Animal welfare could be a defining political issue

• Posted by Judi Hewitt at 11:12 AM | add or read comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

JUST as America's Cain/Palin duo are falling like a stone in the polls, so will David Cameron when the public finds out about his being the Countryside Alliances pet.

Palin is proud of her animal cruelty record, but Americans are waking up to more and more images of this woman's love of killing animals for fun.

Cameron once said the greatest thrill if his life was chasing down a fox. He also loves a day out shooting. This man also said that if he gets into power he will wipe out badgers (over large areas) in TB hotspots, right across the UK.

Already Cameron's hold is slipping; I believe it's because of his love of blood-sports. But just as New Labour won the 1997 election on its animal welfare promises, so the Conservatives will lose on the lack of theirs.

Labour would do well to work on the ban that's already in place if it wants to win their supporters back. This would terrify the Tories and, just maybe, make them think that supporting cruelty is a vote loser.

 I intend taking this message to the public, most of whom are unaware of Cameron's hidden agenda.

If the people I speak to while I'm out on the campaign trail (to win hearts and minds) are anything to go by, most don't know that Cameron had ridden with the Heythrope Hunt several times and has promised if elected, to repeal the ban.

This is the message (along with images of hunt cruelty) that we'll be taking onto the streets of North Wales in ever increasing campaigns, as the fight for Number Ten begins to strengthen.

Flying to freedom

• Posted by Judi Hewitt at 6:38 PM | add or read comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

EVERY now and then, we come across an injured bird that needs our help.

It doesn't happen too often, but when it does we can't just turn our backs, as some folk seem able to do.

Just the other day we were turning off the A55 when we noticed a wood pigeon sat hunched up and surrounded by a pile of its own downy feathers.

Obviously it'd been hit by car so we stopped to check it out. But just as I bent down to pick it up, it panicked and fluttered back onto the slip road. With speeding traffic heading towards it I just couldn't look; so I turned my back and put my hands to my head.

But when I swung back round to see what'd happened, I watched with relief as the bird fluttered back to the side of the carriageway, having been narrowly missed yet again.

I swear if this had been a cat, it would have used up two of its nine lives.

I wasn't going to give up though, so I enlisted Bob's help and asked him to get on the other side of the pigeon.

Together we managed to usher it down a steep slope into a maze of trees and bramble. Down it went with me in hot pursuit. I thought it was going to be easy to catch, but it gave me the run around for about twenty minutes, until I cornered it and threw my black fleece over the top of it.

Once back in the car it was obvious our walk in the hills would be off, so we made for home.

Fortunately, the pigeon was not too badly injured and I noticed that there was nothing was broken. All this bird needed was some tender loving care and an aviary to recover in.

For the first couple of days it just sat depressed on the floor, not eating, so I had to force-feed it.

Fortunately for the bird (and my stress levels), it soon began to feed itself, but it still refused to perch, even on the lower ones.

Unwell birds can quickly die when they become depressed, so it's always best to put a sick bird where it has a view of others; it seems to help their recovery.

It worked, and soon our feathered friend was on the top perch and after two weeks was flying round the aviary looking for a way out.

It was time now to take it home and release it back to the wild. I can only imagine the exhilaration a wild bird must feel upon being set free.

Up, up and away

It always gives me a buzz to release a bird that has only ever known the wild.

And now seeing this pigeon fly off, soaring off high into the distance (until it reached some tall trees then swung round and disappeared into the highest branches) has to be one of the loveliest feelings in the world.

Bob looked elated, a feeling we both shared. "Wow, he said, "Did you see the way it flew off."

It's hard to imagine now, how when he was a member of the Wild Fowlers Association he used to shoot these birds. But everyone can change, Bob's proof of that!

But we left our pigeon friend there: safe in the knowledge that this bird had been given a second chance. Not so for many others; shot merely to satisfy the selfish urge of a few so-called shooting enthusiasts.

The arguments for killing wild creatures are tired old ones that for many of us, leaves a contemptuous taste in the mouth.

But back to the story; all we needed to do now was get off to those fantastic Welsh hills for a damn good walk, and to feel some of the bliss that this beautiful bird would be experiencing.

Names that can help save Welsh badgers

• Posted by Judi Hewitt at 12:42 PM | add or read comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

WHEN we agreed to take part in Viva's day of action (Saturday, 20th Sept) for the badgers, we never expected the terrific response from the people of Mold, but we did!

As we approached this old market town, I remember telling my companions, "Ah well, we're going straight into the lions den".

How wrong I was; such lovely people, and not a single nasty verbal attack! Not even from a young farmer who came over to talk to us; eager to let us know that although he disagreed with us, he wasn't happy about badgers being killed. 

NOWAR campaigners taking part in Viva's day of action in Mold to gather signatures against planned badger culls in Wales

Facts about bTB can had from Viva and your local badger group. Uncomfortable facts that many in the farming community would rather you didn't know about.

Unfortunately many farmers believe that badgers are the main cause of spreading this disease. They seem unwilling to look at their own farming practices; intensive farming methods that puts a terrible toll on their cows.

Couple this with cattle-to-cattle transfers and you have a recipe for disaster.

So the fight to stop Elin Jones carrying out her promise to annihilate badgers from btb hotspots in Wales goes on.

Our next port of call was Prestatyn where we also received a good response.

Next, we will be heading for Wrexham, with Denbigh and Ruthin shortly after, taking in many villages along the way.

North Wales is vast and so there's a lot of ground to cover before the deadline for NOWAR's petition; 30th November 2008. 

We intend taking this petition to every pro-cull AM in North Wales to remind them of who voted them in, and who can vote them out.

Yes, even Brynle Williams will get a visit.

This is why we are urging anyone who cares about badgers to help us gather more signatures with Welsh postcodes.  It's Welsh badgers that are threatened; therefore its Welsh postcodes that count the most.
 
Signatures so far number 622, not bad for just two days campaigning. We aim to reach at least 5,000 by 30th November 2008.

If you think you can help us stop Elin Jones making the biggest mistake of her political career, then please contact me for a petition form. It's surprising how many signatures you can pick up from ones place of work.

To acquire a petition form, please write to me at the following address: NOWAR, PO Box 279, LL18 9ES.

But if you want to help in some other way, then you can contact Viva at info@viva.org.uk or write to them at Viva, 8 York Court, Wilder St, Bristol, BS2 8QH.
 

The ordinary, doing the extraordinary

• Posted by Judi Hewitt at 2:05 PM | add or read comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

EVERY day I receive emails from people all over the world fighting against animal cruelty. Some are very upsetting, with gruesome pictures of animals being killed.

But every now and again, I get a picture of an animal rights person being beaten up by police. I had one the other day, and at first I thought it must have happened in America, but it wasn't, it was right here in the UK.

But the mere mention of animal rights and people automatically assume you're a terrorist. I hate to burst your bubble, but I'm yet to meet an activist whose actions could be described as terror driven.

Yes, some may have spent time in prison for their actions, but most are just your average citizen who just happens to hate animal cruelty.

Those spending time in jail, are doing so because they were given a maximum sentence for their crime.

More often than not, an offence that would have let other criminals off or just given them community service, doesn't afford the same soft approach to anyone breaking the law out of compassion for animals.

This is why we have to be lily-white; not easy when those connected to animal abuse give untrue accounts of your actions to the newspapers.

Unfortunately, the system in which we live, is so fearful of a rise in animal rights numbers (which threatens big business, pharmaceuticals companies, fashion, hunting, farming and ALL that's connected to it) that they clamp down on anyone caught breaking even the flimsiest of laws, even if that person is just taking animals away from an abusive situation.

Yes! we are 'all' just ordinary people, but we're doing an extraordinary thing, which is speaking up for the speechless.

I realise that we live in a democracy, but we are still very restricted by the authorities, especially if you're the organiser of a protest. 

When I organised a badger cull demo, I was told by the police that if anyone connected to my protest had an accident, then I could face prosecution, even prison. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't criminals being let off because prisons are already overflowing?

Hunters and their supporters prosecuted for illegal hunting and even for beating up the odd poor old anti, have so far, been let off lightly; not so the animal rights brigade: we tread a very fine line, but that's justice for you.

It's one law for them, and another law for us. 

Sexy librarian with blood on her hands

• Posted by Judi Hewitt at 9:45 AM | add or read comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

IT SEEMS Britain is all agog over America's possible new vice president, Sarah Palin.

All I can say is, God help the animals if this creature gets to the White House.

Her own house is stuffed full of animals she's killed. Grizzly bears hanging from the walls are just some of the gruesome sights a visitor can expect.

She also spent a fortune in taxpayers' money to fund the Ariel slaughter of wolves and black bears in Alaska, despite opposition from many people.

She approved the slaughter of mother bears and their cubs with the goal of killing at least 60% of the entire population.

She refuses to listen to arguments in favour of preserving wolves and bears because it is counter to her beloved bloodsport. 

She is also a champion for the oil industry and supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, as well as everywhere else.

She believes global warming is a farce.

She is also under investigation in Alaska for abuse of power, yet America has take this creature to their hearts.

God help us all, if she gets her hands on real power. To say she is cold-hearted is very definitely an understatement.

For once I'm glad to be British, but with a cruel woman like her (second in command) ruling the most powerful country in the world, it just doesn't bare thinking about.