Has the use of wild animals in Circuses been banned yet?

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Whilst catching up with the Animal Blogs I follow I stumbled across this post from Four Paws remarking on how appalled they are that the UK Government continues to drag its feet over banning the use of wild animals in circuses.  Despite the ban being supported by the vast majority of the British public and politicians from all parties there has been no movement.  

Four Paws alludes to the House of Commons backbench debate in June 2011 where MPs approved unanimously of a motion for the government to ban the use of wild animals in circuses by July 2012.

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) referred to a legal challenge to a similar ban in Austria as the reason they could not proceed with the ban.  The legal challenge to Austria's ban has since been dismissed which leaves Defra with no reason to refuse the ban.

Four Paws tells of two new Early Day Motions that have been launched this month calling on the Government to listen to the will of the House of Commons and endorse a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses, the other asking the Government to release reports of circus inspections that were carried out by Defra staff.  Previous requests to release these reports under the Freedom of Information Act have been refused.

What are they trying to hide?

Please e-mail your MP and ask them to sign EDM 2563 calling for a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses and also EDM 2586 calling for the release of circus inspection reports.  You can find your MP by clicking here and typing in your postcode.  You are then able to click on the name of your MP and be directed to their e-mail address.  It would be better if you were to personalise your e-mail but here is a template in case you don't have enough time:

Dear _____,

I am writing to ask you to please sign DM 2563 calling for a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses and also EDM 2586 calling for the release of circus inspection reports.  This ban is supported by the vast majority of the British public as well as politicians across all parties.  Several other European countries have enacted such bans, the latest being Greece.

I feel very strongly about this issue and ask that you sign both EDM's without further delay.

Yours sincerely,

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Please also e-mail the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Caroline Spelman and ask her to tell Defra to stop stalling and enact a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses.  The template e-mail can be found at the bottom of this post, but do personalise it if you can please.

Please share this post with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter, the more people that contact their MP's and Caroline Spelman - the better!

Stop the puppy trade in Ireland

Four Paws reports that due to a loophole in the Irish legal system, traders are able to breed alleged pedigree puppies in appalling conditions without being punished.  

The conditions they are kept in involve dogs and puppies being crammed into secluded outbuildings so that neighbours don’t hear their barks or smell the filthy surroundings they are forced to endure.  Shockingly, female dogs are forced to breed continuously with only the minimum amount of food and water necessary to keep them alive.  This results in a life of sleeping, eating, defecating, urinating, mating and giving birth in the same filthy conditions.

If dogs can no longer breed they are disposed of.

Life is grim for the puppies once they are born, although they should remain with their mothers for the first eight weeks of their lives they are removed at the earliest opportunity and kept in equally disgusting conditions.  The puppies may eventually find loving homes but due to the neglect suffered after birth most will have long term health and behavioural problems.

Four Paws estimates that at least 50,000 farmed puppies are trafficked from Ireland to England each year.

Please spare a moment to sign the online petition which will be delivered to the UK government calling for the compulsory micro chipping of puppies and tightening of dog breeding legislation. 

Please tell your friends, the more signatures we can get the more difference this will make.

Thank you.