Fox cub hunting - they hunt babies don't they?

A round of applause for everyone who bought Living Cruelty Free. 

Thanks to everybody who bought Living Cruelty Free: Live aMore Compassionate Life I've donated money to the League Against Cruel Sports and their amazing campaign to highlight the plight of baby fox cubs stolen from the countryside by fox hunters, so they can hunt them when the babies are older to satisfy their blood lust.

Reading the details of their investigation below, I think we all know who the real vermin are.

Here's a copy of the communication I received that made me realise they were the cause I wanted to support this time. 

Note - All text and photos are copyright of The League Against Cruel Sports. Please donate or share if you can. Thank you. 

DONATE NOW  HOW YOUR DONATION CAN HELP £10 could help us raise awareness and expose the depth and breadth of illegal cub hunting through your local media. £20 could help us save young foxes in your area, which are being reared to be hunted in the name of sport and urgently need your help. £100 could help us fund a specific cub hunting investigation in your area and will assist us to present findings to the Police and Crown Prosecution Service, exposing this insidious activity currently kept secret by hunters. DONATE NOW Dear Jennifer Over the years I have seen some truly shocking cases of animal cruelty, but nothing comes close to cub hunting -the dirty secret of the hunting world.  You may find this hard to believe, but hunters capture fox cubs in cages, sheds, barns and artificial earths (controlled environments) so that they have ‘fresh stock’ readily available to kill for sport.  You can help stop the massacre of fox cubs by donating to our appeal today.  What’s truly worrying is that not only do hunts go out and deliberately kill cubs in the autumn, but in fact rear them in artificial environments to kill for fun at their own disposal.  Investigations Exposé In May, my Investigations team were alerted of potential cruelty inside a dark barn located just 200m from the Middleton Foxhound’s kennels. What we discovered inside was shocking. 16 fox cubs. Trapped in the barn, hidden from sunlight, and being reared to ultimately be killed by hunters. These hunters will stop at nothing for their own brutal pleasure. You’ll be pleased to hear that we have rescued the fox cubs and relocated them in a secure location. These protected areas offer freedom – something which these poor young cubs have never experienced before in their lives. In fact it saddens me to tell you that, after being kept unnaturally in a dark barn, the fox cubs were still afraid of daylight. This is not an isolated case. As you read this letter, this dreadful practice is widespread across the UK. Our Wildlife Crimewatch line has received a wealth of information on 20 hunts in the UK suspected of capturing foxes to be hunted, and countless more cases of suspect artificial earths. With your donation, we can expose even more cases of cruelty to cubs, including kidnapping and illegal cub hunting this season. Before the Hunting Act (2004) was passed, 40% of all foxes killed each year were killed as cubs*. With the Hunting Act now in jeopardy, this season will be crucial for getting the evidence needed to protect the future for vulnerable young fox cubs. You can make a donation to our cub hunting appeal securely online by credit card or via PayPal or make a telephone donation by calling 01483 524 250. Every penny will make a difference towards securing their future, free from torment and persecution.  Thank you for all your support, and everything you do for animals. Paul Tilsley Head of Investigations *The Burns Report 2000

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My book Living Cruelty Free has travelled a long way...

From Frankfurt

to London in fact.

Don't you just love that cover?

The Double Standards of Animal Crusading Countries

During the gruelling research for Living Cruelty Free, the thing that has annoyed me the most is the double standards some countries have. Two-faced, I call them.

Read on to find out what I’m talking about - 

It’s illegal to test cosmetics on animals in Australia, but that doesn’t mean cosmetics that are on sale in Australia are not tested on animals. Companies are allowed to sell cosmetics there even if they are tested on animals elsewhere.

China is the only country in the world that makes testing cosmetics on animals compulsory if they will be sold in that country. It’s for this reason that The Body Shop doesn’t have stores in China.

Many cosmetics companies throughout the world get past animal testing bans by having their products tested on animals in other countries, often China. Labour in China is cheap and animals have no real protection.

The production of Foie gras is banned in the UK, but the import of this so called delicacy that involves the force-feeding of ducks and geese until their livers get to up to ten time their natural size, isn’t banned.

Fur farms are banned in the UK, but the sale of fur isn’t.

When you buy leather you usually have no way of knowing what animal it comes from. It could come from a cow, a snake or even a dog or cat. Other products have to be labelled, so why not leather?

Most people are unaware that most of the goose down and duck down that is used in mattresses, comforters, pillows and cushions comes the live plucking of birds who are stripped of their feathers whilst they are alive. Most products don’t state whether the feathers and down came from birds that were already dead or ones who were plucked whilst still alive.

Sneaky companies get round people objecting to fur by having real fur in garments and labelling it as ‘fake fur’ or ‘faux fur.’

Free-range eggs mean different things depending on what country you are in. For instance in the USA, birds can have access to a few minutes of daylight and still lay eggs that are called free-range.

Isn’t it time that countries got consistent? For instance there should be a world-wide definition of free-range and if fur farms are banned in the UK so too should fur?

And that’s how veggiegirl2011 sees it.

The truth about Squalene

Sharks belong in the open sea, not in face cream

I received a free sample of something in the post today. Usually I'd be happy, but the first thing I noticed was the face cream was made in France. That set off alarm bells.

You see, most beauty products made in France seem to be tested on animals with L’Oreal the worst offender.

It was also an anti-aging cream, which made me a bit peeved because it suggested I needed it.

I ran my eyes down the ingredients and spotted squalene right away. Big no, no for vegetarians, vegans and anyone who loves animals. Squalene you see usually comes from shark liver oil. It can come from plant sources (all plants and animals produce squalene naturally) but unless it states its plant derived, you have to assume it comes from sharks.

Allowing for the cruel way it's obtained, who wants shark oil on their face?

I know I don’t. How about you?

Tip – Is it an antioxidant cream? Chances are it may contain squalene.

Tip – Save yourself some money and sharks some suffering and use a few drops of olive oil on your face instead. It’s a good and cheap source of squalene, but don’t use too much or you’ll look greasy.

Note – Squalene has been linked to Gulf War Syndrome as it was used in the Anthrax vaccines American servicemen and women were given.

Say NO to Cosmetics testing in Europe

The European Union was meant to ban all new animal tested cosmetics by 2013. But, you can't trust those politicians. After pressure from comsetics testing companies (they have loads of cash) they are deciding whether to extend the deadline.

This deadline could be a year, two years, or even ten years. During that time many more animals will die in non-essential experiments conducted by vivisectors who if they did the same thing to their own pets would be locked up in prison.

If you want to see the European ban come in in 2013 as should be happening, click on the No to Animal Testing to go to the online petition.

Get your family and friends to sign it. Remember with little steps we can all make a difference.

The Ugly Truth about Puppy Farms

Think of the phrase puppy farm* and it may conjure up an image of a kind of doggie paradise. Loads of puppies trotting around, playing, and having fun and being spoilt rotten.

*In the USA and Canada, puppy farms are usually called puppy mills.

The harsh reality of puppy farms is quite different; horrifically so in many cases.

Here are some facts about puppy farming –

All over the world dogs are being put to sleep for no other reason than they don’t have a home. Puppy farms make the problem worse. If people get a puppy they won’t adopt an unwanted dog.

In the UK, Wales and Ireland are where most puppy farms (puppy mills) are located. Ireland because there NO laws on puppy farms. Most of these puppies are sold in pet shops in the south of England.

As many as 50,000 puppies are exported to the UK from Ireland every year.

Puppy farms are for one thing – breeding as many dogs as possible so they can be sold to make as much money as possible.

Some puppy farms supply animal research labs where dogs are used for cruel tests. They may have chemicals dripped in their eyes, have skin and muscle cut off (this is done for some dog food testing, so that pet food companies can say their food increases muscles) and be injected with toxins to see how much it takes to kill them.

Little attention is paid to the welfare of the puppies and their mothers. Often they are left in darkness for 24 hours a day and not allowed to go outside.

Dogs are kept in cages with not enough space.

Mother dogs are often kept away from other dogs for the duration of their pregnancy. There is no good reason for this.

Mother dogs are usually often forced to give birth in the same bedding where they are also forced to do the toilet.

Mother dogs are not regularly seen by vets and may end up with a host of medical problems as a result.

Mother dogs, who can no longer have puppies because they are too exhausted or old, are killed or dumped. They have outlived their usefulness.

Puppies are not raised in a normal, healthy environment and often have health and behavioural problems as a result.

If you worry that your pet came from a puppy farm, take them to the vet immediately. Many puppies from these cruel farms are sickly and some even die.

In a nutshell, puppy farms are the battery farming of puppies.

Note – A breeder being Kennel Club registered is no guarantee of proper standards of dog care. I have spoken to people and heard of cases where dog breeders were registered, yet the puppies they sold were so sickly (probably because the condition they were forced to live in) that they had to have major operations or be put to sleep.

The good news is there is something you can do –

DON’T buy from these puppy farms. You may not be aware that you are as puppies are advertised on the Internet and on shop windows, so ALWAYS ask to see puppies in their HOME environment. NEVER meet a breeder in a car park or anywhere else as this is a common ploy used by unscrupulous pet dealers.

If your local pet shop sells puppies, ASK them if they come from puppy farms. If they do, tell them you are against the cruelty involved and would never buy one. Tell your friends so they won’t buy a dog either.

If buying a puppy, always go to a reputable breeder and buy a mixed breed dog. I have yet to hear of a puppy farm selling mixed breed dogs, unless they are Labradoodles.

WRITE TO your local politician and make them aware of this evil trade. Ask them why these farms are not illegal.

For people in the UK, go to www.dogs-r-us.org/whatyoucando.shtml and you will find a form letter to send to your MP. ASK them why the animal welfare laws have not been updated to ensure proper animal care standards are met in puppy farms.

My rescue dog Benjy on the day we got him. He was 17-months-old.

ADOPT a rescue dog. If people did that instead of buying a puppy eventually puppy farms would close. The reason they exist is because of the demand for puppies. No demand for puppies equals no puppy farms.

OBJECT to any planning applications for puppy farms. They will usually be called something like breeding centres and be situated in barns and disused large sheds.

Where to learn more about puppy farms –

www.dogs-r-us.org

Click here to read stories from people who unwittingly bought puppies from these cruel farms

http://www.dogs-r-us.org/yourstories.shtml

www.humanesociety.org/issues/puppy_mills

CURRENT PLANNING APPLICATIONS

Click on the link to see what a planning application for a puppy farm looks like.

Carmarthenshire – dog breeding kennels (puppy farm)

http://www.ukplanning.com/carmarthenshire/findCaseFile.do?appType=planning+folder&appNumber=W%2F24449&action=Search