Animal Aid: Campaigning For Animals Since 1977

ANIMAL Aid work tirelessly all year round for animals in the UK, with a focus on wildlife, animals used for entertainment & vivisection. Here’s a quick look at some of their current campaigns.

Snares

Animal Aid got involved in the snaring campaign last year, as a result of different people and groups getting in touch, asking if we could help. I want to state from the outset that in no way is Animal Aid more knowledgeable about this issue than the numerous grassroots groups, monitors, wildlife enthusiasts and sabs who encounter these disgusting devices in their work – and the horrific toll these wire traps have on their animal victims. These groups have worked tirelessly in the field to gather evidence - often at great emotional and physical toll to themselves. You know who you are, and our total respect to you. Our role, as I see it, is to try and help with the political aspect of the campaign, and we are working hard with many other groups and individuals who all want to see an end to snares – once and for all!

The campaign got off to a fabulous start last year as our friends at Lush let us use their prominent shop windows to help bring the campaign to the public’s attention – it’s no surprise that many people assume that these torture devices were consigned to history a long time ago.

One of the most encouraging things about this campaign is to see the level of support from celebrity figures as well as other groups – many of which we haven’t worked with before but that have first-hand experience of the impact that snares have on wildlife as well as animals who share our homes (or rather, those animals who allow us a corner of the bed, sometimes!).

Peter Egan, Chris Packham & Deborah Meaden posted video messages on social media – and others including Diane Morgan, Sherrie Hewson and even Gary Lineker pledged their support! I’m a great believer in the power of positive engagement and that people who have signed the petition to ban snares, could become interested in other aspects of campaigning for animal rights. It’s all about spreading the message.

The government’s promise of a long-overdue Call for Evidence on snares shows no sign of emerging soon, so we are going to try and bring about a government debate on the matter via a government petition (visit animalaid.org.uk/snares). We know many MPs oppose the use of snares so we are hopeful that many of them will be willing to speak up at the debate.

We need 100,000 signatures on our government petition in order to stand the chance of triggering a parliamentary debate on the issue – so every signature counts (please don’t forget that after you have signed, you’ll get a confirmation email with a link that you have to click in order for your signature to be validated). We only have until 9 May so the pressure is on – but since the last petition was so close, I feel confident we can do it. And then the hard work begins…

We’ll need as many people as possible to contact their MPs asking them to support the banning of snares but, more importantly, to attend the parliamentary debate and to speak in support of the petition.

It’s outrageous that these archaic, barbaric traps are still legal – and we need them banned ASAP!

animalaid.org.uk/snares

[SNARES] It’s outrageous that these archaic, barbaric traps are still legal - and we need them banned ASAP!

Animal Experiments

Animal Aid was founded in 1977, so we’ve been campaigning for 45 years this year. Animal experiments, along with animal farming, were the main reasons we were founded. It is shocking to think that, with all the progress we have seen in so many areas of life – technology, the rise of the plantbased diet and environmental awareness, animal experiments such as the notorious LD50 (which involve the most terrible suffering and death of animals) have continued, largely unchanged, for decades.

Animal Aid has some very exciting plans regarding animal experiments - we are going to be branching out in a new and exciting way very soon, so please do sign up for our e-newsletter today, so you’re amongst the first people to hear about our exciting new project.

Camp Beagle

Animal Aid has been campaigning for all animals in laboratories, and we know how hard it can be to capture the imagination of some people so they can empathise with animals in laboratories – their short and painful lives and horrific deaths. This is where Camp Beagle has been invaluable – most people either share their home with a dog, or know a dog who lives with friends or family. They are animals people can easily become familiar with and connect to, so I think seeing young puppies being put into crates to be sent off to laboratories where they face horrific tests and almost certain death, has shocked many people. People who previously knew nothing about animals in laboratories are now interested in this issue and want to learn more and campaign for animals – that can only be a good thing.

Horse Racing

Animal Aid has been at the forefront of the campaign to end horse racing, since we started campaigning in this area in 1998. We have battled hard to raise awareness of how racehorses are treated as commodities – being discarded when they have stopped being profitable and being killed both on and off racecourses. Our website Race Horse Death Watch is updated each time a horse dies. Last year 220 horses died in connection with racing. In 2021 our footage, filmed in a horse slaughterhouse featured in an episode of Panorama called ‘The Dark Side of Horse Racing’. There was huge media interest, before and after the show was aired, which we know changed how many people view racing. We were contacted by people who swore that, after seeing the show, they would never bet on racing again. I’d urge everyone to watch it, despite the upsetting content.

Plans

We’ve got lots of exciting plans – a new project connected to animal experiments, some exciting films that we hope will engage people and give them the information and passion to get active for animals, plus we’ll also be getting out on the streets with our message of compassion to animals (and probably some samples of amazing vegan food to give away too).

Join Animal Aid

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In 2021 our footage, filmed in a horse slaughterhouse featured in an episode of Panorama called ‘The Dark Side of Horse Racing’. There was huge media interest, before and after the show was aired, which we know changed how many people view racing. We were contacted by people who swore that, after seeing the show, they would never bet on racing again.

horsedeathwatch.com