Trail hunting involves laying a trail of concentrated fox urine for a pack of hounds to follow. They are trained to ONLY follow fox scent when they could so easily be trained to follow the smell of fruit, drugs, biscuits or anything else. So, it should not come as a shock when the pack follows the scent of a real fox and kills it. This is still legal in the UK and goes on throughout the country. As a result, hundreds of foxes are still chased and killed for pleasure each year in the UK. There is no place in modern society to kill just for pleasure and members of the National Trust are unwittingly supporting this activity. There are incidents where pets are also killed 'by accident' and hunts refuse to trail hunt with dogs muzzled to avoid 'collateral damage'. The National Trust should be the most respected Guardians of the countryside and represent the views of its members. It should not be an organisation that promotes cruelty and killing for the pleasure of a tiny minority. We would ask the Board of the National Trust to ban all trail hunting on their land. NOTE: it is easy to stop inhumane suffering and 'accidental' death: LET'S CLOSE THIS LOOPHOLE.

Fusion won’t allow Charlie Barkers assistance dog George go to the music Festival! PLEASE HELP BY SIGNING & SHARING. From Charlie: ____________________ "I'm 23 and for one day I would just like to be that care free 20 year old who enjoys live music. But it's being taken away from me because Fusion won't let me take my Assistance Dog, George! I have a condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. EDS affects the body’s connective tissue. Connective tissue lies between other tissues and organs, keeping these separate whilst connecting them, holding everything in place and providing support, like the mortar between bricks. EDS causes my joints to dislocate, mostly my shoulders and hips. My gorgeous George helps me to relocate them. Without George, I will end up in A&E, meaning I could miss most of the concert but more importantly Fusion will have put me through unnecessary pain. George does Deep Pressure Massage for pain relief #myrock" ____________________ Please help show Fusion Charlie needs his assistance dog George and they are discriminating against him! https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/assistance-dogs-a-guide-for-all-businesses.pdf

To keep a balance for all who live or use the environment. Also to protect more those species that are on the endanger list from extinction and full information has to be giving to justify why species that are protected have to killed. So that we in the future are not asking questions why species that are still depleting partly due to licenses being issues and also toughen up the laws on those who kill protected species illegally.

This is especially important as the Scottish Natural Heritage's job, as most see it, are there to protect wildlife and birds. Not give licences to destroy them The RSPB have some of these birds on their red list "A number of our garden birds like house sparrows, starlings and song thrushes have been on the red list for a while; this time around we see the addition of mistle thrushes. Read more at https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/uk-conservation-status-explained/#CXFzreJo5j74dJGl.99" So to actual issue licences to destroy these very birds is ridiculous! Please sign and make them aware of our thoughts and feelings on this subject

We would like all Veterinary Practices to be bound by a national code of conduct and anyone rescuing sick or injured wildlife should have the assurance the animal will receive the same care throughout the country at no cost. We accept veterinary practices have overheads and bills to pay but as custodians of the planet we are surely all obligated to be responsible for all wildlife care and welfare. The level of responsibility and treatment offered varies enormously. Some surgeries will offer care and medication free, some will only carry out euthanasia with no attempt to treat or rehabilitate even a minor injury. The worst will cruelly suggest returning the animal to where it was found to die, untreated and still suffering for lack of remuneration.

The Rossmere Park Island has the only breeding colony of Egrets in the whole county. If these birds move on because of the disturbance on the Island they will not come back. Not only do these trees add to the character of the park, they form a vital part of the local ecology for the Park’s large Bat colony.

This netting is putting all kinds of wild birds at risk and is breaching the animal welfare act 2006 as these birds are dying a slow agonising death without having access to food or water while they are trapped. It is also horrible for town residents and tourists to see dead birds

Since closure in February 2016, the former Whitekirk Golf Course has become a haven for wildlife and a wonderful, well used amenity space for local communities. This unique and beautiful landscape is recognised in the East Lothian Local Development Plan 2018 as a Special Landscape Area, and provides valuable open space for people and wildlife in an area dominated by intensive farming and increasing development. Wilkie Developments plans to destroy this fantastic landscape by turning it into a holiday camp. With over 200 proposed holiday lodges crammed on to the former fairways, the beautiful landscape and its wildlife will be lost to development forever. The area is enjoyed by a wide variety of flora and fauna including species such as skylarks, badgers, bats, owls, buzzards and swans, as well as a variety of wildflowers, trees and mosses. The Local Development Plan states that development should only be permitted in Special Landscape Areas where "the public benefits of the development clearly outweigh any adverse impact and the development is designed, sited and landscaped to minimise such adverse impacts." The economic benefits of the development will no doubt be argued as a reason to override this protection, however it is clear that self-catering holiday lodges will generate only a very few low-skilled, low-paid jobs, and with poor public transport local people will surely struggle to sustain employment. Over two hundred holiday lodges will generate hundreds of car trips per day to and from North Berwick. With only one bus every two hours from the site into North Berwick, all those cars will be clogging up the roads and competing for the already over-full car parks in the town. The development will require significant infrastructure in order to support the 200 plus lodges, introducing light pollution, sewage treatment and a network of utilities. Once all this costly infrastructure is in place what’s to stop Wilkie Developments, housebuilders by trade, seeking to turn this into yet another housing development. Please help to protect this rare and special landscape by signing the petition to prevent development and secure its future as a valuable wildlife habitat and amenity for the local communities. As a protected wildlife reserve, this wonderful space should be enjoyed by local people and also presents a fantastic opportunity to create an educational facility for local schools.

There are so many backstreet breeders out there, and people who should never own animal, this needs to change. Any breeder should have a licence, paid for by themselves, at a cost of around £1000. The revenue from this could then go half, to the government and the other half to animal rescue centres. The breeder should also be registered with the Inland Revenue. Both the licence number and their Inland Revenue number should be on any microchip. This could then help to stamp out unscrupulous breeding. It is also too easy to own an animal and measures should be in place, to prevent persons not capable of providing the right home with the right resources in place, from owning an animal. Anyone found guilty of animal abuse, should never be able to own an animal again. We are, as a country, at crisis level now. So many unwanted animals in shelters, this also needs addressing. We also need to teach animal husbandry in primary years at school, as empathy and compassion for animals, is dwindling fast. We need to remember, it's not a right to have an animal it's a privilege.

The Grey long eared, Lesser and Greater Horseshoe bats are nationally scarce species that need protecting. if anything, the barn should be preserved for what could be a site of importance. There are only an estimated 1000 Grey long eared left in Britain, and studies suggest numbers are still falling. if this development is granted planning permission, the whole surrounding area will be affected. currently there is a healthy food source directly next to the barn, which would be removed to make way for the new building. and a very active Badger sett would have to be relocated. these are the primary concerns.

The Flashes are a very unusual phenomenon. The water comes & goes. In winter there are several lakes full of water & in summer they can almost dry up. Usually the main Flash always has water. The biodiversity of the area attracts all kinds of bird & wildlife. Many of them are endangered & on red or orange lists which are promoted as in need of protection & conservation. Some of them breed on the Flashes, some of them overwinter as part of migration. The joy of this area is that it is available to all & is used by many bird watchers & photographers as well as walkers. Someone who can't walk can sit in a car at one side & watch bird activity. A novice bird watcher, like myself, can quickly pick up knowledge & interest by watching each day as different birds come & go. One day a flock of lapwings, another day there might be oyster catchers, sandpipers, herons, god-wits, shelducks...the list goes on. There is other precious wildlife in the area too, notably the great crested newt, a protected species, but this petition is concentrating on the birds & the role of the RSPB in supporting the plans for destruction. Why spoil an area which has functioned beautifully for generations, which provides rare & unusual habitat & supports so many kinds of birds? There is no need for 300 wooden chalets & a hotel & car parks in this area. There are plenty of nicer places to stay already. Is it really worth it at the expense of bird life? Craven District Council reference is Planning Application 42/2016/17496 Hellifield Flashes, if you want to read more.

Reports of animal abuse in the UK continue to rise. The RSPCA investigated 141,760 cruelty complaints in 2017, there were only 1,492 convictions by private prosecution. The current maximum custodial sentence for animal abuse is only 6 -months and less than 8% of those convicted of animal abuse serve a custodial sentence, most receive a conditional discharge and/or fine. A quick search online will reveal shocking and abhorrent animal abuse cases in the UK, with lenient sentences on conviction; these sentences do not act as a form of deterrent for persistent offenders. There is also no way to keep a track of these abusers because of the lack of an animal abuse register and therefore with no record of their abuse, they are often free to rehome or purchase more animals, once the terms of any sentence have been discharged. Government minister, Michael Gove’s claim that the proposed new 5- year custodial sentence for animal abusers will be the 'gold standard' in animal welfare is grossly misleading. Because of sentencing guidelines in the UK and the current climate of overcrowding in the privately run prison system, a convicted animal abuser will never serve a 5-year jail term. Most animal abusers will continue to receive a conditional discharge and/or a fine. The proposed 5-year sentence will also mean the UK will still lag far behind many countries including America, where there are much harsher sentences for animal abuse. All other vulnerable groups in society have a legal representative to protect their interests, it can be argued that animals are the most vulnerable of groups, particularly because they cannot speak. And consider this, animal abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, domestic violence are often linked, see http://nationallinkcoalition.org/faqs/what-is-the-link. Animal abuse can be the first indicator of the potential for further family violence. If children are exposed to animal abuse, it may desensitise them to all forms of violence and indeed they may become perpetrators of the most heinous crimes. The appointment of an Animal Ombudsperson would be a real step towards a 'gold standard' in animal welfare, benefitting not only animals, but society as a whole. An Animal Ombudsperson would promote and protect the rights of all animals and be independent of politics and governing bodies. The UK claims itself to be a nation of animal lovers, the evidence clearly indicates otherwise, it is now time to give animals the protection they need by appointing an Animal Ombudsperson.