Video, Irish Council Against Blood Sports: Protests against cruel hare coursing – this Friday and Monday‏

“I received this email today & need extra hands to raise awareness to this cruel sport; it is already illegal in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland & Wales. There are petitions, emails & a letter to send; all the information you need (example letter you can use) is below. Please share with all your friends on social media & help stop this cruel sport”

Dear Supporter

Please join one or both of the upcoming protests against cruel hare coursing: Express your support for a ban on coursing. “Sign and share petitions below”

This Friday, January 30th from 12.30 to 2pm
outside the offices of coursing sponsor, BoyleSports, Westmoreland St,
Dublin 1.

and

Monday February 2nd from 12 midday to 2pm
outside the national coursing finals, Powerstown Park Clonmel

Be there for the hares and greyhounds – both victims of this cruel blood sport. See below for latest news in relation to the Irish Coursing Club’s callous advice to greyhound owners – “do not give away unwanted greyhounds. It is far better to put them painlessly to sleep.”

Thank you for your continued support.

With best wishes.

Irish Council Against Blood Sports
PO Box 88, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, Ireland

Email: info@banbloodsports.com
Website: http://www.banbloodsports.com
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/icabs
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/banbloodsports
Mobile: http://www.banbloodsports.com/mobile/

Ban hare coursing in Ireland

Video produced by Philip Kiernan
Irish Council Against Blood Sports

Join our mailing list: Send “Subscribe” to info@banbloodsports.com along with your name and location.

Sign our online petitions
https://www.change.org/users/banbloodsports

Receive occasional campaign updates to your mobile phone:
Text GO to 086-038 6617 (this is a free service)

Keep hunters off your land: Click on “Farmers” at
http://www.banbloodsports.com

DISGUSTING;-“Kill greyhounds, don’t rehome them” – Callous advice from Irish Coursing Club 28 January 2015. The Irish Coursing Club is callously advising greyhound owners to destroy unwanted greyhounds instead of rehoming them. In a damning internal report, uncovered by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, owners are advised: “Do not give away unwanted greyhounds. It is far better to put them painlessly to sleep.”

What constitutes putting a dog “painlessly to sleep” is not specified in the document.

Entitled “A Summary of Directives, Instructions and Guidance Notes Issued by the Executive Committee of the Irish Coursing Club to Club Secretaries, Control Stewards Judges and Slippers” it conveys the contempt with which coursers regard greyhounds incapable of winning money for their owners. Dogs “that have run a number of times during the season” without success are branded “no-hopers”.

The document also reveals the use of injured greyhounds in hare coursing. In a section headed “Running Of Injured Greyhounds“, it states “As the implementation of a rule to cater for the running of injured greyhounds in order to qualify for prize money would be difficult, the Executive Committee ask that the stewards of meetings use their judgement in relation to the matter.”

The coursers’ Instructions and Guidance document leaves no doubt that both hares and greyhounds are victims of this cruel bloodsport. The time is now for the government to ban this shameful activity.

ACTION ALERT

Express your support for a ban on coursing. Sign, share petitions & send letter below.

Stop Licensing Cruel Hare Coursing
https://www.change.org/p/minister-heather-humphreys-stop-licensing-cruel-hare-coursing

Save Irish hares from cruel coursing
https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/minister-simon-coveney-replace-hare-coursing-with-drag-coursing

Ban horrific hare coursing cruelty in Ireland
https://www.change.org/petitions/taoiseach-prime-minister-of-ireland-support-a-bill-to-ban-the-cruel-practise-of-live-hare-coursing-in-ireland

Stop sponsoring hare coursing in Ireland
http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-sponsoring-hare-coursing-in-ireland#

Urge Minister Heather Humphreys to show compassion for the persecuted Irish Hare and revoke the coursing licence she issued.

Email “Stop the cruelty. Revoke the hare coursing licence” to
Heather.Humphreys@oireachtas.ie
ministers.office@ahg.gov.ie –  taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie – joan.burton@oireachtas.ie – wildlifelicence@ahg.gov.ie – Gerry.Leckey@ahg.gov.ie

Tel: (01) 631 3802 or (01) 631 3800

Leave a comment on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/heather.humphreysfg
Tweet to Heather Humphreys: @HHumphreysFG

SAMPLE LETTER
(If you have time, please compose your own personal letter. Otherwise, feel free to send the short sample letter below. Be assertive, but polite, in all correspondence. Thank you.)

Dear Minister,

I am one of the majority who want hare coursing outlawed. I am writing to urge you to revoke the licence you issued to the Irish Coursing Club. In coursing, hares suffer at all stages – during the capture, during the time they are kept in captivity and during the coursing meetings where they run for their lives in front of greyhounds. Among the injuries recorded are broken legs, damaged toes and dislocated hips. Every season, hare injuries and deaths are documented.
I ask you to please act on the wishes of the majority, show compassion
and permanently revoke the licence.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

[Name/Location]

Appeal to the Minister for Agriculture

Please appeal to the Minister for Agriculture to remove an exemption for hare coursing from the Animal Health and Welfare Act.

Simon Coveney, TD
Minister for Agriculture
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Email: Simon.Coveney@oireachtas.ie Tel: 01-607 2884 or LoCall 1890-200510. Fax: 01-661 1013.

Urgently contact An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and ask him to back a ban on hare coursing.

An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny
Department of the Taoiseach,
Government Buildings,
Upper Merrion Street,
Dublin 2  Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie  Telephone: 01-6194020  Fax: 01-6764048

Contact all your local TDs now. Demand that they urgently push for a ban on hare coursing and all bloodsports. Tell them you are one of the majority who want coursing banned. Remind them that coursing is already illegal in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. Urge them to respect the wishes of the majority of the electorate and back a ban.

 Related articles

• Four men from Kent are fined in connection with hare coursing in Ixworth last October

Shocking photos show the moment a fox is dragged out of its hole by hunters and shot in front of children as young as FIVE

“THIS DESPICABLE HEINOUS CRIME MUST STOP….PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION BELOW. How can anyone say that chasing an animal with the intention to kill it is a normal act! These POS get a buzz out of chasing a small animal, purely to kill it…it’s the thrill of the chase; & they love it!!”

By LIZZIE EDMONDS – 27 January 2014

• Images, released by anti-hunt campaigners, show men setting dog on fox
• They then use spades to dig creature out of a hole before shooting it dead
• Critics have today condemned ‘cruel’ and ‘horrific’ incident 
• But Countryside Alliance say the men acted legally under Hunting Act

This is the moment a fox was dragged out of a hole and shot dead while children as young as five watched on.

The images, released by anti-hunt campaigners, show a group of terriermen setting their dog on the  creature.

The fox tries attempts to hide in a badger’s sett – but the three adults fire into the ground and use spades to dig it out.

These images show the moment a group of men unearthed and shot a fox as three young children watched on

A farmer who captured the killing on camera says the group then called over three children to show them the remains.

The men can then be seen walking away with two dead animals. It is unclear where and how the second fox was killed.

The shocking incident happened shortly after a hunt on December 28 by the Modbury Harriers, which rides in south Devon.

The League Against Cruel Sports has handed the photos over to the RSPCA and asked them to investigate it as a possible breach of the Hunting Act..

The law bans hunting foxes with a pack of hounds – however it doesn’t cover the use of dogs to flush out animals underground.

The farmer, who has asked not to be identified, said the fox was initially chased across the field by hounds.

The Countryside Alliance said there was ‘no question’ the behaviour was legal – describing the killing as ‘professional and humane’.

“Just read the above comment on the picture…how can any sane animal lover, who owns just a dog or cat; say this is normal!! I see no difference in this than I do inhumane POS chasing & killing elephants or rhino…they are all sentient beings FFS!!”

The huntsmen moved on but before it could climb out of the badger’s set three men with guns and spades arrived – with three children following close behind.

The farmer said: ‘I sat there in disbelief – how could those guys think any of what had played out was fit for young children to witness?

‘I watched in horror as a whole pack of hounds poured into our neighbour’s field then piled into our meadow.

‘They made that hideous blood-curdling squealing – known as ‘speaking’ – which means they are on the scent of a fox.

‘I saw a beautiful vixen flash across the meadow and disappear into an old badger sett on my neighbour’s farm.

‘At the top of the hill I saw a couple of guys carrying spades and a terrier on a lead. They were going to dig her out and kill her right then and there.

‘The men came down and filled in the exit holes to stop the fox escaping and then called the children over to watch as they dug out and killed the young vixen.’

Sick Neanderthals!!

The farmer said the three men came across a second badger inside the hole which they also shot dead as the children craned their necks to see what was happening.

He added: ‘This is the dirty underbelly of fox hunting, the bit they don’t like even their followers to see.

‘But I was disgusted to see the terriermen had brought three youngsters to watch – one was only about five years old.

The farmer, who keeps a flock of 140 breeding ewes and a few chickens, is strongly anti-hunting and has complained about huntsmen trespassing on his land.

oe Duckworth, chief executive of the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS), said: ‘This horrific incident of animal cruelty shows not only a total disregard for the dogs and foxes but also for the welfare of the children.’

The Countryside Alliance, however, said there was ‘no question’ the behaviour was legal – describing the killing as ‘professional and humane’.

Spokesman Tim Bonner said the outrage merely demonstrated that outsiders do not ‘understand the realities of the countryside and country life’.

Mr Bonner said he had spoken to the hunt, who told him the killing had been carried out as ‘pest control” with the permission of the landowner.

He said: ‘The children were not in the hole – they were close by – and as far as we are concerned it was a totally professional operation and nothing which should upset anyone.

‘They were using the terrier work exemption and properly, professionally and humanely managing the killing of those two foxes.

‘There would be plenty of children of that sort of age involved in pheasant shoots and ferreting.

‘The vast majority of children eat meat and at the end of the day it is a dead animal.’

The Hunting act:-

The Hunting Act came in to force in February 2005 and was passed under the 1997 Labour government. It bans hunting any wild mammal  – including foxes, deer and hares -with dogs in England and Wales.

Under the Act it is completely legal to ‘flush out’ – i.e. coax an animal from a hole or a sett – with dogs.

It is also legal to drag hunt with hounds. This is when the dogs are trained to follow an artificial scent and is now common practice across the country.

Hunting mammals with dogs was banned in Scotland two years earlier under the Protection of Wild Mammals Act 2002.

It is still legal to hunt in Northern Ireland.

Breaking the law is a summary offence. Those found guilty of doing so would be fined.

There were 181 convictions under the Hunting Act up to the end of 2010.

Petition Link:-http://www.yousign.org/en/justice-for-uk-fox

News Link:-http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2546867/Shocking-photos-moment-fox-dragged-hole-hunters-shot-children-young-FIVE.html

With Your Invaluable Support, The League, RSPCA And Other Organisations Will Continue To Oppose The Badger Cull in 2013.

“Please watch the video below, from last year…then please sign petitions etc. Together we can save the badgers”

The Government’s proposed badger cull, set to go ahead last year was postponed after a sustained and comprehensive campaign that involved numerous organisations, including the League and our supporters, coming together as Team Badger.

Last year over 160,000 people also signed a Government e-petition, far exceeding the 100,000 signatures needed to be considered for a House of Commons debate, which went ahead on 25th October.

The Parliamentary vote against the badger cull was overwhelming: 147 votes to 28 votes, with the majority of MPs agreeing with scientists, animal welfare organisations and the general public, that the cull is wrong and would be ineffective on scientific, humanitarian and practical grounds.

However, the vote is not binding and the Government are still planning to resume culling this summer.

The League, our partner organisations and supporters are committed, therefore, to continue with the campaign to ensure the cull isn’t just postponed, but abandoned for good, in favour of vaccinating badgers and developing an effective bovine TB vaccine.

As part of Team Badger, the League recently submitted evidence to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee inquiry, which is looking into vaccination alternative to culling and is due to report later this year.

Vaccination has already been a proven success in Wales, where over 1,400 badgers have already been protected against bovine TB as part of a five year programme of work to eradicate TB completely. The badger vaccination initiative in Wales reflects the constructive alternative to culling that the League, along with “Team Badger”, is calling for. It also demonstrates the co-operation that is possible between the farming industry and government in taking swift, positive and decisive action against the spread of Bovine TB.

The League, alongside our campaign partners, believes strongly that vaccination of both badgers and cattle and better husbandry are the most effective and long-term way to tackle this terrible disease. Together we successfully came together to ensure badgers had a stay of execution in 2012 and we are now working for a full and permanent pardon in 2013.

What can I do to stop the cull happening this summer?

You should contact your MP to remind them that the badger cull is set to go ahead in summer of 2013. You should ensure that they know the evidence and science against the cull and ask them to make sure they will continue to oppose the cull in 2013.

Link:-http://www.league.org.uk/faq/32/Badger-Cull-FAQs

Keep checking back at this site for more news & next steps to take:- http://www.league.org.uk/content/643/Badger-Cull

Badger cull to begin from June, Environment Secretary confirms

Conservative MP Owen Paterson said that, if successful, the cull aimed at stopping bovine tuberculosis would be rolled out across the country next year.

It has not been confirmed where this summer’s pilot culls will take place, however the National Farmers Union (NFU) said it believed they would be in Gloucestershire and Somerset.

Animal rights campaigners expressed dismay, claiming there is still no scientific evidence to support the cull and that the move is against the wishes of the British public.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Paterson said: “We need to make sure that these two trials are carried out in a professional and scientific manner and if we prove that this works we will continue.”

The Government wants to stop the animals spreading the disease which has cost the taxpayer £500m in the last decade. That figure is expected to rise to £1bn in the next 10 years.

Adam Quinney, the vice president of the National Farmers’ Union, welcomed the decision and said they had expected the cull to go ahead this summer.

“The two licences have been issued for two areas in Gloucestershire and Somerset and they still stand.

“There have been discussions about looking at alternative areas just because it is prudent,” he said.

A spokeswoman for The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed: “The earliest the cull can take place is from June 1, and it will definitely be going ahead this summer.”

The cull cannot take place before then for a number of reasons, including licence restrictions and welfare concerns for badger’s caring for their young.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said they were “deeply disappointed” with the plans to cull the animals tomorrow as there is no “real proof” that it will help either cows or badgers and called for Defra to look again at alternatives including vaccines.

They said: “The Government must think again and the RSPCA will continue to campaign against the cull until it does so.

“After this year’s postponement we had hoped that the government would finally see sense and pay attention to the vast amount of scientific research showing that a cull will be ineffective, wasteful and potentially damaging to the welfare of both farm and wild animals.

“The vaccination of both badgers and cattle along with more effective biosecurity is the only approach which addresses the welfare of both cattle and badgers and the long term livelihood of farmers.

“This announcement flies in the face of the views of a huge majority of MPs who voted against the cull as well as the majority of the British public and the overwhelming weight of scientific opinion. The RSPCA stands ready to work alongside all those seeking an alternative to this barbaric cull.”

News Link:–http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/farming/9828358/Badger-cull-to-begin-from-June-Environment-Secretary-confirms.html

British Badger Cull – Channel 4 News

Published on 19 Sep 2012

UK channel 4 news item with Brian May, badger supported and guitarist with Queen and Jan Rowe, cattle farmer, debating the badger cull which is taking part in the UK now. 
This programme was first shown in the UK on Monday, September 17th, 2012 
If you are against the cull please support http://www.teambadger.org

Relevant sites & petitions:-

• http://www.savethebadger.com/
  
• http://www.badger.org.uk/Content/Home.asp
• Petition :http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/badgers-petition#petition
• Petition: http://www.save-me.org.uk/BAD_badgersME.html
• Government Petition: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/38257
• Petition & Info:- http://www.badgerprotectionleague.com/
• http://www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/wildlife/laws/badgers
• Petition to government: http://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaigns/wildlife/badgers/takeaction
• Tweet to UK Prime Minister: https://twitter.com/Number10gov

A selection of related items, to find more, type Badgers in the search box in my blog:-

• https://preciousjules1985.wordpress.com/2012/09/08/kill-the-cull-not-englands-badgers/
  
• https://preciousjules1985.wordpress.com/2012/09/17/full-scale-badger-cull-set-to-get-government-go-ahead/
• https://preciousjules1985.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/brian-may-heads-to-bristol-for-badger-cull-rally/
• https://preciousjules1985.wordpress.com/2012/03/25/sign-the-petition-to-stop-the-english-badger-cull/

Brian May heads to Bristol for badger cull rally

Queen guitarist to front event that marks launch of national campaign called ‘Stop the Cull’ led by animal welfare charities opposed to cull

Queen guitarist Brian May will be in Bristol next week as part of a rally against government plans to introduce a cull of badgers.

The rally marks the launch of a national campaign called ‘Stop the Cull’ – led by animal welfare charities opposed to the cull, including the RSPCA, League Against Cruel Sports, Save Me and Humane Society International (UK).

Campaigners will wear badger costumes at the free event. The charities are urging local people to come along and demonstrate their opposition to the cull.

The pilot culls are designed to reduce tuberculosis in cattle. Farmers and the government say the disease, which can be spread by badgers as well as among cattle, has become a huge cost to the industry. In 2010-11, nearly 25,000 cattle were slaughtered in England at a cost of £91m in government compensation.

But the charities say scientific studies have shown that culling would be of little help in reducing the disease and even suggest that it could make things worse in some areas.

Research undertaken by the Independent Scientific Group that took nearly a decade, cost approximately £50million and the lives of 11,000 badgers concluded “badger culling can make no meaningful contribution to cattle TB control in Britain”, they say.

The Stop the Cull campaign is pushing for the government to rethink their policy and implement a vaccination programme, along with increased levels of testing, improved farm biosecurity and stricter controls on the movement of cattle rather than culling 70% of the badger population, the vast majority of which are disease free.

Gavin Grant, chief executive of the RSPCA said: “The RSPCA and many other organisations oppose the cull of badgers for both scientific and animal welfare reasons. The campaign is rapidly gaining public support and over 100,000 objections to the cull have been recorded to date. The Government should look at the science, the results achieved in Wales and change their policy to one of vaccination – let’s cure and not kill.”

Meanwhile, their campaign has drawn cross-party support from Bristol, including leading Conservatives. Bristol24-7 reported in March that the Conservative Party spokesman in Bristol West had urged the coalition government to scrap its controversial plans.

Graham Godwin-Pearson’s statement came after Conservative think-tank the Bow Group unveiled a major paper saying the culls were likely to be more costly and less practical to conduct than ministers believe.

Mr Godwin-Pearson, the principle author and Tory spokesman in the Bristol West constituency, added the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) focus should be on vaccination instead.

The rally on Tuesday will take place at College Green from 4.30-7pm.

News Link:–http://www.bristol247.com/2012/09/07/brian-may-heads-to-bristol-for-badger-cull-rally-81576/

HM Government Petition:-http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/38257

Kill the Cull, Not England’s Badgers

Published on 5 Sep 2012 by HSI

Time is running out for England‘s badgers — 7 out of 10 are slated to be shot in two trail areas; if the full policy is then rolled out up to 130,000 badgers in England could be killed. Not only is the government’s policy misguided, HSI is greatly concerned that many thousands of badgers could be injured and left to suffer a slow and painful death. Live in the UK? See how you can help

http://www.hsi.org/issues/badger_slaughter/?utm_source=desc090412&utm_med…

What can you do?

Hundreds of supporters attended the successful badger cull public meeting hosted by the League in Taunton on Friday 20th July read more>>. A second successful meeting followed on Wednesday 25th July in Tewkesbury.

Sign our petition against the cull. You can alsodownload a paper version of the petition to get your friends and family to sign.

If you can help out the campaign by joining one of our local groups, holding a street stall, talking to your MPs or writing letters to the press then please get in touch with our campaigns team.

If you live in one of the cull areas of west Gloucestershire or west Somerset then please sign our declaration stating that you will not allow the cull on your land.

 

 Why are they going to cull badgers?

The trials are part of government efforts to tackle the spread of bovine tuberculosis amongst cattle. The disease has a devastating affect on farmers and tens of thousands of cattle are slaughtered each year as a result.

Badgers were discovered to be infected with bTB in the mid 1970s and they have since been implicated in the transmission of infection to cattle.

Following a ten year study in which 10,000 badgers were trapped and culled to establish whether localised culling of badgers helps to reduce bTB the Independent Scientific Group (ISG) who carried out the experiment concluded that ‘badger culling cannot meaningfully contribute to the future control of cattle TB in Britain’.

Read some of the scientific arguments from both sides about the effectiveness of badger culling.

What will happen in the trials?

The trials are designed to test the effectiveness, humaneness and safety of the controlled shooting of badgers. If after a year free-shooting is ruled out, then farmers will be legally obliged to continue the cull on a much more costly ‘trap and shoot’ basis for the remaining years of their licence.

If the trials go ahead then shooting will start in autumn in two areas the first in west Somerset, partly in Taunton Deane and the second mainly within the Forest of Dean and Tewkesbury, and partly in the districts of Wychavon, Malvern Hills and west Gloucestershire. The trials will take place over six weeks.

The shooting will take place at night, and will be carried out by trained marksmen using high-powered rifles. Their remit will be to kill at least 70% of the badgers in each of the trial areas. The killing will be non-selective, but the majority of those killed will be healthy. Of the small percentage of badgers which may be carrying bovine TB, very few will be infectious and therefore capable of transmitting the disease.

News Link:-http://www.league.org.uk/content/643/Badger-Cull

Petition from The League Against Cruel Sports:-https://www.e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=122&ea.campaign.id=12310

Can you help the Badger cull ? YES YOU CAN…

Please only sign this declaration if you live in the pilot areas of west Gloucestershire and west Somerset. 

You can Downloadable materials that can help you, help them!

There’s plenty of other things you can do to fight the badger cull, write to your MP (find out who represents you here), collect petition signatures or even display a window poster!

Download some of our materials using the links below.

• Petition
• Sample letters
• Downloadable window poster
• Infographic
• Q & A
• Leaflet

Petition:- Urge David Cameron To Stop The Cull:–http://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaigns/wildlife/stop-the-cull?source=CAMP_Badgers_030912%20remainder&utm_source=Campaigns&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ButtonTakeAction&utm_campaign=CAMP_Badgers_030912%20remainder&spMailingID=4750847&spUserID=MTQ2MTQ0OTMwOTkS1&spJobID=285750438&spReportId=Mjg1NzUwNDM4S0

League Against Cruel Sports – Video Revealing Truth Behind Shooting Industry

“This well thought out documentary gives the lay man an insight into what goes on within the shooting industry. From the rearing of the birds to the actual shooting, this film explores the hidden cruelty of this so-called sport. How can killing animals either by gun or snare be called a sport, in reality, these people are no better than those who attend canned hunts in Africa!”

Gunsmoke and Mirrors

Published on 6 Jul 2012 by LACS1924

Gunsmoke and Mirrors, a 30 minute documentary film is the culmination of ten years of investigation work by the League Against Cruel Sports into the shooting industry in which the horrific reality of the industry from beginning to end is revealed.

Despite claims that gamebirds are wild, natural and free range we show the reality of the intensive breeding and rearing conditions, shocking proof of the millions of other animals killed each year, many in brutal snares, to protect the precious stocks for shooting. Plus, evidence of the huge amount of wastage the industry produces making it clear that this is not about food but about sport.

Animal rights group reaches settlement with now defunct Live Oak hatchery

LIVE OAK – A Washington-based animal rights group has reached a settlement with the now-defunct Cal-Cruz Hatcheries of Live Oak in a lawsuit alleging widespread animal abuse and neglect.

The hatchery, which processed millions of chickens and ducks each year, is no longer in operation and its representatives have agreed to no longer own or have custody of any animal that’s not a pet.

Compassion Over Killing, represented by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, filed a suit against Cal-Cruz in January, arguing the hatchery was violating California Business and Professions Code by practicing unlawful animal cruelty. The allegations stemmed from an investigation in 2009 in which an employee of Compassion over Killing secretly documented the treatment of chickens and ducks with a hidden video camera.

Viewer Discretion is Advised 

That footage was turned over to county Animal Services officials, who conducted their own investigation and gave their findings to the Santa Cruz District Attorney’s Office. The DA’s office declined to file charges, saying at the time that while it shared the public’s revulsion at the abuse of animals, there wasn’t enough evidence to build a criminal case against Cal-Cruz specifically.

Compassion Over Killing turned to the civil court, reaching a settlement Monday with Cal-Cruz and owner Brian Collins in what the nonprofit animal advocacy group calls the “first time allegations of animal cruelty were successfully resolved using this civil law.” The organization’s suit claimed that Collins and the hatchery were using unlawful business practices that unfairly harmed competition in the poultry industry.

Among other complaints, Compassion Over Killing claimed Cal-Cruz employees were “operating heavy machinery in a manner that regularly mutilates hatchlings,” that they drowned baby birds in buckets of waste and threw hatchlings several feet into trash bins where they remained for several hours.

Read the rest of this news:-http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_20842303/animal-rights-group-reaches-settlement-now-defunct-live

Urge The Mayor Of Calgary To Stop The Stampede

On July 6 the Calgary Stampede will once again see animals abused for entertainment in its infamous rodeo in Alberta, Canada. More than 80 animals have died at the Stampedesince 1986 and many more have been subjected to fear, pain and stress to make them perform for the crowds.

Terrified 3 month old calves are treated so cruelly they are often injured or killed

One of the worst events is calf-roping, in which terrified three-month-old calves are goaded out of a chute, chased at speeds of up to 27 miles per hour and roped to a jarring halt before being picked up and slammed to the ground. Rodeo is opposed by virtually every animal welfare organization in the world, yet thousands of tourists still flock to the event not knowing about the animal cruelty involved.

The League is working with theVancouver Humane Society in Canada to ensure more people learn the truth about rodeo animal suffering.  You can help by boycotting rodeos if you travel to Canada or the U.S.  

You can also contact the Mayor of Calgary, Mr. Naheed Nenshi, to urge him to support a ban on calf-roping. (He is a member of the Stampede’s board of directors) The Mayor can be emailed at themayor@calgary.ca or you can visit the VHS website to complete their online form.

News Link:-http://www.league.org.uk/blogs_entry.aspx?id=713

Related articles

• Some Stampede Horses Are Sent To Slaughter (preciousjules1985.wordpress.com)
• Bandera Rodeo Horses Shocked (preciousjules1985.wordpress.com)

Pamplona Bull Run Film

Pamplona – running of the bulls from League Against Cruel Sports on Vimeo.

Last year the League Against Cruel Sports visited the festival of San Fermín in Pamplona to witness the cruel reality of the encierro or running of the bulls. What many people do not realise is that the bulls are chased through the streets directly to the bull ring where they will be killed later that day. The festival is now a popular tourist destination with many companies promoting it as a fun holiday for the thrill seeker, however the reality is very different.

We are urging people not to support bullfighting by attending the Pamplona Bull run so please watch this video now and then share it with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter using the links below.

News Link:–http://www.league.org.uk/blogs_entry.aspx?id=712

League Against Cruel Sports

“Let me just put one thing straight…I have never ever attended a hunt, despite being in the equine business for 40+ years. I never have & never will be associated with this barbaric sport…But I know those that do…so can’t say any-more because of possible retribution; just know I don’t take part!!!”

It’s the end of yet another hunting season and despite the Hunting Act 2004 making it illegal to hunt wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales, we are still getting hundreds of calls from members of the public who are witnessing suspicious activity and havoc caused by the hunts. In our video blog below we take a look at some of the reports of havoc we’ve received and ask the question, are the hunters really abiding by the law?

We take a look back over this year’s hunting season; including our report into artificial earths, some of the havoc caused by hunts and Joe talks about our new investigators.

We began this hunting season with the publication of our report into artificial earths. Earths were historically built by hunts to provide a breeding place and home for foxes, so that the hunts could ensure they had a ready supply of foxes to hunt. Our five month investigation revealed evidence that some artificial earths had been recently renovated and food and water supplies were also found. We believe that this points to a nationwide conspiracy to encourage and sustain fox populations for the purposes of hunting. Read the full report…

As the hunting season got underway the crimewatch calls began flooding in. Of the hundreds of calls received, nearly 20% were describing some kind of havoc caused by the ‘trail hunting’ which was taking place. From hounds running riot through people’s gardens, livestock and pets being attacked to hounds being killed and our monitors being attacked.

The League receives the same reports every season and we think it’s high time that hunts are held accountable for these blatant infringements of the law. In December last year the Master of the North Shropshire Hunt said; “We were out trail hunting…when we lost the hounds. It was a freak accident and won’t happen again.”  Surely if this was such a freak incident then we wouldn’t be seeing ‘accidents’ year after year. Watch the video blog to find out more…

It’s not just foxes, deer and hares which need your protection. The fox hunting season may be over but we’re now nearly a month into the mink hunting season and we need your help to catch any illegal activity. If you have information on an upcoming hunt or if you see any suspicious activity please contact our crimewatch team on 01483 524250 or complete ouronline form.

Uploaded by LACS1924 on 24 Apr 2012

We take a look back over this year’s hunting season; including our report into artificial earths, some of the havoc caused by hunts and Joe talks about our new investigators.