I'm a firm believer that good will always overcome evil in the end, so it was worth being intimidated by the odd huntsman. See Brian May's message below. Judi Hewitt's
Boxing Day Speech - for Wales against Animal Cruelty. I just wanted to voice my support for your personal campaign, Judi. Your speech for Denbigh
is well-judged and entirely convincing ... you speak the truth plainly. Fox-hunting
is a disgusting, despicable, and ultimately indefensible activity. I applaud you for speaking out. I wish you
luck, and all power to you. I hope to join you in
this fight in 2010 - in my own peculiar way, but nevertheless with my whole heart. Bless
ya ! Love Bri WANT TO KNOW WHY THE ABOVE BOXING DAY PROTEST IS ALL IMPORTANT, THEN
CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW FOR A BIASED BBC PROGRAMME PROTEST IN MOLD AGAINST AM BRYNLE WILLIAMS. Dec 4th 2009 No doubt Brynle Williams was hoping we would all accept the killing of badgers; unfortunately for him, we're not going anywhere until this Welsh Assembly Government have reversed their biased cull policy. That's why we decided to take on Brynle at his surgery in Mold. It must have come as a shock for him to see people outside Mold Library protesting against a policy that he has been such a key player. Sadly we never got to speak with Mr Williams about our concerns because while we were waiting by the front door, an agitated Brynle was seen to leave by the side of the building - hurrying down fire escape steps, escorted by a police officer. When cornered briefly by a protester, he was asked politely if he would speak to us, he replied gruffly, "No, everything I've had to say is on record". We wanted to ask him why he'd insisted on going against sound scientific evidence. The original trials killed over 11.000 badgers, only to prove it doesn't eradicate bTB, long term. We wanted to know who the hired badgers killers were going to be? How much more public money is going to be spent on the grisly job? Why pro-cull AM's are ignoring public opinion in favour of pandering to the farmers? And why this WAG want to start exterminating badgers when we are so close to an oral vaccine? We already know that even in closed herds some cattle have contracted bTB, but what is hardly ever mentioned by pro-cull AM's is how many of these reactor cases (prior to being tested), had been taken to agricultural shows where they could have picked up the disease. Plus Welsh Assembly AM's have no real proof that it's badgers passing TB onto cattle, yet they still want to steam roll into a horrible killing programme that will wipe out badgers from many area's in Wales. They refuse to accept that it's mainly intensive and bad farming practice that is at the root of this terrible disease. But the one statement that Brynle came out with at the annulment hearing in Cardiff and which angered me so much, was his talk about people catching TB off badgers. There have been vaccines for people against TB for many decades so his remarks were nothing short of ridiculous. Pro-cull AM's can preach all they like about the cull not being an extermination programme, but the fact remains, you don't order thousands of cages just to target a few. It will be wholesale slaughter of defenceless innocent animals - badgers being used as scapegoats to cover up filthy farming practice. Intensive farming has been at the root of this terrible disease for a very long time, and it's time something was done to help the many down trodden abused cows that continue to suffer because of an industry that quite literally milks them to death. The FUW and WAG are bringing shame to Wales, and they will go down in infamy if they don't call a halt to wiping out badgers. The Reverend James Thompson was present at the demo and had this to say about the badger cull, "The mental and physical procedures of dairy farming contribute to the poor creature being emotionally and physically exhausted by five or six years of age; and hence frequently sent off to produce beefburgers and other sources of fat saturated junk food. Please note badgers are not to blame, they are but scapegoats for farm cruelty and greed." Dr Adrian Stallwood, a senior emergency doctor and lecturer in Wales, who has actually treated patients with TB, said "The suggestion that bovine TB will result in a public health epidemic is absurd scaremongering. The Health Protection Agency, DEFRA, the British Thoracic Society - in fact, the whole of the medical profession - identify the risk to humans as very low or negligible. The vast majority of the very few cases of human bovine TB which occur each year in England and Wales are not caused by wildlife contact, but by reactivation of old lesions caused by drinking unpasteurised milk. This is not a health problem which is even on the radar. Despite the rise in cattle incidence, UK bovine TB infections account
for less than 1% of laboratory confirmed cases of TB in people.These figures are similar to those in other industrialised
countries. A study done in North Staffordshire in 2001 followed
up 162 people who had close contact with cattle diagnosed as having bovine tuberculosis, or who had drunk unpasteurised milk
from a herd with bovine tuberculosis. Not one single case of human Mycobacterium bovis infection was diagnosed
on follow up. It is well known in the medical profession
that human TB cases, and the mortality thereof, began to decline well in advance of antibiotics or vaccination. What started
the decline was the provision of proper nutrition, fresh air and better living conditions. The slums of the nineteenth century,
when one in four people died of TB in Europe and America, are analogous to the appalling living conditions of modern
intensive dairy herds. The modern dairy cow is treated like a machine, and pushed to the limit. It is no wonder
its immune system is unable to resist infectious diseases. If
we are serious about dealing with bovine TB, we need to stop adopting wildlife scapegoats and undertake dramatic improvements
in animal husbandry." |
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The European Commission has commissioned a public opinion survey on European animal welfare policy, and it is important that
all those with an interest take part. Called “Evaluation of the EU Policy on Animal Welfare” the survey closes
on 31 July 2010 (
