VICTORY!!! Atherstone FH ceases 'hunting activities' after relentless 6 year campaign against the Hunt by West Midlands Sabs. They say -   "We have faced harassment, extreme provocation and regular violence from those associated with the Atherstone Hunt. We’ve received death threats, had our tyres slashed, cars burnt out and have been hospitalized. We have also faced a hostile campaign of police harassment from Leicestershire Police who have actively sabotaged investigations against the Atherstone Hunt whilst constantly seeking to prosecute members of our group at all costs. We persevered and never backed down. Despite the regular violence we have faced our campaign has always remained non-violent. Over the last six years we have sabbed almost every single meet of the Atherstone Hunt. They have collected over 20 criminal convictions and cautions for their violence and antisocial behaviour and at their worst they were making the national press every other month for their hunting and violence. As well as stopping them killing foxes twice a week every week we have been able to expose the real face of fox hunting. We witnessed them kill numerous foxes in front of us but that only made us more determined. We exposed all businesses that supported them. We held demonstrations at their biggest events of the year and at all of their fundraising events. For six years the Atherstone Hunt have been completely sabotaged and as a result they have now folded. This means that for now the 908 km² area of West Leicestershire and North Warwickshire are completely hunt free and hundreds of foxes lives will now have been saved." WMHS dedicate their victory to their late colleague, Leanne Bridgewater. They add - "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

POWA GREATLY WELCOMES LABOUR PLAN TO STRENGTHEN HUNTING ACT The wildlife of England and Wales, still so cruelly persecuted for 'sport', could hardly have had a better Valentine's Day present [14-2-18]. Nor could the burgeoning anti-hunt movement, but especially POWA. We have been campaigning for significant strengthening since before the ink was dry on the Act and had to wait a decade before the largest anti-hunt organisation, LACS, finally came round to our way of thinking, swiftly followed by IFAW. We will do everything in our power to ensure that Labour are in a position to effect strengthening [and their other laudable animal welfare policies] and that this time there are no get-out-of-jail-free clauses in the amended Act. Meanwhile, thank you Labour. We trust a number of Conservatives and other party members and representatives will also support strengthening. The urgent need to strengthen the Act was underlined just a month later, on 14th March, when the JM/Huntsman of the Portman FH was acquitted of illegal hunting, despite admitting that he knew his hounds were chasing a fox. He claimed by that point he could no longer control the hounds. This was confirmation that the Hunting Act does not even oblige Huntsmen to attempt to call hounds off quarry they know hounds are pursuing.

THEY SAID IT  [about the Hunting Act] "It is difficult to interpret and apply and difficult for the CPS to prosecute."    Judge Daniel Curtis, of the Hunting Act. He had to acquit members of the Holderness FH of illegal hunting because of insufficient evidence of intent, August 2013. A resident's CCTV had shown their hounds chasing a bloodied fox through his garden. :“A lot of people on this road are elderly. They were frightened to come out. The dogs were frantic. I’m an animal-lover and I was shaken. It was heartbreaking.” Mrs. Edwina Church of Macclesfield after the Cheshire Forest FH hounds invaded their and their neighbour's garden and killed a fox on 25-2-17. She added that her 82 year old mother was 'traumatised'. The CPS subsequently refuse to prosecute the Hunt, the police failed to take any other action.  "We are fox hunting, but no-one is supposed to know."  Fitzwilliam FH female supporter on 8-3-17 to member of the public, near Kimbleton, Cambs, reported in HSA Press Release .... hunting an artificial scent provides an ideal conduit by which an individual could hunt covertly.  We are perfectly satisfied that no real attempt was made to prevent the Hunt from hunting a wild animal.  The reason for this was indeed that the notion of trail hunting was a cover." Judge Pert, dismissing the appeals of the Fernie FH Huntsman and Terrierman against conviction for illegal hunting, Leicester Crown Court, 14-10-11. He called the Hunt side's attempts to pretend they had been trail hunting 'cynical subterfuge'.  "... before a hunt one of his helpers films himself laying a pretend scent-trail—by dragging a rag theoretically, but not actually, soaked in fox scent, from a quad bike—to provide evidence for a possible defence in court. Then the Hunt goes out and hunts as it always has, but illegally. The police—one of whose officers was riding with the hounds that wintry day—understand this, but do not much care. Animal rights activists know it, and it makes them mad, but it is so hard to collect evidence of lawbreaking, in the form of video footage showing a Huntsman urging hounds on to a fox, that prosecutions are rare."   'Bagehot' writing in the Economist, 7-3-15. The Huntsman of an unnamed Hunt in the south-west of England had confided in him, admitting constant illegal hunting.  “... we don't have enough evidence to pursue it as the legislation states that we must prove the intention of the Hunt to chase and kill foxes. The killing of foxes does not necessarily show this, as they can argue that the dogs caught the scent of the foxes and ended in the killing of them, rather than pursuing them, and therefore had no intention of hunting or killing them.”  Leicestershire police on 19-2-17, conveying the decision of the local CPS not to charge Belvoir FH Huntsman John Halliday, after 3 foxes were killed in a day on 3-12-16. Sabs witnessed the first, in a farmyard, following a chase and claim Holliday assaulted a female sab and broke her camera. The CPS refused to charge Halliday of these offences, though there were witnesses..The other two foxes were killed when the Hunt invaded the grounds of a nursing home, upsetting residents.   "It was totally and utterly barbaric and shocking."   Mick Heath, the 'not anti-hunt' resident of Bradfield, North Essex, after hounds of the Essex & Suffolk FH chased a fox into his garden, savaged it and the Whipper-in then beat it to death with a blunt object, leaving blood stains on the patio - all in front of the whole family and a guest, on 10-12-11. Police took no action against the Hunt. This may or may not have had something to do with the fact that the senior JM of the Hunt was the Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk.   “The present situation is currently unsatisfactory. The volume of footage available (taken by hunt monitors) leaves the objective viewer in no doubt on the balance of probabilities that it is ‘business as usual’ for many hunts because enforcement is so difficult... Such widespread and public disregard for the law is likely to bring Parliament and the criminal justice system into disrepute.”    Stephen Wooler, ex Chief Inspector of the CPS in his report to RSPCA  September 2014. Wooler advised the RSPCA to campaign for better enforcement of the Act and to campaign for its strengthening. The RSPCA has yet [October 2017] to issue any clear statement in favour of strengthening. "The idea of trail hunting is either shambolic or a sham. You lay fox urine to make the hounds able to fox hunt and if you come across a fox on your way you can then hunt it."    CPS prosecutor at trial of a JM, the Huntsman and the Kennel Huntsman of the College Valley & N.Northumberland FH, October 2014

POWA's main role is to campaign for a complete, effective and enforceable ban on the hunting of wild animals with dogs in England and Wales. In May 2015, the Conservatives won the general election. Despite 80%+ of the public wanting the Hunting Act retained, they promised to repeal it. POWA will strive every sinew to prevent this happening. In 2017 the new PM, Theresa May called a snap general election. Once again the Conservative manifesto promised a 'free vote' on repealing the Hunting Act, with the Prime Minister stating that she was in favour of fox hunting. The Tories lost their majority and had to strike a deal with the right-wing DUP to stay in government. Post-election analysis showed that - for the first time - the hunting issue had been a significant factor in determining how people voted and the Conservatives had lost support over it. Subsequently, Theresa May announced that they were dropping the repeal idea, for this Parliament at least. It had, in any case, in the 2010, 2015 and 2017 Parliaments, been the case that a repeal motion would have been defeated in the Commons - and by ever increasing majorities, with an ever larger proportion of new Tory MPs opposing repeal. After ten overwhelming Commons' votes, over seven years, in favour of a complete ban on hunting, the will of the people and their sovereign Parliament finally overcame decades of resistance and mendacious propaganda from the rich and powerful bloodsports lobby and a largely compliant media - democracy indeed!  Regrettably, POWA believes that the Hunting Act 2004 has manifest deficiencies which, in practice, make it of very limited utility in preventing organised Hunts carrying on chasing and killing wild mammals for 'sport'. Hunts are able to do this by exploiting the numerous loopholes and/or by pretending to be ‘trail hunting’ and ascribing any incident involving wild mammals as 'accidents'. Monitoring reports countrywide appear to confirm that many, perhaps most Hunts, engage in such behaviour.  Nevertheless, the Act, so long and hard fought for, is a lot better than nothing - and of huge symbolic importance. POWA therefore also campaigns against any attempt to further weaken or repeal the Act and to ensure, as far as possible, that it is complied with in the hunting field and upheld through the courts.  But - like its long-illegal fellow bloodsports, cock and dog fighting, bull and badger baiting - the hunting of foxes, deer, hares and mink with packs of dogs must be consigned to the history books in practice, not just in theory.

The Hunting Bill gained Royal Assent on 18-11-2004  The Hunting Act 2004 came into effect on 18-2-2005  Full text of the Hunting Act 2004 is HERE

Courtesy of Wildlife Witness

AT LAST!   LACS AGREES NEED FOR HUNTING ACT STRENGTHENING POWA, which has strongly argued the case for strengthening for many years, is delighted that the League has finally acknowledged that the Act must be significantly amended to ease enforcement and enhance deterrence. In a November 18th report on the tenth anniversary of the passing of the Hunting Act 2004, LACS stated that they would now seek three major amendments:- a total ban on terrier work and digging-out, a 'recklessness' clause and provision for a prison sentence of up to six months. POWA hopes that the RSPCA and IFAW will follow suit and that the leading anti-hunt organisations will be able put our heads together to agree the details of the necessary amendments and to persuade, at least, the Labour Party that they should be enacted. An outline of POWA's proposals for how the Hunting Act should be amended can be seen here, and a narrative account of how Hunts currently are able to carry on live quarry hunting with very little fear of sanction is here.   NOW IFAW AGREES NEED FOR STRENGTHENING  -  RSPCA, WHAT'S KEEPING YOU? In March 2014, IFAW monitors filmed the Cattistock FH chasing a fox. The CPS refused to prosecute, so IFAW referred the matter to the RSPCA. They issued a summons against the Huntsman. In March 2015 [yes, a full year after the alleged crime] RSPCA lawyers suddenly decided that there was 'no realistic prospect of a conviction'. The Huntsman claimed they were 'trail hunting' and he'd no idea they were chasing a fox. The lawyers decided they could not meet the onerous requirement to prove 'intent' on his part. However, the video published by IFAW suggests that hunters must have known that hounds were pursuing a fox, which at least one of them had clearly seen on a road not long before - and hunters were quite close to the hounds. One has to wonder, if that evidence was not strong enough to convict, what would be? IFAW, who had already described 'trail hunting' as 'an alibi for illegal hunting' were so exasperated by the outcome that they announced they now believe that strengthening of the HA is essential.     AT LAST. RSPCA [AND SAVE ME] ENDORSE HUNTING ACT STRENGTHENING  Both were signatories to a letter in the Guardian on May 3rd 2017 regarding the Hunting Act, which called for its retention, enforcement and strengthening.

POWA utterly opposes any further Government attempts to repeal or weaken the Hunting Act. The last effort came, via a  planned Statutory Instrument. following David Cameron's re-election in 2015, this time with a small overall majority,  It was, however, withdrawn when the SNP made clear that their MPs would vote against it.  Cameron's move was just a cynical attempt to almost completely emasculate the Act. They only attempted this because they realised any attempt to fully repeal it would be defeated.  It is hard enough already to convict transgressive hunters, but the added exemptions they intended to create would have made it all but impossible.  POWA wrote to MPs to explain this to them but MPs will always take most heed of their own constituents. Your MP's email address can be found via  www.writetothem.com/ . The new Prime Minister, Theresa May, has said she favours repeal but, unlike Cameron, is not personally involved with the hunting set. However, the person she, bafflingly, appointed as DEFRA Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsom, is known to be close to her local Hunt, the Grafton FH. She has referred to foxes as 'vermin' and is known to be anxious to overturn the Hunting Act. Fortunately, Cameron's attempts to amend it revealed that there is now a substantial number of Conservative MPs  - thought to be around 50 - who would not go along with any attempt to repeal or weaken it, and we think it unlikely that the Government will try again in this Parliament, fearing they would lose. We must, however, remain vigilant.  And, of course, the Hunting Act is being very widely circumvented and desperately needs strengthening.

POWA will resist any attempt to repeal the Hunting Act

POWA is greatly saddened to learn of the death of Clifford Pellow, aged 73. Clifford was inducted into the world of fox hunting in Devon as a young boy and it became his passion and profession. But, after two decades in the 'sport', and having acted as Huntsman for several packs around England and Wales, he became increasingly disillusioned with and disgusted by the many barbaric practices he was expected to tolerate. A major row with his 'Master' at the Tredegar Farmers FH was the flashpoint of his discontent and, after the Master of Fox Hounds Association failed to take his complaints seriously he turned to his ancient enemy, the League Against Cruel Sports. LACS arranged for journalist Andrew Tyler, of Animal Aid, to help write up his account of his life in hunting and what he now realised were the many cruelties which he had seen and been involved with. This was published in 1991 as 'A Brush with Conscience' and was a devastating indictment of the blood sport. It took immense courage for Mr. Pellow to turn against and inform on his former colleagues and employers. The hunting community is  quite small, and even then, pretty secretive, of necessity, because they have so much to hide - even more, these days, of course, because much of what they do is now illegal. Spilling hunting's shameful secrets was, in their eyes, the greatest sin Clifford could commit. He was, of course, immediately ostracised, but was also subjected to much abuse and even death threats, as well as a libel suit by his former Master, Howard Jones. But the jury believed Clifford and the Master was left to pick up a bill for costs of about £100,000. Clifford did at least have the comfort of clearing his conscience - and a new set of friends on the anti side. He may have been surprised at how readily he was accepted into the fold. He continued to help and advise the anti-hunt cause. Alas, after hospitalisation for pneumonia and subsequent discharge, he died alone in his flat in September 2016. He was a man of principle and big on respect. Because he repented and tried to expunge the evil he had done, he will always be afforded the greatest respect - and he will never be forgotten. RIP, Clifford, the angels have blown you home.

POWA's message about the need to strengthen the Hunting Act was warmly received and apparently understood by many delegates at the Labour Party Conference in September. Amongst those to visit our stand and express support were several members of Ed Milliband's Shadow Cabinet, plus Shadow junior ministers, MPs, PPCs and other delegates. Visitors were able to view the powerful new Campaign to Strengthen the Hunting Act [CSHA] video, at the content of which many delegates, including some from the police, expressed shock and outrage. Our campaign is spreading far and wide and gaining momentum. For Conference pics see the CSHA website. The CSHA video is now on the website [and YouTube] and can be viewed here.

Below, see how hunters change the beautiful, sensitive, living creatures portrayed above - for 'sport'. Now Cameron is seeking to reward his hunter friends by repealing the Hunting Act. Please support POWA's campaign to save the Act, with a view to having it, one day, strengthened to give full protection to our persecuted wild mammals.

Download a copy of the publication The Myth of 'Accidental' Foxhunting

AS THE RAIN LASHES DOWN, POWA ASSOCIATES ARE SHOWERED WITH AWARDS FEBRUARY 2014 - POWA congratulates the Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire Monitoring Group who have been given the Special Investigation Award by the RSPCA for gathering the huge amount of video evidence that resulted in the prosecution and conviction of the Heythrop Hunt, often while being obstructed, abused and assaulted by hunt followers. Most of the monitors, who operate independently, are also POWA Associates.  POWA also congratulates its Associate John Bryant, a former CEO of LACS and twice an RSPCA Council Member, who has been awarded the Queen Victoria Gold Medal for services to the Society. The awards will be presented at a ceremony in Whitehall on 1st March.

SIR PATRICK STEWART BECOMES AN HONORARY ASSOCIATE OF POWA

The renowned actor, who narrated the revised version of the anti-hunting film 'A Minority Pastime', provided this statement:-

"I am delighted to accept the invitation to become an Honorary Associate of Protect Our Wild Animals.  I am strongly opposed to the cruel and barbaric 'sport' of hunting wild animals with dogs and was delighted when this was banned in England and Wales in 2004.
However, it appears that both the spirit and letter of the law continue to be flouted by some organised Hunts.  I fully endorse POWA's efforts to expose such activities and in campaigning for the Hunting Act to be strengthened in order to make the law both more of a deterrent and easier to enforce."

Fulsome congratulations to the incredibly dedicated team of hunt monitors [many of whom are also POWA Associates] whose evidence, on December 17th 2012, led to the convictions of the Heythrop Hunt, a former JM and its ex-Huntsman on 4 charges each of illegal hunting. They had taken similar evidence of illegal hunting by the Heythrop and other local Hunts to the police 30 times before in recent years, and either been fobbed off each time or found the CPS making excuses for not getting the cases to court. So, many thanks to the RSPCA, under their CEO Gavin Grant, for their courage in taking on the prosecution of this rich and powerful Hunt and for the Society's unflinching stance in response to the vitriol since heaped upon it by the pro-hunt lobby.
The monitors have also had to bear repeated assaults, threats, harassment, vile abuse, obstruction and property damage from Heythrop riders and followers, 14 of whom have been convicted or cautioned for such offences in the last six years. Monitoring is not just a very trying, emotionally draining, time-consuming and dangerous business - it is expensive. POWA assists the monitors when it can, but has limited resources itself. You can help enable the monitors carry on their work of exposing and bringing these flagrant animal abusers to justice by giving to POWA, using the 'Donate' button [left]. 

                   PETER BUNCE                 R.I.P.

We greatly regret the sad and untimely death in July 2014 of Peter Bunce, one of POWA's founders.
Below is a selection of tributes paid to him by fellow POWA Associates.

Penny Little  -  "Peter was my very good friend. I first met him in the early '90s when he   became involved in the campaign to ban hunting....  Peter was kind, humorous and principled.  He was a good listener, he cared about the underdog, and he would always help anyone who was in trouble.  He was passionately opposed to cruelty to animals, and he was prepared to put time and effort into changing the things that needed to be changed.  He was a believer in decency, honesty and fair play, and he was always an adherent to those high standards in which he believed.....  None of us can remember Peter without a smile, a smile of affection, of remembered jokes and remembered conversations, of pleasure in shared successes.  But above all a smile of loving remembrance of Peter the endearing, clever, funny man, the generous friend in need, the modest and remarkable man that he was."
Christine Harris -  "He was such a talented and caring person, who was always there to help. His work in the field has helped push our cause forward immeasurably."
Graham Forsyth -  " His line in A Minority Pastime that still rings so true to me and I am sure to many others was;  "I just want this cruelty to stop and stop in my lifetime."
Denise Ward -  "He was so valued and will be so missed. I first met him when I went to his house to film him for 'A Minority Pastime'. His scene is one people always remember. His measured and ironical remarks after he is dragged around and battered on the head till the blood poured down make the point so beautifully.... Peter defined courage and rightness in a a uniquely clever, modest and reasonable way... and made the world a better place by being in it."
Rodney Hale  -  "The planet is surely a better place owing to the contribution Peter made towards the welfare of wild animals and they have lost a true friend." 
Alan Kirby  -  "Peter was a close POWA Associate of mine for 13 years. We lived far apart and I met him only a few times, but we were in regular email and phone contact. He was calm, kind, ever obliging, with a wry sense of humour and unshakeable determination.  The very best sort of Englishman. POWA and the persecuted animals he strove to defend will miss him dreadfully."

"WHEN CRIMINALS CIRCUMVENT THE LAW IT SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED TO STOP THEM  NOT REPEALED TO REWARD THEM" Read the POWA Pack *Click HERE to read POWA's case to strengthen the Hunting Act,  including our proposed changes POWA ♥ A Minority Pastime Wales Against Animal Cruelty Animal Cruelty Investigation Group Conservatives Against Foxhunting Irish Council Against Bloodsports 'Thou shalt not kill', song by Don Rosenbaum Read POWA's statement on the High Court Ruling in 2009 on the Hunting  Act  This confirmed that  'intent' to hunt a wild mammal must be proved and that 'searching' is not 'hunting'. The CPS dropped nearly all their pending cases as the evidential burden was now too great. These cases included charges against the Huntsman of the Heythrop FH - the home hunt of David Cameron, who has ridden with them in the past. It is widely supported by the famed 'Chipping Norton set', including Rebekah Brooks and husband Charlie, who are known to be friends of the P.M. Press Release

Fox hounds are rewarded - by a public road

Fox hunting is disguised as 'trail' hunting - chases & kills are always claimed to be 'accidents'

Hare sent flying high into air by pursuing muzzled greyhounds