Yesterday (20th January), in response to a review by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC), the Scottish Government announced its plan to ban glue traps! Glue traps are very cruel, inflicting a great deal of physical and mental stress upon the animals trapped in them, and thus we are delighted to welcome the Government’s commitment… Read more
End of year highlights: 2021 animal welfare achievements
This year was a monumental year for animal welfare and we are delighted to have played our part in securing stronger protection for animals in Scotland, the UK and worldwide. We’d like to extend a huge thank you to all of our supporters who helped us create change in 2021. These are our top 10 highlights from 2021! 1…. Read more
5 tips for an animal-friendly Christmas
As we count down the days to Christmas, we’ll be busy joining festivities with our family and loved ones- hopefully eating delicious food, enjoying many a tipple and, fingers crossed, reuniting with our loved ones from afar. Christmas is a time of kindness, generosity and joy. We believe this sentiment should be extended non-human animals… Read more
Boycott live reindeer displays this Christmas
Reindeers are native to the Artic Tundra, where they roam for thousands of miles across the Tundra. Some populations even travel up to 3000 miles a year- the longest documented movement of any terrestrial mammal. And yet, each year in Scotland, these animals are forced into small enclosures at garden centres and adventure parks, made… Read more
Scotland’s leading animal campaigns charity set to march for the animals at COP26
Animal welfare charity, OneKind, will be marching alongside its supporters and fellow animal welfare organisations at the COP26 coalition march on Saturday 6th November to raise awareness of the significant negative impact animal agriculture is having on our planet. OneKind Campaigner, Eve Massie, said: “Intensive animal agriculture is, quite frankly, destroying our planet. It is… Read more
Animal charity urges public not to host private firework displays ahead of Bonfire night
Animal welfare charity, OneKind, is urging people not to host private firework displays this Bonfire season due to serious animal welfare concerns. The charity is also asking people to support their local animal shelters and wildlife rehabilitation centres instead of purchasing fireworks. OneKind Director, Bob Elliot, said: “As many people who share their homes with… Read more
UK Parliament debate our #TargetZero animal testing petition
Earlier this year, we joined forces with Cruelty Free International and Animal Free Research UK to launch our #TargetZero campaign to urge the UK Government to create and publicise a clear and ambitious phase-out of animal experimentation. Our #TargetZero petition has gathered more than 84,000 signatures (and is still growing!) and on Monday, Members of Parliament… Read more
COPOUT26: march with us to demand change for animals
Animal agriculture is responsible for between 14.5-16.5% of greenhouse gas emissions, but is glaringly absent from the COP26 agenda. 15 years ago, the UN listed the ‘livestock’ sector as one of the top contributors to the ‘most serious’ environmental problems. It is a leading cause of habitat destruction, desertification, wildlife extinction, and ocean dead zones. Four years later in 2010,… Read more
Revealed: Fox hunting foot packs & wildlife crime on Scotland’s public land
A Freedom of Information request (FOI) has revealed that Forestry Land Scotland (FLS) has continued to allow fox hunting foot packs access on its land since our previous exposé in Spring 2020. The FOI also reveals that FLS have been unable to stop ongoing wildlife crime which has been taking place on Scotland’s public lands… Read more
Animal photojournalism and its key role in ending animal suffering
What is animal photojournalism? Why does this genre of photography matter? What drives those who work in this field? HIDDEN: Animals in the Anthropocene is an unflinching book of photography documenting our relationship with non-human animals in the 21st Century. It focuses on the invisible animals in our lives: those with whom we have a… Read more
Badger put to sleep due to severe snare injury; we speak to the locals and rescue charity who tried to save him
Earlier this year, a couple from Drumnadrochit, a village of the western shore of Loch Ness, submitted a snaring incident through our snare reporting website, SnareWatch.org. While watching their wildlife camera footage, they noticed a badger with a snare around his neck had visited their garden. The concerned couple contacted Iona at Munlochy Animal Aid,… Read more
Celebs team up with animal protection groups to call for an end to animal experimentation in the UK
Celebrities Evanna Lynch, Lucy Watson, and Lesley Nicol have teamed up with OneKind, Cruelty Free International and Animal Free Research UK to call for an end to animal experimentation in the UK. The stars of Harry Potter, Made in Chelsea, and Downton Abbey have recreated an iconic photo from 1919 protesting against animal experiments, to highlight how millions of animals are still… Read more
Stars Evanna Lynch, Lucy Watson and Lesley Nicol join forces with animal protection organisations to recreate iconic protest photo
STARS EVANNA LYNCH, LUCY WATSON AND LESLEY NICOL JOIN FORCES WITH ANIMAL PROTECTION ORGANISATIONS TO RECREATE ICONIC PROTEST PHOTO Evanna Lynch, Lucy Watson and Lesley Nicol join fight to end animal testing by recreating iconic animal rights protest photo from 1919. The stars have teamed up with Cruelty Free International, Animal Free Research UK and OneKind to urge the government to pro-actively phase out animal testing following the release of latest Home Office statistics. Public urged to sign petition to urge the government to phase out animal testing: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/590216 London, 15th July: Stars from Harry Potter, Downton… Read more
Leading animal welfare campaigns charity, OneKind, raises concerns about Scotland’s new licensing guidance for the killing of mountain hares
Last year, the Scottish Parliament voted to make mountain hares a protected species, putting an end to Scotland’s mass scale mountain hare killings. It is now illegal to intentionally kill, injure, or take mountain hares at any time unless a licence is obtained. NatureScot, the public body responsible for Scotland’s natural heritage, has now published its mountain… Read more
OneKind launches new campaign to ban fur
We have just launched our new campaign to ban the sale & import of fur in the UK. 72% of people in the UK support a ban on the import and sale of fur, yet the UK imports around £75 million worth of fur every year, which equates to roughly three million dead animals. While fur… Read more
OneKind launches new action to ban live exports
On 8 June 2021 the UK Government introduced the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill to parliament, which introduces a ban on the live export of farmed animals for fattening or slaughter, from or through Great Britain. This was a historic moment. The live export industry is incredibly cruel and such a ban will spare thousands of farmed… Read more
UK Government launches Action for Animals Plan- what have they promised?
Today the UK Government launched its Action for Animals Plan. The plan sets out the Government’s commitments to protect companion, wild and farmed animals and addresses animal welfare issues not just within the UK, but also internationally in order to “set a clear global sense of direction”. In this blog we set out some key… Read more
MSP candidates to be quizzed on their animal welfare policies
This Thursday at 5:30pm, a campaign coalition of the UK’s leading animal welfare organisations will host a virtual hustings for the 2021 Scottish elections. Strengthening of the regulation and enforcement of welfare standards in the pet trade, a ban on the use of snares and a ban on the use of farrowing crates are expected… Read more
New investigation and report reveals salmon suffering on Scotland’s farms
A new joint report, Underwater Cages, Parasites and Dead Fish, from OneKind and Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) and undercover investigation by Compassion in World Farming launched today reveal the true welfare and environmental cost of Scotland’s salmon farming industry. Scotland’s salmon farming industry is one of the top 3 salmon farming countries globally, and… Read more
Bill to ban farrowing crates begins progress through UK Parliament
Yesterday afternoon, David Amess MP introduced the Pig Husbandry (Farrowing) Bill to the UK Parliament, which was subsequently passed to the second stage. This stage is the second reading of the Bill, which allows MPs to debate the main principles of the Bill, before deciding whether the Bill should progress to Committee stage for detailed… Read more
New report highlights the worst snaring incidents in the UK in 2020
Today, we have launched our new report, SnareWatch Annual Report 2020: Case studies of snare use in the UK. The report highlights some of the worst snaring incidents reported to our snare reporting tool, SnareWatch.org, in 2020. Snaring incidents The report includes snaring incidents involving target species, such as foxes, and non-target species, including dogs,… Read more
New report from animal protection charity reveals some of the worst snaring incidents in the UK in 2020
Scotland’s leading animal campaigns charity, OneKind, has released a new report, SnareWatch Annual Report 2020: Case studies of snare use in the UK, which highlights some of the worst snaring, or suspected snaring, incidents in the UK during 2020. A snare is a thin loop of wire, anchored and positioned to catch an animal around… Read more
OneKind welcomes an end to the mass scale killings of Scotland’s mountain hares
Leading animal welfare campaigns charity, OneKind, today (1st March 2021) welcomes the introduction of legal protection for mountain hares. As of today, it will be illegal to intentionally kill, injure, or take mountain hares at any time unless a licence is obtained. This will effectively put an end to the mass scale mountain hare killings… Read more
Shocking new footage reveals horrific suffering at salmon slaughterhouse
Today Animal Equality has released undercover investigative footage of salmon suffering at a slaughterhouse. The salmon are repeatedly clubbed, left to suffocate on the floor, and had their gills cut, or torn, by workers, while still conscious. Animal Equality obtained the footage at a Scottish Salmon Company farm in Arnish, Isle of Lewis. The Scottish… Read more
76% of Scots want to see a ban on the use of snares
Our recent More for Scotland’s Animals YouGov survey revealed that 76% of Scots want to see a ban on the use of snares. We have long-campaigned for a complete ban on the sale, use and manufacture of snares in Scotland. Why? Because they are terrible for animal welfare. Snares cause considerable physical & mental suffering Even when… Read more
Recent poll reveals that Scots want to see better protection for Scotland’s animals
A YouGov poll commissioned by the new election coalition campaign group, More for Scotland’s Animals, has revealed that Scots want to see the Scottish Parliament implement stronger measures to protect Scotland’s animals. So, what exactly do they want to see improved? Companion animals 84% of Scots are in support of strengthening the regulation and enforcement… Read more
Scots call for better protection for Scotland’s animals ahead of the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections
A YouGov poll commissioned by the election coalition campaign More for Scotland’s Animals (MFSA) has revealed that 84% of Scots are in support of strengthening the regulation and enforcement of welfare standards in the pet trade (including breeders and online sales). This comes as Scottish SPCA has reported an increase in illegal puppy sales… Read more
End of year highlights: 2020 animal welfare achievements
It’s been a strange and difficult year as, worldwide, we all tried to adapt to the ‘new normal’. We were also concerned that animal welfare may not be top of the priority list as the Scottish Government reacted to the COVID-19 crisis. But while we’ve faced unprecedented challenges for animal welfare, such as the rise… Read more
This is why you should boycott live reindeer displays.
Reindeers are beautiful animals native to the Artic Tundra. They are used to the quiet of the wilderness, the open space and the cool temperatures that surround them. So why, in 2020, are they still being penned in small enclosures at garden centres, theme parks and adventure parks? Reindeer are not Christmas props and these… Read more
Language Matters: Guest blog by Charlie Moores, War on Wildlife Project
Campaigner and proud member of OneKind, Charlie Moores, explores why the words we use to describe wild animals is hugely important. Several years ago, a colleague and I started a podcast series for Lush called ‘Turning Point’. It had a very simple premise: “What was the one decision or conversation that changed your life forever”…. Read more
Charity urges people not to host private firework displays, due to animal welfare concerns
Leading animal welfare campaigning charity is urging members of the public not to host private fireworks displays in the absence of regulated public displays. Due to restrictions on public gatherings to curb COVID-19, charity OneKind is anticipating a surge in amateur firework displays on private properties. This seriously compromises the welfare of companion and farmed… Read more
The animal welfare terror lurking beneath Scotland’s waters
Below the waves in Scotland’s rocky coastlines, lurks a terrifying animal welfare nightmare. Beneath the waters, more than 38 million animals circle filthy, overcrowded underwater cages, where disease and death are rife. We need to take a stand against this eerie reality for Scotland’s salmon. We take a look at the horrifying animal welfare concerns… Read more
The intensive exploitation of animals may lead to the next global pandemic
On March 11th, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. The world went into lockdown to try and control the virus and life as we knew it changed overnight. The leading theory is that COVID-19 originated from a wildlife market in China- that is, a market that sells wild animals, alongside other food… Read more
Charity calls for an end to breeding of flat-faced animals
Leading Scottish animal campaigns charity, OneKind, has called on the Scottish Government to put an end to the breeding of flat-faced dogs, cats and rabbits, such as French bulldogs, amongst other welfare calls, ahead of the 2021 Scottish elections. OneKind has published its manifesto outlining its recommendations to the incoming Scottish Parliament and Government to make Scotland a better place for animals. These include the… Read more
Shot beaver found ‘slumped by a ditch’
Warning: Graphic image of shot beaver contained in the article We were horrified to see the disturbing photograph of a shot beaver that had been left by a bank in Perthshire. This graphic image shows the grim reality of our licencing system in Scotland. Last year it was reported that 87 beavers, a fifth of the population, were shot under… Read more
The live export trade: why is it so cruel?
The live export trade is the commercial transport of farmed animals between countries. Usually these animals are exported to be slaughtered in Europe or North Africa, but male calves may also be exported to be “fattened up” in the destination country. The long-distance transport of live animals to Europe is a serious animal welfare problem…. Read more
Charity calls for an end to driven grouse shooting on the first day of the season
Leading Scottish animal welfare campaigns charity OneKind is calling for an end to driven grouse shooting on the Glorious Twelfth, the first day of the grouse shooting season. Large areas of upland Scotland are used for driven grouse shooting, with the land being managed to maximise the number of red grouse available for shooting. In… Read more
Charity urges Scottish Government to introduce legal protection for mountain hares without delay ahead of mountain hare shooting season
“Leading Scottish animal welfare campaigning charity, OneKind, is urging the Scottish Government to introduce legal protection for mountain hares without delay. The open season for mountain hare shooting begins today (1st August) and ordinarily runs until 28th February, a period during which around 26,000 mountain hares are killed by landowners to manage their land for red grouse shooting,… Read more
How can fox hunting continue after the fox hunting ban?
Did you know that fox hunting continues in Scotland despite the 2002 fox hunting ban? One of OneKind’s proudest moments was back in 2002 when we played a key role in persuading the Scottish Parliament to introduce a law which would ban fox hunting with hounds for sport. The Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act… Read more
Deaths of diseased farmed salmon reach an all time high
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has reported a staggering ten million+ premature farmed salmon deaths in 2019. Not only are these mortality rates higher than any previous documented year (since 2002), but the mortality rates have also risen faster than salmon production over the years. High mortality rates indicate suffering, as deaths are rarely… Read more
A win for Scotland’s mountain hares! Our #HareCare campaign draws to a successful conclusion.
On June 17th, in a landmark decision, MSPs voted to recognise mountain hares as a protected species under the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Bill, and thus will put an end to the mass scale mountain hare killings! We’ve been campaigning tirelessly on our campaign to end mountain hare persecution since 2016,… Read more
A creative celebration of Scotland’s seals!
OneKind has a long history of defending Scotland’s seals from persecution. Just a few weeks ago, we were nearing the final steps of rolling out our campaign to ban seal shooting, when something unexpected happened. The Scottish Government launched amendments to the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Bill to remove the two main grounds… Read more
Scottish Government announces plans to explore the value of empathy training for offenders against animals
OneKind animal welfare charity has strongly welcomed Scottish Government plans to commission a research project into the value of empathy training for offenders against animals. Ahead of the debate on the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers)(Scotland) Bill in the Scottish Parliament this afternoon (17 June 2020), rural affairs minister Mairi Gougeon MSP has… Read more
OneKind hails new hare protection
OneKind hails new hare protection OneKind animal protection charity has today (17 June 2020) hailed the Scottish Government’s decision to accept an amendment bringing full protection for mountain hares in Scotland, and thus effectively ending the mass scale mountain hare killings, as “a triumph” for the Scottish Parliament’s hare champions and the willingness of a… Read more
Shocking footage shows pile of rotting animal carcasses set to lure animals into nearby traps
New footage passed through to leading animal welfare campaigns charity, OneKind, reveals snares set near a pile of rotting animal carcasses, apparently set by gamekeepers in Strathnairn, south of Inverness. In order to maximise the number of red grouse and pheasants available for recreational shooting, gamekeepers target foxes. To lure foxes into snares, gamekeepers often… Read more
The victims of Scotland’s driven grouse moors
Thousands of animals are killed in Scotland each year as part of a circle of destruction that surrounds driven grouse moors. The driven grouse industry aims to maintain artificially high densities of red grouse to be shot for ‘sport’. Therefore, gamekeepers routinely set cruel traps and snares to target any animals perceived to be a… Read more
OneKind uncovers fox hunting packs on Scotland’s public land
Late last year, it was brought to our attention that Forestry and Land Scotland, previously the Forestry Commission Scotland, was allowing foot packs onto its land to control foxes using dogs. In November we submitted a Freedom of Information request (FOI) to find out. The communications released under the FOI revealed that it is indeed… Read more
Financial support for pet owners
Blog by OneKind volunteer, Kirsty MacKinnon Many of us face financial difficulties at some point in our lives. The outbreak of COVID-19 has meant financial hardships for many people living across the world as hours are cut back and, in some cases, jobs are lost. On the other hand, key workers are facing strenuous shifts… Read more
UK Parliament debate animal sentience and farmed animal cages
We campaigned as part of coalition of animal welfare organisations backing a parliamentary petition which called on the Government to end the use of cages for UK farmed animals. Since animal welfare is a devolved matter, any UK government legislation would only affect animals in England, but the principle extends right across the UK. We have also… Read more
Cross-party support for strengthening Scotland’s animal welfare legislation
There was broad cross-party support for the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Bill when it was debated in parliament yesterday, which is great news for Scotland’s animals. This Bill currently working its way through parliament which, if it becomes an Act, will strengthen protections for animals by making changes to the Animal… Read more
Charity calls on the public to report snare sightings in Scotland
Leading animal welfare campaigns charity, OneKind, is calling on members of the public to report any snares they find while out walking in Scotland. OneKind has long campaigned for a ban on the use, sale and manufacture of the traps, and urges walkers to report snares or snaring incidents to its dedicated snare awareness website,… Read more
Charity welcomes Chris Packham as patron
Leading Scottish animal welfare campaigns charity, OneKind, announces wildlife TV presenter and conservationist, Chris Packham, as its patron. Chris Packham said: “Wildlife is routinely being persecuted in Scotland. Tens of thousands of wild animals are killed each year in Scotland’s countryside with cruel, outdated and indiscriminate traps. It’s time the Scottish Government puts an end… Read more
Licence changes: a step in the right direction but welfare still needs urgent review
Leading Scottish animal campaigns charity OneKind has described changes to wild bird licences announced today as a step in the right direction, but renewed its calls for a comprehensive review of the welfare issues surrounding the trapping and killing of wild birds and animals. Following a consultation in 2019, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has today… Read more
Are lobsters, crabs and octopuses sentient?
Lobsters are crammed together in barren restaurant tanks while they await their slaughter- likely being boiled alive. Crabs are pre-packaged in clingfilm, slowly suffocating and completely immobilised. Local authorities are powerless to take action as these animals have no legal protection covering their welfare needs. But do these animals, and other decapod crustaceans and cephalopods,… Read more
OneKind welcomes just one recommendation in the Werritty report
Leading Scottish animal welfare campaigns charity OneKind has welcomed one of the recommendations in the newly-published Werritty Group report that users of traps should be legally required to undertake training, including refresher courses, and attach individual operator identification numbers to their traps. The report makes a number of recommendations for improving the sustainability of grouse moors in… Read more
Our 2019 highlights
We can’t quite believe that we’re coming to the end of 2019! With a feature on Channel 4 news, demonstrations, a BBC article quoting our response to Scottish Parliament’s fireworks plans, and the proposal of stronger penalties for animal cruelty to name just a few, it has been a busy year for OneKind! Here’s a selection… Read more
5 reasons to leave salmon off your plate this Christmas
(Sea lice infested salmon) Below the waves in some of Scotland’s most beautiful coastlines, there’s a serious welfare problem playing out on Scotland’s salmon farms. Scotland’s farmed salmon suffer terribly, so here’s five reasons why you should take a stand against this cruelty and leave salmon off your plate this Christmas. High mortality rates Mortality rates on… Read more
OneKind’s guide to traps and snares
We recently launched our campaign to put an end to the killing of wildlife on driven grouse moors and elsewhere in Scotland and you can sign our petition calling for an end to these wildlife killings here. While the public are likely aware of the large-scale shooting of target grouse and mountain hares in the… Read more
The scary truth of Scotland’s caged animals
This Halloween we have a terrifying truth for trick or treaters… Did you know that millions of egg-laying hens and pigs are cruelly confined in cages across Scotland? Millions of laying hens in Scotland will spend their entire lives confined in so-called ‘enrichment’ cages while breeding sows will spend at least a month in a… Read more
OneKind welcomes the Scottish Government’s consideration of tighter regulations for firework displays
Animal Welfare Charity welcomes the Scottish Government’s consideration of tighter regulations for firework displays. Leading animal welfare campaigning charity welcomes the Scottish Government’s actions to promote the safe and appropriate use of fireworks in Scotland, highlighting animal welfare as a top concern. Today the Scottish Government announced its publication of its Action Plan to promote… Read more
End the wildlife killings on Scotland’s grouse moors
The management of driven grouse moors is killing Scotland’s wildlife. We want this to end and so we’ve created a petition to the Scottish Parliament, asking them to conduct a full review of the animal welfare impacts of the use of traps and snares on grouse moors and elsewhere in Scotland. Background information We created… Read more
OneKind welcomes the proposed significant improvements to animal welfare and wildlife legislation
Leading Scottish animal welfare campaigns charity, OneKind, supports the increased penalties for animal welfare offences, proposed under new legislation announced today, and calls for new programmes to change offenders’ behaviour to be made available. The Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Bill proposes, amongst other improvements, an increase in the maximum prison… Read more
Animal Welfare Commission begins to take shape
OneKind is delighted to welcome today’s announcement of the Chair of Scotland’s first ever independent Animal Welfare Commission. The Commission, which will focus on protecting wild and companion animals while also providing scientific and ethical advice to government will be chaired by Professor Cathy Dwyer, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Scotland’s Rural College…. Read more
Join our #BanTheCages demo in Edinburgh!
(Image: Viva) We’d love for you to join us at our Edinburgh city centre demonstration to raise awareness of the suffering of farmed chickens and hens in cages. Where ‘The Iron Duke of Wellington’ statue, 2 Princes St (opposite the Balmoral Hotel), in Edinburgh! What OneKind is holding a public demo to raise awareness of… Read more
Animal welfare successes at the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species
Guest blog from Ilaria De Silvestre, Eurogroup For Animals’ Wildlife Programme Leader. OneKind is a member of Eurogroup for Animals. Eurogroup for Animals attended the 18th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Geneva last month. The conference focused on revising the trade rules for dozens of… Read more
Our highlights from the Revive grouse moor reform conference
On Saturday the 3rd of August, OneKind came together with other like-minded individuals and organisations to explore how radical reform of grouse moors can change the face of Scotland. A first of its kind, the Revive Coalition conference in Perth brought together speakers from various organisations, MSP’s and members of the public to share their… Read more
Calls for greater regulation to end driven grouse shooting
Leading Scottish animal welfare charity OneKind has renewed its calls for an end to driven grouse shooting on the Glorious Twelfth, the first day of the grouse shooting season. Large areas of upland Scotland are used for driven grouse shooting with the land being managed to maximise the number of red grouse available for… Read more
130,000 Wild Animals Licensed to be Killed in Scotland
Scotland’s public body for natural heritage, Scottish Natural Heritage, has published a list of the worryingly broad range of species and shockingly high number of 130,000 wild animals it has licensed to be killed within the last five years. Species Licensed to be Killed The official figures, released on account of a FOI request by… Read more
Charity renews calls for end to mountain hare culls on first day of the open season
Leading Scottish animal welfare charity, OneKind, has today renewed its calls for urgent action from the Scottish Government to prevent the mass killing of Scotland’s mountain hares. The open season on mountain hares begins today (1st August) and runs until 28 February, during which tens of thousands of mountain hares will be killed by gamekeepers… Read more