News Blog What OneKind has been working on this June 01-07-22 It has been a busy month here at OneKind HQ with lots of animal welfare issues on the agenda at both the Scottish and UK Parliament! Here are some of the things we’ve been working on this June. Collaborative Deer Workshop We recently ran a workshop, jointly with John Muir Trust, to discuss incorporating the 7 principles for ethical wildlife control into deer ‘management’ strategies across in Scotland. Representatives of the key public bodies and conservation organisations attended. This workshop was an important first step towards enacting the 7 principles in Scotland for all wildlife, so that any decisions affecting wild animals are ethically led and evidence based. Read more about how we would like to see the 7 ethical principles enshrined in Scottish government and societal practices. Evidence on Fox Hunting Bill Our Policy Officer Kirsty Jenkins gave evidence in the Scottish Parliament on the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Bill, alongside representatives from the League Against Cruel Sports, The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission and The Scottish SPCA. The Bill, introduced in February 2022, has the potential to finally close loopholes in legislation that has enabled fox hunting with dogs to continue in Scotland. Kirsty strongly welcomed the Bill but called for it to be strengthened out of concern that exceptions may leave loopholes. OneKind does not support the current exceptions in the Bill text, which allows packs of hounds to flush foxes to guns in certain circumstances, and the use of two dogs to ‘provide quarry for falconry, game shooting or deer stalking. Kirsty encouraged the application of the 7 ethical principles, so that decisions around any exceptions are ethically led and evidence based. Good Food Nation Bill Passed Last week the Good Food Nation Bill passed in the Scottish Parliament! Significantly, animal welfare is now included in the Bill, following our work alongside the Scottish Food Coalition. This means that ‘improving animal welfare’ is now listed as one of the things that Ministers and public bodies must consider when preparing Good Food Nation plans. However, there is still work to be done. Among our concerns is the lack of details and specific targets in the Bill – which will now come through in the plans stage. This makes it all the more important that we continue our work to influence these plans so they have a tangible impact on farm animals’ lives. End The Cage Age Debate We watched the UK government debate the petition led by Compassion in World Farming calling for a ban on the use of cages for farmed animals across the UK. OneKind backed this petition which gathered over 109,000 signatures, including many of our supporters. We welcomed the UK government’s commitment to bringing forward consultations on banning cages for egg-laying hens and farrowing crates for sows, but urge them to provide a clear timeframe for this to happen. We also encourage the Scottish government to work with the UK government on this, to ensure a UK-wide ban as swiftly as possible. Fundraising and Team Updates! My Giving Circle We narrowly missed out on winning in the latest grants round, but the good news is your votes carry over to the next one! This gives us a great head start and a chance to win in the new round. Please continue to vote weekly for FREE. Thank you to everyone who has helped us make it this far! Party at the Palace Party at the Palace takes place on 13th and 14th August in Linlithgow, and you can get your a 10% discount using our unique code – and what’s more, Party at the Palace will also donate 10% back to us! Simply enter the code PATP1334 at the checkout, and protect animals while enjoying a fantastic weekend of music! There are over 50 acts confirmed, so plenty of music, food and festival fun. Cryptocurrency We are delighted to announce that we can now accept cryptocurrency donations! There are more than 220 million crypto users worldwide, who donate $300 million in cryptocurrency each year. Accepting cryptocurrency donations will help us reach new supporters, and ultimately increase our income. This means we will be able to fund even more campaigns. A new team member We’re delighted to introduce you to our new Social Media and Communications Officer, Niamh, actually interned in our campaigns team back in 2017!