Greyhound racing, so glamorous and so exciting According to the Greyhound Board, the sport is enjoyed by three million people and involves thousands of greyhounds. The Board goes on to say, “The sport is well run, properly regulated and the welfare of the dogs is always the main priority of those involved. Some anti-greyhound racing groups spread stories alleging particular greyhound or greyhounds have been maltreated and on that basis protest that greyhound racing should be banned. Many of the “horror stories” spread by these groups are either urban myths, or actually originate in other countries, not in the UK. It is certainly true that is some countries, animal welfare standards are far lower than they are here. Britain is known as a nation of dog lovers, and the people involved in greyhound racing are no exception to this. They love their dogs and are certainly not in it for the money – owning and training greyhounds is hardly ever a route to riches! They are in greyhound racing because they love the breed and get huge satisfaction from seeing their dogs racing and enjoying what they were born to do.” So if all of this is true, why are animal welfare charities making such a fuss about greyhound racing? The League against Cruel Sports says greyhound racing is a secretive self-regulating sport which in spite of two damning reports and a new set of animal welfare regulations, is failing to meet even the most basic needs of the dogs. The League’s investigations show that the dogs spend most of their lives, when not racing, in small kennels without stimulation or social contact. Some are kennelled in twos, but they are forced to wear muzzles so they don’t bite each other from being stressed. The League’s website reveals an appalling catalogue of neglect that is not acted upon by the regulatory board which is allowed to keep its findings secret. Many of the dogs are flea ridden and neglected. They are not regularly wormed and their injuries frequently go untreated. Malnutrition and dental decay causes much stress and much suffering and, as if that wasn’t enough, their wretched existence is made worse by having to run on poorly maintained tracks which can cause lethal injuries like fractured spines or limbs. The League says at least 10,000 dogs are deemed surplus to requirements every year. They claim 8,000 are retired racers, the rest are young dogs that didn't make the grade. British charities re-home many surplus dogs, but thousands are unaccounted for each year. Some are abandoned, some killed crudely, and others sold into vivisection. The League has a greyhound manifesto and a petition asking for more clarity and accountability in the sport, if you love greyhounds, please sign it. (see link at the end of this article) The Greyhound Racing Board hits back at the accusations with the same old rhetoric. It starts as always with the question, "So, what would happen if greyhound racing was to be banned?" The following is unaltered from The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) founded in 2009 “A lot of people would lose their jobs and millions of people would lose access to a very enjoyable pastime. Worse than that, as has been seen before, banning could mean activities going underground and operating with no regulation at all – the opposite of what these protestors are trying to achieve. If greyhound racing was to be banned, what would be next? Protestors would likely just move on to try and get other activities banned as well - horse racing, farming, fishing, dog shows, pet breeding and even pet ownership. Many of those who want to see greyhound racing banned, would also want to see the entire domestication of animals outlawed. We could expect to see the end of the greyhound breed in Britain along with large scale unemployment as stadia shut and trainers and their kennel staff are forced to seek alternative employment. More importantly, as many as thirty thousand greyhounds would need to be retired at once and with rehoming schemes unlikely to be able to cope with such a large number, many greyhounds would likely be put to sleep.” Since when was animal suffering a reason for someone keeping a job? And why should an enjoyable pastime take precedence over good animal welfare? To claim that banning cruel greyhound racing would put pet ownership in jeopardy is just ludicrous, yet I guess these people are clutching at straws. GBGB http://www.league.org.uk/our-campaigns/racing-animals/what-is-wrong-with-greyhound-racing http://www.league.org.uk/our-campaigns/racing-animals/the-leagues-greyhound-manifesto http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/71130%20
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SURREY UNION FOXHUNT this time.
On the 31st of December the Surrey police were called by saboteurs about a fox kill following a drag hunt. And, true to form the police sided with the hunt. The Sabs had this to say on their Face Book page, ‘After years of not investigating assaults on saboteurs and doing nothing about constant illegal hunting, the Surrey police have sunk to a new low and without any investigation have issued a statement saying that the fox killed on New Year’s Eve accidentally crossed a false trail laid by the hunt, and the killing was accidental hunting.’ The saboteurs report as to their version of events has been copied in full, “We started off with the hunt by Redhill plantation, with 3 vehicles and two motorbikes out we covered the area well. The hunt milled about in the area for a little while whilst sabs covered various exit points. One of the hunt buggies later tried to run a Sab down upon leaving the farm - this buggy had no front registration and was carrying passengers on a public road (illegal?) As the hunt left, so did we, unfortunately there wasn't a lot of public footpaths so we had to keep eyes on the hunt from a distance. We lost the hunt momentarily however a Sab heard the hounds in cry so notified us of the position at Hook Lane opposite New Barn Farm. As we arrived we looked down through the woods and seen 4 hounds, as we got closer one of the sabs noticed a fox laying lifeless on the ground with hounds still attacking (we have video evidence)We quickly moved down to retrieve the fox for evidence and to get the hounds off whilst the police were on route. We scouted around the area taking pictures of blood marks and fur that was scattered around, fur was found on fencing approx 100 meters from the kill with a clear struggle path which shows the fox was chased. The body was still warm and shortly after placing him/her in the land rover he/she released their bowels proving a fresh kill. Masked up terrier men arrived soon after to pick up the body of the fox (thus destroying evidence) without knowing we got there first. From the post mortem: "The vet observed that the fox had been killed by a large mammal, most likely a large dog with numerous puncture wounds to legs, throat and flank - most significant was a massive trauma to the rib cage that had crushed it and separated it." By this time one police officer arrived on scene and really wasn't much use, this officer refused to speak to the hunt. “ Is the SURREY UNION FOXHUNT and SURREY POLICE one and the same? Perhaps we could be forgiven for thinking so. This is the same hunt that sabs say claimed in October last year, that a deer their dogs savaged, had not been attacked at all, but had torn its belly open on a patch of brambles after saboteurs had frightened the animal into running. The sabs told a very different story of the event, they said that the hunt hounds had in fact chased the deer, which was eviscerated by the dogs before they could get there to protect it. The police were called and the hunt were questioned and vindicated on the spot. No charges were brought and the evidence, in the form of the dead deer, was left with the hunters to dispose of as they saw fit. Two sabs were arrested for trespass at the time. This is a report of just two hunts, two hunts and yet all of this mayhem. This state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue. The police MUST do what they are paid to do and uphold the Law. There are many reports from monitors and saboteurs across the UK who are telling us the same story, that the police are acting as lackeys and body guards and the hunters are getting away with murder, literally. Related Use your vote to end hunting cruelty forever Resources http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/fife/video-police-called-to-tense-stand-off-between-huntsmen-and-saboteurs-in-fife-1.753230 That the hunters are desperate is obvious, as a letter which has been circulated to pro hunt groups on FaceBook shows. It is a rally call for Vote OK supporters to deliver leaflets for Neil Carmichael in the marginal seat in Stroud, where they hope their efforts will secure a pro hunt Tory win. It is one of many rally calls across the country for a huge effort in the marginals where there is chance of returning an MP who will vote for repeal. David Cameron has already stated he will hold a free vote on repeal if the Tories are elected for a further term, and as Labour has promised to support the ban it’s no wonder the hunters are going all out to secure a Tory win. Page 23 of the Tory manifesto states,
Resources
http://b.3cdn.net/labouruk/e1d45da42456423b8c_vwm6brbvb.pdf http://www.league.org.uk/news-and-opinion/videos In summary, Mr Wooler found the RSPCA to be fulfilling its role as animal protectors. The report highlighted the unique remit of the RSPCA as a successful prosecuting animal welfare organisation, whose prosecutions team "enjoys good standing before the courts for the effective manner in which its cases are presented." While it also stated that the RSPCA operates in an "unstructured and haphazard” environment, the report also asserted that the Society is not only making a huge contribution to animal welfare, it is also "fulfilling a very significant constitutional role" whose contribution in terms of expertise and resources is huge and "simply too valuable to be lost.” Public support for the RSPCA was at an all-time high with people taking to Twitter and Face Book with unsolicited messages of encouragement. Below are just a few examples of the hundreds of unsolicited messages they received via Twitter and Facebook: “Let’s not forget, if the hunts didn’t keep breaking the law there’d be no need to prosecute them! Well done @RSPCA_official” “RSPCA I am so impressed with the recent campaigns and your brilliant work I am upping my donation!!! I am behind all recent decisions 100 PERCENT !!! Well done everyone !!!!” “Completely and 100% support @RSPCA_official. #dontlikeitdontfollowme” “I was absolutely disgusted to read such a biased, one-sided article. I hope they’re held to account for such misleading, damaging ‘journalism’. Well done to all of you for everything you do for animals.” “@RSPCA_official : money spent prosecuting law breaking animal abusers is money well spent!” “@MailOnline not printing comments in support of @RSPCA_official, hardly surprising from the biased, bitter journos on the daily fail!!” “@RSPCA_official RSPCA will be fine – back-stabbing and smearing part of today’s sad society.” This was last year, and for the first few months of 2015 the vitriol against the RSPCA seemed to die down. That is until the charity decided to prosecute the Cattistock hunt on film evidence provided by the IFAW. Unfortunately, the RSPCA decided to drop the case against the Dorset based Cattistock on the 18th of March 2015. The evidence upon which they built their case was supplied by IFAW, but with the Law being as it is at the present time, it was decided that the footage was not enough to secure a conviction. Look at the footage here and decide for yourself - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcQucQhxcv8 Hunts caught out breaking the law claim accidental hunting and these claims are hard to disprove at times. Accidental hunting is a loophole in the hunting Act, inserted by the pro hunt MPs when the legislation was going through the Commons. It is a ploy often used today when hounds are observed chasing foxes. Of course the Countryside Alliance is full of self-righteous indignation, with their campaigns manager accusing the RSPCA of a vendetta against law abiding hunts. Penny Little, the POWA monitor whose footage helped convict the Heythrop, described the situation as a complete and utter scandal. She went on to say that if the RSPCA is bullied in to not taking on hunting prosecutions it is tantamount to state-approved anarchy in the countryside. The RSPCA’s chief legal officer spoke of the society having to have ‘proportionality’, and agreed that the expense of prosecuting hunts and huntsmen for breaking the ban on hunting meant money wouldn’t be spent stopping cruelty to pets. The state of play at the moment is far from satisfactory. It is common knowledge that many hunts ride out every week with the express intention of hunting foxes in contravention of the law. The CPS and the police are less than enthusiastic and the animal charities against blood sports have their hands tied up the accidental hunting and research clauses in the Act. It seems clear however, that as long as hunters continue to train their dogs on fox scent, those dogs are going to chase and kill foxes if they are given the opportunity. Perhaps with a change of government in 2015, we can lobby to have the Act strengthened. It would be a good idea to remove the accidental hunting clause and stop the hunts using fox scent to train the dogs. The offence of hunting a wild mammal with a pack of dogs should carry a jail term and perhaps hunters riding out with a pack of killer dogs could be charged with going equipped to break the law. Sources: http://www.rspca.org.uk/webContent/staticImages/Downloads/WoolerReviewFinalSept2014.pdf http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/State-approved-anarchy-RSPCA-drops-hunt/story-22046038-detail/story.html http://www.countryside-alliance.org/ca/campaigns-hunting/rspca-drops-final-case-against-a-hunt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Society_for_the_Prevention_of_Cruelty_to_Animals They often arrive with abscess on their feet if they are kept in cages with wire floors. Their suffering is ignored or inadequately treated. Undercover Investigators have observed dogs circling frantically in their small cages and pacing ceaselessly back and forth, oblivious to anything around them. It’s their only way of coping with despair. Puppy mills are well-known in the pet industry and some unscrupulous pet shops are happy to accept the puppies without questions asked. There are also many adverts online offering puppies for sale and it is almost certain that these poor animals will have come from puppy mills. Marc Abraham, a TV vet is fighting hard against puppy farming, as is the Kennel Club and many other animal charities. Marc said there was an "over production of dogs" in the UK, with battery farming of puppies while rescue dogs were put to sleep every day. Marc is right, with millions of unwanted dogs and cats (including purebreds) dying every year in animal shelters, there is simply no reason for animals to be bred and sold for the pet-shop trade. Without these stores, the financial incentive for puppy mills would disappear, and the suffering of these dogs would end. At one time, dogs in the hundreds of thousands were brought from Thailand without food or water to be sold on the black market in Vietnam. The Soi Dog Foundation has worked tirelessly with the Thai government to end such practices but it hasn’t dented the supply or the demand for dog meat in Vietnam. Criminal gangs run the trade and they simply find dogs elsewhere.
In Hanoi, two dog thieves were interviewed by Nelufar, they told her quite openly that they often steal dogs if they can’t find enough strays. One boasted he had been collecting dogs for seven years and in that time he had stolen around 3000 animals. The authorities don’t care so the thieves have little to fear from the police. However, rough justice is sometimes served by the dog owners who have organised themselves in their villages into vigilante groups. If they catch the thieves they will be beaten and have their legs broken. Sometimes they will be killed. Meanwhile in China, the Yulin dog eating festival is drawing great condemnation from animal activists. It is estimated that to celebrate the summer solstice 10,000 dogs are slaughtered every year. The festival is attended by Chinese and tourists who consume tonnes of barbecued, stir fried and boiled dogs swallowed down with grain alcohol. Last year social media campaigns and a small determined band of animal rights activists made certain that the horrors of the Yulin festival were made known around the world. The condemnation was such that local government banned its employees from openly eating dog meat and it was reported that dog meat sales were down by one third. Feelings were running high and clashes between vendors and activists led to one horrific scene of a dog being suspended in a noose and threats of torture and hanging if the protesters refused to pay a ransom for its life. In another incident a fight broke out between activist and diners. Buddhists gathered from across China in protest and walked through Dongkou city’s dog meat market performing religious rites to "console the souls of the slaughtered dogs". The Chinese locals condemn the interference, they say eating dogs at the solstice is traditional and confers health benefits which keep them healthy through the winter months. Some of those who keep to the tradition held their festival early to avoid the protesters. Animal Asia’s CEO, Jill Robinson, said "It's an industry characterised by criminality, cruelty and poor hygiene. Dogs are stolen from their homes – increasingly by being darted and drugged in the street. Poisons that will find their way into the meals of the festival-goers." Many Chinese people, especially the middle classes, are now keeping dogs as pets and many celebrities are protesting at the way dogs are treated at the festival. The Actor Yan Mi wrote to her 35 million followers saying "Dogs are more loyal to people than I'd imagined – I think of dogs as friends, not meat," Her statement prompted 75,000 comments, most of which were in support of her message, and thanking her for speaking out. What can be done, the Vietnamese government don’t ask questions and the diners don’t question where the meat comes from. Unspeakable cruelty is inflicted on helpless dogs for huge profit margins and the black market in animal suffering is thriving. The only hope for the dogs is that public pressure is so great that the Vietnamese government cannot ignore or pretend they don’t know what is happening. Similarly in China, activism alone will not stop the barbaric tradition of eating dogs at Yulin. Public pressure and perhaps education is the way forward. Traditions that cause suffering for others have no place in our modern world. If China wishes to be seen as a country of culture and fashion, the Chinese government must introduce legislation to outlaw animal cruelty like the Yulin dog eating festival. Soi Dog Foundation Resources https://savedogs.soidog.org/care?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=FBO_PA_Buriram&utm_content=post11stage3&utm_campaign=RG http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/dogs-kept-cramped-cages-slaughtered-4369456 http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/23/chinese-dog-eating-festival-backlash-yulin-animal-rights https://www.animalsasia.org/uk/index.html An ambulance was immediately called but this was held up by the hunt supporters blocking the road. The woman’s injuries were so severe that she was air lifted to hospital where it was found she had seven broken ribs, a torn lung and an injured shoulder. She remained in hospital for two weeks and almost six months later she is still recovering. The hunter responsible was arrested for causing grievous bodily harm but now, six months later, the Crown Prosecution Service has decided not to take the case. Apparently the video, and the other information handed over by the saboteurs, was not sufficient evidence to secure a conviction. A spokesman for the saboteurs said that the same hunter was also charged with another assault whilst on bail for this attack. He allegedly broke a fellow hunter’s nose at their hunt ball. Watch the video here, and draw your own conclusions - http://vimeo.com/118537772 Lee Moon, spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association, stated: "We are disappointed, but not surprised, that no charges have been brought against the hunter. Historically the police and criminal justice system have allowed acts of violence on hunt saboteurs to go unpunished, whilst the saboteurs themselves are prosecuted seemingly at the whim of the hunts.” Lee went on to say, “Two hunt saboteurs, Mike Hill and Tom Worby, have been killed by hunts, and another, Steve Christmas, was seriously injured and spent months in hospital. None of these cases ever came to trial. Hunt saboteurs are routinely arrested and charged with a variety of offenses where no evidence is available other than the word of pro-hunters.” The Blackmore and Sparkford Vale hunt again. This time on Saturday the 7th February 2015, the Dorset Hunt saboteurs attended a meet at Sherborne Castle, the home of Lord Digby. From the start of the day the saboteurs said they were harassed by a large group of masked hunt supporters, who stole a hunting horn, broke expensive equipment, man-handled them and threatened them with further violence. As the day wore on the size of this group of thugs increased and their violent behaviour escalated accordingly. A spokesperson for the saboteurs told the Morning Star People’s Daily, that the violent gang used quad bikes to block in the saboteur’s Land Rover. They also smashed three of the Rover’s windows, also the headlights and then they attempted to throttle the driver. They had even prepared a homemade stinger, which they put under the land Rover’s wheels in an attempt to puncture the tyres. They also tried to stop the sabs from walking on public footpaths. A police helicopter was employed in an attempt to find the culprits and apparently the Dorset police are investigating but the investigating officer was not available for comment when contacted by the Star. The Hunt Saboteurs Association says attacks are not uncommon. Monitors and saboteurs up and down the country are frequently harassed and abused by masked and unmasked hunt thugs and their supporter’s. These hunting Mafioso are emboldened by the fact that very few are caught and even less are prosecuted. They often cover their faces in order to mete out violence without being recognised. They act like feral packs of half wild dogs rampaging against those who are trying to protect UK wildlife from hunting abuse. The threats and the violence doesn’t always stop in the field. Saboteurs and their families and even their pets often face reprisals if they are recognised. Sometimes dead animals are left as warnings on their cars or outside of their homes. Many saboteurs cover their faces for this reason to prevent reprisals from the hunt bully boys. Oddly, the Countryside Alliance has failed to condemn or reprimand these people. In fact, Tim Bonner, the Countryside Alliance Campaigns Manager, has called for the police to use powers to unmask the saboteurs. He even supports a Face Book page with a petition set up specifically to this end. No mention is made of the vicious thugs who cover their faces in order to create mayhem and grievous bodily harm to peaceable people whose only crime is to care about animals. Many pro hunt commentators have said how pleased they are that a young woman was so seriously injured. There has been little remorse shown anywhere in the pro hunting press publications. We could be forgiven for thinking that the hunting fraternity and their familiars have the police and CPS onside. They certainly seem to believe they are totally above the law. Ironic really that the 18th of this month is the tenth anniversary of the hunting Act, you would have thought by now this minority group would have had time to get over their lust for violence and killing harmless animals. If anyone feels like registering their disgust at the decision of the CPS not to prosecute the hunter who seriously injured a female sab, the contact details are: CPS; victimliaison.southwest@cps.gsi.gov.uk Attorney General; correspondence@attorneygeneral.gsi.gov.uk The Attorney General can also be reached via twitter @AGO_UK Resources http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-85c0-Car-smashed-up,-driver-choked#.VN0Q2CxyZEC http://www.huntsabs.org.uk/ http://www.nwhsa.org.uk/convicted_hunt_supporters.htm |
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