Animal Aid

Three horses killed in one afternoon at Wetherby racecourse

Three horses were killed yesterday (23 May) while racing at Wetherby. Milano Supreme, Distant Memories and David’s Folly were all killed after falling and sustaining fatal injuries in separate hurdle races during the afternoon.

Natural England authorises mass culls to protect shoot interests

Tens of thousands of endangered gulls have been shot, trapped and poisoned on one of England's largest shooting estates with permission from government agency, Natural England, according to an investigation by The Guardian newspaper. Lesser black-backed gulls have been systematically destroyed in annual culls ‘for decades’ on the Abbeystead Estate in Lancashire, the newspaper reports. This is despite the bird’s population crashing in recent years.

Natural England has also this week been found to have licensed the secret destruction of the eggs and nests of buzzards to protect a different pheasant shoot.

The Suffering of ‘Broiler’ Chickens

Whilst the building of huge new pig farms and mega-dairies has been making headlines, it’s important to remember that chickens reared for meat, also known as ‘broiler’ chickens, are still the most factory farmed animals in the UK. Almost all the chicken meat sold in the UK comes from birds crammed into huge sheds where they suffer from a range of health problems and live tragically short lives. Find out more by watching our new video ‘Broiler’ Birds: The suffering of Britain’s chickens and by reading our new factsheet The suffering of ‘broiler’ chickens.

Time to install CCTV cameras in animal research labs

In the light of yet more evidence of incompetence, cruelty and regulatory breakdown suffered by animals in UK laboratories, Animal Aid is stepping up its campaign to have CCTV installed in establishments that conduct animal experiments.

Government supports mega-farms

The government has signalled its backing for large scale factory farming as two proposed mega-farms in the UK await decisions on whether they can proceed. An announcement on a timetable for plans for a farm in Foston, Derbyshire, that will confine 25,000 pigs at a time, is expected later this week. A decision on whether a 1000-cow mega-dairy near Welshpool can go ahead is also expected shortly.

March for the Badgers!

The campaign to protect badgers from the government-sanctioned cull continues with a march in London on June 1st. Organised by London Against the Cull and supported by many animal protection organisations, including Animal Aid, marchers will assemble at 12 noon at Millbank, near Tate Britain. Marchers are asked to wear black and white to show their support for the badgers.

CCTV for all Slaughterhouses

Thank you to everyone who asked their MP to sign Early Day Motion (EDM) 951, which calls for the mandatory installation of CCTV in UK slaughterhouses. This EDM was very well supported, with 118 MPs signing.

Live Exports Resume from Dover

For the first time in two years, live exports resumed from the port of Dover on the morning of 2nd May. The ship Joline was seen leaving the port at 9am full of lorries loaded with sheep bound for France. Even more worrying is the fact that RSPCA inspectors have not yet been granted permission to enter the port, meaning animals have almost no protection from illegal cruelty.

Badger Flash Mob

Today (May 1st) Animal Aid joined a flashmob organised by Lush, to dance and sing our protest against the badger cull outside Defra's offices. The message to government was this: if you ignore scientific opinion and the views of the public, and insist on implementing this unethical and unpopular cull, it will cost you votes.

The Badger Battle Bus Tour

This week, Animal Aid’s Badger Battle Bus will re-visit Gloucestershire to urge residents to vote for badger-friendly candidates in the forthcoming local elections. The ‘bus’ – actually a converted ambulance with a screen fitted into its side – is decked out in black and white artwork with this message emblazoned over it: badgers have friends… and those friends have votes. A specially-made short film will shown on the side of the bus at polling stations across the cull zone.

Wildfowl and Wetland Trust found to conduct illegal mutilations

An investigation by the Captive Animals’ Protection Society has found that UK charity, the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, has been amputating the wings of newly hatched birds without veterinary supervision, as is required by law.

World Day for Animals in Laboratories: March and Rally Saturday 27th April

April 24th marks World Day for Animals in Laboratories. This Saturday, April 27th, there will be a national march and rally in Oxford, where Animal Aid’s Scientific Consultant Dr Adrian Stallwood will be speaking.

Badger Battle Bus on Tour

Last week, Animal Aid’s Badger Battle Bus visited Gloucestershire to urge residents to vote for badger-friendly candidates in the forthcoming local elections. The ‘bus’ – actually a converted ambulance with a screen fitted into its side – was decked out in black and white artwork with this message emblazoned over it: badgers have friends… and those friends have votes. A specially-made short film was shown on the side of the bus.

Leading university exposed in harrowing vivisection undercover investigation

Earlier this month, the BUAV published a new undercover investigation into vivisection, exposing terrible callousness, incompetence, cruelty and regulatory breakdown at a leading university.

Please ask your MP to sign Early Day Motion 1286, calling for an independent inquiry into the animal research conducted at Imperial College London.

Use of wild animals in circuses to be banned!

The government has today announced plans to outlaw the use of wild animals in circuses from December 2015. This great victory follows years of campaigning by animal rights groups, and in particular the undercover investigation by Animal Defenders International that led to the conviction of circus owner Bobby Roberts for the cruelty inflicted upon Anne the elephant by circus workers. Captive Animal Protection Society (CAPS) also played a vital role in this victory through their many years of campaigning, which included the publication of powerful reports and investigations.

Badger 'Battle Bus' comes to Gloucestershire

On Friday 19th and Saturday 20th April, Animal Aid’s Battle Bus will be visiting Gloucestershire to urge residents to vote for badger-friendly candidates in the forthcoming local elections. The ‘bus’ will be decked out in black and white artwork with this message emblazoned over it: badgers have friends… and those friends have votes. A specially-made short film will be shown on the side of the bus.

Congratulations Fiona!

The North Pole Marathon has to be one of the toughest on earth with temperatures this year falling to minus 30. The winner of the women’s 2013 race was the incredible Fiona Oakes, who races to promote veganism. Fiona ran the 26.2-mile course, much of it through waist-high snow, in 4:53:09, smashing the course record for women by 45 minutes and beating all but two of the men at the same time. Last year, Fiona completed the six-day, 151-mile Marathon des Sables across the Sahara Desert. Surely, there is no better advocate for the vegan diet than Fiona! As if that were not enough, she runs Tower Hill Stables, a sanctuary, caring for 400 animals too.

Dutch could ban all 'sport' shooting

Animal Aid has campaigned hard against the shooting of ‘game birds’ for sport for 15 years, gathering evidence through undercover filming and publishing several reports that make evident the wholesale cruelty and environmental damage involved. One of our main inspirations for change has come from viewing progress in the Netherlands, which already has some of the strictest controls in the world on shooting and firearms licensing and could now be about to become the first country to implement an outright ban on sport shooting - or ‘pleasure hunting’ as it is known there.

'Bute' found in corned beef, and 50,000 tons of meat recalled

There have been two serious developments in the ‘horsemeat scandal’ in the past few days. First, a banned veterinary drug was found in Asda’s corned beef, which also contained horsemeat, and yesterday the Food Standards Agency contacted British companies ‘as a matter of urgency’ after the Dutch authorities recalled 50,000 tons of meat.

Stop the cull: new film released

Animal Aid has today (10 April) launched a new film to oppose the badger cull. Please watch it, share it and take action.

Two people die in new bird flu outbreak

A strain of bird flu virus that has not previously been reported in humans has killed two people in China and four more remain critically ill. In all, there have now been seven confirmed cases of the H7N9 avian flu strain in humans.

The 2013 Grand National

It was a calmer, less deeply distressing race to watch compared with last year. With the ground favouring horses staying on their feet, there were fewer fallers, and less evident exhaustion. However, out of 93 runners entered into the three races on the Grand National course this week, two horses died, several fell, and a large number pulled up – some possibly injured. The course, therefore, still presents a potentially lethal challenge to horses.

'Safer' Grand National course kills a second horse

The Grand National course, on which Battlefront died yesterday, saw another fatality today when 11-year-old Little Josh broke a shoulder in the 3.40 Topham chase.

Five other horses fell in the two-and-three quarter mile race and just 19 of the 29 runners finished. Little Josh came to grief at the 15th of 18 fences.

Battlefront dies on the first day of the Grand National meeting

The Grand National course, which has undergone what have been described as major safety improvements, claimed an equine victim today (4 April), when 11-year-old Battlefront collapsed and died with a suspected heart attack.