Humane World for Animals UK (formerly known as Humane Society International UK) will take its campaign to ban farrowing crates to Edinburgh today (14 April) by installing a life-sized animatronic pig named Penny to highlight the harsh reality faced by tens of thousands of mother pigs on industrial farms.
Penny will appear inside a metal crate like those used to confine sows while they give birth and nurse their piglets. The striking installation is designed to show the severe restriction endured by mother pigs kept in these systems.
You can meet Penny at the Mercat Cross today from 10am – 2pm.
As of 2025, Scotland is home to 25,600 sows, about half of whom are kept in indoor pig farms that keep mother pigs in these cages. Under current laws, they can be kept for up to five weeks confined in narrow metal cages every time they give birth, typically two or three times a year.
The cages are so restrictive that the animals are unable to turn around and have little opportunity to engage in natural behaviours such as nest-building or moving freely with their piglets, damaging their physical and mental health.
Polling commissioned by Humane World for Animals UK revealed that 84% of the Scottish public reject the use of farrowing crates for mother pigs.
Over half of respondents (54%) stated they would be willing to pay more for meat from crate-free pigs, indicating opportunities for farmers to benefit from the highest welfare standards financially.
Claire Bass, senior director of campaigns at Humane World for Animals UK, said: “Many people are shocked that such extreme, prolonged confinement is still legal in Scotland.
“Farmers must end cruel caging, not replace old cages with new ones that would condemn millions more pregnant and nursing pigs to future decades of misery. A cage is a cage, and public opinion is clear: mother pigs don’t belong behind bars.
“With the Scottish election fast approaching, our tour is turning public compassion into political pressure. Voters in Edinburgh and across Scotland are demanding change and joining our call for the next Scottish Government to support farmers to put an end to pregnancy cage cruelty.”
Last night, a letter signed by dozens of cross-party MPs, celebrities including Dame Joanna Lumley and Amanda Holden, and animal organisations such as Animal Rising and PETA, was sent to the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood MP.
The letter calls for an immediate closure of MBR Acres, the only site in the UK breeding dogs for the animal testing industry, alongside the safe rehoming of all the beagles there.
This comes after years of campaigning against the site, with more than 170,000 people signing a petition to close it down.
MBR Acres is licensed to bleed healthy dogs to death, by directly inserting needles into their heart and surrounding blood vessels, and also to harvest their organs.
In the latest blow for animal testing in the UK, and more specifically the use of beagle dogs, public figures from across politics, television, academia, and more have united to call on the Government to “let Britain lead the world into a future without animal testing” and close the only site in the country breeding dogs for the industry.
Rose Patterson, Animal Rising Director, said: “Dozens of public figures have added their voices to the open letter, and over 170,000 people have signed the petition to shut down MBR Acres. The British public is united on this and expects change at the highest level.
“We call ourselves a nation of animal lovers, but MBR Acres holds a licence to bleed healthy dogs to death by inserting needles directly into their hearts. Those two things cannot coexist. The Government has a mandate to act, and shutting down MBR Acres is the easiest first step they could take.”
The letter is the latest in a series of escalating campaigns calling on the Government to take genuine steps towards phasing out animal testing in the UK, as per their manifesto pledge in the lead-up to the 2024 General Election. MPs from Labour, the Liberal Democrats, SNP, Green Party, and Your Party have all signed to show their support for the campaign.
Carla Denyer MP, Green Party Member of the House of Commons for Bristol Central, said: “Is this another Labour U-turn? On 22nd December, the government published its Animal Welfare Strategy, which recommitted to ‘phase out animal testing’, but on 11th February, the government redefined ‘Key National Infrastructure’ in the Public Order Act to include animal testing sites.
“The charitable interpretation is that the government’s left hand doesn’t know what its right hand is doing, or more concerningly, that they are trying to tell the people what they want to hear while quietly acting in the interest of big businesses instead.
“I hope the government sees that the route to regaining public support involves reversing this decision and closing down MBR Acres for good.”
MBR Acres and their parent company, Marshall BioResources, have been under intense scrutiny for decades. Most notably, in 2015, an Italian facility run by the company, Green Hill, was shut down, and 3,000 dogs were rehomed after undercover footage revealed horrific conditions at the site.
Three senior employees of the company were also jailed. Multiple instances of undercover footage showing the conditions at MBR Acres have also been released since 2021.
Currently, the fourth of five trials relating to two separate rescues of beagle puppies from MBR Acres is ongoing.
The previous three trials have returned one acquittal and two convictions, with sentences ranging from 18-month suspended sentences to conditional discharges.
Scottish public play crucial role in stopping needless animal cruelty
OneKind campaign generated support of thousands of Scots to end the use of snares
A leading Scottish animal charity, OneKind, is celebrating the thousands of volunteers and members of the public who helped to locate and report cruel snares ahead of a historic ban to end the capture device comes into force.
This significant milestone means that wild, farmed, and companion animals across the country will no longer endure the inhumane mental and physical agony inflicted by snare traps.
The Scottish Government’s historic decision to ban snares, passed through the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act, marks a monumental step forward in ending animal cruelty. OneKind had been working on getting snares banned for many years and thanks to public interest and support finally got the ban confirmed in November 2024.
Snares, which have long been used by gamekeepers to trap wild animals like foxes in the name of protecting game birds for shooting, are indiscriminate and often cause immense suffering to a wide range of non-targeted species, from deer and badgers to cats and dogs. The new law, which came into effect in November 2024, makes it an offence to use snares or cause harm to wild animals through snaring.
This win was made possible thanks to various funding streams for the charity including that of Bighearted Scotland which helps fund essential campaigns through Payroll Giving.
Bob Elliot, Director of OneKind said:“The ban on snares is a victory that will end the suffering of countless animals across Scotland. For years, we have seen the devastating impact of snares on both target and non-target species alike.
“The distress caused to pets, wildlife, and even livestock has been heartbreaking. The Scottish Government has underlined its commitment to bettering animal welfare across the country with this landmark decision, and we couldn’t have done it without the support of the general public who helped us locate many snares in the Scottish countryside, our dedicated donors – including Bighearted Scotland – and supporters.”
OneKind has been at the forefront of this battle, campaigning for many years to eliminate the use of snares in Scotland. The charity’s efforts included public marches, rallies outside the Scottish Parliament, petitions, and extensive outreach to raise awareness of the cruelty caused by these devices.
The snare ban is the culmination of years of hard work by OneKind, but it also signals a shift in how we view wild animals. By protecting them from these inhumane traps, Scotland is taking a strong stance on the ethical treatment of wildlife.
Bighearted Scotland’s ongoing support of OneKind’s campaigns, particularly through payroll giving, has been crucial in securing this win. Payroll giving allows employees to donate a portion of their salary directly to causes like OneKind, ensuring a consistent and reliable funding stream that powers crucial campaigns.
Deborah Roe, Chair of Bighearted Scotland said:“We are proud to be part of a landmark moment for Scotland, our wildlife and our beautiful countryside through our ongoing support of OneKind.
“We want to make donating and giving back as easy as possible which is why, this Payroll Giving Month, we are encouraging people to opt in to payroll giving to benefit four Scottish Charities including Erskine, OneKind, Epilepsy Scotland and Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Scotland.
“By donating via payroll giving you can be guaranteed you are supporting a range of charities spanning various causes and making a real impact, to real people.”
Bighearted Scotland is a consortium that has been supporting Scottish charities for over 30 years. Bighearted Scotland is dedicated to enhancing fundraising efforts through payroll giving, or Give as You Earn, which allows employees to make regular, tax-efficient donations straight from their gross pay.
In February, Payroll Giving Month, Bighearted Scotland and its member charities raise awareness about the power of payroll donations, which are often a consistent and reliable source of funding. However, despite the program’s impact, the amount donated through payroll giving has decreased by 15% over the last decade, with the number of donors also declining by 13%.
For those interested in supporting OneKind and other member charities of Bighearted Scotland, visit www.bigheartedscotland.co.uk to learn more about how to set up payroll giving in your workplace.
Scotland’s wildlife will benefit from increased protection thanks to a new law passed by the Scottish Parliament yesterday.
The Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill includes a range of measures that will help tackle raptor persecution, and ensure that the management of species on grouse moors is done so sustainably and with animal welfare as a priority.
The Bill:
bans the practice of snaring in Scotland
bans the use of glue traps to catch rodents
gives greater powers to Scottish SPCA inspectors to tackle wildlife crime
introduces a new licensing framework for grouse moors
strictly regulates the use of muirburn, the controlled burning of vegetation on peatland
Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie said: “This Bill is a significant step in our wider journey to ensure Scotland’s environment is managed sustainably.
“People who live and work on our land have shown that it’s possible to manage wildlife. They have shown that muirburn, which is a key approach to helping manage wildfires, can be undertaken responsibly and in a way that protects biodiversity.
“We have struck the right balance between improving animal welfare, supporting rural businesses and reinforcing a zero tolerance approach to raptor persecution and wildlife crime.”
Cats Protection says Scotland’s ban on snares is a turning point for animal welfare and will prevent cruel and horrific deaths being inflicted on pets and wildlife.
The UK’s largest cat charity has been campaigning for an outright ban on snares throughout the UK and says it is delighted Scotland is taking a step forward to protect cats and other animals from unnecessary suffering with the Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill.
Alice Palombo, Advocacy & Government Relations Officer for Scotland at Cats Protection, said: “The introduction of this law is an important day for animal welfare in Scotland, and will put an end to the cruel and horrific deaths that snares inflict on pets and wildlife.
“Whether it’s domestic pet cats, feral or community cats, or any other animal captured in them, snares cause incredibly distressing injuries, often leading to animals suffering long, painful deaths.
“Those animals which do manage to free themselves, or are found and released, cannot be considered lucky as they will most likely suffer life-changing injuries requiring extensive veterinary treatment.
“We are delighted that Scotland has introduced an outright ban on snares, recognising the indiscriminate suffering they cause. These outdated, inhumane and cruel traps have no place in a modern, caring society.”
The Bill was also welcomed by cat owner Marion Brownlie, of Aberdeenshire, whose pet cat Harry was found collapsed in a field with horrific injuries last year.
Harry’s injuries were so appalling that she at first believed he had been “cut in two” when he was discovered close to his home in St Cyrus.
It is thought the ginger-and-white moggy may have been trapped in the snare for five agonising days before he was able to drag himself to safety.
Having confirmed his injuries were caused by a snare, vets carried out surgery to repair a deep wound running from hip to hip across Harry’s abdomen. He was later able to return home but needs to be confined to a cage for rest during his recovery.
Marion said: “Harry had been missing for five days when we found him collapsed in a field and it was like something from a nightmare – I was afraid to pick him up as it looked as though he’d been cut in two.
“He must have been in agony, but somehow he was still alive and after lots of veterinary treatment and rest he pulled through.
“No animal deserves the pain and suffering that these inhumane devices inflict, and I’m incredibly relieved that they have finally been banned.”
Major blow to the grouse shooting industry as Scottish Parliament passes reform Bill
Grouse moor management is to be regulated for the first time as snaring animals is also banned
The Scottish Parliament has now passed a Bill to license grouse shooting, to tackle illegal wildlife persecution on grouse moors. The killing of Scotland’s birds of prey has been associated with grouse moor management for decades and campaigners hope that this legislation will tackle the ‘national disgrace’ of raptor persecution.
The passing of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill (by 85 votes in favour to 30votes against) means that if a wildlife crime takes place on a grouse moor it could lose its licence to operate.
It also means that heather burning (known as muirburn) will also be licensed and restricted on peatlands which are considered a vital carbon resource.
Meanwhile environmental and animal welfare campaigners are celebrating the Bill’s banning of snares: the animal traps which they deem as ‘cruel and indiscriminate’.
Responding to the grouse moor reform bill, Max Wiszniewski, the Campaign Manager for REVIVE, the coalition for grouse moor reform said: “This Bill marks a significant intervention into land management practices in Scotland and finally regulates a controversial industry that’s responsible for environmental destruction, that restricts economic opportunities for rural communities and that kills hundreds of thousands of animals so a few more grouse can be shot for sport.
“While it doesn’t go far enough to end the ‘killing to kill’ on grouse moors, banning snares – the cruel and indiscriminate traps that are common on grouse moors – is an important win for animal welfare against an industry that was desperate to keep them.
“The extra protection of peatlands is welcome but with three quarters of Scots against moorland burning for grouse shooting, the Parliament still has some catching up to do.
“Nevertheless, this legislation will hopefully go some way to tackling the persecution of Scotland’s birds of prey, something that our First, First Minister Donald Dewar called a ‘national disgrace’ in 1998.”
Members of the UK’s leading vegan charity, Viva!, will be handing out free mince pies at Royal Mile (High Street) in Edinburgh this Saturday (9 December), as part of their latest Christmas campaign.
Staff and volunteers will be speaking to members of the public to encourage them to opt for a vegan Christmas this year, which campaigners say is the only way for Christmas to be truly cruelty-free.
Every year in the UK, millions of turkeys are slaughtered for human consumption during the festive period. In addition to the turkeys who lose their lives, large numbers of pigs, salmon and other animals are killed just so that Brits can eat them. Viva! is taking to the streets to educate people that delicious vegan alternatives exist, so that no animals have to die this festive season.
As well as handing out free mince pies, the team will be showing footage from Viva!’s undercover investigations that expose the reality of factory farming, as well as handing out leaflets and guides to help people transition to a vegan lifestyle.
In addition to the event in Edinburgh on 8 December between 12 and 4pm, the team will also be taking this Christmas campaign toCardiff, Queen Street (3 – 7pm, 14 December 2023).
Speaking of the upcoming Christmas tour, Viva!’s managing director, Laura Hellwig, said: “Every year, millions of animals are killed just so humans can eat them for Christmas dinner.
“These animals typically live short, unhappy lives in cramped conditions on factory farms. Given that Christmas is a time for love and compassion, it doesn’t feel right that this sentiment isn’t extended to the animals we share the planet with!
“Viva! is encouraging people to choose kindness this Christmas by opting for plant-based alternatives to animal products. These vegan alternatives not only spare animals from suffering or death but they’re also better for the planet, as animal agriculture is a leading cause of the climate emergency.
“You can try out some delicious vegan festive recipes at viva.org.uk/xmas.”
To find out more and get involved, head to Viva!’s website.
Companies like TUI Musement, GetYourGuide, Trip.com, AttractionTickets.com and Jet2holidays are STILL, exploiting wildlife for profit despite 84%1 of UK citizens who believe that tour operators should not sell activities that cause wild animals suffering, according to a report by World Animal Protection.
Elephant riding, selfies with tiger cubs and swimming with dolphins were some of the cruel wildlife activities on offer by these travel brands, according to the Real Responsible Traveller report.
The study reviewed 9 leading travel companies on their commitment to animal welfare and wildlife friendly tourism with the aim to help holiday makers plan a wildlife friendly holiday.
Thousands of wild animals every year are forced to perform for tourist entertainment or be subjects for tourist “experiences” that are incredibly unnatural and stressful for them.
This skeletal baby elephant was forced to “rave” to music, “play” musical instruments, and perform tricks, all for tourists’ entertainment at Phuket Zoo in Thailand. Despite a global campaign to free him, he died after his back legs snapped beneath him.
For example, elephants in entertainment are captured in the wild or born into captivity and taken from their mothers at an early age. They are then subjected to violent training regimes causing huge physical and psychological harm.
Dolphins used for entertainment are mostly bred in captivity, (although some are still captured from the wild) and kept in barren tanks a tiny fraction of their natural home range which creates huge distress for these wonderful animals.
Travelling responsibly means never including captive wildlife entertainment or experiences on your itinerary and refusing to book your holiday with travel companies which may claim to offer responsible, sustainable travel, while continuing to profit from wild animal exploitation.
The report also shows the travel companies who have made significant, positive steps for wildlife over recent years including Airbnb, and Booking.com. Expedia has improved in some areas, having stopped selling captive dolphin entertainment in 2021.
Katheryn Wise, World Animal Protection, Wildlife Campaign Manager, said: “Holiday makers have made it clear; they don’t want tour operators selling animal suffering, but the reality is, suffering is still being sold under the guise of entertainment.
“Who you book your holiday with matters. TUI Musement, Jet2holidays, GetYourGuide Trip.com and Attraction Tickets.com are STILL exploiting captive wild animals.
“World Animal Protection is urging responsible travellers to join us in challenging these companies to do better for animals. Real responsible travellers have the power to act and create lasting change for wild animals by refusing to support companies that still treat wild animals as commodities who they can exploit for profit.
“We are also urging the UK government to take action by passing the Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Bill, which sees its second parliamentary reading take place on February 3rd. This important bill intends to stop the sale and advertising of activities abroad which involve low standards of welfare for animals.”
The Real ResponsibleTraveller report builds on World Animal Protection’s 2020 Tracking the Travel Industry report, which assessed Airbnb, AttractionTickets.com, Booking.com, DER Touristik, Expedia, Flight Centre, GetYourGuide, Klook, The Travel Corporation, Viator, Trip.com and TUI Musement.
World Animal Protection commissioned the University of Surrey who independently analysed the public commitments travel companies have, and haven’t, made.
Companies were scored across four key areas:
Commitment: Availability and quality of published animal welfare policies and how applicable they are to all their brands
Targets and performance: Availability and scope of published time bound targets and reports on progress towards meeting animal welfare commitments
Changing industry supply: Availability and quality of engagement with suppliers and the overall industry, to implement wildlife-friendly changes
Changing consumer demand: Availability and quality of educational animal welfare content and tools to empower consumers to make wildlife-friendly travel choices
They are cruelly trained, chained, abused and exposed to frequent interactions with tourists, loud noises and constant camera flashes. This is no life for a tiger, and why we’re calling on Thai authorities to introduce a breeding ban of captive tigers in Thailand and for better welfare standards for tigers in entertainment venues. In the picture: Tigers spend the day chained for tourist photos. The teeth of this one had also been clipped.
World Animal Protection then checked to see if they offered any of the five “animal attractions”:
Elephant rides, feeding and washing
Feeding or petting primates
Selfies, shows, petting or walking with big cats
Swimming with captive dolphins and dolphin shows
The sale of any interactive “experiences” involving any captive wild animals (including for example sea lions, crocodiles and alligators)
For more information about industry best practices and how holidaymakers can make their concerns known to the travel companies click here.
New plans to crack down on puppy smuggling and ban the import of dogs with cropped ears or docked tails have been set out by the UK Government today.
The new powers, which also include raising the minimum age for importing a puppy from 15 weeks to six months and banning the import of heavily pregnant dogs to help protect puppy and mother welfare, are aimed at safeguarding the welfare of the thousands of puppies and dogs that come into Great Britain from overseas each year.
More than 66,000 dogs were commercially imported into the UK last year according to Animal and Plant Health Agency figures. However, evidence shows a recent rise in low-welfare imports and smuggling activity, with border authorities seeing around a 260% increase in the number of young puppies being intercepted for not meeting the UK’s pet import rules – from 324 in 2019 to 843 in 2020.
The proposals are part of a raft of measures included in an eight-week GB-wide consultation which seeks views from the public and stakeholders on government proposals to tackle puppy smuggling and low-welfare imports by unscrupulous breeders and traders.
In addition, the consultation asks the public and stakeholders for views on new penalties for breaching these rules, changes to the detention and rehoming process and whether the proposals should be extended to cover cats and ferrets.
Launching the consultation, Animal Welfare Minister Lord Zac Goldsmith said: “Puppy smuggling is a grim trade, and we are determined to clamp down on it.
“Raising the minimum import age for puppies will help protect thousands of animals that are brought into the country each year and stop criminals looking to profit from the rise in demand for pets.
“We already have one of the toughest pet travel border checking regimes in the world and as an independent nation outside the EU we are going even further by preventing anyone from bringing in dogs which have undergone inhumane procedures such as ear cropping or tail docking.
“These new measures build on our plans to raise animal welfare standards across the board as part of our Action Plan for Animal Welfare.”
RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said: “In recent years we’ve seen a huge increase in the number of dogs being commercially imported into the UK as well as the number of dogs being reported for having undergone mutilated procedures such as cropped ears.
“These are major dog welfare issues that need addressing as a matter of urgency in order to protect dogs from unnecessary suffering and to protect the public from falling victim to criminals who are trying to cash in on these dogs’ value.
“We’re really pleased that the Government – which pledged to tackle these issues among many others in its Action Plan for Animal Welfare – is launching this consultation and we hope that these new measures will be implemented efficiently so that we can crackdown on the illegal dog trade once and for all.
Owen Sharp, Chief Executive of Dogs Trust said: “We are delighted that today’s consultation could bring us one step closer to ending the abhorrent puppy smuggling trade.
!Over the last six years, Dogs Trust has spearheaded the campaign to crack down on puppy smuggling, after our first undercover investigation in 2014 exposed widespread abuse of the Pet Travel Scheme by unscrupulous dealers, bringing in puppies for sale.
“Since setting up our Puppy Pilot in 2015 we have cared for more than 2000 puppies which were seized at UK borders, often in horrendous conditions. We have seen puppies as young as 4 weeks old being smuggled into the country and dogs with open wounds from ear cropping as well as heavily pregnant dogs close to giving birth.
“We are pleased that the consultation has set out proposals to tackle these issues and hope it results in tougher penalties for these crimes, as currently only a handful of cases have ever been prosecuted and the existing penalties are sadly no deterrent.
“We will continue to work closely with the Government to be the voice for dogs and put forward our recommendations to ensure the proposed legislation effects real change.”
Media vet, animal welfare campaigner, and founder of the Lucy’s Law and #BanPuppyImports campaigns, Dr Marc Abraham OBE says: “This important Government consultation is hugely welcome and will hopefully bring us another step closer to ending widespread cruelty to puppies and their parents.
“For decades, both the legal and illegal importation of young puppies has enabled and encouraged low-welfare breeding practices and dog exploitation across Europe, with puppies often separated from their mothers too early, then sent long distances often riddled with all kinds of disease, straight to their unsuspecting new owners in the UK.
“By introducing these positive dog welfare proposals we can make significant progress in the fight against these cruel practices. I would like to thank the UK Government for listening to the evidence presented by campaigners and hope we can secure these positive changes needed to protect the puppies, their parents, and the British dog-owning public.”
Puppies that are imported too young face a significantly higher risk of developing illnesses or even death.
Raising the minimum age for bringing puppies in to the UK will therefore ensure that they are not separated from their mothers too early and will allow them to develop further ahead of being taken on potentially long and stressful journeys which can have a lasting impact on their temperament and behaviour.
The RSPCA has also recently reported a 620% rise in reports of dogs found to have had their ears cropped, covering from 2015 to 2020.
Ear cropping is a painful process where a dog’s outer ears are surgically altered or removed altogether to make them look more aggressive. The surgical procedure, which has been illegal in this country since 2006, can hinder their ability to communicate with other dogs and their owners.
The majority of these dogs are suspected to have undergone the procedure overseas and under the new rules set out in the consultation launched today they would be banned from entering the country.
Last year the Dogs Trust warned the public about the risk of buying dogs online after rescuing dozens of puppies that were illegally imported into the country.
Victims of this cruel trade included a group of six underage puppies seized at Dover port after being found covered in sticky oil and suffering from diarrhoea (above). The puppies had been illegally imported from Romania and were travelling in the back of a van for more than 24 hours. They had to be shaved to remove the oil from their fur.
In September 2020, four beagle puppies were also found in the back of an abandoned vehicle in Greater London. At eight weeks old, they weighed just two kilograms each and were very hungry and dehydrated.
They are believed to have been illegally imported from the Republic of Ireland, to be sold onto prospective buyers in the UK. After spending three weeks in the care of the Dogs Trust, they went on to loving new homes.
The move could see these animals given new legal protections, and means that restaurants and fishmongers could be banned from boiling crabs alive or sending live lobsters through the post.
“Snappily dressed shellfish campaigners gathered outside the House of Lords today as Peers propose Bill amendment recognising that lobsters feel pain.”
Scientific evidence shows that decapod crustaceans, a group which includes crabs and lobsters, can feel pain and suffer and should be included in animal welfare legislation.
Whilst other countries such as Switzerland, Norway and New Zealand include decapod crustaceans in their animal welfare laws, decapods are not currently included in the definition of ‘animal’ in most of the UK’s animal welfare legislation.
Crustacean Compassion points out that this means that they can be routinely treated as if they were no more sentient than a vegetable. Decapod crustaceans are frequently boiled and/or dismembered alive, and research shows that a brown crab may take up to three minutes to die in boiling water.
Electrical stunning before slaughter, they argue, is currently the most humane method of dispatching the animals.
Maisie Tomlinson of Crustacean Compassion, said: “We hope the House of Lords votes to accept this amendment at the earliest opportunity. Decapod crustaceans are Britain’s forgotten animals, widely recognised as sentient but subject to brutal treatment in the food industry.
“The government made a manifesto commitment to promote high standards of animal welfare, and prides itself on being led by the science. It cannot decide which animals are sentient based on political convenience, and if the independent review of decapod and cephalopod sentience is so critical to the Lords’ decision-making, we urge them not to delay its release any further”.
Naturalist and television presenter, Chris Packham CBE, has voiced his support for a short film from animal welfare charity, Naturewatch Foundation.
The video shows teenagers the brutality and shocking prevalence of badger baiting, a blood sport that continues to thrive all over the UK – despite being banned since 1835.
The Gloucestershire-based charity invites anyone working with teenagers to feature the 16-minute documentary in their schedules at a convenient time, particularly secondary schools, youth work settings, badger groups, wildlife organisations and police officers.
‘Raising Awareness of Badger Crime’ is presented and produced by Alex Collins, a young filmmaker and keen conservationist.
Collins takes the audience deep into the forest to the site of a badger sett. Delving into the lives of badgers, he explores not only their ecology and how vital they are to their ecosystems, but also the extreme cruelty they face, including badger baiting. Teenagers are taught how to recognise signs of wildlife crime and how they can help protect badgers if they suspect persecution is happening.
Packham, a patron of Naturewatch Foundation, said: “The film offers teenagers the chance to appreciate and connect with the natural world, and with a creature they may have previously had little knowledge of.
“As we have learned, particularly during the pandemic, nature has been recognised as a source of inspiration and comfort for so many of us. It is more important than ever that we inspire the younger generations to become guardians and protectors of our natural world and all the beautiful creatures that call it home, particularly the humble and highly victimised badger.”
Collins, a zoologist, said: “The fact that badger baiting remains so un-discussed among the general public is a testament to how far we still have to go if we are to defeat wildlife crime nationwide. I believe that all generations, young and old, have the power to create positive change and I hope that this film acts as the first stepping stone towards inspiring people to do that.”
On request, the charity provides educational resources to support the film and offers a free wildlife crime novel to participating schools. ‘A Badger’s Tale’ was illustrated by 13-16-year-olds following an art competition, which was judged by Chris Packham.
Caroline Ruane, CEO of Naturewatch Foundation, said: “Our badger baiting awareness programme for teenagers was launched in 2018 but, due to social distancing restrictions, was put on hold during the pandemic.
“We have risen to the challenge of making our message as accessible as possible by sharing our new film online. Badger crime can be a generational issue, with children witnessing their parents’ involvement and not registering that their activities are morally wrong – or even illegal.
“To help save British badgers from a horrific end, we invite anyone who works with teenagers over the age of 13 to share our thought-provoking, and conversation-starting, video with their groups via our YouTube channel. Young people can change the future for this iconic animal.”
A Dalkeith woman has been given a five-year ban on keeping more than one dog following a Scottish SPCA investigation.
53-year-old Debbie Ballantine-Brown failed to provide suitable veterinary treatment for her Weimaraner dogs Ember and Buckley between 1 January and 26 February 2019.
A deprivation order was issued for Buckley, allowing him to be rehomed but sadly Ember was put to sleep due to age related health complaints before the case came to trial.
Ballantine-Brown of Ruskin Place, Mayfield, Dalkeith was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on 15 December 2020. The case against her daughter Megan Hollingsworth was not proven.
Scottish SPCA Inspector Fiona Thorburn said, “We received a report from a concerned member of the public regarding dogs in the property shared by Ballantine-Brown and Hollingsworth, two of which were emaciated.
“On arrival at the address I had immediate concerns for the welfare of the dogs, particularly the female Weimaraner, Ember, who was so emaciated her pelvis, vertebrae and ribs were all clearly protruding. When she was examined by a vet she was found to weigh just 20kg, when she should have weighed over 26kg.
“Buckley, the male Weimaraner was also very underweight and his ribs and pelvis were clearly visible. On examination he was found to be 15.7kg when he should have been over 20kg.
“On further investigation it was found that Ember had not seen a vet at all despite her terrible condition and Buckley had not been examined since 22 October 2018.
“The dogs would have been caused to suffer considerably in becoming this thin and a responsible owner should have taken them to a vet much sooner. They gained weight rapidly in our care, with Buckley gaining 49% and Ember gaining 37% in the four weeks following their removal from Ruskin Place”.Image
“We’re pleased that a ban on keeping multiple dogs has been issued and hope Ballantine-Brown will carefully consider her ability to look after any animal in the future.
“We are glad a deprivation order has been issued for Buckley and he can now find the loving home he deserves after spending 22 months in our care.
“If anyone is concerned about an animal they can contact our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”
