Scotland bans hunting with dogs and hare coursing
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Good news from SCOTLAND - see the IFAW page to read the good news about the banning of the hunting of foxes with dogs in Scotland!
13-FEB-2002
ifaw.org or Ban hunting.com
IFAW Celebrates "Historic Victory" as Scotland Votes to Ban Hunting with Dogs

(Edinburgh, Scotland - 13 February 2002) -- The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW www.ifaw.org) celebrated this evening as the Scottish Parliament made history and voted to end the cruel "sports" of mounted hunting with dogs and hare coursing throughout the country.

The third and final stage of Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP) Mike Watson ’s Protection of Wild Mammals bill came this evening, with an 83 to 36 majority vote in favor of banning fox hunting, fox baiting and hare coursing in Scotland

Hunting with dogs in the United Kingdom has come under harsh UK-national criticism for the inhumane way in which wild animals are killed.

With today’s vote, the Bill now becomes law, a historic Act of Parliament that will have a significant bearing on the campaign to ban hunting with dogs in England and Wales.

Even though the Bill has been passed intact, with all wrecking amendments and loopholes now removed, pro-hunt supporters still can not accept the will of the people and the Parliament, and are falsely contending the Bill will still allow mounted hunting.

Phyllis Campbell-McRae, UK Country Director for IFAW said, "This is an historic day for Scotland’s wildlife and its young Parliament. The anti-fox hunting views of a majority of Scots, from both town and country, have been heard by MSPs. Hunting with dogs is a barbaric pastime, which has no place in a modern, civilized Scotland".

Campbell-McRae went on to add, "Scotland has done in two and a half years what Westminster has not been able to do in a century."

In Scotland, IFAW has joined with Advocates for Animals and the League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) to form the Scottish Campaign Against Hunting with Dogs (SCAHD). IFAW has been campaigning against hunting with dogs in the United Kingdom for a number of years. The organization has now joined forces with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) in the Campaign for the Protection of Hunted Animals. In addition, IFAW has conducted research demonstrating that a clear majority of British people in both urban and rural areas opposes this cruel practice.

IFAW confirmed today that it would continue its campaign to end hunting with dogs in England and Wales. To support this important campaign, visit www.ifaw.org or www.banhunting.com .

End.

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(Britain) RSPCA UK News - Campaign to ban hunting gears up
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The campaign against hunting has entered a new stage to ensure that t he government honours its hunting bill commitment. Senior MPs from the thre e main parties have joined forces to co-ordinate the countdown to a ban on hunting with dogs to finally put an end to this cruel and unnecessary 'sport'.

Tony Banks (Lab), Ann Widdecombe (Con) and Norman Baker (Lib Dem) wer e joined by a host of celebrities, politicians and dignitaries in London fo r the official launch of a major new report, Countdown to the Ban. The publ ication marks a stepping up of activity by Campaigning to Protect Hunted An imals (CPHA).

With about 26 weeks left in the current parliamentary session, CPHA - consisting of the RSPCA, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) - is calling on the government to honour its pledge by introducing a bill before the end of this session.
New phase

John Rolls, RSPCA director of communications, said: "This marks a new phase in the campaign. We have officially begun the countdown to a ban on hunting with dogs. The arguments have all been won, public opinion is firml y on our side and people's patience is running out.

"Now is the time for the government to honour its many commitments an d promises on the issue. We want to see the bill to ban hunting back before parliament during this session and on the statute books as soon as possible."
Ban support

The three MPs demonstrated the strength of parliamentary support for a ban on hunting by posing with a banner carrying the names of 412 MPs who have publicly supported a ban on hunting with dogs. The names were later de livered to DEFRA Secretary Margaret Beckett.

Tony Banks said: "We have to deliver a ban on hunting. This is an iss ue of credibility for the government and the democratic accountability of M Ps. The will of the House of Commons has to be enacted."

Download CPHA's new report, Countdown to the Ban, in the campaigns area.

Visit RSPCA UK site for more ban hunting news. (See link above this article)

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(1)Comments and petition to sign re Waterloo Cup hare coursing in UK
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Subject Redknapps Call for End to Hare Coursing

Redknapps Call for End to Hare Coursing

Celebrity couple Jamie and Louise Redknapp have joined the campaign to ban hunting by urging Tony Blair to outlaw one of Britain's cruellest organised blood sports events, 'The Waterloo Cup' in Lancashire.

'The Waterloo Cup' is held over three days, commencing today. It is one of the biggest events in the hunting calendar, attracting hundreds of blood sports enthusiasts every year to watch and gamble on hares being chased and caught, sometimes in a living tug-of-war, by dogs.

Jamie and Louise are backing the CPHA (Campaigning to Protect Hunted Animals) in sending a clear message to Downing Street - follow Scotland's lead and ban hunting with dogs in England and Wales.

Jamie Redknapp said: "The Waterloo Cup should be consigned to history. Hares should not be chased and torn apart for amusement in this day and age. This cruelty must be banned." Louise Redknapp said: "I cannot understand how anyone could be entertained by watching dogs savage hares, said Louise. "Other so-called sports where animals are set on other animals for human amusement were banned long ago. The Waterloo Cup is cruel, outdated and unnecessary and I hope to see it banned in the very near future."

A new MORI poll*, shows that an overwhelming 81% of people think hare coursing should be illegal.

ACTION: If you have not already written, please write to Rt Hon Tony Blair MP, Prime Minister (10 Downing Street, London SW1A 2AA) or your MP (House of Commons, London SW1A OAA) asking for this cruel sport to be banned immediately.

We are running an e-petition on our site - if you have not yet signed please go to www.banhunting.com and sign on now!!

MORI, commissioned by IFAW and the League Against Cruel Sports, interviewed a nationally representative quota sample of 1,013 adults aged 16 + by telephone between 18-20 January 2002. Data were weighted to reflect the known population profile.

(2) Comments re Waterloo Cup in UK from League Against Cruel Sports
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Public protests continue and pressure builds on the Government

The League Against Cruel Sports today organised a peaceful and well attended protest at the Waterloo Cup, the season's principal hare coursing event. Around 150 protestors, led by a drummer, carried placards and banners and marched to the entrance of the coursing field.

Inside, greyhounds were being set to chase and kill hares for the pleasure of spectators. Coursers claimed that the object of coursing is to test the dogs' speed, agility and stamina. But the rules of the National Coursing Club still award a point to a dog that kills a hare "through superior dash and skill."

In evidence submitted to the Government's Burns Inquiry, the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare had post-mortemed 53 hares killed at hare coursing events. None of them had been killed by 'a bite to the neck' and a number had to be killed by the handlers when they were retrieved from the dogs.

It is now time to end this cruelty. Please write to Tony Blair MP, 10 Downing Street, London SW1A 2AA asking him to fulfil his manifesto pledge to "enable Parliament to reach a conclusion on this issue" by bringing the Hunting Bill back to the House of Commons.

If hare coursing and hunting with dogs can be banned in Scotland, they can be banned in England and Wales too.

www.league.uk.com

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Hunting Ban One Step Closer (Received 1/3/2002)
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Fwd From the League Against Cruel Sports (UK)
League against cruel sports

The Government announced today that there will be a vote on the future of hunting with dogs, in the House of Commons on March 18th.

This will be accompanied by a similar vote in the House of Lords. These votes will be 'indicative' giving both houses the opportunity to express their view on the three options which will be put before them. These are:

* No change.

* Government licensing and regulation of hunting.

* A total ban on all forms of hunting with dogs.

Shortly after these votes and before Easter, the Government will announce how they intend to take the matter forward. They will make this decision in the light of the votes and speeches in Parliament.

We need another overwhelming vote in the House of Commons in favour of a complete ban on hunting, in order to keep the pressure on the Government to act in our favour.

Therefore, please contact your MP today, and ask them to attend the vote on 18th March, and to vote in favour of a total ban.

We are now another step closer to our goal of seeing a ban on hunting in place for the whole of the UK. The vote on the 18th March is the next hurdle which we need to clear. With your help to bring about a big majority in the House of Commons in favour of a ban, we will be yet another step closer.

In order to ban hunting we need more than an 'indicative' vote, we need the Hunting Bill to be brought back to the House of Commons. The best way to press the Government on this is to get a big majority in the House of Commons on March 18th.

Yours
Douglas Batchelor
Chief Executive
League Against Cruel Sports

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