Feelings in Britain are running high over animal rights, following the House
of Commons’ overwhelming vote to ban hunting with dogs last week. At the same
time, campaigners opposed to animal testing came close to closing down one of
the country’s largest contract-research companies. Both the hunting and testing
activists have a large Web presence.
The Hunt Saboteurs Association (www.enviroweb.org/HSA/hsa.shtml) hosts a
crash course in how to ruin a hunt, including ridding areas of foxes beforehand,
sprays that mask fox scents, and the laying of false trails. For the pro-hunting
lobby, Foxman outlines (ds.dial.pipex.com/foxman) “things to do to help save
hunting”. Meanwhile, the Countryside Alliance has guidelines for hunters worried
about attacks from activists, including how to check cars for suspect devices
(www.countryside-alliance.org/newsextra/010116guide.htm).
At www.huntingdon.com, Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) scientists argue the
case for legally required animal testing. Workers there are under increasing
threat from extremists who use the Internet to further their aims. “The Earth is
not dying, it is being killed. And those that are killing it have names and
addresses,” warns the Animal Liberation Frontline Information Service
(www.animalliberation.net). Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) says it will
track down the new investors who saved HLS last week (www.shac.net). “Nothing
contained herein is intended to incite or encourage illegal acts,” says SHAC’s
small print, but there’s also a map of HLS’s establishment “just in case you get
”.
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Back in the hunting realm, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals (www.rspca.org) has been running a powerful press campaign against
hunting foxes, deer, mink and hares with dogs, believing it “cruel and
unnecessary”. But given the Royal Family’s passion for fox hunting, it leaves
you wondering what exactly the RSPCA gets out of being dubbed “royal”. Time for
a change, perhaps?
