click bold headings for more information.

Defra consultation on badgers and TB in cattle
POWA is horrified that a twelve week consultation (ending 10 March 2006) could lead to the long term gassing, shooting or snaring of badgers, for a period of up to five years.

Spread the word... boycott British butter
POWA is working with other animal welfare groups in calling for a boycott of British butter until suggested proposals to kill badgers on mass are halted

Hunting: Boxing Day compliance not defiance
Hunters are claiming they are staying within the law and support for this legal hunting has increased. Claims of support at hunts on Boxing Day seem to range from a modest 100 supporters to a mind-boggling 4000!!

New Tory leader a hunter
David Cameron spoke out during the passage of the hunting bill and them voted against its introduction, he has admitted hunting with the Heythrop during the 2004/5 hunt season, and was reported to have also hunted with the Old Berks. He has recently confirmed that in power, a Tory party under his leadership would give time for a bill to overturn the Hunting Act and allow its MPs a free vote on the issue. When the day comes, you know where (not) to put your x.

POWA's campaigning role post ban
Although delighted at the ban on hunting, which came into effect February 2005, POWA is still committed to ensuring the law is upheld and enforced.

POWA was established to campaign for a ban on hunting, and to ensure the Labour government upheld its manifesto pledges. Those aims have now been established.

Since the ban came into force, POWA has been in regular contact with Defra, especially in relation to the falconry exemption, gamekeepers' exemption and the flushing of deer.

POWA will now campaign to ensure the law is upheld. From observing hunts, to providing briefings for Members of Parliament, to ensuring antisocial hunt misdemeanours are kept in the public eye, POWA will keep the pressure on hunters to act within the law, and continue to assist the police in enforcing the ban.

More letters
POWA in the press - see the latest letters here

Click here for the Guardian's Special Report on hunting - check the Guardian's Special Report on hunting for up to date news and features

POWA supports new anti snaring campaign
POWA is working with the National Anti Snaring Campaign, calling for an end to the use of all snares. Used mainly by gamekeepers in an attempt to protect game birds, snares not only kill many thousands of foxes every year but often catch non-target species including domestic cats and dogs; evidence gathered also shows snares incorrectly set and the continued use of illegal self locking snares.

Act NOW:
Sign the petition at the the National Anti Snaring Campaign website: www.antisnaring.org.uk

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hunting banned
The Hunting Act has finally become law. It completed its passage through Parliament. The Parliament Act was triggered on Thursday 18 November after the Bill was rejected, for the second time this Session, by the House of Lords.

The House of Commons has voted ten times in the last seven years for a complete ban on hunting.   Its persistence, the will of the people and the will of elected Members of Parliament, has finally triumphed.

The Act came in to effect on 18 February 2005.   Despite the House of Commons voting for a wind down period allowing enforcement to commence in July 2006, the House of Lords dismissed the amendment thereby allowing enforcement to begin in three months time.

POWA extends its hearty congratulations to all those who have campaigned so solidly for a ban over many decades.   It also extends its thanks to those Members of Parliament who have worked so hard to see a bill to ban hunting enacted.

Wildlife reserve violated by New Forest hounds
The peace of a wildlife reserve near Linwood in the New Forest was violated (2 October) when hunting dogs of the New Forest Hounds, who were in the area hunting young foxes, trespassed in full cry into the wood.

The huntryside? Not our backyard!
Rural residents object to being cast as pro hunt sympathisers, especially as authentic polls show that the majority are against hunting.

The rabble roused
Pro hunters have been involved in a number of attacks on MPs and Ministers since the pro hunt violence in Parliament Square and the invasion of the House of Commons during the hunting debate on 15 September.   These attacks have included paint stripper over a car, demonstrations outside private houses, accusations of tampering with water supplies to a house, blocking roads, the physical and verbal assault of several MPs. And, according to the Metropolitan Police, forty eight Officers were hurt during the Westminster demonstration, injuries included broken bones and teeth.

Hunters show true colours outside Parliament
Scenes of mob violence by some hunters outside the House of Commons on Wednesday 15 September were of little shock to anti-hunt campaigners who see such threatening and vicious behaviour in the hunting field on a regular basis.   There were reports of protestors letting off flares and throwing bottles at police lines; one Policeman told of how he saw colleagues getting attacked and how the mob were attempting to throw crush barriers into their lines.

But what would you expect of people who are overpoweringly attracted by the violence inherent in chasing and killing animals and who feel righteous in threatening to break the law in order to carry on doing it?

Campaigners call for ban after filming gruesome death of fox cub
The New Forest Animal Protection Group (NFAPG) today called for the urgent reintroduction of the Hunting Bill after they filmed the gruesome death of a fox cub during a cub (or 'autumn') hunt in the New Forest early in the morning of Tuesday 7 September.
Click here to read NFAPG release. Click here for images.

This is cub hunting
With the cub hunting season now well underway, an anti hunt campaigner and POWA member describes this barbaric practice.

Bloodsports - the art of deception?
An insightful lighthearted look at the art of hunting linguistics

Spiralling lamb deaths claim
POWA challenges astonishing claims

Warwickshire hounds rampage in Broughton
Villagers infuriated as hounds invade gardens : click here for images

Heythrop hounds cause danger on roads
more road chaos two weeks after hound hit by car

Heythrop Hunt hound hit by car
POWA monitors film sickening hunt havoc incident

Heythrop Hunt in trespass 'Hat Trick'
POWA supporters witness hunt trespass

Angry village residents condemn rampage in Chadlington
POWA hunt monitors record villagers concerns

POWA details spate of hunt havoc incidents
Surge of incidents of violence, intimidation, pet killing, criminal trespass, rioting hounds and endangerment on road and rail by hunts

POWA challenges (2003) Boxing Day attendance figures
Analysis of local newspaper reports