Cruelty to animals at any time is upsetting and wrong. The League was started by a group of people who felt strongly that cruelty inflicted in the name of sport was particularly barbaric and upsetting.
If you feel that animals should not be used as targets or objects to be chased for someone’s entertainment then you are a supporter already.
The League has developed effective ways to thwart such sports, gaining public support and causing difficulty for the people inflicting cruelty.
Ultimately the League does not bandage animal’s paws. Instead we deal with the perpetrators of the cruelty by seeking effective ways to stop them for good.
There are four key things we do.
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1. Expose the barbaric nature of cruel sports and the people involved, identifying what action should be taken.
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People who inflict cruelty to animals in sports can be secretive. We have found that by exposing this, the pressure from public momentum grows for current laws to be enforced or new laws developed to stop the cruelty. We do this through…
- Investigations and evidence gathering
- Police liaison and prosecutions
- Research and reports
- Gaining media coverage
Below are recent examples of cruelty the League has exposed:
- The League is largely seen as the main driving force behind the hunting ban and now gathers evidence of illegal hunting which is regularly used by the police for prosecutions. Our teams work across England and Wales using various surveillance techniques and have successfully contributed to a number of the convictions under the Hunting Ban by working closely with the police and CPS
- The use of European Union funds being used to keep the bullfighting industry alive
- The battery cage conditions endured by supposedly ‘free range’ pheasants
- The use of snares to kill and maim foxes, badger and domestic pets in the countryside
- The myths about the need for hunting animals for pest control
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2. Raise awareness and campaign for change by lobbying government, politicians and businesses. This includes campaigning for new laws and helping to enforce existing laws by working with the police to bring to justice those who commit illegal acts of cruelty for sport.
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The League acts as the main voice to publicly challenge those who defend animal cruelty for sport. Emotions can run high and by basing arguments on facts and acting in a lawful, measured manner we can initiate change by:
- Lobbying and meeting politicians, public figures, and businesses
- Public awareness raising campaigns
- Gaining media coverage
- Engaging in public debate
Here are some recent examples of awareness raising and lobbying:
- Our chief executive argued against commercial trophy hunting on Sky News highlighting the public outcry at the killing of the legendary deer known as the ‘Exmoor Emperor’
- The League is seen as the key organisation that lobbied politicians to gain the ban on hunting
- Several major brands including British Airways, Ryanair and Waterstone’s have stopped promoting bullfighting following League pressure
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3. We help people whose lives are being detrimentally affected by cruel sports.
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The League is contacted every day by people who, for example, want to stop hunters going across their land, or who want to know what they can do to stop dog fighting in their area. We can help by:
- Offering advice and support
- Acting as an intermediary with the authorities and using our expertise to get results
Some recent examples of successes include:
- Our Hunt and Fighting Dogs Crimewatch phone lines allow people to report crime anonymously and get impartial advice
- Work with major land owners
- Helping home owners deal effectively with hunting and shooting on their land
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4. Run sanctuaries in heavily hunted areas to frustrate the perpetrators of cruelty and help protect animals.
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A successful tactic we have used over many years has been to buy land to interrupt major hunting and shooting areas to ensure that it becomes a sanctuary for wildlife. Our sanctuaries are monitored by our staff so that we can:
- Maintain safe havens
- Monitor the adjacent areas for illegal hunting for sport