OneKind is delighted that one of the 100 amendments to be debated in the Scottish Parliament next Tuesday reflects our calls to protect cephalopods and decapod crustaceans. #SeaTheirSuffering The Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Bill is set to make further progress at Stage 2 in the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform… Read more
The world’s long quest for “humane” traps – and a new licence to kill stoats
The publication this month of a new general licence for the trapping of stoats has brought the issue of wildlife persecution back into the spotlight. It serves to remind us – if we needed reminding – of the countless thousands of sentient wild animals killed every year in the name of “pest” or “vermin” control,… Read more
New General Licences effective today: now for the welfare review
OneKind is calling for a comprehensive review of the welfare issues surrounding the trapping and killing of wild birds. Wild birds are protected under UK law but landowners and authorised persons, mainly gamekeepers, are allowed to take or kill certain species such as corvids and pigeons without the need for any specific permissions. These exceptions… Read more
Missed opportunity to protect welfare of birds
OneKind has spoken up in defence of persecuted wild birds in response to a Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) consultation on General Licences in Scotland. As a rule, it is illegal to kill any wild birds, but certain groups including farmers and gamekeepers view some species as pests and routinely control them by both non-lethal methods,… Read more
How many hares is enough?
By Libby Anderson The recent launch of Green MSP Alison Johnstone’s consultation on greater protection for foxes and hares is doubly welcome. Firstly, the proposed new legislation aims to close the legislative loopholes – the now notorious exceptions in the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002 – that have allowed mounted fox hunting to… Read more
Scottish quest for quality food must include animal welfare
According to the most recent published figures (June 2018), there are 1.76 million cattle (beef and dairy), 6.59 million sheep and 317,000 pigs on farms in Scotland, as well as an estimated 14.5 million poultry birds. There are also 34,400 horses, 1,300 donkeys, 1,900 camelids and 9,700 farmed deer on Scottish farms. Some of these numbers… Read more
Fellow mortals and what they mean to us
This is the time of year when Scots and non-Scots all round the world pay all kinds of homage to Robert Burns – and OneKind is no exception. Since our earliest days, from our roots as the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Vivisection, through the years as Advocates for Animals and now, as OneKind,… Read more
Lonely Scotland – A new guide to wildlife persecution in Scotland
Today OneKind has published Lonely Scotland – A guide to hunting, trapping and wildlife persecution in Scotland. You can order your copy here. The OneKind team are often asked about traps. Ramblers, mountain bikers, dog walkers and others enjoying the countryside come across a snare or a Fenn trap and will call us to find… Read more
Pet shop reforms should inspire bigger thinking on welfare
It is widely agreed that the legislation regulating pet sales in the UK is out of date and overdue for reform. The Pet Animals Act dates from 1951, long before the internet was invented and long before the craze for owning more and more exotic animals took hold of the public. Hardly surprising, then, that… Read more
Tayside beavers, victims of intolerance and an uncaring bureaucracy
One of the most special wildlife experiences I have enjoyed in Scotland was watching a young beaver kit and its mother swimming together in a big pool that had been created by the industrious family. It was dusk, and we had been taken to the spot by a local campsite owner who had recently started… Read more
Three facts that show overwhelming support for action on mountain hare culls
This week the League Against Cruel Sports Scotland and OneKind published the results of polling of attitudes towards mountain hare culling in Scotland. This follows the First Minister’s branding of footage of culling as “unacceptable” and committed to “exploring all available options to prevent the mass culling of mountain hares and one of those options… Read more
More to discuss as sanctuaries regulations make progress
The Scottish Government has published its analysis of the responses received to the recent consultation on proposals to regulate animal sanctuaries and rehoming centres in Scotland. The consultation received a total of 185 responses, of which 73% (135) were from members of the public. A further 34 responses (18.3%) were from animal welfare charities, animal… Read more
The Raven Cull – An unkindness on the moors
Unscientific, unjustified and developed without consultation with conservation or animal welfare groups. This blog looks at why the license to cull 300 ravens in Perthshire must be withdrawn immediately. For a long time, I thought ravens were naturally upland birds. I associated their ethereal and atmospheric croaking with days in the mountains in Wales and… Read more
Let’s all #SayNoToPuppyDealers
OneKind is delighted to be part of a powerful new initiative launched today to tackle the illegal puppy trade in Scotland. The project is led by the Scottish SPCA in collaboration with the Scottish Government, Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, RSPCA, Battersea, Dogs Trust, Trading Standards Scotland, Blue Cross, OneKind, BSAVA and the University of… Read more
The intensive grouse moors of the Pentlands
This week we got the sad news that Fred the Golden Eagle has disappeared in suspicious circumstances in the Pentlands Regional Park. On the one hand this is just another raptor on an ever-growing list that have disappeared on intensive grouse moors. But on this occasion, it’s more than that. The Pentlands are a Regional… Read more
Three reflections on Countryfile’s mountain hare culls feature
I was pleased to be given the opportunity to make the case for protection of Scotland’s mountain hares on the BBC programme Countryfile yesterday. If you missed it, you can watch the episode on iPlayer here. Here are three reflections after watching the show and people’s reactions to it on social media (and the OneKind… Read more
Scotland’s electric shock collar ban
Today marks an important step forward for dog welfare in Scotland. The Scottish Government has announced that it will effectively ban the use of electric shock collars in the near future. No doubt this will be the media focus as the cruelty of these devices is plain to see for all, and there is overwhelming… Read more
Is this how fox hunting will be banned in Scotland?
The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, is a professed “opponent of fox hunting”. Indeed, under her leadership the SNP at Westminster put themselves between the Conservative government and the Hunting Act, foiling their attempts to weaken the ban in England and Wales by bringing it in line with the fundamentally flawed ban in… Read more
Animal sentience – why it’s important and where next
The vote in Westminster last week to reject the proposed amendment to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill that would have effectively transposed Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) has been met with furore. Some of this has been misguided. It’s clearly nonsense to claim that MPs decided that animals… Read more
The circus debate: let’s get back to basics
Every summer, right up to 2011, a traditional travelling circus would make a two-month tour of southern and central Scotland. Bobby Roberts’ Super Circus always brought with it their aged, arthritic elephant Anne, taken from the wild in Sri Lanka and used for entertainment for over half a century. By 2011, she had no elephant… Read more
Why we need tougher sentencing and prevention programmes for animal cruelty
Pippa the cat was two years old. She lost her life one night in 2015, when her owner restrained, punched and slapped her, then bit her head and face before inflicting fatal injuries by slamming her against a wall. The whole incident was recorded by the owner’s terrified partner, and in due course it appeared… Read more
Mountain hare killing scrutinised in the Scottish Parliament
Today I went to the Scottish Parliament Petitions Committee to give evidence on our petition for greater protection for the mountain hare. Here’s my short video update: It was a great privilege to hand in the petition and represent the 11,000 or so of you who signed it. It was also extremely worthwhile. It… Read more
Are the Scottish Government turning over a new leaf on animal protection?
The Scottish Government’s track record on animal protection since the Holyrood elections two years ago has been mixed at best. It started with confusion when the new Government was formed and animal welfare appeared to be omitted from the list of Ministerial responsibilities. It took a Parliamentary Question to establish where responsibilities lay. Since then,… Read more
Why we’re backing Hen Harrier Day
This year, OneKind is getting behind Hen Harrier Day. We will be at the Highland Hen Harrier Day on the 6th August in Boat of Garten, where our Director, Harry Huyton, will be giving a talk about our campaigning on this topic, and we’re promoting events across the country to our members. We’re not bird… Read more
Five misleading arguments being used to justify weakening Scotland’s tail-docking ban
Last week, MSPs on the Environment Climate Change and Land Reform (ECCLR) Committee concluded their debate over the Scottish Government’s proposal to introduce an exemption to the tail-docking ban for ‘working dogs’. There was a majority vote in support of the proposal, with SNP and Conservative MSPs voting in favour and Scottish Green and Labour… Read more
Dirleton Dog Show 2017
OneKind recently went along to the Dirleton Dog show where we got to meet lots and lots of lovely dogs and their humans. Here are pictures of all the fun dog show winners, including OneKind’s office dog, Millie, who came 4th in the prettiest girl round! Well done to everyone who everyone who took part…. Read more
How is animal welfare treated in in the #GE2017 manifestos?
Theresa May’s declaration of support for fox hunting and her commitment to a vote on the repeal of the Hunting Act in England and Wales has been one of the most talked about issues in the election campaign so far. Buzzfeed report that the bizarre move by the Prime Minster was even in the top… Read more
Animal welfare announcements: glass three-quarters full
It has been a long time coming, but today is the day that the Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses (Scotland) Bill starts its progress through the Scottish Parliament. In around a year, we hope, our law will state: “A person who is a circus operator commits an offence if the person causes or permits a… Read more
The Scottish legal system is failing our wildlife
Last week, RSPB Scotland released a shocking video. It shows a hen harrier flushed from her nest and shot in mid-air. The perpetrator then seeks to hide any evidence of the crime. This is as strong as evidence ever can be in the case of wildlife crimes, which usually take place in remote areas and… Read more
A fox, a cat, a badger – 3 recent snaring cases that alone justify a ban
It’s peak snaring season in the British countryside. Snares are used throughout the country, mostly to target foxes to protect gamebirds. This includes pheasants that are bred in large pens and then released to be shot, and grouse, which are wild but are protected diligently by gamekeepers so that they can be shot for ‘sport’…. Read more
Let’s see some real commitments to animals this election
The Scottish public care deeply about animal issues. Last year in the run op to the Holyrood elections OneKind and our partners in the More for Scotland’s Animals coalition commissioned a YouGov Poll to test public support for progress on animal welfare issues in Scotland. YouGov asked 1,000 adults in Scotland the extent to which… Read more
Snaring mountain hares ends because of ‘unnecessary suffering’
For years, OneKind has argued that snaring mountain hares should be banned. Both because of the suffering it causes and the impact it could be having on the declining population of this native species. This week, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) have finally confirmed that they will no longer be issuing licenses for snaring mountain hares,… Read more
Scotland has a hare coursing problem. Here’s how to stop it.
Hare coursing is an illegal bloodsport that involves chasing and killing hares with dogs. These dogs are usually ‘sight’ hounds, i.e. dogs that hunt by sight rather than smell such as lurchers and greyhounds. Hare coursers will drive around the countryside and on spotting a hare they will stop and release one, two or occasionally… Read more
Watch out for mountain hare culls
For those that want their estates free of mountain hares this year, there are only six weeks left. On the 1st of March the closed season starts, giving these poor animals respite from persecution during their breeding season. At our #HareCare rally at the Scottish Parliament in November, the Cabinet Secretary, Roseanna Cunningham MSP, said… Read more
Three reasons why fox hunting will be banned in Scotland for good
Boxing Day is one of the big events in the hunt calendar. Today fox hunts across Scotland will once again set out to kill foxes in spite of the so-called ban that was introduced fourteen years ago. For years, OneKind and others have been calling for the law to be updated so that the ban… Read more
The Bonomy Review – What is it and where next?
Fox hunting was meant to have been banned in Scotland back in 2002. In reality, loopholes in the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002 have meant that little has changed. OneKind has long called for these to be addressed, and we’re delighted that a major step towards this has finally been taken. This week… Read more
This post-mortem demonstrates why Scotland must ban fox hunting for real
This is the first time a carcass has been recovered from a fox hunt and post-mortemed since hunting was ‘banned’ in Scotland back in 2002. Here is what it concluded: “The shot gun pellets appear to have missed the vital organs so in my opinion the shot was not instantly fatal and death will have… Read more
New data reveals urgent need to protect mountain hare
With just one week to go until our rally and mass lobby of the Scottish Parliament to end mountain hare culling, the Scottish Gamekeepers Association has rung the alarm bell about the level of culling carried out to protect forestry. Mountain hare are protected by a closed season that runs from 1 March until the… Read more
Hare culls rally & mass lobby – One Week to Go!
On Thursday the 17th of September at midday, OneKind supporters will be rallying in front of the Scottish Parliament to call for an end to the mountain hare culls. Please join us! Most people we talk to are shocked to learn that Scotland’s mountain hares are culled in the first place. Everyone has heard of… Read more
New animal welfare measures fail Scotland’s dogs
Let’s start with some good news. Animal welfare is on the Scottish Government’s agenda and already two very positive initiatives have been kicked off. By 2018 wild animals in circuses will be banned, putting Scotland ahead of the UK on this important ethical issue and, we hope, demonstrating to other European countries that this can… Read more
More for Scotland’s Animals at Holyrood
Last week the More for Scotland’s Animals coalition put on an event in the Scottish Parliament sponsored by Christine Grahame MSP to look at how we can make progress on animal welfare in Scotland over the next five years. This follows our campaign earlier this year in which we challenged all candidates to commit to… Read more
Freeing a fox suffering in a snare was compassion – not a crime
We encourage anyone who finds a snare to report it to our website www.SnareWatch.org. SnareWatch aims to build the evidence base behind snaring and the impact it has on animals across the UK, and to date we have had hundreds of reports of incidents. About six months ago a relatively unusual report was submitted. A… Read more
OneKind celebrates Scotland’s commitment to ban wild animals in circuses
In its new proposed programme for Government 2016/17, the Scottish Parliament has pledged to introduce a Bill this session to end the use of wild animals in travelling circuses in Scotland. This follows decades of campaigning and lobbying for a ban by OneKind and the Born Free Foundation. Libby Anderson, our policy adviser who has… Read more
USA says no to Scottish salmon linked to seal killing
Seal killing has long been a serious animal welfare issue in Scotland, but it’s now threatening to become an economic and reputational issue too. The USA has introduced a ruling to ban imports with lower marine mammal protection standards than their own. It says that to export to the US, nations must implement a regulatory… Read more
The landscape-scale cruelty behind the ‘glorious’ 12th
From the Lammermuirs in the Borders to the Highlands, to the moors of Caithness and Sutherland; much of Scotland is managed to varying degrees for driven grouse shooting, the demands of which are the root cause of much cruelty to Scotland’s wildlife. Driven grouse shooting involves beaters driving red grouse towards a line of waiting… Read more
