We’re so grateful for the time volunteers give to our charity, so it was a pleasure for some of our team to get out and do some volunteering themselves. A couple of weekends ago, our Fundraising Officer (Lauren) and Volunteer Officer (Sarah) joined OneKind’s social media volunteer, Gertie, to help at a hen re-homing in… 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
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
Why fundraising matters
I’ve been a fundraiser for over 13 years and have had to answer many times why fundraising matters. Why do I need to ask people to donate? They will just give, won’t they? It’s not quite as simple as that and I want to share with you why fundraising is crucial to OneKind. The simple… 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
OneKind welcomes Scottish Government’s animal welfare commitments for 2019/20
Leading animal welfare campaigns charity OneKind has welcomed today’s commitment by the Scottish Government to animal welfare in the year ahead. These include further commitments to creating an Animal Welfare Commission, as well as introducing a “Lucy’s Law” for Scotland and increasing the maximum penalties for cruelty to both domestic and wild animals. Pledges in… Read more
Our Edinburgh & Glasgow volunteer meetings, August 2019
This August we made sure we made time to host both Edinburgh & Glasgow volunteer meetings. Our Edinburgh get-together was held (as usual) in our office, whilst our Glasgow gathering was held in The Flying Duck restaurant and bar. For both meetings we kept it simple, giving everyone an update on campaigns, and plans for… 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
Introducing OneKind’s new Campaigns & Press Officer: Eve Massie
You might have heard that we have a new Campaign and Press Officer at OneKind? To welcome Eve Massie to the team, we thought it’d be great to ask her some questions that might help our supporters in getting to know her. Introducing OneKind’s new Campaigns & Press Officer: Eve Massie … Eve joined us… 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
Anna’s mission to help Scotland’s animals
Anna shares why supporting OneKind means so much to her… About Anna This is Anna, 10, and her dog Skye. Anna spends a lot of time outdoors and enjoys climbing Munros. Skye and her beloved soft toy fox, Lupin go everywhere with her. Anna cares so much for animals and this is her second event… Read more
OneKind Fife group July meeting overview
Our Fife group host group meetings on a regular basis (usually on a bi-monthly schedule). Last week they caught up with our Events and Volunteer Officer Sarah to discuss plans for Autumn and last-minute pushes on some of our current campaigns. Here’s what we covered: How do we give our Hare campaign one last big… 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
Grim reality of Scotland’s grouse shooting industry exposed in new film
A new film, narrated by Chris Packham, describes in vivid detail the grim reality associated with grouse shooting. Earlier this year, a male hen harrier was caught in an illegal spring trap set next to its nest site on a grouse moor. The bird was caught by its leg in the trap, yet despite emergency veterinary attention it didn’t survive. However,… Read more
How to talk about animal welfare for New Conversations Day
Hi! My name is Kirsty and I’m one of OneKind’s social media and stall volunteers. In celebration of New Conversations Day, I thought I’d share a few tips and tricks with you all; ideas for how to bring up OneKind with your friends, family, and anyone else you may find yourself chatting to. As passionate… Read more
“Game-changing” proposals to protect Scotland’s wild foxes and hares
OneKind animal protection charity has hailed as “game-changing” a proposal by Alison Johnstone MSP to introduce a real ban on fox hunting with dogs in Scotland, and to give full protection to wild hares. Alison Johnstone’s proposal for a Protection and Conservation of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Bill (the “fox and hare Bill”) was launched on… Read more
OneKind Volunteer awarded Edinburgh Inspiring Volunteer Award
The Inspiring Volunteer Awards are dedicated to volunteers who give their time, energy and commitment to causes and people around Edinburgh. Now on it’s 13th year, this ceremony recognises volunteers from all walks of life, have a whole range of skills and abilities, and make their impact in a huge variety of ways. We couldn’t… Read more
Charity calls on walkers in Scotland to report snares
Leading animal campaigns charity OneKind is calling on members of the public to report any snares or snaring incidents they find while out walking in Scotland. OneKind has long-campaigned for a ban on the use, sale and manufacture of the traps, and in 2011 the charity set up SnareWatch, an information-sharing and report facility about… Read more
Our volunteer Edinburgh group meeting, May 2019
With our Fife group now hosting regular meetings, an Edinburgh volunteer meet-up was long overdue. As a result, our new volunteer Vesalina set to work arranging a date for supporters to come together and talk about ways in which they’d like to help us. The gathering was held in our Montrose Terrace office and allowed… Read more
OneKind welcomes consultation on General Licences in Scotland
Leading Scottish animal campaigns charity OneKind has welcomed news that Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) is set to launch a consultation on General Licences in Scotland. The 12-week consultation is due to open later this year and will ask stakeholders for their views on how General Licences work in practice, what they should cover and how… Read more
EU elections – what are the Scottish candidates’ commitments to animals?
Let’s set Brexit aside for a moment, if we can … The European Parliament has the power to ensure better welfare for millions of farmed, companion and wild animals across the EU. That’s why the current EU elections will have a major impact on potential improvements for animal welfare in the next five years, and… Read more
OneKind calls for review of General Licences in Scotland
Leading Scottish animal campaigns charity OneKind is calling for a full review of the General Licence system for the killing and taking of certain species of wild birds in Scotland. It follows a legal challenge by the organisation Wild Justice which resulted in Natural England revoking three General Licences for the killing of 16 wild… Read more
Firework legislation must go further to protect animals
“My cat, Monkey is terrified of fireworks. As a cat who likes to go out when it’s dark and quiet, it’s most frustrating when fireworks are set off outwith the usual bonfire night, where I can plan to keep him inside. If he is outside when he hears them, he will run back home and… Read more
OneKind is calling for a ban on the use of enriched cages for hens and farrowing crates for sows.
Scotland’s leading animal campaigns charity OneKind is calling on the Scottish Government to ban farm animal cages including enriched cages for egg-laying hens and farrowing crates for sows. The conventional battery cage system was banned in Europe in 2012 and replaced by ‘enriched’ cages. Approximately 2 million hens in Scotland are still being kept in… Read more
5 reasons why snares should be banned
Snares are cruel, primitive and indiscriminate traps that are widely used across Scotland mostly to protect gamebirds from fox predation to benefit the shooting industry. A snare is a simple anchored noose which is positioned on an animal track where an animal will walk into it and become trapped by the neck, abdomen or leg…. Read more
Scottish Government must act now to protect mountain hares
Revive, the coalition for grouse moor reform is calling on the Scottish Government to act to protect Scotland’s iconic mountain hares. Exactly a year ago First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told Parliament during First Minister’s Questions that large-scale culling of mountain hares on grouse moors is “not acceptable”. The open shooting season for hares begins… 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
Another bad day on a grouse moor
A guest blog by John Nicol Please sign our petition calling on the Scottish Government to conduct a full review of the animal welfare impacts of the use of traps and snares on grouse moors and elsewhere in Scotland. OneKind member and supporter, John Nicol got in touch to tell us about an experience he… Read more
Meet our events volunteers at OneKind
Our events volunteers are such an important part of our volunteer team. These passionate people donate their time to help us talk to the public about who we are, what campaigns we’re working on and how others can get involved. We’ve been sharing our volunteer stories to highlight their dedication to our cause and the… Read more
Where do political parties stand on mountain hare culling?
Last year, OneKind launched a campaign asking our supporters to speak to their MSPs about the indiscriminate and ruthless slaughter of an average of 26,000 mountain hares each year in Scotland. A total of 14,500 emails were sent to MSPs across Scotland asking them to do everything in their power to stop the killing of… Read more
Social Media volunteers at OneKind
We’re contacted every week by people interested in helping us in our mission to end cruelty to Scotland’s animals. Alongside becoming a member with OneKind a lot of our supporters want to help our cause by volunteering in their spare time. We appreciate that not everybody feels comfortable with face-to-face public events and, as a result,… Read more
10 ways you can support OneKind from home
We are so grateful to volunteers who dedicate time and energy to furthering our cause. We know that physical involvement isn’t possible for everyone – so that’s where social media comes in! Here’s 10 ways you can support OneKind from home in the hopes of bringing our campaigns to the attention of a much wider… Read more
OneKind welcomes proposals to strengthen animal welfare law
Animal protection charity OneKind has welcomed the publication today (1 February 2019) of Scottish Government proposals to strengthen enforcement measures available under Scotland’s main animal welfare legislation. In particular, OneKind welcomes the Scottish Government’s intention to increase the maximum available penalties for serious offences to a prison sentence of five years, an unlimited fine or… Read more
5 things you might not know about mountain hare culls
If you watched BBC’s Winterwatch this week you will have seen some beautiful mountain hares picked up on the show’s infrared cameras. What you might not have realised is that we are currently in peak mountain hare culling season in Scotland. Mountain hares are protected by a closed season which runs from 1st March until… 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
Meet our volunteers – Edinburgh office volunteer Steph
Our volunteers are the reason for a lot of OneKind’s successes. From signing petitions to helping raise awareness, our volunteer teams are always supporting us – joining the fight to end animal cruelty in Scotland. We want you to meet our volunteers to highlight their passion for our cause and the individual work they do… Read more
Minister’s commitment to Scotland’s animals welcomed
OneKind animal welfare charity has welcomed many of the proposals in a comprehensive Parliamentary Statement on Animal Welfare today (Wednesday 9 January 2019) by the Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment, Mairi Gougeon MSP. In particular, OneKind welcomes commitments for legislation on fox hunting, the creation of an Animal Welfare Commission and the… Read more
Why 2019 should be the year to Rethink Fish
Happy New Year to all our wonderful OneKind supporters! To kick start the year we thought we’d talk to you about why we think 2019 should be the year to Rethink Fish. Even though fish share many similar characteristics with humans – they feel pain, they communicate with each other, work cooperatively and have unique… Read more
What do volunteers do at OneKind?
Hey everyone, I’m Sarah and in 2017 I volunteered as a campaigns intern for OneKind. Supporters often ask ‘what do volunteers do at OneKind?’. OneKind has an amazing bunch of volunteers who do a wide range of things, from helping in the office, to going out and collecting petition signatures. They also represent OneKind at… Read more
The best of OneKind volunteer activity 2018
As we wrap up another year in our fight to end cruelty to Scotland’s animals, we’d like to take a look back at some of our favourite OneKind volunteer activity in 2018 … My Immortal Burns night We kicked the year off in style with our Policy Advisor, Libby, organising a burns themed gala evening…. Read more
Looking back on 2018 – our campaign highlights
It’s almost the end of 2018 and what a year it’s been for OneKind. We held our biggest demonstration yet against fox hunting, released ground-breaking footage of mountain hare culls and launched a new campaign on salmon farming in Scotland, to name but a few of our successes. We also worked very closely with politicians… Read more
Charity calls on Scottish Government to make this year’s Boxing Day and New Year hunts the last
Leading animal campaigns charity OneKind is calling on the Scottish Government to introduce a real fox hunting ban as mounted packs around the UK set off on their Boxing Day and New Year’s Day hunts. Fox hunting was banned in Scotland under the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act in 2002, however loopholes in the… Read more
Growing concern about the use of live reindeer in Christmas displays in Scotland
The Christmas holiday season is well upon us which means Santa and his reindeer have been making appearances at festive events in parades, shopping centres and garden centres across the country for the past few weeks. We understand that these events can be very popular, but we also think it’s important that we start talking… Read more
Go salmon free this Christmas!
Salmon is often seen as an essential part of the menu at Christmas time, but did you know that there are many meat-free, vegan alternatives that you can have instead? With the launch of our salmon farming campaign this year, we thought we would share with you some alternatives to salmon that you can find… Read more
Why we care about cleaner fish
Here at OneKind we have always promoted the welfare of fish, whether they are wild-caught, farmed or used in the pet trade. Since August this year, we have been campaigning for better fish welfare on salmon farms in Scotland, and earlier this week we furthered our campaign by releasing a new report Cleaner fish welfare… Read more
New report exposes serious welfare concerns surrounding the use of cleaner fish on Scottish salmon farms
Scotland’s animal campaigns charity OneKind has released a new report which highlights the serious animal welfare issues surrounding the use of cleaner fish as a treatment for sea lice on salmon farms in Scotland. Both wild-caught and farmed cleaner fish (mainly lumpsuckers and ballan wrasse) are used by the salmon farming industry in Scotland to… Read more
New report on salmon farming: what have we learned?
Earlier this week, the much-anticipated report by the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Economy and Connectivity (REC) Committee on salmon farming in Scotland, was published. OneKind contributed to this inquiry, urging the Committee to consider the welfare of not only farmed fish, but cleaner fish, and wild animals such as cetaceans and seals. We were therefore pleased… Read more
The horrible reality of Scotland’s grouse moors
Last month, OneKind received a report via our SnareWatch website from someone who had found eight snares set to catch animals within 50 yards of each other on a woodland path with the carcasses of four rabbits lying nearby. The aim of the website is to compile evidence of how snares and used and the… Read more
Charity asks, “what’s next?” as new report highlights failings of Scotland’s salmon farming industry
The Scottish Government’s Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee has today (Tuesday 27th November) published a hard-hitting report into the wider impacts of salmon farming. The report Salmon farming in Scotland was commissioned to consider the current state of the salmon farming industry in Scotland, looking at opportunities for future developments and how fish health and… Read more
Where does Lush palm oil come from?
Lush is a fantastic supporter of OneKind’s work. They sell charity pots, tubs of rich ‘n creamy body lotion, the full price of which (minus VAT) is donated to local charities whose ethics align with those endorsed by Lush. Our participation in their charity pot initiative raises crucial money that goes directly towards funding our… Read more
Radical new campaign brings together social, environmental and animal welfare charities to reform Scotland’s grouse moors
Naturalist and broadcaster Chris Packham to launch Revive: The coalition for grouse moor reform A radical new campaign will launch in Edinburgh this week (Tuesday 6th November) bringing together several charities across social, environmental and animal welfare sectors, working together to reform Scotland’s grouse moors. Revive: The coalition to reform Scotland’s grouse moors is a… Read more
Meet OneKind’s new director Bob Elliot
What a privilege to be asked to lead OneKind as the new Director. I am absolutely delighted and proud to have the opportunity to be able to build and develop the excellent work undertaken by former Director Harry Huyton and the team. Thank you to all those supporters, members and colleagues that have made me… Read more
5 key facts we’ve learned from the Scottish fish farm production survey 2017
Every year, the Scottish Government publishes the “Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey”. These reports shed light on things such as the number of active salmon farming sites, the number of fish entering sea-water salmon farms in Scotland, survival rates of salmon throughout the production cycle, and information on cleaner fish. Today the production survey for… Read more
Volunteer Blog – Meet Art for Animals artist Romain Pizzi
In celebration of Scotland’s magnificent wildlife, our annual Art for Animals exhibition is back, taking place later this month in Edinburgh. We have 14 artists who will showcase their creations, each having been motivated to carve, paint and sketch by the animals that make this spectacular country their home. The exhibition aims to inspire a… Read more
Scottish wildlife exhibition returns to improve protection for Scotland’s animals
Leading animal campaigns charity OneKind is putting on an exhibition of Scottish wildlife and animal art to raise money to help end cruelty to Scotland’s animals. After a successful launch last year, Art for Animals returns on the 19-25 October at the Breeze Art Gallery in Edinburgh. The event will celebrate Scotland’s magnificent wildlife while… Read more
Not just salmon: 5 other animals impacted by salmon farming in Scotland
We have talked a lot about the impact that salmon farming has on salmon, but sadly it is not just farmed salmon that are negatively impacted by the salmon farming industry in Scotland. Here are five other animals that can be impacted by salmon farming in Scotland. Seals Scotland is home to grey, and common… Read more
OneKind welcomes decision by P&O Ferries to stop transporting live animals
Animal campaigns charity OneKind has welcomed today’s decision (Tuesday 11th September) by P&O Ferries to stop transporting live animals to Northern Ireland with immediate effect. The statement from P&O Ferries said: “We can confirm that P&O Ferries will cease co-operating with the Scottish Government to transport across the Irish Sea young calves destined for continental Europe… Read more
5 awesome things our volunteers have done for OneKind this summer
We’ve had a really busy summer in terms of volunteer work at OneKind, both in the office and out and about with our growing volunteer groups. Our volunteers are vital in our work to end cruelty to Scotland’s animals, and they really help us get our message out there and build support for our campaigns…. Read more
OneKind welcomes animal welfare commitments in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Scotland
Leading animal protection charity OneKind has welcomed the Scottish Government’s commitments to animal welfare in the year ahead. At the same time, the charity points out the need for further work in some areas. In the full programme for government 2018/19, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP pledged to establish an Animal Welfare Commission to provide… Read more
Shocking footage shows diseased and damaged fish on Scottish salmon farm
Animal campaigns charity OneKind has released shocking new footage which shows serious animal welfare concerns on a salmon farm in Scotland. The footage, shot on Monday 27th August at Vacasay salmon farm in Loch Roag on the Isle of Lewis, was given to OneKind by the film makers and has now been passed to the… Read more
Three facts about public opinion of fish welfare
Last week, results from a survey commissioned jointly by Eurogroup for Animals and Compassion in World Farming on the opinions of the UK and specifically the Scottish public on fish welfare, were released. Here are some of the key findings from the survey: 63% of the Scottish public, and 68% of the UK public, believe… Read more
Scotland should keep up with England on puppy sales reforms
OneKind has welcomed the announcement by Environment Secretary Michael Gove that the UK government intends to ban third party puppy and kitten sales in England. Confirming the government’s support for the prominent Lucy’s Law campaign, Defra has published a consultation on an outright ban that will mean anyone looking to buy or adopt a puppy or kitten… Read more
Calls increase for a moratorium on the salmon farming industry in Scotland.
Animal campaigns charity OneKind has launched a petition to the Scottish Parliament with partners Scottish Salmon Think-Tank, Save Seil Sound and the Salmon Aquaculture Reform Network Scotland (SARNS) calling for a moratorium on the expansion of the salmon farming industry until welfare and environmental concerns are addressed. It comes as the aquaculture industry, backed by… Read more
Why I’m walking the Kiltwalk for #TeamOneKind
Hi everyone! I’m Sarah and I’m the Project Officer for OneKind, looking into fish welfare on salmon farms in Scotland. This Sunday 19th I am doing something different- taking part in the Dundee Kiltwalk, where I will be walking 25 miles to raise money for OneKind! So why have I decided to take on this… Read more
OneKind calls for urgent action in response to news of severe declines of mountain hares
In response to a newly published study that has found catastrophic declines in mountain hare numbers on moorlands in the eastern Highlands, Harry Huyton, OneKind Director, said: “This research is the final nail in the coffin for the Scottish Government’s policy of inaction in the face of relentless persecution of mountain hares on grouse moors…. 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
Meet our volunteers – Ali and Mark from Dufftown
Our volunteers are the reason for a lot of OneKind’s successes. From signing petitions to helping raise awareness at our event stalls, our volunteer teams are always out supporting us – joining the fight to end animal cruelty in Scotland. We want to share our volunteer stories to highlight their passion for our cause and… Read more
New report exposes serious welfare issues on Scottish salmon farms
Scotland’s animal campaigns charity has released a new report highlighting the serious welfare issues on Scotland’s salmon farms. Fish welfare on Scotland’s salmon farms exposes a number of welfare breaches including mass mortality, sea lice infestations, disease and escapes. Scotland is the largest producer of farmed Atlantic salmon in the EU, and the third largest… Read more
New report highlights worst and best salmon farms in Scotland for animal welfare
Animal campaigns charity OneKind has released a new report, The welfare status of salmon farms and companies in Scotland, which highlights the worst and best salmon farms for animal welfare in Scotland in 2017. The report collates publicly available data on mortalities, escapes, biomass exceedance, seal shooting and sea lice burdens for the 184 active… Read more
Calls for an end to mountain hare killing intensify on first day of the open season
Charities have today intensified their calls for urgent action from the Scottish Government to prevent the further mass killing of Scotland’s mountain hares. The open season on mountain hares begins today (1st August) and runs until 28 February. During this period, tens of thousands of mountain hares will be killed. The majority will be killed… Read more
New data reveals death and disease on Scotland’s salmon farms
Disease, lice infestations and mass mortality events continued to cause suffering on Scotland’s salmon farms in the first quarter of 2018, new data has revealed. The data shows that up to three million fish died (assuming all salmon that died weigh 1kg) in mortality events between January and March 2018. This is an 8.5% increase… Read more
Farmed salmon welfare in 2018: what we know so far
Scottish salmon farm mortality, escape, fish health inspectorate and sea lice data is now available for early 2018. We’ve been going through this data, and have found the following… Mortality is slightly higher compared to last year Overall, between January and March 2018, between 707,000[1] and 3 million fish[2] (3534 tonnes) died on salmon farms… Read more
Scottish Government given huge mandate for fox hunting ban
The Scottish Government has today (Friday 29th June) published its analysis of the consultation on reforming the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act. The consultation was launched last year following recommendations made by Lord Bonomy in a review of the Act. The consultation received 18,787 responses, with 98% of respondents supporting a real and effective… Read more
New photos expose shocking welfare issues on Scottish salmon farms
Yesterday, the Ferret published photos of disease and sea lice-ridden, deformed and stunted farmed salmon. These photos were taken during Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) diagnostic inspections following instances of mass mortalities on fish farms. During these inspections FHI inspectors will sample between 3 and 10 salmon to perform post-mortems on, to determine the causes of… 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
Our love of plastic is killing our wildlife
Plastic waste has reached epidemic levels. Our oceans are becoming filled with plastic, that is being dumped into the water killing our seals, whales, fish, sea birds, and many other sea animals. It’s also littering our beautiful beaches and making its way into the food chain. In fact, things have got so bad that it’s… Read more
Taking action for fish
I’m a Project Officer for OneKind, working on fish welfare in salmon aquaculture. I’ve been busy working behind the scenes researching this issue, but last week was especially busy! I presented OneKind’s findings on salmon welfare in the Scottish Parliament, then went to Brussels to meet with fish welfare experts and share the results of… 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
Charity invites wildlife artists to come together to help Scotland’s animals
Leading animal campaigns charity OneKind is inviting Scotland’s wildlife and animal artists to exhibit their work in Edinburgh to raise money for Scotland’s animals. After a successful launch last year, Art for Animals returns on the 19-25 October at the Breeze Art Gallery. The event will celebrate Scotland’s magnificent wildlife while also raising awareness of… 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
Parliamentary questions reveal ravens routinely culled across Scotland
Raven culling has become routine across Scotland, with Scottish Natural Heritage permitting the killing of over 1000 ravens per year in the last three years. The number of ravens permitted to be killed was 1129 in 2016, 1133 in 2017 and 1082 in 2018. This information has come to public attention following answers to a… Read more
Scottish public overwhelmingly support increased protection for the iconic mountain hare, according to new figures
Charities release polling following revelations of the shocking extent of mountain hare slaughter in Scotland New figures have revealed overwhelming public support for increased protection of Scotland’s iconic mountain hare. Polling commissioned by the League Against Cruel Sports and OneKind show that 83% of the Scottish public think hare culling should be regulated or made… Read more
New data reveals extent of mountain hare persecution in Scotland
Data which has been released under Freedom of Information rules has revealed for the first time the true extent of mountain hare persecution in Scotland. Mountain hare killing in Scotland is unmonitored and unregulated during the open season, which runs from 1st August to 28th February, and until now the only estimated number of mountain… 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
“It’s not rocket science, it’s a case of killing things”
It’s very rare for a gamekeeper to speak out about what’s really happening on Scotland’s shooting estates, but yesterday Chris Packham released a 15-minute interview of an anonymous man who had worked on grouse moors in the UK and, in Chris’ words, wanted to “come clean”. What he describes is predictable: an industry at war… Read more
Shocking new footage shows a stink pit on a grouse moor known for mountain hare culls
Warning – Disturbing scenes of wildlife persecution Footage released today from an investigation by OneKind and the League Against Cruel Sports Scotland yet again shows the grim reality of the war on wildlife that is being fought across Scotland’s grouse moors. This stink pit consists of rotting deer carcases and dead foxes hanging from trees…. Read more
Grouse moor management under fire again as footage reveals more horrors
Warning: This video contains footage which may disturb viewers Following an expose of the slaughter of mountain hares in the Highlands, charities have released further evidence of the shocking reality of grouse moor management in Scotland. OneKind and the League Against Cruel Sports have today (Sunday 13th May) released new footage which shows another part… Read more
The raven cull – what we know, what we don’t know, and what next
A cull of ravens in Perthshire has been approved by Scottish Natural Heritage across a large area of Perthshire, predominantly made up of grouse moors. For more on the background to the cull, and why it must be stopped, see this blog. Three weeks on from when Raptor Persecution broke the story, here’s an update… Read more
OneKind welcomes public consultation on responsible dog ownership
Animal protection charity OneKind has today (Friday 4 May) welcomed the launch of a public consultation on responsible dog ownership in Scotland. The consultation has been launched by Christine Grahame SNP MSP ahead of her proposed Member’s Bill in the Scottish Parliament. The Bill aims to encourage people to only buy dogs from reputable breeders… Read more
Where do the political parties stand on mountain hare culling?
In the past two weeks, over 9000 emails have been sent to MSPs across Scotland asking them to do everything in their power to stop the slaughter of mountain hares. If you haven’t already, you can take the action here. Here’s the lowdown on which MSPs have responded so far and what parties support an… 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
OneKind issues warning to pet owners about the danger of snares
Animal protection charity OneKind is warning pet owners across Britain to beware of snares, with hundreds of thousands thought to be set across the country every spring. The charity’s SnareWatch.org website has recently received a number of reports of dogs and cats caught in the wire traps, with devastating results. Gary Wright’s cocker spaniel Murphy… 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
Killing mountain hares is not conservation
One of the most interesting things about how proponents of hare killing on grouse moors responded to our exposé over Easter is how little talk there was of disease control. In 2007, when SNH commissioned a study of hare killing in Scotland, it was estimated that 50% of hare killing was justified primarily on the grounds… Read more
