Last week we asked our supporters and members to let us know what you think OneKind should do next to end cruelty to Scotland’s animals. An amazing 785 of you took part in the survey! The responses were encouraging, inspiring and challenging in equal measure. Here’s what you told us, and what we’re going to do about it.
OneKind works to end cruelty to all animals in Scotland – pets, farm animals, wildlife and lab animals. We wanted to know whether you felt this was the right approach or if we should be focusing on one area. A huge 88% of you told us that you’re behind this and that your passion was for all animals.
The second question was a more difficult one to answer. We gave our supporters a list of current and potential things we would like to deliver and asked you to help us prioritise by picking the three you would most like to see happen. The results are in the chart below.
All of these campaigns clearly have a lot of support, which is really encouraging, but wow! Huge support for a ban on snares. That’s good news, because we’re totally committed to this campaign and you can expect to see us stepping it up another gear on this issue soon. The Scottish Government must review the snaring laws in Scotland by the end of the year, so we will soon launch a joint campaign with our friends at the League Against Cruel Sports Scotland that will build up the pressure even more for a complete ban.
There is also very strong support for OneKind to do more on farm animal welfare. We’ve been calling for mandatory CCTV in slaughterhouses and for non-stun slaughter to be banned for some time, but haven’t had a public campaign on these issues. Perhaps now is the time! We’re going to look into this, but need to emphasise that we’re a small team and so need to focus our efforts. We’re keen to increase our lobbying and campaigning on farm animal welfare in Scotland, and the results of this survey make us even more so. After all, the powers to improve standards now sit with the Scottish Government but no one is speaking up for farm animals. To do this, however, we need to keep on growing.
Finally, we asked you if there was anything else you wanted to see OneKind campaign for. Your answers were extensive. Here’s just some of them:
- Do more to promote animal-friendl diets
- Get the Scottish Government to a Minister for Animal Welfare
- Regulations on breeding of pedigree dogs
- Improvements in the welfare of animals in laboratories
- Ban the sale of fur
- Promote more humane ways for crustaceans to be killed. For example, stopping lobsters being boiled alive
- Improve the welfare of racing and ex-racing dogs
- Licenses for ownership of cats and dogs
- Ban the use of poisons as an animal management tool
- End the sale of live animals in pet shops
- Campaign for Land Value Tax to potentially break up sporting estates.
- Improve legal protection on “pest” species of bird, such as crows and gulls, based on scientific evidence.
- Improve public awareness on how trying to get the “perfect picture” can upset some wildlife.
These are just a few from a very long list of ideas. They’re a stark reminder as to just how widespread animal suffering at the hands of humans is in this country and beyond. We need to build a powerful force for Scotland’s animals if we’re to successfully put an end to all of these forms of cruelty, so please join us and help make it happen!