Many agricultural chemicals are harmful to insect pollinators and other wildlife, but people typically think those intended for use in the garden are safe. However, many of these products contain ingredients that are known to be toxic to bees and other beneficial insects, as well as important soil bacteria. Safe alternatives are available and there is no need to use poisons in your garden. We encourage you to create a 'Bee-Friendly Zone' in your garden, where pollinators can safely live and forage. See www.beefriendlyzone.org for more.

We work at Animal Lifeline – a registered charity based in Stoke-on-Trent. In the thirty years it has been running, the situation with unwanted or abandoned dogs is the worst we’ve ever seen it. The problem is most critical with Staffordshire Bull Terriers and breeds associated with a macho image. Such dogs are often bred for fighting, and charities like ours are bursting at the seams with animals that have become too much of a handful for people to look after. We want to see a law enforced saying that no one can breed pedigree dogs without a license. The stipulations of that license need careful consideration but we’d recommend that: Any individual granted a license must follow a ‘Responsible Breeder’s Code of Practice’, All recipients must be properly home-checked, Spot checks are carried out on breeders by authorised authorities to ensure they adhere to animal welfare laws and the Code of Practice, A log book similar to the log book of a motor vehicle , to be passed on if the dog is transferred to new owners Please sign and share the petition. This trend of the overbreeding of 'macho-image ' dogs must be addressed.

A very big thank you to everyone who helped in our fight against Tesco. Now we need to fight Round 2!! This green lung, just to the east of Halstead High Street comprises woodland containing 9 Trees under Tree Preservation Orders and natural springs that provide a wetland environment for amphibians. There are also 16 WWII air raid shelters, 9 of which are listed: as a group this is a very rare thing. Braintree District Council plan to ‘regenerate’ the site, to build more roads, properties and shops and demolish all but one or two of the shelters. We want this land to be conserved for present and future generations, to be a green haven, a heritage site and something that the town can be proud of. Thank you again for your continued support - let's see if people power can win again!!! Eileen Penn Halstead 21st Century Group 'Preserving our past for the future' This is a large area of natural woodland, with several very mature trees, full of wildlife: deer, bats, owls, hedgehogs, squirrels, rabbits, newts, frogs etc. It is also home to one of the largest collection of Air Raid Shelters in the country, sixteen in total, which are of a huge historical importance. The many bats are also known to roost in them. These shelters were for the use of the mill workers (Courtaulds Mill was nearby) in Factory Lane East and the Mill Managers who lived in cottages in Vicarage Meadow. It would be lovely if this could all be retained for the people of Halstead and others to visit. All the mature trees could be retained and some of the grassy areas made into parkland, with the rest being maintained as a nature reserve.. Each air raid shelter could have an information board, with likely items from the war years on display. And the many deer and other animals could be allowed to continue roaming free. Alison shea

Current attitudes to the problem are outdated, unimaginative and dangerous. The regulations for the movement of cattle restricts the movement of cattle that test positive for TB antibodies making a vaccine non viable under current rules, as vaccinated cattle would show TB anti-bodies. Modern medicine would solve the problem tomorrow if it were children and not cattle. Millions are wasted every year compensating farmers whose herds have to be slaughtered and the British government is committed to the culling of a protected species, already proven to be a failure, based on bad science and bad statistics.

Cyprus and Malta and other Mediterranean continually break EU legislation by allowing "hunters" and other cruel methods to kill lovely birds migrating across their countries every Autumn. This must be stopped NOW, otherwise our bird populations will be gradually wiped out forever. Cyprus is President of the EU for this 6 months, why don't they use this to stop this unnecessary cruelty? STOP IT NOW!!!!

Lead is highly toxic. We have removed it from fuel, from paint, but it is still used for shooting in the UK. A single shotgun cartridge sprays up to 300 pieces of lead shot across the countryside where it is eaten by birds. It only takes a few pieces of lead shot to poison a bird, causing suffering and death for thousands of birds each year. Non-toxic alternatives are readily available, yet many UK shooters still choose lead. In 1983 a Royal Commission recommended phasing out lead shot, but that hasn’t happened and it is still poisoning our wildlife. More details can be found at: www.wwt.org.uk/stop-lead-poisoning-our-birds/ SIGN THE PETITION TO STOP THE USE OF LEAD SHOT.

We do not know what the long term effects would be on other wildlife and surely it must be wrong to cull using methods which can cause injuries before a slow lingering death.We already have many organisations opposed to this policy, please listen to us!!

The importance of keeping domestic cats indoors is to save our native species  In my own garden one cat has killed 9 nesting great tits 7 nesting wrens and a group of slow worms  This cannot continue across the country all our wildlife is fighting for survival cats are making things much graver for them and long term our fragile eco systems will be destroyed 

When a balloon is released many find it a symbolic gesture of the balloon flying to heaven. In reality the balloon comes back down to earth as litter. It endangers wildlife and livestock as well as being unsightly. I have seen first hand and rescued a young puffin wrapped up in balloons, without intervention it would have died a long painful death. Turtles eat balloons believing them jelly fish and curious livestock often with eat balloons or get tangled in their strings. Balloon releases are litters and there's no excuse for it.

Giving a platform to animal abuse as Facebook is doing is going to encourage it.

for the stats

Pets are so important to the mental health and well-being of elderly people. When they become poorly, therefore, it is so important to lessen their monetary burden involved to make the beloved pet better.