League Against Cruel Sports

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

League Against Cruel Sports
League Against Cruel Sports logo.svg
Formation1924; 97 years ago (1924)[1]
FoundersErnest Bell, Henry B. Amos, and George Greenwood
TypeCharity
Registration no.1095234[2]
Legal statusCharity
PurposeAnimal welfare
Location
  • Godalming, United Kingdom
Region
 United Kingdom
President
Bill Oddie, OBE[1]
Chief Executive
Andy Knott, MBE[3]
Chair
Tim Holmes[4]
Websiteleague.org.uk
Formerly called
League for the Prohibition of Cruel Sports

The League Against Cruel Sports (LACS), formerly known as the League for the Prohibition of Cruel Sports, is a UK-based animal welfare charity which campaigns to stop blood sports such as fox hunting, hare and deer stalking; game bird shooting; and animal fighting. The charity helped bring about the Hunting Act 2004 and Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002, which banned hunting with hounds in England, Wales and Scotland.

History[]

The League for the Prohibition of Cruel Sports was founded in 1924 by Ernest Bell, Henry B. Amos[5] and George Greenwood, with the support of Henry S. Salt, Edward Carpenter and George Bernard Shaw.[6] It was renamed to the League Against Cruel Sports in 1938.[6]

Key campaigns[]

Hunting[]

Foxes, hare and deer continue to be hunted by packs of hounds in the United Kingdom, despite the passing of the Hunting Act 2004. 268 incidents of suspected illegal fox hunting were reported to the League's Animal Crimewatch service during the 2018 – 2019 hunting season. This included foxes being chased to exhaustion across the countryside before, on some occasions, being torn apart in the jaws of the hunt's hounds. Badger setts have also been blocked up near hunt meets to stop foxes taking refuge during the chase and horses and hounds trespassed in pursuit of wild animals. Hunting packs claim to be practicing 'trail hunting', which is said to involve hunting hounds chasing an animal-based scent, but the League argues this is just a cover for illegal hunting. The League is campaigning to maintain and strengthen the Hunting Act, by adding a provision for custodial sentences, a ban on use of dogs underground and a provision directed against recklessness. The organisation is also pressing landowners to ban hunts from their land. 532 people have been prosecuted for illegal hunting since the legislation was passed – including in private prosecutions brought by the League.

Game Bird Shooting[]

Over 35 million pheasants and partridges are released into the British countryside each year to be shot for sport – around half of these birds are imported as live chicks or ready-to-hatch eggs from factory-farms in France, Spain and Portugal. In addition, over 750,000 red grouse are shot for sport on moorland in the North of England and Scotland. Wild animals which compete with game birds – including fox, hare, corvids, stoats and weasels – are eradicated on shooting estates across the UK by trap, snare and gun. There is a strong link between bird of prey persecution and land managed for game bird shooting, with hen harrier, buzzards, red kite, peregrine falcon and goshawks illegally disturbed or killed by gamekeepers. Grouse moors are also managed in a way which causes damage to peatland habitat – including by gamekeepers burning heather to increase red grouse populations. The League is lobbying public and corporate landowners to ban game bird shooting on their land. Transport industry is also being pressed to not ship game birds or ready-to-hatch eggs from Continental Europe to the United Kingdom.

Animal fighting[]

Despite being made illegal in Britain in 1835, dog and other animal fighting has been taking place underground in the UK. A survey by the Royal Veterinary College in 2018 showed that 15 per cent of veterinary professionals suspected they had treated at least one dog that was engaged in illegal dog fighting.[7] Dogs used in fighting suffer injuries including puncture wounds, typically to the head, neck, chest and forelimbs; marks around the neck from weighted collars used in fight training; crudely treated wounds; and often death. The League operates an Animal Crimewatch service where people – including veterinary professionals – can anonymously report their suspicions of dog and other animal fighting. The League recently provided intelligence for a two-year long investigation by the BBC into a global network which bred, transported and organised dog fights around the world – including in the UK.

Timeline[]

  • 1924 – The League was founded by Henry B. Amos to oppose rabbit coursing[8] – he was successful in achieving a ban. This resulted in the organisation expanding its remit to include other blood sports – such as fox, hare and deer hunting.
  • 1975 – A bill seeking to ban hare coursing, supported by the League, was passed through the House of Commons, but did not receive approval in the House of Lords.
  • 1978 – The League secured legal protection for otters, including a ban on hunting them. The aquatic mammal was up until that point hunted with packs of hounds, one of the reasons for their numbers declining.
  • 1992 – The League helped secure the Protection of Badgers Act, which expanded the protection of the mammals themselves to their setts. The homes of badgers are illegally targeted for several reasons, including being blocked by fox hunts to stop animals being pursued by hounds fleeing underground.
  • 2002 – Fox, hare and deer hunting and hare coursing was banned in Scotland under the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002, which was introduced by MSPs following campaigning by the League and other animal protection organisations.
  • 2004 – Fox, hare and deer hunting and hare coursing was banned in England and Wales under the Hunting Act 2004. The legislation was introduced by MPs following campaigning by the League and other animal protection organisations.
  • 2005 – The Hunting Act 2004 came into force – making fox, hare and deer hunting and coursing illegal across England and Wales.
  • 2005 – The Waterloo Cup hare coursing competition held its final meeting at Great Altcar in Lancashire, closing after 169 years following passage of the Hunting Act.
  • 2006 – A huntsman with the Exmoor Foxhounds was found guilty of illegally hunting foxes with dogs in a private prosecution brought by LACS, but the case was overturned on appeal.[9][10]
  • 2007 – Two members of the Quantock Staghounds were successfully prosecuted by the League following chasing a deer across Exmoor.[11]
  • 2008 – Two members of the Minehead Harriers pleaded guilty to chasing a fox with a pack of hounds in a private prosecution by LACS.[12]
  • 2009 – The League announced a new campaign against dog fighting, amidst news reports that there is an increase in dog fighting in London.
  • 2014 - The League celebrates 90 years of campaigning against cruelty to animals in the name of sport. Figures from the Ministry of Justice show that there have been 341 convictions under the Hunting Act 2004.
  • 2015 – Prime Minister David Cameron offered a free-vote on repealing the Hunting Act, backing down shortly afterwards following pressure form the League, MPs and other animal protection organisations.
  • 2015 – Cross-channel ferry companies stop shipping pheasants and partridges from French factory-farms to British shooting estates, following an investigation and lobbying by the League.
  • 2018 – Conservative Party drops its manifesto commitment to offer a free-vote on repealing the Hunting Act following pressure from the League, meaning no Westminster party any longer supports repealing the hunting ban.
  • 2018 – Scottish Government announces intention to strengthen the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002, which bans hunting with hounds in Scotland, following pressure from the League and other animal protection organisations.
  • 2018 – Welsh Government bans pheasant and partridge shooting on public land following campaigning and pressure from the League and Animal Aid.
  • 2018 – The Labour Party backs calls made by the League to strengthen the Hunting Act – including prison sentences for those who chase and kill wild mammals.
  • 2019 – University of Wales suspends pheasant shooting on its countryside campus at Gregynog Hall following campaigning by the League.
  • 2020 – In January 2020, an employment tribunal in Britain ruled that ethical veganism is a "philosophical belief" and therefore protected in law. This is the first time an employment tribunal in Britain ruled this. This case was in regards to vegan Jordi Casamitjana, who stated he was fired by the League due to his ethical veganism.[13]

Sanctuaries[]

The League has owned land and sporting rights since 1959, purchased to provide a safe haven for hunted animals. Concentrated around Exmoor and the Quantock Hills in South West England, the 3,000 acres of sanctuary land include Baronsdown, near Dulverton and Alfoxton in Holford, where stags have escaped when chased by hunts. Wildlfie sanctuaries managed by the charity are home to a diverse range of species, a number of which are threatened – such as red deer, badger, red fox, common buzzard, peregrine falcon, pied flycatcher and wood warbler. The River Exe, which passed through the Baronsdown sanctuary, also hosts otters. Visitors to the League's sanctuaries are encouraged to engage in wildlife conservation and learn about the animals which make the land their homes.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Who we are and the history of the League". League Against Cruel Sports.
  2. ^ "The League Against Cruel Sports - Charity 1095234". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
  3. ^ "Meet the Senior Management Team". League Against Cruel Sports.
  4. ^ "Our Trustees". League Against Cruel Sports.
  5. ^ May, Allyson N. (2016). The Fox-Hunting Controversy, 1781–2004: Class and Cruelty. Routledge. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-4094-4220-2
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b "The League for the Prohibition of Cruel Sports". Henry S. Salt Society. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  7. ^ "New dog-fighting research: The reasons why vets under-report cases in the UK". Royal Veterinary College. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  8. ^ "League Against Cruel Sports". AIM25.
  9. ^ "Rethink ahead as huntsman is fined for breaking ban". The Guardian. 4 August 2006. Retrieved 29 September 2007.
  10. ^ "Huntsman conviction appeal upheld". BBC News. 30 November 2007. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  11. ^ "Hunting duo appeal is turned down". BBC News. 19 October 2007. Retrieved 2 November 2007.
  12. ^ "Minehead Harriers duo admit Hunting Act breach". Horse & Hound. 18 January 2008.
  13. ^ "Ethical veganism is philosophical belief, tribunal rules". BBC News. 3 January 2020.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""