Animal Concern Advice Line News 2022

December 06^th 2022: Raptor Persecution UK has just highlighted a case where a Red Kite was found poisoned beside a poisoned bait on a Scottish grouse moor. Over a year after the incident Police Scotland have closed the case but have not released much information. Animal Concern has gone to the top of the legal profession in Scotland in a bid to use Freedom of Information laws to find out more. Details over on the AC site:

December 05^th 2022: While other organisations were busy raising petitions and generating publicity for the makers of that puerile TV programme “I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here”, which specialises in the persecution of animals and humiliation of some very well paid “celebrities”, Animal Concern (AC) was busy campaigning behind the scenes.

The “jungle” set is leased to TV programme makers from around the globe and is used many times a year for different versions of the show.

AC identified three probable breaches of the Australian Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 and raised these with the Chief Constable of New South Wales Police and the State Minister for Police. The Police have given us a reference number and should be investigating now.

As the “celebrities” are paid to participate that makes them employees of the programme makers who have a legal duty of care to their staff. Exposing your workers to close contact to many species of animals which can carry a number of lethal diseases which can be passed to humans does not strike us as in keeping with Health and Safety legislation. AC called in the New South Wales equivalent of our Health & Safety Executive and they are investigation. They have asked programme makers for full details of their safety protocols and have told me that a visit to the site is under consideration.

AC contacted the New South Wales Branch of the Australian RSPCA twice but( at the time of writing, still await a response.

This is not the first time we have used these subtle tactics on a reality TV show. In 2006 lots of groups were urging supporters to phone premium rate Big Brother telephone numbers to get Pete Best evicted for wearing a jacket he said was made from gorilla skin (illegal). AC simply contacted the nearest police station to the studio and they went in and confiscated the jacket!

Watch our News section to find out if our latest efforts have helped stop the abuse of both nonconsenting animals and consenting chunky cheque chasers in the name of entertainment.

December 04^th 2022: A UK made Netflix Xmas movie, “Christmas on Mistletoe Farm” has a scene in which a dog runs wild among a flock of sheep. This gives out a very wrong message at a time of year when, during the holidays, people are likely to be walking their dogs near pregnant ewes and cows. We have asked Netflix to add a warning to the film. If you are a Netflix customer, or even if you are not, you might want to ask them as well. Details on the AC website here:

December 1^st 2022: Animal Concern have made comments in The Ferret magazine about the deeply concerning discovery of a bullet shell on one of the walkways of Groatay fish farm off North Uist. An investigation by Marine Scotland is underway and we await their findings. Read the full story here:

December 1^st 2022: On November 11th John Robins of Animal Concern asked the Scottish Government how much the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) had repaid on the £500,000 the Government loaned them in 2020 (on top of a £2M grant) to build a new enclosure to house the Giant Political Prisoner Pandas in Edinburgh Zoo. RZSS had leased the Pandas from the Chinese Government for US$1,000,000 a year for a decade (RZSS are paying “only” US$500,000 per annum for the two year extension to the lease).
John just had a reply and can report RZZS have so–far repaid £202,500, including interest of £2,500. John makes that 1.25% interest on the £200,000, and, despite having an excellent credit rating, the best interest rate he could get on a loan of “just” £50,000 over 5 years was 7.9%. The £2M grant and £500,000 loaned to the RZSS was from the NHS budget as it related to the sale of NHS property adjacent to the old Giant Panda enclosure. Surely Scot Gov could have struck a better deal and made a more realistic investment for our cash–strapped health service? By the way John didn't borrow the £50K so nae tapping him for a fiver! You can read the Scot Gov response to the FOI request on the Animal Concern website here:

November 29^th 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 & 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 24^th 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 21^st 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 12^th 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 11^th 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 8^th 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 Animal Concern's letter of support and visit the SAGE website here:

October 2022

October 24^th 2022: Every year tens of thousands of pet, wild and farm animals and many people suffer dreadfully from the use and misuse of fireworks. Animal Concern supporters have been asked to report any fireworks incidents to the Police via the emergency 999 number. This will test the new and very complicated rules on fireworks brought into Scots law early this year. If you witness or just hear an incident near you, please report it:

September 2022

August 2022

July 2022

June 2022

May 2022

May 11^th 2022: Animal Concern has campaigned against Xenotransplantation since the 1980s. As well as the millions of animals killed in research over the decades, AC also highlighted the very real risk of a new disease crossing to humans from animals which have been genetically modified to make their organs more compatible with human tissue. GM Watch has published a very scary article about the first pig to human heart transplant which was carried out earlier this year. You can read it on the GM Watch website here:

May 6^th 2022: The Artisan Food Company ignored friendly advice from Animal Concern to stop describing their salmon farmed in Scotland as “sustainable”. Animal Concern complained to the Advertising Standards Authority who have ordered The Artisan Food Company to stop describing the salmon as sustainable. Animal Concern has further challenges against The Artisan Food Company regarding some rather dubious descriptions of other farmed fish they sell. Incidentally, they are selling 1.25 kilo Scottish farmed salmon fillets at £41.80 each plus £8.95 delivery which comes to £50.75. Similar salmon fillets retail in ASDA for £16.75.

I suppose if you're daft enough to eat farmed salmon you might be daft enough to pay three times more than you have to...

May 3^rd 2022: This afternoon a handful of MSPs turned up at Holyrood and wasted several hours debating the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Bill. Not long out of hospital Animal Concern's now part–time consultant wrote to all MSPs to remind them Animal Concern had dismissed this proposed new legislation over a year ago when it was first put forward as an ill thought out knee jerk response to serious firework misuse in the constituency of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Read more on the Animal Concern website here:

March 14^th 2022: On the 18th February (see below) Animal Concern asked the Scottish Government about the proposed new Scottish Veterinary Service. In particular AC wanted to know if this new Government Department would be equipped to make unannounced inspections of the myriad of filthy floating factory fish pharms which blight our West Coast and islands. You might find the reply to that question disturbing. Another question was about having responsibility for policing the welfare of animals in laboratories transferred from the Home Office in London to the Scottish Government. That's a political matter but the inadequate reply received was from a civil Servant, not a politician. Once again we must ask why the hell we pay Government Cabinet Secretaries an extra £50,097 and Government Ministers an extra £31,383 on top of their MSP salary of £66,662 when it's the Civil Servants that seem to do all the work£ You can read the inadequate reply received on the AC website:

March 12^th 2022: Animal Concern has objected to a planning application for a commercial dog breeding establishment in Ayrshire. Several aspects of this application raise serious concerns as to whether the applicants are best suited to the dog breeding business. You can read what Animal Concern thought of it on their website here:

March 12^th 2022: Animal Concern was puzzled to see a Planning Application involving the building of commercial “Yelping Kennels” in East Ayrshire. We are also stumped as to what a Yelping Kennel is. Animal Concern lodged an objection and also asked the Council if the applicant already has a commercial dog breeding license as other objections to the application suggest dogs are already being bred on the site. You'll find their objection via the “comments” link on the East Ayrshire Council Planning Department website here:

Link leads to east-ayrshire.gov.uk Checked and working as of March 12^th 2022

March 10^th 2022: Animal Concern has made a scathing submission to the latest Scottish Government consultation on controlling fireworks. You can read it on the Animal Concern website here:

March 8^th 2022: A month ago Animal Concern used Freedom of Information laws to ask the Home Secretary how many laboratories in the UK are working on genetic modification of animals for organs to be transplanted into humans. She was also asked where those labs are. As such laboratories run a very real risk of creating a pandemic with the potential to make Covid seem cuddly, Animal Concern thought it might be difficult to get a response. Wrong! A reply arrived just within the specified FOI time limits. Only problem is that the Home Office don't know the answer because they don't keep that information. You can read that very worrying reply on the Animal Concern website here:

March 5^th 2022: Tesco are in a flap over their alleged treatment of birds at their North Berwick store. It's pigeons, Swallows and House Martins under attack and Robins trying to protect them. More here:

March 4^th 2022: Animal Concern has had more responses to the email they sent to all MSPs on the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill. An identical reply was sent by three Conservative MSPs. You can read the advice Animal Concern sent them here:

March 1^st 2022: Animal Concern has been getting some responses to the email they sent to all MSPs on the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill. One MSP is going to seek advice from the Countryside Alliance. The advice given to that MSP can be found on the Animal Concern website here:

February 27^th 2022: Old semi–retired Robins must be off his meds. He's ranting again. This time he is extremely angry that the Scottish Government is once again proposing new animal protection legislation with a built–in get out clause. The Government is going to stop fox hunters using more than two dogs. Hooray! The Government is also going to issue licences to allow fox hunter to use more than two dogs. Boo! Please lobby the Scottish Government after you read the full details on the Animal Concern website here:

February 18^th 2022: Animal Concern has asked the Scottish Government to ensure the proposed new Scottish Veterinary Service (SVS) is equipped with a boat to allow unannounced visits at salmon farms. Animal Concern also wants to know who is involved in setting up the SVS and has asked that it be empowered to police animal welfare in research laboratories in Scotland, something currently reserved to the Home Office in London. More on the Animal Concern website here:

February 6^th 2022: Animal Concern is concerned that Glasgow City Council might sell off a motorway embankment to a developer. Why is that of concern? Find out on the Animal Concern website here:

February 5^th 2022: John Robins first got involved in the xenotransplant controversy when scientists were still thinking of stealing organs from genetically modified sheep. After the pig to human heart transplant in the USA last month, John is trying to find out how many of these potential pandemic producing projects are currently in progress in the UK. The Home Secretary is responsible for licensing these labs, so John has asked her to tell him where they are. You can read his email on the Animal Concern website here:

January 31^st 2022: Broadcaster Kirsty Young and her husband club owner Nick Jones have bought an island in Loch Lomond. The island has been described as “uninhabited” but no doubt the resident wallaby colony would disagree. The new owners of Inchconnachan Island plan to create a luxury holiday home for themselves and to “manage” the wallabies and other animals on the island. We campaigned against plans to cull the wallabies by the previous owner of Inchconnachan and we have asked Ms Young and Mr. Jones to take a more enlightened approach and avoid lethal means of “managing” the wallaby and deer whose home they have bought. More info here:

January 30^th 2022: Animal Concern Advice Line have advised the MOD that an animal conservation project on MOD land may have the opposite effect to that intended. Find out more here:

January 28^th 2022: Animal Concern is urging MPs for Scottish constituencies to support moves to properly ban fox hunting in England and Wales. You can read more about it on the Animal Concern website here: