Words fail me yet again!!!

Conservationists have condemned plans that would allow buzzard nests to be destroyed and the birds of prey taken into captivity to protect pheasant shoots. The Environment Department (Defra) is to spend up to £375,000 researching ways to keep buzzards from targeting captive-reared pheasants. Proposed methods include destroying nests to prevent birds breeding, catching and relocating [...]

More badger diggers in court

16 April 2012 THREE men have appeared before Selby magistrates charged with digging for badgers. The alleged offence is said to have taken place at High Eggborough Lane in Eggborough on January 8 this year, and ended with a terrier dog called Jake being injured. Before the court were Lee Whinfrey, 28, Nathan Whinfrey, 25, [...]

‘Twisted’ badger baiter Anthony Lee jailed

A man who urged his dog to attack and kill badgers and kept footage of the fights on his phone has been jailed. A magistrate wiped away tears while watching three videos of animal fights that Anthony Lee, 23, recorded. Lee, of Coronation Way, Keighley, West Yorkshire, admitted three counts of animal fighting and was [...]

Hunt terrier man fined over fox ‘in a barrel’

A LEADING member of Peterborough’s Fitzwilliam Hunt has been fined for a breach of anti-hunting laws. Gamekeeper John Bycroft (67), who is the terrier man to the Fitzwilliam Hunt, was found with another man using terriers to flush foxes from underground dens. But he fell foul of the law after putting a live pregnant vixen [...]

Badger baiting accused face court

Badger The men were charged as part of an investigation into badger baiting Three men have appeared in court over alleged badger baiting. The defendants are all accused of causing unnecessary suffering to a terrier dog and badger and interfering with a badger sett. At Newtownards Magistrates Court were Graham Arthur Officer, 40, from Rose [...]

Cumbria – Hunting trial guilty verdict

TWO Cumbrian men have been found guilty by a Sheriff of deliberately hunting foxes and badgers on farmland near Langholm. Ryan Lowe, 30, of Baird Road, Harraby, Carlisle, and 40-year-old Brian Sanderson, of West Lane, Shap, were also found guilty of being in possession of items capable of being used for an offence contrary to [...]

Two Caernarfon men deny badger baiting offences

A FARMER heard the “frenzied barking” of dogs and knew they were hunting badgers, a court heard. Bleddyn Jones told Caernarfon Magistrates he was going to feed cattle on land near Criccieth last April when he spotted a van parked close to the well established badger sett. A few minutes later he heard the dogs [...]

Scottish gamekeeper guilty of wildlife crime after trapping owl

Scottish gamekeeper guilty of wildlife crime after trapping owl A Kirriemuir gamekeeper has admitted illegal trapping an owl in a cage trap. Robert Christie, 58, of Lindertis Estate, Airlie, pled guilty to the offence, which occurred in 2010, and was admonished at Forfar Sheriff Court. The tawny owl suffered an injury to its beak and [...]

Police and animal welfare officers carry out searches in badger baiting probe

ANIMAL welfare officers have joined forces with the police to search several properties under warrants as part of a badger baiting investigation. A number of seriously injured dogs were removed for further examination during the raids. The Scottish SPCA carried out the searches with Strathclyde Police yesterday in Lanarkshire. The charity said its inquiries are [...]

Four men charged in connection with badger baiting.

Four men have been charged in connection with a police operation into badger baiting. The 42, 39, 21 and 19-year-olds will face counts of animal cruelty at Newtownards Magistrates’ Court on Monday 30 April. Police said it comes after a series of arrests were made on 26 March as part of Operation Meles, the investigation [...]