July was an exciting month at OneKind, getting our gears in motion to plan an upcoming in-person action!

In other news, we sadly received yet another SnareWatch report and raised our voices for greyhounds amidst the gruelling heatwave.

Plus, thanks to your votes every week, we are still in the number one spot to receive a grant in this round of My Giving Circle! July also saw us team up with Bequeathed to make it easier for you to leave a lasting legacy for animals in your Will.

1. Consign Snares to History demonstration

We are delighted to finally share the details of our demonstration in September, calling on the Scottish Government to consign snares to the history books.

The demonstration will take place on Saturday the 17th of September from 11:30am-1pm outside the Scottish Parliament. It will involve a powerful visual stunt to illustrate the cruelty of snares and catch media attention. We will have a group of actors posing as different species of animals caught in fake snares outside the Parliament. Our brilliant supporters will be standing behind in solidarity, with placards and a banner asking the Scottish Government to make history and ban snares.

We are also delighted to have a selection of speakers, and virtual celebrity support, to conclude the action.

If you’d like to come along, please register on Eventbrite. All reminders and information about the day will be sent via Eventbrite, so please make sure to register for updates.

2. Highlighted the cruelty of snares through SnareWatch

We sadly received yet another report to our SnareWatch website in July. This time, a distressed fawn was found struggling in a wire snare on the edge of a farmer’s field in Bedfordshire.

Luckily, a local runner spotted the fawn and managed to free them from the cruel device. Thankfully the fawn survived, but tragically, this often isn’t the case.

Reports like this make our upcoming demonstration all the more important. Thank you to all who submit SnareWatch reports and help raise awareness about the cruelty of snares, so the Scottish Government finally consigns them to the history books.

3. Called for a full ban on greyhound racing

Amidst the record-breaking temperatures experienced across the UK in July, we continued to call for a full ban on greyhound racing in Scotland, England and Wales.

Greyhounds are one of the dog breeds that are particularly prone to heatstroke, with one study finding that they are 4 times more likely to experience heat stress than Labradors.

Greyhound racing is unacceptable, whatever the weather, as is any activity that exploits animals for ‘sport.’ But there is hope for a full ban, with growing calls from MSPs, like-minded grassroots organisations and the public to close Scotland’s last remaining unregulated ‘flapper’ track.

4. Highlighted the suffering of cephalopods & decapod crustaceans during National Marine Week

Every July, National Marine Week is a nationwide celebration of marine life. We used this awareness week to shine a light on our #SeaTheirSuffering campaign.

Following years of work campaigning for cephalopods and decapod crustaceans to be recognised as sentient, we launched this dedicated campaign in 2020. LastEarlier this year, we celebrated when the UK government legallyfinally recognising their sentiencerecognised their sentience as part ofin passing the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill.

But our work isn’t over., as Tthe Scottish Government has yet to either recognise their sentience of these animals, or ensure they are given the same legal protections as other animals.

How can I help?

Did you know that we recently launched our new #SeaTheirSuffering t-shirt as part of the campaign? Wearing one is the perfect way to raise awareness about the plight of these animals, while supporting our ongoing campaign work on their behalf.

 

Credit goes to Sebastian Bishop, a local artist, and friend to OneKind for the beautiful design. You can see the rest of his artwork on his Instagram page here.

5. Made leaving a legacy easier for our supporters

Did you know that 50% of our work for Scotland’s animals is funded by supporters kindly leaving us gifts in their Wills? This has been vital to key campaigns and successes for animals over the years, including achieving a ban on mountain hare cullskillings, a ban on the use of wild animals in Scottish travelling circuses, and our ongoing fight to ban foxhunting.

July saw us team up with Bequeathed to make it easier for our supporters to leave a legacy for animals by gifting OneKind in their Wills. You don’t need to have a massivelarge estate to make a difference. By leaving just 1% of your estate in your Will to OneKind, you can protect your loved ones, while also leaving a lasting gift to improve the lives of animals. Learn more here.

We also shared a heartening video from longtime supporter Edna, who kindly took the time to tell her story and explain why she chose to leave a legacy for Scotland’s animals by gifting OneKind in her Will.

6. Reached number 1 in My Giving Circle

Thanks to your votes every week, we are still in the number one spot to receive a grant in this round of My Giving Circle!

If we can stay there until the round closes on the 30th September, we will win £2,000 towards our campaign and investigation work for animals! Voting is completely free, so please make sure you vote each week to help us win a grant.

All of our work is funded by donations, so grants like these mean so much to us – and we are delighted to have found a way you can support our work without spending a penny! You can vote for us here.

Thank you to all who vote every week or support our work in any way – none of it would be possible without your help.