Fergus the Fox makes a song and dance over ban fears (From The Northern Echo)
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The League Against Cruel Sports drew crowds in Stokesley, Richmond and Northallerton
8:41am Wednesday 21st April 2010 in News
SERIOUS MESSAGE: Joshua Kaile and Fergus the Dancing Fox, from the League Against Cruel Sports, handing out leaflets in Richmond
AN anti-hunting campaign group has taken to the streets of some of the region’s rural towns in an attempt to put pressure on election candidates to stand up for the hunting ban.
The League Against Cruel Sports drew crowds in Stokesley, Richmond and Northallerton, in North Yorkshire, as their mascot, Fergus the Dancing Fox, took to the streets to raise awareness about the cause.
As well as talking to the public about the ban, Fergus also took time out to dance to tunes including Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees and I Will Survive, by Gloria Gaynor.
The charity fears that a new Parliament might repeal the hunting ban, which came into effect in February 2005, bringing a return to fox hunting with hounds.
Steve Taylor, from the League Against Cruel Sports, who is travelling around the UK with Fergus the Fox, said: “Everyone has been very positive.
“We set up a stall and a lot of people have signed our petition against the repeal of the hunting ban, which is not what you would expect from a very rural community.
“We will be visiting a different constituency every day and will try to speak to some of the candidates each day to get their views about the ban.”
Comments(12)
MHayworth
says...
1:03pm Thu 22 Apr 10
If that is the case, then why has David Cameron made this a year one priority and why have Vote OK and the CA made certain that all new Tory candidates are pro-hunt?
I'm a Tory (now UKIP) like so many others who won't vote for Cameron over this issue. Farmers are sick and tired of the hunts damaging their land and intimidating them if they don't approve. Rural people from all over the country are exposing the constant breeding of foxes by the hunts through artificial earths - just so they can pretend to be pest controllers. They've run out of excuses for their perversion now that drag hunting is both legal and popular. There are much more humane ways to kill a fox. Time to move on!
Campaign For Decency
NoToHareCoursing
says...
1:21pm Thu 22 Apr 10
It doesn't surprise me that a rural community is just as opposed as any other to the Tory plan to bring back fox hunting and hare coursing.
Geoffrey Woollard, Independent Candidate for South East Cambridgeshire.
babz
says...
5:29pm Thu 22 Apr 10
JK09
says...
5:49pm Thu 22 Apr 10
All animal welfare groups have many more issues to focus on and would much rather not have to fight this battle again.
Hunting with hounds is a shocking display of animal abuse and must not be allowed to return to this country.
katt
says...
6:07pm Thu 22 Apr 10
We don't want a return to the dark ages of barbaric 'sports' being acceptable and I for one won't vote for any politician who does.
Super steve
says...
9:20am Sat 24 Apr 10
Hunter want to kill their quarries as quickly and cleanly as possible usually for pet control or for the pot.
They do not take extreme pleasure in dressing up like a bunch of morons, and chasing a terrified mammal across hill, and dale, until exhausted and terrified is cornered and ripped to pieces over a period of minutes by a pack of hounds.
These people who hunt foxes for sadistic pleasure are utterly despicable and are not hunters.
Dean M
says...
1:22pm Sun 25 Apr 10
katt wrote:David Cameron has never said that the priority for this ailing country is to repeal the hunting ban, so this is an untrue statement by katt.
Well done LACS,keep up the good work letting the public know that David Cameron thinks the priority in this ailing country is getting the hunting act repealed. We don't want a return to the dark ages of barbaric 'sports' being acceptable and I for one won't vote for any politician who does.
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Of course, when it comes to voting, people are entitled to base their vote on any issue that is most important to them. So if you think that Labour's failures in respect of the illegal war, WMD lie, highest youth unemployment since records began, doubling of council tax, doubling of the price of fuel, banking disaster, UK economic recsssion, etc, etc, are all outweighed by their continuing one unworkable hunting ban, then fair enough.
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I'm sure some people will vote Monster Raving Loony Party too.
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Fergus the Fox looks a nice cuddly chap, Basil Brush is entertaining too. Not so sure about that savage, wild fox that destroyed a local farmers chicken crop last week, by ripping their heads off. Whether the farmer shoots them (hopefully dead) or whether they are killed by hounds - is not really that important. Not a voting issue for me.
JK09
says...
3:05pm Sun 25 Apr 10
The fact that you refer to the chickens as a crop shows you value animals just as a commodity to be used however you choose.
Some of us believe they are worth more than that and have as much right to their lives as we do. Also the fox would have killed to eat no-one eats the fox they kill.
The Conservatives ARE making this a priority they would just rather people didn't know about it as the vast majority of the electorate would oppose their intention to repeal the ban.
I and many others do consider it a voting issue, it all comes down to the attitudes of the politicians running the country and I would prefer my representatives to have regard for my wishes, compassion and a sense of decency.
Dean M
says...
12:17am Tue 27 Apr 10
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Your criticism of my use of the word 'crop' is a little silly. Farmers in the livestock business breed animals for business, in the same way as they grow crops. If the livestock business did not exist then these animals would not exist either. You'll be telling me next that vegetables have feelings too.
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And once again, tell me when the Tories have said - give me a quote - that this is a priority for the next government. Lie is a harsh word, so I will accuse you instead of spinning it to suit your own agenda.
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And finally, your assertion that the fox will rip chickens apart only for food. I'm no expert, but someone on here recently stated that this is not the case, they rip them apart out of instinct and do not eat all that they kill. Maybe someone will confirm this?
JK09
says...
4:07pm Tue 27 Apr 10
The Conservative party is largely funded by the Countryside Alliance and the main intention of this group is the repeal of the ban and the return of this cruel and outdated spectacle to our countryside. The Tories are not stupid they do not want this plan in the headlines, knowing that the vast majority of the voting public is against hunting with hounds. When an animal welfare charity or constituent tries to ask their candidate about this they are repeatedly unavailable, or reply saying they may respond to this question after the election. You may care to take a look at any of the pro-hunting websites who are all eagerly awaiting the outcome of the election in the full expectation of repeal should the Tories win on May 6th.
As to the fox not eating everything it kills, like any other animal the fox can only eat so much at one time, but given the opportunity will return to collect the rest to store for leaner times.
The fox does not kill for its own amusement, the only animal to do that is man.
I rest my case.
Dean M
says...
10:09pm Tue 27 Apr 10
"Chickens are sentient beings able to feel pain and fear just like you or I."
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Well in that case, I have even less sympathy for the savage, vermin fox that rips these poor chickens apart - and not always for food.
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I notice you have still been unable to provide any quote or evidence from the Conservative Party to demonstrate this issue is a priority.
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I guess we just disagree on the importance (or lack of it) of this issue.
The Grim North says...
11:25am Wed 21 Apr 10
Whats the point of fighting a battle already won. I would suggest that the LACS either get a life and stop bothering politicians or take their fight elsewhere to some other EU countries such as Spain where they really know a thing or two about animal cruelty.