News from November 2022
November 29th 2022: The Animal Concern campaigns team have had a very positive meeting with deputy leader of Scottish Borders Council Councillor Scott Hamilton and Executive Member for Environment and Transport Councillor Jenny Linehan today to discuss a ban on the public release of sky lanterns and helium balloons. They were very sympathetic to the cause and Animal Concern will be working with them to progress this in the coming weeks.
November 24th 2022: A Scottish Government consultation on proposals to changing wildlife management practices is underway. The proposals include licensing grouse shooting, and further regulating the use of traps and snares, as well as the banning of glue traps. Our friends at OneKind have done excellent work in urging the government to bring about a full snaring ban, which we fully endorse, and they are calling for public support to respond to the consultation using a handy guide they have created on their website. We urge you to add your voice to this very important cause! See here.
November 21st 2022: Animal Concern will be meeting with the leader of Scottish Borders Council, Councillor Euan Jardine, next week to discuss a ban on the release of sky lanterns and balloons. As one of the few local authorities to not have introduced any restrictions on this, it’s our hope that they can help crack down on this and, with the help of other local authorities, increase pressure on Holyrood to bring about national legislation to outlaw these hazards to wildlife. Residents of the Scottish Borders or Edinburgh City can write to your local councillor to insist on introducing restrictions for sky lanterns and balloons, which too often cause harm and death to local animals and pose a fire risk.
November 12th 2022: Animal Concern’s retiring Campaigns Consultant and ex-Scottish Greens Party veteran John Robins spoke to the Scottish Daily Express about his views on the party’s apparent drift from environmental issues. See what he said here.
November 11th 2022: A building company has agreed to sponsor the Political Prisoner Pandas for their last year in Edinburgh. This prompted Animal Concern to find out how much of the £500,000 loan given to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland by Scottish Government Ministers (on top of a £2M grant) has been repaid to the public purse. They’ll let you know in due course how much has been clawed back. Their request for the information can be found here.
November 08th 2022: Last week, Animal Concern added its voice to the call for a full, phased ban on greyhound racing in Scotland. Launched in 2019 by Scotland Against Greyhound Exploitation (SAGE), along with backing from the SSPCA, RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Blue Cross, OneKind and many more, the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission were due to publish their decision on the issue today. Disappointingly, they have delayed until February 2023 pending further investigation. See our letter of support and visit the SAGE website here.
November 02nd 2022: As you begin planning your Christmassy days out to the shops, the farms and the garden centres, we ask you to stay on the lookout for the use of live reindeer at events and report it to Animal Concern Advice Line on 01389 841 111 or email info@adviceaboutanimals.info
November 01st 2022: We are delighted to see this morning that the planning permission for a new salmon farm at Beinn Reithe at the head of Loch Long, has been refused by the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority. Animal Concern representatives attended the public hearing on the proposal of what would be the largest salmon farm in Scottish waters yesterday at Arrochar, which concluded with the decision to block the development, much to the relief of the local representatives present. Read more here.
November 01st 2022: Anthony Holloway, based in Dumbarton, has been exposed as a key player in the barbaric practice of dog fighting in Scotland. Holloway had previously been reported to us by a caller to Animal Concern Advice Line back in 2019, which we passed on to the Scottish SPCA special investigation team. Holloway was given the lenient sentence of a 270-hour community payback order as well as a 4-year ban on owning dogs, but reports from the Daily Record indicate that he is now operating a compound, breeding and training more dogs to brutally maim and kill other animals. See more here.