Celebrities including Ricky Gervais and Chris Packham are giving their support to a campaign to really ban fox hunting in Scotland.
The campaign led by the League Against Cruel Sports, OneKind and IFAW is hosting a march next month in Edinburgh city centre to highlight overwhelming support from the public to strengthen the current hunting law to make it fit for purpose and end fox hunting for good.
The charities believe the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act is insufficient to stop hunts hunting in the way they did prior to the law coming into force in 2002 and have been campaigning for it to be improved to close loopholes which allow for traditional hunting. This view is supported by over 30,000 people who responded to a recent consultation on the issue.
A number of celebrities have backed the campaign.
Ricky Gervais said: “It is utterly sickening that the primitive, horrific pastime of chasing foxes with packs of hounds is still happening routinely in this country with little or no means of bringing to justice those who inflict such cruelty on wildlife. The Scottish Government has an opportunity to make this appalling ‘sport’ go away so it’s high time it stopped dragging its feet and got on with improving the law to ban fox hunting once and for all.”
Chris Packham said: “It is quite staggering that in this day and age we live in a country where people go out with the intention of terrorising wild animals by chasing them to the point of exhaustion and brutally killing them. Sadly in Scotland the law has proven not to be sufficient to stop this horrific behaviour. I wholeheartedly support the League Against Cruel Sports and OneKind in their campaign calling on the Scottish Government to strengthen the law to make sure fox hunting is really banned in Scotland. Fox hunting has no place in modern society and now is the time to put it firmly where it belongs – in the past.”
Bill Oddie OBE said: “In a world of increasing violence and destruction, many of the biggest and most troubling ‘crimes’ are against wild creatures, whether they be elephants, tigers, whales, or… yes, foxes.There are cruel sports all over the world. In some countries the killing is almost uncontainable. But it need not be so here. Please join our march in March,and make sure the Scottish Government know how you feel.”
Peter Egan said: “How anyone, living in the 21st Century, can believe that fox hunting is acceptable, and a sport, is in need of serious psychiatric help. The awful business should’ve been dealt with in Scotland in 2002 and south of the border in 2004. We live in a democracy where 86% of the the public are against this cruelty. The time has come to see the end of it. March for the Foxes. Stop the cruelty. Live in the 21st century. We will see it happen. The voice of compassion cannot and will not be subdued by the voice of ignorant violence. Be part of the future. End the cruelty.”
In a joint statement from the three charities, they added: “Chasing, terrorising and killing wild mammals with packs of hounds has no place in a modern, civilised society, a view we know is shared by the vast majority of the public. We hope these people will join us next month to march For the Foxes and show the Scottish Government just how strongly people feel on this issue.”
The march will take place on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, ending at the Scottish Parliament on Saturday 24th March.
Ends
Notes to editor
- March For the Foxes will leave from St Giles Cathedral, Royal Mile, Edinburgh at 10.30am on Saturday 24th March, ending with a rally at the Scottish Parliament.
- The League Against Cruel Sports is Britain’s leading charity that works to stop animals being persecuted, abused and killed for sport. The League was instrumental in helping bring about the landmark Hunting Act. We carry out investigations to expose law-breaking and cruelty to animals and campaign for stronger animal protection laws and penalties. We work to change attitudes and behaviour through education and manage sanctuaries to protect wildlife. Find out more about our work at www.league.org.uk. Registered charity in England and Wales (no.1095234) and Scotland (no.SC045533).
- OneKind exposes, challenges and ends cruelty to Scotland’s animals through campaigns, research & education.
- Founded in 1969, IFAW saves animals in crisis around the world. With projects in more than 40 countries, IFAW rescues individual animals, works to prevent cruelty to animals and advocates for the protection of wildlife and habitats. For more information, visit www.ifaw.org
- Media enquiries to Louise Robertson on 07930 539832 / louise@messagematters.co.uk
Leave a Reply