Fox Hunting

talk to your local Police Wildlife Officers, or local wildlife refuge/hospital - they know. They are represented at places like the great Rutland Bird Fair, and other wildlife Fairs. They have all the evidence you want/need.

No i do not

Dog fighting, badger baiting - all very closely linked to Hunts and the terriermen who work for them - they close a blind eye. Most people who hunt have NO idea - the rest just pretend it isn't there.

It’s a very small number who enjoy killing wild animals for fun. Naturally, they’re all Tories.

Don't you believe it. When I worked in a school I would catch the 'ordinary' lads searching online for pictures of hares and rabbits being ripped to pieces by lurchers and positively gloating over them. In their out of school hours they trained their dogs to do the same and went 'lamping'. Also illegal... Certainly not tories..

In fact, most people who follow a hunt are highly unlikely to see a fox being ripped to pieces as it usually happens, (if it happens, they don't always catch a fox), in places that a horse can't reach. Most people hunt for the fun of an unpredictable gallop across country. I'm not being an apologist for fox hunting. It's had its day and should never be revived. I'm just think that we should be a bit less dramatic about it.

And actually, some of the 'Westminster elite', being wealthy and brought up with 'country sports' have hunted so know that some country people hunt, shoot and fish. (Neither of the last two are illegal, BTW)

the underworld of Fox Hunting are not Tories but tend to support the EDL and other ult right groups- from my decades or working with Police Wildlife Officers and related groups- where many Hunts were active.

The way I try to mitigate my conscience is to buy from a farmer who farms organically and gives his animals the best life possible. They are slaughtered humanely after travelling a very short distance. I am aware that everything I have written is a total contradiction in terms to those who are vegetarian because of the animal welfare issue.

But I do the best I can whilst continuing to eat meat. I only eat meat roughly every 3 days and sometimes less than that, and am gradually working towards even less.

BBC News 14 July 2015 reported "Most Tory MPs would be expected to back repealing the [fox hunting] ban, but not all." I believe now many Conservative MPs would be nervous about supporting the repeal of the ban on fox hunting, since they may alienate a large section of the British public (Conservative supporters included) who are opposed to fox hunting.

As far as I can see, Kate Hoey is the only Labour MP who supports fox hunting - and she is standing down at the next election.

I think I am right in saying Plaid Cymru, the SNP, the Lib Dems and the Greens are overwhelmingly against the repeal of the fox hunting ban.

They are not all Tories

Our government is entirely London-centric and imagines that all country people hunt, shoot and fish.
It’s a very small number who enjoy killing wild animals for fun. Naturally, they’re all Tories.

oh *

I think Jeremy is lovely and all the people are lovely. I also love Foxes and all animals. I think hunting is lovely. Horses are lovely. Hedgerows are lovely. I truly hope all this can be resolved so that we can all be lovely together.
I do hope I have not offended anyone. Please let me know. Lets all be cuddly and nice and stop people who dare to oppose ones view. Phew!!! Thats better. Ps: I would like proof this is a site for people aged over 50??? No offence.

In Switzerland, halal slaughter involves electrical stunning- that means the animal is alive, but feels no pain, at the time of ritual slaughter. The perfect solution- which should beco me more widespread.

The rspca link says that animals will feel considerable pain if they aren't stunned.
Around 40 odd seconds for a cow..

I don't think its unreasonable for an animal to live a happy life and have a humane death in this day and age.

I always go for veggie food if I think there is a chance of halal food on the menu.
Not that it makes much difference, overall, but I'm cross that its quietly included in a lot of places.

I would at least like the option of declining it.

This was in the New York Times in January:

"With the start of the new year, Belgium became the latest European country to ban traditional Jewish and Muslim animal slaughtering practices. The move was applauded by animal rights activists but condemned by religious leaders who see the ban as a threat to their communities.

"At issue is whether to allow religious exemptions to European Union rules that state animals must be knocked out before they are slaughtered, which supporters say is more humane. The United States has similar regulations, but allows for religious exemptions.

"Both faiths require that the animal be treated well in life and be healthy and unharmed before slaughter, which all Jewish religious authorities and some Muslim ones interpret as a prohibition of “stunning” before slaughter.

"Religious leaders say minimizing an animal’s pain has always been central to their traditions, and a ritual slaughter — carried out with a sharp blade to the neck — should be quick and almost painless.

"When they are stunned, animals are rendered unconscious through blunt force, electric shocks, gassing or a steel bolt that penetrates an animal’s skull.....

"But kosher-certifying authorities say that no form of stunning before slaughter is permissible, said Rabbi Menachem Genack, who oversees certification for the Orthodox Union, the world’s largest kosher certifier. Some halal-certifying bodies agree, but others do allow nonpenetrative stunning before slaughter."

So, in fact, animals slaughtered under halal rules can be stunned (though not by means of a bolt) but kosher rules prohibit any form of stunning.

Let's face it, any method of slaughter is pretty horrible so perhaps more emphasis should be placed on how an animal lives rather than on how it dies. Providing more natural living conditions throughout life would be much more expensive than intensive factory farming methods so I wonder how many meat eaters would be as prepared to campaign for these sorts of changes, which will undoubtedly hit their pockets.

Well, apparently the dairy side of farming is one of the most cruel, so unless someone is absolutely vegan they're still contributing to animal cruelty.
I saw a vegan sofa on eBay earlier.

well dont eat meat then. i can not bring myself to eat an animal just for food and pleasure. havent eaten meat for over 40 years now.

no no no. fox hunting is not a sport. its evil . poor defenceless foxies. lets have a man hunt instead .f!!!oxes come into towns because us humans have taken away their habitat.i love the two foxies around my area and feed them left over cat food.

All slaughter houses are cruel places, the staff kill animals all
day every day , there is no sentiment

www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/farm/slaughter/religiousslaughter

I'm not sure on that, Annie.
I'm off to have a look; I really thought halal slaughter was done without stunning first.

Horrible discussion really, isn't it? Makes me feel quite ashamed of my meat eating.

halal slaughter the animal is stunned , there was a case where a manager/owner didn’t stun the animals and he was fined

I'm sure the rspca condemn religious slaughter without stunning the animal first.
That is both halal and kosher (?)

I do know halal slaughter is not as other slaughter houses ,
with halal slaughter the animals are stunned and other animals are not to be present , in our slaughter houses they are all together and you can smell the fear.

Ignore poor use of parentheses please.

We have chickens and foxes come into our garden. They’ve never got one yet as their (very large run) is fox-proofed. Next door did lose her guinea pigs to them though.

The hounds themselves are discarded (usually shot) when they get older and lose their edge.