Campaign Update March 2011

CampaignMarch 2011 / £2.50 Update

Pack your bags for ourethical travel fair

Snaring campaignsteps up a gear up inScotland

Samsonite shamed for promoting bullfighting

ALSO INSIDE ...

Happy Birthday Hunting Act!Celebrating six years of the hunting ban, we take a look at how the Act is performing.

Campaign Update JAN 2011 ISSUE 4d:Layout 1 24/2/11 12:20 Page 2

Louise RobertsonEditor

Registered charity number 1095234

Welcome

2 March 2011 League Against Cruel Sports

“I think, like most people, that crueltyagainst animals is totally unacceptable.The League Against Cruel Sports helpsraise awareness of many instances of animal cruelty and, with their constant campaigning and appeals,their message of zero tolerance towards this kind of behaviour is amessage we can all carry forward”.

Sir David JasonActor

Welcome to the March edition of CampaignUpdate where you can join us in celebrating sixyears of the Hunting Act. Six years on and over 150successful prosecutions later, the Act, which bans thecruelty of hunting with dogs is going from strength tostrength.

Our most recent polling, at the end of 2010 tells usthat 76% of people in the UK support the ban on foxhunting and 84% do not want hare or deer hunting to become legal again. On top of this we have seengrowing political support for the ban, with MPs willing to go on record to voice their support for retaining the Hunting Act.

Despite this we cannot be complacent and the threatof repeal is still there. Six years on the Act is proving tobe robust and effective but we must be vigilant. A voteon repeal could still take place in Westminster, which iswhy our campaign to Keep Cruelty History must remainat the forefront of our minds.

Up in Scotland, it’s our snaring campaign which ismaking headlines as we keep the pressure on MSPs to ban snaring under the new Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill. On page 12 you can read about thefantastic reception we hosted with OneKind in Holyrood last month.

Also inside are details of forthcoming plans for ourfirst ethical travel fair, what our supporters have beingdoing up and down the country and read our NorthernIreland conference diary.

Finally, it is with great sadness that we announce thedeparture of our chief executive, Douglas Batchelor.Douglas, who has been at the helm of the League forover 12 years, will be retiring in the summer.

As always, thank you to all our supporters who makeeverything we achieve possible.

LEAGUE AGAINST CRUEL SPORTS - NEW SPARLING HOUSE - HOLLOWAY HILL - GODALMING - SURREY GU7 1QZ - TEL: 01483 524250

Who we are:The League Against Cruel Sports is a registered charity that bringstogether people who care about animals. Like the majority ofthe public, we believe that cruelty to animals in the name of‘sport’ has no place in modern society. We have no politicalbias. We were established in 1924 and are unique because we focus on cruelty to animals for ‘sport’.

Our aim:We work to expose and bring to an end the cruelty inflicted onanimals in the name of ‘sport’.

What we do:We expose the barbaric nature of cruel ‘sports’ and the peopleinvolved, identifying what action should be taken. We raiseawareness and campaign for change by lobbying government,politicians, and businesses. This includes campaigning for newlaws and helping to enforce existing laws by working with thepolice to bring to justice those who commit illegal acts of crueltyfor ‘sport.’ We also offer advice to people whose lives are beingdetrimentally affected by cruel ‘sports’.

Our approach:Through investigation and lawful campaigning, we encouragethe public and law makers to recognise their responsibility toprotect animals from suffering cruel acts in the name of ‘sport’.We raise awareness of the issues through the media and enlistpublic support to put pressure on law makers. We work to changepeople’s behaviour, gain new legislation, and enforce existinglaws that are in place to protect animals from cruel ‘sports’ in the UK and across the globe.

Our values:Informative - we expose the truth of cruelty to animals in ‘sport’.

Purposeful - we are focused on ending cruelty to animals in ‘sport’.

Accountable - we campaign based on the facts uncoveredthrough continuous research and investigation.

Contemporary - we believe cruel ‘sports’ involving animals arebarbaric and have no place in modern society.

Compassionate - what we do is inspired by concern for the well-being of both animals and people; through our work wehelp to create a more caring society.

SAVE THE DATEThe League Annual General Meeting will this year take placeon Saturday 2 July in central London. More details to follow...


Hares are creatures of mythology;they are associated with Eostrethe goddess of spring and more recently with the Mad March Hareof Alice in Wonderland. To thosefortunate enough to witness thespectacle, a female hare fighting offthe attentions of one or more malesis one of the first signs that springhas arrived.

The brown hare was introduced toBritain at the time of the Romans,but in the 1960s their numbersstarted to crash. You are now farmore likely to see a brown hare inthe east of Britain than in the west

With new figures showingthat an overwhelming 84%of people in Britain are opposed to hare hunting,the League’s head of operations, Paul Tillsleytakes a look back at thehistory of these creaturesand why despite holdingsuch a special place in ourhearts there are some whowant to torture and killthem simply for sport.

where they have become a scarcesight. In 1995 a Biodiversity ActionPlan was created for the species,which aimed to double their numbersby 2010. This however, has beenunsuccessful and has failed to reverse the decline.

The Hunting Act 2004 made harehunting illegal, but few people realise that around 100 traditionalhare hunts, using beagles, bassetsand harriers, continue to operateacross Britain. Some of these huntsare directly associated with privateschools, such as Stowe and Eton,where many of our future politiciansare educated.

In a submission to the Burn’s Inquiry prior to the Hunting Act,the Association of Masters of Beagles and Harriers stated that inthe 1998/99 season their memberhunts killed 1,650 hares, but this islikely to be a gross underestimate.A typical hare hunt can last betweenone and one and a half hours, beforethe exhausted hare is finally overcomeby its tormentors and ripped apart.

To this day beagling festivalscontinue to take place across thecountry, from Northumberland toGloucestershire and from Walesto Lincolnshire. Hare coursingusing greyhounds, lurchers and

League supporters are our eyes and ears in the countryside. Ifyou hear about any hare hunting or coursing that is going totake place let the League know through our Hunt Crimewatchline by calling 01483 524250.

How do I spot a hare hunt?Hare hunts are generally small, innocuous looking events,which take place at a country pub at around midday. If possiblefind out when and where they will be meeting in future and,most importantly, let the League know. Hare hunters are a secretive bunch and they do their utmost to keep their activitiesunseen by the public. Please don’t try to intervene, simply passthe details on to the League through our Hunt Crimewatch line.

actnow ››

other sight hounds, and even attendance at a hare coursingevent was made illegal by theHunting Act 2004, but these activities still continue

In 2009 Nigel Bell, huntsmanand master of the Wick & DistrictBeagles, admitted illegally huntinga hare with dogs and was given apolice caution based on evidencefilmed by League Against CruelSports investigators. Numerouspeople have been successfullyprosecuted under the Hunting Actfor hare coursing; some of theseare ‘lads with dogs’, but othershave been convicted for attendingorganised coursing events.Whether the coursing is official or unofficial the cruelty to the hareis just as appalling, unacceptableand illegal.

Should the Hunting Act be repealed both hare hunting andcoursing would become legalagain. This is despite new figuresshowing that the vast majority of the public do not want eitheractivity to be made legal again.Polling carried out by Ipsos MORIon behalf of the League and published on Boxing Day shows84% of people support the ban on hare hunting.

Public support to protectour hares remains strong

3March 2011 League Against Cruel Sports

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Today’s holidaymakers are becoming increasingly conscious of the ethics behind their holiday decisions, but can often hit a brick wall when it comes to finding out the truth behind the glossy travel brochures.

becoming increasingly unpopularand unfashionable amongst the nativepopulation, and it is only the revenuethat is generated from internationaltourism that keeps the industry inprofit and able to survive. The purposeof the event is to promote ethicaltravel alternatives, and promote cultureinstead of cruelty.

As well as an exhibition, the eventwill also include presentations andworkshops on issues relating to bothethical travel and cruel sports.

will have the opportunity to browsethe holiday options of the differentorganisations, as well as being ableto make bookings on the day.

The event will focus in particular on how the tourism industry is helpingto keep alive cruel sports such asbullfighting. In Spain, bullfighting is

Fortunately, help will soon be athand. Later this year, in September,the League will be hosting an EthicalTravel Fair in central London, to aidconsumers in all their travel and holiday making decisions. The fairwill host stands from over thirty ethical travel companies, and visitors

Ethical travel worries eased by new League initiative

It’s shocking that people still usedogs to fight each other for ‘fun’.You can report all Fighting DogCrime to the League Against Cruel Sports, anonymously, on

01483 524 250www.league.org.uk

CRIMEWATCHFIGHTING DOG

Come and join us at our ETHICAL TRAVEL FAIRThe fair will be taking place on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 September in central London. Make sure you put the date in your diary!

More information about the event will appear in future editionsof Campaign Update, as well as on the League’s website atwww.league.org.uk and in promotional materials.


League urgessupporters to ‘pull out

all thestops’ to ban snares

John Park MSP and Claire Baker MSP


March 2011 League Against Cruel Sports

Holyrood receptionshown thereality of snaring

actnow ››

Environment Bill which is currently goingthrough the Scottish Parliament. Thisoffers MSPs the opportunity to bansnares through supporting anamendment to the bill, tabled byLabour member Marilyn Livingston. If the amendment is successful thiscould see Scotland implement legislation to end the sale, manufactureand use of all snares before any othercountry in the UK and put a stop tothe suffering.

As the Bill reaches its final stages weare pulling out the stops to generatesupport for such a move. Deputy headof campaigns and communicationsLouise Robertson said: “Now morethan ever we need our supporters toact and help us end the use of snaresin Scotland. We were devastated not to succeed last time round butwe have campaigned relentlesslyand shown politicians that publicsupport remains unwavering and is overwhelmingly in favour of a ban”.

If you live in Scotland, it is vital you let your MSP know that you believe snares should be made illegal. Please contactyour local MSP and ask them to support the amendment to ban snaresunder the Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill. To take action go towww.league.org.uk/msp.

You can also help by donating to the League to allow us to run highprofile public campaigns and expose the horrific suffering caused bysnared animals through investigation. You can give a donation by calling our office on 01483 524250 or via our website at www.league.org.uk/donate.

The League along with OneKind,formerly Advocates for Animals, hadset in motion a huge public awarenesscampaign mobilising supporters upand down the country to lobby theirMSPs and make their feelings knownon the continued use of snares. The campaign, ‘Hanging is Still Legal inScotland’, which included a series ofcinema adverts and campaign sloganson nearly 200 double decker buses,caught the imagination of the publicand the media alike.

Members of the Scottish parliamentwere left in no doubt as to the strengthof feeling for a ban on snares northof the border yet despite this, and apublic consultation which generatedresponses favouring a ban by a 2:1majority, the Government failed to act.

In February 2008 the then Ministerfor Environment, Michael Russell MSPtold the Scottish Parliament that heintended to allow snaring to continuealbeit under new regulations which hebelieved would improve the efficiencyof snaring and improve the seriouswelfare issues for animals caught inthese traps.

Despite a carefully crafted and wellintentioned speech to parliament wewere not convinced that these ‘improvements’ would have any impact on the horrible injuries andpainful deaths endured by the victimsof these crude, primitive traps. TheLeague, along with our friends atOneKind and the numerous organisations which supported ourcampaign, including Scottish Badgersand the International Otter SurvivalFund kept up the pressure and overthe following two years ensured snaringwas never far from the top of the political agenda.

Sadly we were proved right andevidence from League investigationsshowed animals were still sufferingand the new regulations were havinglittle or no effect. The regulationshave not prevented the cruelty whichis inherent in the use of snares and theonly option now is a ban on their use.So, two years on we are now facing anew opportunity and legislative routeto see snares banned once and forall with the new Wildlife and Natural

Back in 2008 the League’s snaring campaign in Scotlandwas dealt a massive blow when the Scottish Governmenttook the decision not to ban snares but instead to introducenew measures to regulate their use.

From L to R: Libby Anderson (OneKind), Louise Robertson, Irene Oldfather MSP and Professor Ranald Munro

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The League and OneKindhosted an information reception in Holyrood in January to allow MSPs andresearchers the chance to seefirsthand the reality of snaringthrough a presentation byveterinary pathologist ProfessorRanald Munro and a new film,commissioned by OneKindfeaturing Bill Oddie.

The event gained cross partysupport and was kindly co-sponsored by Irene OldfatherMSP, Christine Grahame MSP,Hugh O’Donnell MSP andRobin Harper MSP to whomwe extend our thanks for supporting the reception andour ongoing campaign.

The lunchtime briefing was wellattended and allowed for a fulland frank debate on the issue ofsnaring as we progress towardsthe final stages of the Wildlifeand Natural Environment Bill.


Derek Hopkins, huntsman, andKevin Allen, terrierman, both of the Fernie Hunt, were found guiltyby a panel of lay magistrates aftera seven day trial at Leicester Magistrates Court concluding in January. At the time of going toprint we understand the two menwill appeal the conviction, althoughinformation on whether or not thishad been lodged was unavailable.The Court was shown video footageprovided by the League, whose investigators had been monitoringthe Fernie in January 2010.

In a highly unusual move, Mr Hopkinsand Mr Allen had been defendedin Court by Philip Mott QC, one ofBritain’s leading criminal barristers.

League chairman and leadingBarrister, John Cooper QC said:“This verdict has demonstratedbeyond a shadow of a doubt thatno matter how defiant some huntsare in their efforts to ride rough shod

over the law, the legal system willprevail and justice will be served.This is yet another kick in the teethfor those who insist the Hunting Actdoes not work”.

The League has praised the workof Leicestershire Police and theCrown Prosecution Service in theirhandling of the case and League solicitor Rachel Newman added: “This fantastic result is testament tothe excellent work of the League’slegal and operations team who haveperformed in such a professionalmanner at every stage of the case”.

Mr Hopkins was fined £850 with a £15 victim surcharge and £1,250 costs. Mr Allen was fined £650 with a £15 victim surcharge and £900 costs.

Although the hunting season is drawing to a close it is still vital to keep information on hunt meets cominginto us. This is the starting point for a huge amount of our investigation work. Meet cards, overheard pubconversations, information from Facebook - every drop of information really does help us crack down onillegal hunting.

Contact us through our Hunt Crimewatch number on 01483 524250 and email [email protected].

Prosecutions such as this are costly to the League and only possible though the generous donations fromour supporters. To donate to the League and help fund future cases then call our fundraising team on01483 524250 or visit our website at www.league.org.uk/donate.

actnow ››

March 2011 League Against Cruel Sports6

Despite mounting a legal defence costing many tens ofthousands of pounds, two members of an East Midlandshunt have recently been convicted of animal crueltyoffences, thanks to a League investigation.

League investigation pivotal in another successfulHUNT CONVICTION

More than 150 people have been convicted under the HuntingAct since it came into force six years ago - this is an average of one every two weeks.


The Hunting Act:From strength to glorious strength By Matt Fox

I know this is contrary to the zeitgeistwhich advocates that we live firmlyin the moment but let us, just for a few paragraphs, go back to 19February, 2005. Imagine you areobserving the beginning of a huntmeet, not much appears to havechanged, does it? The same oldportly gent, buckling the legs of hishorse, is wittering on in his bestChurchillian brogue about England,Harry and anything else he can co-optinto his grandiloquent soliloquy.

What else can we see? The Barbourcatalogue is getting an impromptuouting comme toujours and thehounds are doing what houndstend to do in these circumstances.But look more closely; the defiantrhetoric from the master of ceremonies- sorry, hounds - belies a nervousnessand bewilderment unique to thisvery important date. The reason?Quite simply the unthinkable hashappened and society has cut thestragglers adrift. Or to use the vernacular, hunting has beenbanned!

March 2011 League Against Cruel Sports 7

League Against Cruel Sports:Er...no. Ministry of Justice figures confirm that the Hunting Act has out performedsimilar wildlife legislation sinceits introduction and if you remember a moment ago yousaid that hunting was in factmore popular now than beforethe ban!

But don’t get me wrong, I’m notcomplaining, I have a logical mind andbecause of this I gravitate towardsthe facts of the matter rather than thefantasy version. And this is where wehave the most important argumentwell and truly won. Despite the exhaustive and expensive courtcases brought by the hunters whichpromised the world and deliverednothing, and in spite of the desperateramblings of the rural minority justone aberrant ‘tally ho’ away from thedock, the Hunting Act continues togo from strength to glorious strength.

Was that last bit too Churchillian?Yes probably, but why should theyhave all the fun? See you in 2015 forthe tenth anniversary!

It is easy to forget, especially fromthe grand distance of six years, justhow seminal a moment this was.Not only had the law removed thecruelty from hunting but it had also cleverly contrived to spare thepaegantry and pomp the huntingcommunity so obviously enjoys - as I’m sure you’ll agree, a very civilliberty indeed. Job done then? Wellno, far from it. There is still the smallmatter of ensuring that pageantrydoesn’t become a cover for cruelty.

Fast forward to the present day andlook at these six momentous years asa whole and it is obvious, even to themost fragrant of recent CountrysideAlliance chief executives, that theHunting Act has been a phenomenalsuccess. At every turn our argumentfactually counters that of the huntingcommunity and, speaking as amember of the campaigns team,our opponents’ floundering canget a bit embarrassing at times.

Here’s an example:

Countryside Alliance: This law is unenforceable and we can’t go on like this.


Samsonite bosses feel full force of

League campaign

Ecuador to hold referendumon bullfighting

After last year’s successful campaign to ban bullfighting in Catalonia, it looks like banning cruelty could now be going global. Following considerable pressure from campaign groups and members of the public, President Rafael Correa of Ecuador has recently announced plans to hold a national referendum on the issue of bullfighting. Mr Correa said, “In response to the demand of thousands of young people who demonstrated outside the (presidential) palace, we will consult with the Ecuadorian people to see if they agree with spectacles where animals are tortured, such as bullfighting.”

On a personal level Mr Correa is well known to oppose bullfighting, which he describes as a “spectacle of violence”, and has made it clear that he would like to see it banned. Other senior political figures have also indicated that they would support a nationwide bullfighting ban, giving extra weight to Ecuador’s anti-bullfighting movement.

League campaigner Liam Raftery said: “This is fantastic news and is testament to the hard work of our colleagues in South America. There is huge support amongst Ecuadorian people for a national ban on bullfighting, and we have high hopes that this cruel sport could soon be banned.”

As yet no date has been set for the referendum. However, Mr Correa has suggested that it is likely to be included in a wider referendum on constitutional reforms.


was dragged 100 yards by an actorplaying a matador and depositedoutside Samsonite’s front door, tothe astonishment of bystandersand Samsonite staff.

Needless to say the stunt causedquite a stir and has resulted in yetfurther embarrassment for Samsonite,which has already experienced ahuge backlash from its advert.

Steve Taylor, the League’s head ofcampaigns and communications,said: “Bullfighting is a dying industrybut when companies like Samsonitemarket their products in this waythey are helping to keep it alive.Catalonia’s recent decision to banbullfighting was another nail in thecoffin for the industry and bullfightingenthusiasts are increasingly findingthemselves on the wrong side ofpublic opinion.”

Late last year the League

condemned suitcase firm,

Samsonite for its promotion

of bullfighting in one of their

adverts. The advert in question

stars matador, Christian

Aparicio, and depicts a bull

being taunted using one of

the company’s red suitcases

in place of the traditional red

rag. The advert was produced

by an American agency on

behalf of the luggage giant

and is being shown at airports

across the United States.

Back in November the Leagueencouraged thousands of its supporters to telephone Samsonite’shead office, as well as local Samsonitestores, to voice their disgust at thecompany’s use of bullfighting in theirpromotional adverts. Huge numbersof our supporters took this direct action,telling Samsonite that bullfighting isa fringe activity and should not begiven the oxygen of publicity.

This action put enormous pressureon Samsonite to pull the advert,but regrettably they still haven’tbudged. Fortunately, the Leagueand its supporters won’t budge either. In January, the League’scampaigns team turned up unexpectedly outside Samsonite’sUK headquarters in London tostage a bullfight with a difference.A ‘bleeding’ Samsonite suitcase

Wish

you

were

n’t h

ere.

..


2010 was an extremely successful year for our grassroots campaigners. Back in January a groupwas set up in Northumbria and they have gone from strength to strength, organising stalls in theirlocal towns and hosting a film night in which theyshowed ‘A Minority Pastime’. Later in the year agroup of very dedicated supporters got together in West Yorkshire to form our tenth regional groupand already they have raised hundreds of poundsand collected a staggering number of signatures for our petition in support of the Hunting Act.

Our existing groups have also been very busy, thesummer as usual was packed full of events from theBird Fair in the East Midlands to the annual wildlifeday on the Isle of Wight, there were stalls held acrossthe country and we had representatives at all the majoranimal welfare shows.

University groupsLast year also saw the founding of our second universitygroup based at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) inLondon. Following a lot of interest at the RVC freshersfair the group held their first meeting in Novemberand attended their first event in December. Four studentshelped out on the League’s stand at the ChristmasWithout Cruelty Fair and their enthusiasm and dedication to animal welfare was clear to the Leaguecampaigners and to members of the public. If you area student and are interested in forming a universitygroup then please fill in the form at www.league.org.uk/studentgroup.

Get ActiveWe have collected a database of over 300 campaignersfrom every corner of the country who have all showntheir interest in getting more actively involved in theLeague. What we need now are a few individuals whohave an interest in forming a new group and wouldbe prepared to act as co-ordinator.

What does a co-ordinator do?The role of co-ordinator is not as overwhelming as itsounds. Their job is initially to organise the group’sfirst meeting and be responsible for keeping everyoneinformed. They are the main point of contact betweenthe group and head office and until roles are appointedto other members of the group they are responsiblefor chairing and taking brief notes at each meeting.

If you are passionate about animal welfare and thereisn’t already a group in your area (you can check atwww.league.org.uk/groups) then maybe you will consider not just being part of a group but takingresponsibility for setting one up. Fill in the form available at www.league.org.uk/getactive if you would like more information.

What would the group do?Our groups cover a wide range of activities, and it isreally up to each group what events they attend.Many like to hold information stalls allowing them tospeak to the public about our campaigns and collectsignatures for our petitions, others put pen to paper and write letters to the press and some organise sponsored events. What would your group do?

League Local Networks in 2010




This season has kick started pre-election campaigning by theLeague where the first conference in November by the SDLP was thelaunching platform for the League’slatest publication ‘End Cruelty: Make

Conference season in Northern Irelandhas been going down a storm. With Assembly elections in May, NorthernIreland campaigner, Mary Friel looksback at what has been a very successfulconference season so far.

it your manifesto for Northern Ireland’. This will be sent to everyprospective candidate in the electionsand was a key talking point at conference.

The League’s manifesto containswhat we would like to see tackled inthe mandate of the next NorthernIreland Assembly at Stormont. Thisincludes permanent protection forthe Irish hare, a ban on the sale,manufacture and use of snares aswell as a thematic review of wildlifecrime. In the run up to the electionswe are lobbying for all political parties to make these issues part of their manifesto pledges.

Taking stands at all the major partyconferences we have been engagingwith MPs, MLAs, Councillors, partymembers and policy officers on our issues. As well as distributingcampaign materials, briefings andopinion polling, the League held a

pledge for political representativesto sign to support a ban on snares.We had a great response frompoliticians and party delegateslending their support to the pledge.

Our pledge even caught the imagination of the BBC Politics Showwhich used our stand and fox fingerpuppet wearing a ‘stop snaring’ badgeas part of its conference broadcast.This, along with an interview withLeague’s deputy head of campaignsand communications Louise Robertson,was an opportunity for some greatpublicity for our campaign.

The final conference before theelections will be held by the AllianceParty where we are set to enjoy continued success. With the wind-downof the conference season, the nextstage of our campaigning beforeMay will come into effect. Expectmore campaigning by the League in the coming months.

Conferenceseason

actnow ››If you live in Northern Ireland why not encourageyour friends to also becomesupporters of the League?They can get involvedthrough our website atwww.league.org.uk/northernireland or by joining our Northern Ireland Facebook group.

www.league.org.uk


I wanted to share with you threeparticular things that legacies havehelped fund in the last 12 months.If we could speak to those who leftthe money now we would be delighted to tell them how theirwishes have lived on to help endcruelty to animals.

Supported by gifts in supporter’sWills, the League was able to developits innovative ‘Keep Cruelty History’campaign, which aimed to securethe future of the Hunting Act fromthe threat of repeal. Furthermore,to help enforce the hunting banthe League has strengthened itsrelationship with the Associationof Chief Police Officers, providingtraining to Wildlife Crime Officers.

Legacies also provided a safe havenfor animals. In the past, legacy giftshave allowed the League to purchaseand to maintain areas of land inDevon and Somerset as wildlifereserves. These were strategicallyselected in order to thwart huntersfollowing their desired routes tochase and kill foxes and deer. In2010 the sanctuaries were maintainedand monitored by League staff andvolunteers to ensure hunters did nottrespass or attempt to harm animals.

Supporter surveys showed thatyou wanted the League to addressthe use of dogs to fight other dogs

Legacy gifts have been fundamental to the League’s high profile campaigns for 87 years. They form two thirds of League income and in 2010 legacy gifts were put to very good use.

and other animals for sport. Giftsin Wills helped us research theproblem, establish a Fighting DogsCrimewatch phone line and hold a conference with key figures toassess the current situation anddevelop ideas to deal with the issue.

Looking forward over the comingyears and decades, with the sustenance of legacy gifts, theLeague aims to raise awareness of cruel activities, and supportlegislative change and enforcementof current laws.

For example, legacies will helpthe League to:

● Protect the Hunting Act and ensure that it is policed and effectively enforced

● Bring about prosecutions ofhunters who hunt illegally

● Raise awareness of the use ofdogs to fight other animals forsport, and campaign for betterenforcement of the laws thatprotect these animals

● Ensure that adequate welfare is provided for racing greyhounds and horses

● End the suffering caused by thecommercial rearing and shootingof game birds

● Highlight the suffering caused bysnares and encourage legislationto end their use

● End the suffering caused by bullfighting throughout theworld

These aims are ambitious butwith the aid of legacies, theLeague will improve the lives ofcountless animals and help stopthose determined to harm animals.

Please contact me to discusshow your gift to the League willhelp your wishes live on.

James Robinson01483 [email protected]

What effect did legacygifts have in 2010?

Winter raffle winners1st Mrs P Roeder, Cranbrook £500 prize

2nd Ms Judith Taylor, Helston £300 prize

3rd Mr Roger Missen, Caernarfon £150 prize

4th Mrs W Vincent, Chew Magna £50 prize


Playing the raffle is a great way of fundraising for the League, so why not enter our Spring Raffle?

You could win one of our great prizes and all the proceeds will go towards our campaigns. Call 01483 524250 if you haven’t got your tickets.



The huntmap will run from September to August each year,showing visitors the build up andlocation of hunting activity acrossthe country.

Each incident will have a ‘tweet’attached to it that can be read byclicking on the incident marker,and all Hunt Crimewatch reportsreceived so far this season will belive on the huntmap when itlaunches on 18th February, thesixth anniversary of the HuntingAct coming into force.

The League is harnessing the power ofTwitter in its fight against suspicious and illegal hunting.

League launchesTwitter ‘huntmap’

With over 7,000 followers onTwitter, the League has one of the largest presences of any animalwelfare charity on the social networking website. The Twitterhuntmap will allow supporters and members of the public to addhunting and hunt havoc incidentsto a map on our website, simplyby posting the incident on Twitter.

A typical tweet on the huntmapmight read: Unknown hunt, Sapperton Railway Tunnel, Wilts,hound killed and others injuredon railway track, 17/01/11.

This innovation builds on thetremendous success of the Twitter‘UK Snow Map’ which allowedmembers of the public to reporton snow levels during December’swintery weather.

www.huntmap.co.uk

You can find the huntmap in the hunting section of the League website, or by going to www.huntmap.co.uk.


Documents

Campaign Update March 2011