Would David Cameron approve of this?

On Saturday 31st October, two Hunt saboteurs were the victim of a premeditated and unprovoked attack resulting in one needing hospital treatment for severe facial cuts and bruising and a suspected broken nose, during the attack the saboteurs were also threatened with a clasp knife.

The attack took place at a public car park on the South Downs Way slightly south of Firle, East Sussex, the car park is usually the haunt of members of the public using the footpaths to enjoy the countryside or for hang gliding off the step hillside.

On this Saturday members of the South Down and Eridge Fox hunt met at Firle Place and proceeded onto the downs. As is usual members of the Hunt Saboteurs were present to monitor the hunt to ensure there were no breaches of the Hunting Act which has made the hunting of foxes illegal. No false scent drags were in evidence but Hunt saboteurs became suspicious as an official of the hunt started to act in a strange manner and seemed to be trying to keep them in one location.

While this was taking place the driver of the group’s vehicle and his passenger noticed that other hunt supporters had suddenly left the car park they were waiting in. Within minutes two land rovers and a quad bike arrived, containing about ten hunt supporters some known to the saboteurs, blocking the movement of the group’s vehicle and an unprovoked attack was launched on the two saboteurs.

The driver while attempting to regain access to his vehicle had the door slammed on his head and was then repeatedly punched in the face causing the severe facial cuts and bruising and a suspected broken nose. He was then threatened with a clasp knife and was told repeatedly that he would be stabbed. His female companion was knocked to the ground and attempts were made to steal her mobile phone.

Managing to break free the two regained their vehicle and were chased by the three vehicles for a distance. The police were informed of the violent attack and later that day one man was arrested.

Lee Moon, spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association stated:  “David Cameron is happy to sing the praises of the hunting community and has promised to repeal the Hunting Act if the Tories win the General Election.  We would like to know if he approves of this callous, unprovoked and vicious attack by ten hunt supporters on two innocent people which could easily have resulted in serious and permanent injury.  Violence is a way of life for these people whether it is directed towards animals or people.”

http://hsa.enviroweb.org/index.php/news/latest/198-hsa-news-release-31st-october-2009

Back the ban

The ban on fox-hunting – that Labour Party members from across the country worked so hard to achieve – is under threat.

Yesterday, at a time when our Labour Government is focused on tackling the recession and securing our economic recovery, the Tory spokesman on Animal Welfare re-affirmed that the Tory Party, if elected, would set aside Government time for a vote to repeal the ban.

And make no mistake – David Cameron and members of his top team have made it very clear that their intention is to see the return of the cruel spectacle of foxes being torn to pieces in Britain’s countryside.

So I need your help. Please sign up now to Back the Ban.

We need to make sure that as many people as possible know that a consequence of voting for the Conservatives at the next election will be an end to the ban on fox-hunting with dogs.

I’m going to be campaigning alongside animal welfare organisations on this in the coming weeks and months and it will help a lot to know if you’ll support our campaign.

Sign up now to pledge your support for my campaign.

Once you’ve signed up I’ll be in touch by email next week to let you know exactly how you can help.

Together we can make sure that as many people as possible know that a Conservative Government would mean an end to the ban so many people worked so hard to introduce.

Thank you

Hilary Benn

Hunting’s reply no surprise

So, the hunting fraternity are incensed by the cruelty-free chain Lush lending their support to the Hunt Saboteurs Association.

And how do the hunting fraternity respond? As always with intimidation. Some of the shops throughout the UK had displays of anti-hunting posters and leaflets knocked down, members of staff verbally abused and front of shop windows smashed. This comes as no surprise to those of us go out week-in and week-out against the hunts.

Before the season started the Countryside Alliance warned their supporters to remain calm in the face of provocation, as they think the Conservatives are going to gain power, and they are in sniffing distance of the Hunting Act being repealed.

Well, it seems they are well off message. Up here in Cumbria more people are wanting to come out and join us up in the hills, as they feel the democratic system as let them down, by allowing the hunts to flout the law.

So as long as they try to make the act unworkable, we will be out with video cameras, and also ready to intervene on behalf of the hunted animal, if need be.

ANDREW
Cumbrian Hunt Saboteurs

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/opinion/letters/hunting_s_reply_no_surprise_1_628095?referrerPath=/1.96082

Woman bred illegal fighting dogs in home

A jobless woman bred illegal fighting dogs in her Wolverhampton home and sold them for up to £300 each, a court heard.

The pitbull terrier dogs were found when police swooped on the house in a drugs raid.

Katie Hill has now been warned that she could face time behind bars for breeding litters in what was described by a district judge as being a “commercial operation”. Twelve dogs have been kept in kennels ever since the raid at a cost of more than £38,000 and face being put down.

Hill, aged 24, of Filey Road, Bushbury, pleaded guilty to breeding a litter of 10 puppies from two adult dogs at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court yesterday.

Miss Pushpa Sheemar, prosecuting, said: “On January 9, a drugs warrant was executed at her home address and some drugs were found, along with the pitbull-type dogs which were seized.

“There was a large adult male, a heavily pregnant female and five puppies. The pregnant female later gave birth to a litter of 12 puppies but only five survived.

“In interview, the defendant admitted they were pitbull dogs and she had sold them for between £200 and £300 per dog from previous litters.”

Hill, who is on jobseekers allowance and looking after her boyfriend’s two children while he is in prison, was fined £500 for possession of cocaine, Miss Sheemar added.

After initially pleading not guilty to breeding from fighting dogs, she changed her plea to guilty yesterday before her trial started. She has been bailed pending sentencing on October 28.

District Judge Michael Wheeler warned Hill she was facing prison, saying: “This is a very serious offence and I am not prepared to rule out custody at this stage. This was for commercial gain – this was a commercial operation.”

Mrs Hina Paw, defending, said Hill was not aware at the time the animals were fighting dogs.

http://www.expressandstar.com/2009/10/22/woman-bred-illegal-fighting-dogs-in-home/

Birds seized over cock fighting

Animal welfare officers have seized seven birds they suspected were being kept for cock fighting.

The Scottish SPCA with the help of Lothian and Borders Police recovered the birds during raids on on a number of Edinburgh addresses on Tuesday.

The birds are now in the Scottish SPCA’s care and will be examined for evidence of being prepared for fighting.

As yet, no-one has been charged with an offence.

Scottish SPCA Ch Supt Mike Flynn said cock fight was illegal.

He added: “Cock fighting is big business for some very small sections of society. Prize birds can be worth hundreds of pounds to their owners and significant sums of money changes hands at the fights.

“This ancient blood sport is a very clandestine, underground activity that is shrouded in secrecy so we are very pleased to have removed these birds today in what was a successful operation.

“Any ‘sport’ that involves pitting one animal against another and encouraging them to fight each other to extreme injury and often death is, in our view, abhorrent and has no place in modern society.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8319250.stm

Urban fox hunter to pay £500 fine

A DUMBARTON man has been fined £500 for fox hunting.

Martin Johnstone was spotted digging holes and sending a dog down to hunt foxes on wasteland near to Southdeen Avenue, Drumchapel, in June this year.

The 32-year-old forklift driver was arrested after police arrived and saw him and a fox running from a hole he had dug.

At Glasgow Sheriff Court yesterday, Johnstone, of Fraser Avenue, Dumbarton, admitted deliberately hunting the animals on June 31 this year.

His co-accused Alexander McCafferty, 25, of Boghead Avenue, Dumbarton, had his not guilty plea accepted.

Prosecutor Wendy Hay told the court that a witness living in nearby flats saw Johnstone digging between 9.30am and 10am.

Miss Hay said: “The witness knew that the accused was digging in a place where foxes lived and telephoned police.

“The police attended and saw the accused emerge from the hole he had been digging and start to run away from the area.

“As he ran off, a fox was also seen to run from the hole.

“The officers managed to catch up with the accused who told them that he had been digging to try and find a lost dog.

“But CCTV footage showed the accused placing a dog down the hole a number of times after adjusting a tracking device on its collar.

“The accused was taken to the police office where he was interviewed but did not make any admissions to the offence.”

Defence lawyer Andrew Gallen told the court that Johnstone had instructed him not to tell the court about the circumstances of the offence or why he did it.

Mr Gallen simply added that the dog had been taken into police custody but was now back with Johnstone.

Sheriff Norman Ritchie reduced Johnstone’s fine from £600 to £500 because of his early plea of guilty.

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/display.var.2532748.0.urban_fox_hunter_to_pay_500_fine.php

The hunts are still at it…and so are we

At Lush, we’re on the side of the foxes, which is why we are proud to launch our latest campaign against illegal fox hunting.

We let out a sigh of relief in 2004 when Parliament finally reacted to the will of the people and passed the Hunting Act, which outlawed the chasing and killing of foxes with packs of dogs. To this day, a whopping 75% of the population want to see hunting with hounds remain a criminal activity.

Unfortunately, the hunts are still at it. Since the Hunting Act came into force in 2005 there has been widespread breaking of the law by foxhunts. In Britain, mounted hunts continue to terrorise wildlife. Police are not making enforcement a priority, so for the hunts, it’s business as usual. This is why our friends at the Hunt Saboteurs Association are needed now more than ever.

The Hunt Saboteurs Association, run by unpaid volunteers, bravely use non-violent means to protect hunted animals. They film hunts breaking the law and give police the evidence. But most importantly, the hunt sabs take direct action to hunt sabs association save animals in danger: they use hunting horns to call the hounds away, or cover a fox’s scent with a harmless spray of citronella essential oil. Since they started over 40 years ago they have saved thousands of foxes, deer, hares, mink, otters and game birds.

The hunt sabs tell us that as long as the law is not enforced through the courts, they will be out on the fields of Britain. They don’t want to be there, but nobody else is doing the job. It is disgraceful that the Hunt Saboteurs Association, a volunteer organisation, are obliged to enforce a law passed not just by a majority in Parliament, but with overwhelming support from the public.

We’ve asked around, and it seems most people believe that hunting with hounds stopped when it was made illegal. Sadly this is not the case and we believe people have a right to know. So please, during the week of October 12th visit your local Lush shop, sign a post card to your Chief Constable, asking them to get behind the Hunting Act and make its enforcement a priority, buy a Fabulous Mrs Fox Bubble Bar and help spread the word.

FABULOUS MRS FOX BUBBLE BAR; 100% of the proceeds (minus VAT) go to the Hunt Saboteurs Association.

This Bubble Bar, which was dreamed up by a group of our shop managers, is made with a selection of English plants fabulous Mrs fox

like peppermint and angelica root to celebrate the great British countryside. 100% of the proceeds go to the Hunt Saboteurs Association who are all about protecting our wildlife. It’s a limited edition and we’ll be selling it until Boxing Day.

WHAT EXACTLY IS HAPPENING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE? TALLY-HO!

Under the Hunting Act it is OK to go out into the countryside with horses and a pack of hounds, but it is illegal to use those hounds to chase and kill wildlife.

While many people have been prosecuted under the new law, most hunts quickly realised that they can continue to hunt foxes under the cloak of so-called “trail hunting”, where hounds are let loose in the country to follow a pre-laid fox scent. Inevitably, the hounds pick up the scent of a real fox, which results in the poor animal being chased for hours and then ripped to pieces. Hunters claim these “accidents” are not against the law, and usually police don’t collect evidence or prosecute the hunts. In the opinion of experienced hunt sabs and monitors around the country, trail hunting is just a front for illegal foxhunting. If police got more involved in enforcing the act, and if Parliament made it clear that these “accidents” were unacceptable, a lot fewer animals would suffer.

Even before the ban came into effect, a reported 50,000 hunt members and supporters publicly signed a declaration saying they would break the law if their blood sport was ever banned, so widespread flouting of the law is not surprising.

FOX FACTFILE:

• The fox population regulates itself based on territory and food availability, and they play an important part in the ecosystem. Scientific reports indicate that hunting with hounds plays an ‘insignificant’ role in controlling fox numbers.

• Foxes will run from a pack of hounds until they are beyond exhaustion. This terrifying chase can last for hours. Hounds are bred for stamina, so they eventually catch up with the fox, and the end is horrible.

• When hounds are no longer useful to the hunt, they are usually killed and their bodies sometimes get fed back to the pack.

https://www.lush.co.uk

Lush bubble bath to support hunt saboteur campaign

The cosmetics company Lush is launching a bubble bath it hopes will raise tens of thousands of pounds for anti-blood sports activists who sabotage fox hunts.

The Hunt Saboteurs Association will be the latest beneficiary of proceeds from Lush, the ethical producer of handmade soaps which has gained a reputation for backing radical protest groups.

The citronella and peppermint bubble bath, called The Fabulous Mr Fox, will arrive on the shelves in the coming weeks and will be on sale until Boxing Day, a traditional day for fox hunts. The company hopes the product will raise £50,000 for the activists, and said they money will be used to fund vehicles and video equipment.

Mark Constantine, the 59-year-old co-founder of Lush, which is based in Poole, Dorset, has previously donated large portions of his profits to human rights groups, animal welfare organisations and environmental protesters such as Plane Stupid, who promote non-violent civil disobedience to opposed airport expansion.

Proceeds from the Lush cosmetics empire, which is thought to be worth around £150m, have also been used to fund campaigns to support Sumatran orangutans and oppose the widening of the M1 motorway. Sea Shepherd, a guerilla conservation group that operates vessels to scupper rival ships it finds whaling in the middle of the ocean, has received £22,000 from the sale of Lush products.

Lush, founded by Constantine in 1995, has become a multinational company, with branches in north America, Japan and Australia.

The company claims to give around 2% of profits to charity and is keen to promote itself as an ethical brand. Constantine said funding activists groups was “central to what we do”.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/oct/03/lush-supports-hunt-saboteurs