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In this episode of The Off the Leash Podcast, Charlie Moores and Dominic Dyer look at Dorset Police’s baffling and frankly bizarre decision to halt an investigation into the poisoning of a White-tailed Eagle found dead on a Dorset shooting estate; at an FOI request from Wiltshire Hunt Sabs that found that an astonishing 53 police officers chaperoned the notorious Avon Vale Hunt at one meet in Wiltshire in early March but still couldn’t see assaults on sabs taking place in front of them; and we will look briefly at a rather clever suggestion put forward by Wild Justice about the shooting of Woodcocks.  We also name our Heroes and Villains (which once again features the divisive and unrepresentative Countryside Alliance)

But we begin with a look at newly-released figures from Defra which state that at least 33,687 badgers were slaughtered in 2021 as part of its ongoing campaign to appease the dairy industry; petition updates; and Dominic's thoughts on how shifting government priorities might see the Animals Abroad Bill shelved...

• Badger Trust |  Badger Trust outraged as latest cull figures reveal record proportion killed by inhumane shooting
• Off the Leash |  Interview #23 Tom Langton and Dr Mark Jones | Badger Culling Research
• The Guardian |  Cabinet row as plan to ban fur and foie gras trade scrapped by PM
• Raptor Persecution UK |  Poisoned eagle in Dorset had 7 x lethal dose rodenticide in its liver
• Wild Mammal Persecution UK |  The Rule of Law
• Off the Leash | Interview# 22 Wiltshire Hunt Sabs March 2022 
• Wiltshire Hunt Sabs FOI Tweet
• Wild Justice |  We ask for changes to the Woodcock shooting season
• Off the Leash | Shortcast #59 Charlie Moores  Ban the Shooting of Woodcocks 
• The National | North Wales PCC accused of ‘prejudice’ over hunting review

A conversation between Charlie Moores and Dominic Dyer about Ukraine and Russia's war.  How did we get to this disaster and what might we have learned about our humanity and our compassion for each other?

We discussed at length whether we should record this - is the world waiting for an Off the Leash statement on Ukraine? Of course not. Will a  podcast make any difference? Of course not - but we wanted to show our support for the people of Ukraine anyway, so here we are...

#WeStandWithUkraine

• Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal
• Network for Animals Ukraine Emergency Appeal

In this episode of The Off the Leash Podcast, Charlie Moores and Dominic Dyer discuss the previously fairly unknown  Conservative MP Chris Loder after the idiotic tweet he posted after learning that two White-tailed Eagles from the Isle of Wight reintroduction project had been found dead in 'suspicious circumstances' by investigatorswhich said that he didn't want Eagles in Dorset and that he didn't want the police investigating what happened to them; the idiotic footballer Kurt Zouma and his idiotic brother for posting a video of him abusing his cat on social media; the repulsive vivisection industry and the Animal Welfare Act; what links fox hunting and organised crime gangs; a couple of ongoing petitions; and we name our Heroes and Villians - but we begin with something that has again been keeping Dominic very busy...the political fallout from Operation Ark.

• Off the Leash Podcasts Shortcast #28 Dominic Dyer | Rescue the Animal Rescuers
• The Off the Leash Podcast 2.5 (OperationArk)
• Chris Loder MP Tweet "Dorset is not the place for eagles to be reintroduced" 
• Off the Leash Podcasts Live #08 | Voices against Vivisection outside ParliamentOff the Leash Podcasts  Live #03 | #FreetheMBRBeagles Protest Home Office
• Off the Leash Podcasts Live #07 | Voices from Camp Beagle
• Camp Beagle Website
• Camp Beagle Facebook page and Twitter Feed 
• Animal Aid petition  Make the use of free-running snares illegal for trapping wildlife (Deadline 09 May 22)  
• Government Petition Suspend trade agreement with Faroe Islands until all whale & dolphin hunts end (Deadline 21 March 22)
• Peta Petition Replace the real bearskins used for the Queen’s Guard’s caps with faux fur (Deadline 06 July 22)

In this episode of The Off the Leash Podcast, Charlie Moores and Dominic Dyer discuss a mix of politics, animal rights, and institutional bias. What might happen to the government's legislative animal welfare agenda if Boris Johnson is replaced as Prime Minister,  for example, and are government petitions worth signing (the answer is 'Yes'). We look at why hare coursing is discussed in Parliament but not hare hunting (both are illegal after all(, and read out a very accurate statement by the campaign group Action Against Hare Hunting which nails the reason brilliantly. We discuss a decision by Cornwall Council to continue allowing so-called 'Trail hunting' on its land and look at the Code of Conduct that should guide elected councillors. In the light of so much information emerging on the clear bias of some police officers towards hunts, is it right that the Chair of the College of Policing should also be the Chair of the pro-hunting lobby group the Countryside Alliance? We ask why Glue Traps are still available when they're obviously cruel. And we name our Heroes and Villains (once again the loathsome  Safari Club International come on for a slating).

• Animal Aid petition  Make the use of free-running snares illegal for trapping wildlife (Deadline 09 May 22)  
• Government Petition Suspend trade agreement with Faroe Islands until all whale & dolphin hunts end (Deadline 21 march 22)
• Peta Petition Replace the real bearskins used for the Queen’s Guard’s caps with faux fur (Deadline 06 July 22)
• Action Against Hare Hunting Twitter feed and Facebook page
• Hunt Saboteurs Association Hare Hunting Packs
• Interview #15 South London Hunt Sabs | Sabbing 2.0
• Interview #14 Wiltshire Hunt Sabs
• Falmouth Packet Debate on trail hunting in Cornwall at council: what happened (19 Jan 22)
• Local Government Association Model Councillor Code of Conduct 2020
• Countryside Alliance blog Nick Herbert MP is new Alliance Chairman (18 Oct 19)
• Government website Nick Herbert appointed Chair of College of Policing (14 Jan 21)
• OneKind Scottish Government bans glue traps (21 Jan 22)

In this Off the Leash Podcast 2021 Year End Special, Dominic Dyer and Charlie Moores focus on the madness of foxhunting's Boxing Day 'meets' with reference to the disgraceful attacks by hunt followers on protestors in Lacock, a National Trust owned village in Wiltshire; the Faroes and the Grind; the use of Black Bear fur in military hats; and announce plans for an Operation Ark and Operation Magic Carpet New Year Special podcast.  Sandwiched inside all of that is animal sentience, moorlands, and much more. 

We also discuss a planned series of shortcasts on snares and snaring to support the recently re-launched Animal Aid petition to ban the use of free-running snares. 

We can't really make an episode of The Off the Leash Podcast without our Heroes and Villains, and in this one we slam the fossil fuel industry, the pesticide industry, the shooting industry,  foxhunting, and the so-called Countryside Alliance, and heap praise on everyone who helped get people (and animals) out of Afghanistan and the hunt sabs and monitors who put their bodies (and minds) on the line to protect wildlife and stop wildlife crime from taking place (heroes one and all). 

Finally, we thank everyone who has supported us in our first year online, and look forward to 2022.

• Wiltshire Live Boxing Day hunt descends into violence amid protest in idyllic Wiltshire village
• Wiltshire Hunt Sabs Twitter feed and PayPal funding page
• PETA  Stop Bear Slaughter: PETA Unveils Faux-Fur Queen’s Guard Cap
• Animal Aid page on snares
• Government petition  Make the use of free-running snares illegal for trapping wildlife 
• Government petition  Suspend trade agreement with Faroe Islands until all whale & dolphin hunts end
• Off the Leash podcast Interview #12 Crustacean Compassion | Decapod Sentience
• Unearthed  Europe and the UK’s vast shipments of banned, bee-killing ‘neonics’

In the twentieth episode of The Off the Leash Podcast, Dominic Dyer and Charlie Moores focus on COP 26, the 'Conference of the Parties' climate summit being held in Glasgow this year. Dominic chaired a  ‘State of the Earth’ Question Time debate at COP which was organised by Born Free and the UK Cabinet Office, and we discuss whether the summit appears to be achieving lasting change and the feelings 'on the ground'. We also talk about some of the ideas discussed during the debate by a panel that included Will Travers OBE, Deborah Meaden, and Bella Lack: the role of storytelling in campaigning, for example, putting the climate and biodiversity crises on the school curriculum, peak travel, and the scaling-up of technology. Dominic also discusses why he thinks his Twitter account is being 'throttled' (his tweets are no longer appearing in many feeds including our own): lobbyists working to counter the campaigns set up against the slaughter of whales and dolphins on the Faroe Islands.

•  ‘State of the Earth’ Question Time Panel Debate (YouTube)
• What is COP26 and what was agreed at Glasgow climate conference? BBC News
• Petition  Suspend trade agreement with Faroe Islands until all whale & dolphin hunts end 
• Dominic Dyer Twitter feed

 In The Off the Leash Podcast #19 we discuss the Mark Hankinson trial and the verdict that said ‘GUILTY’ – guilty as hell, of course you and your huntsman friends were educating the lower ranks on how to throw a smokescreen around illegal fox hunting.  We are talking about COP 26, the global climate summit which is set against a recent analysis that found a 99.99% scientific consensus that the climate crisis has been caused by us (take that Nigel Lawson you idiot climate change denier) and that we have just a few years left to sort out – well, sort out everything: COP 26 really does represent humanity drinking in the last chance saloon - with Boris Johnson playing the role of chummy ‘pub landlord’.  We name our Heroes and Villians of course, and give shoutouts to the Emily Williamson Festival, the National Trust AGM, and Dominic's 'State of the Earth' panel debate at COP 26. But we begin with some thoughts on Sir David Amess, the MP for Southend West who was murdered on the 15th of October...

• The Guardian  Obituary Sir David Amess
• Rupert Evelyn, ITV News  Mark Hankinson: Leading UK huntsman found guilty of telling others how to hunt illegally 
• League Against Cruel Sports  Guilty! And now it’s time to strengthen the Hunting Act, 
• Hunt Saboteurs Association Website 
• The Guardian The heat is on: from the Arctic to Africa, wildlife is being hit hard by climate chaos 
• Derbyshire Against The Cull Voices from the Cull Zone (podcast)
• Emily Williamson Festival (12 -13 November) Website 
• National Trust Annual General Meeting 2021
• COP 26 State of the Earth Panel Debate (chaired by Dominic Dyer)

When we started these podcasts we both had a slight concern that there might not be enough going on to do an episode every week. We should have known better – actually we really should have known better because we’ve been working on this stuff for years. There are apparently no limits to humanity’s war with wildlife and the environment, and a case in point this week is the Grind, the disgusting slaughter of cetaceans in the Faeroe Islands, which Dominic discusses in-depth, suggesting that suspending the UK's free trade agreement with the Islands is key.  Dominic also gives an update on Nowzad and Pen Farthing. Charlie talks about the National Trust and so-called trail hunting. We have a shortcast from Luke Steele of Wild Moors. And we’ll be naming our heroes (including Sea Shepherd and 'Stop the Stink') and villains and giving shoutouts to a march in London, a discussion and webinar on the badger cull, and a Whale and Dolphin Conservation petition 'Lockdown Never Ends' which is aimed at the TUI Group .

• Dominic Dyer  Daily Mail opinion piece on the Grind
• Trade between UK and Faeroe Islands September 2021 pdf
• Nowzad Operation Ark update
• The War on Wildlife Project National Trust and trail hunting 101
• League Against Cruel Sports Trail hunting
• Wild Moors  Standard Life snaps up moorland estate for rewilding in net-zero drive 
• Stop the Stink website
• Herts and Middx Badger Group 'Voices for Badgers' webinar
• Whale and Dolphin Conservation Lockdown never ends – tell TUI to stop supporting captivity

Another special episode (as we suggested last week), this time focussing on Geronimo the Alpaca. Not an 'inside story' as such (though Dominic was of course heavily involved), instead we’re going to approach the subject in a slightly more tangential way – asking why did the media get so interested in what could have been just yet another bovine TB story, and what can we learn from that about promoting other campaigns;  looking at how Geronimo and Helen Macdonald have done so much to re-awaken the debate about bovine TB and the badger cull; and of course we talk about the self-inflicted mess that Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) has found itself in – referencing a well-attended protest that took place outside Defra's London offices last week.

• BBC News  Geronimo the alpaca: Who is he and why did he hit the headlines?
• Off the Leash Podcasts   Geronimo Defra Protest (27:07)
• Spectator TV Is an animal's life worth as much as a human's? (YouTube)
• BBC News Badger Cull New control areas despite cull phase-out
• Helen Macdonald Twitter feed
• Iain McGill Twitter feed
• Kevin O'Sullivan Twitter feed

In this one-off special episode we focus exclusively on the inside story of 'Operation Ark', the campaign set up by Afghanistan-based animal rescue charity Nowzad to evacuate its staff and animals from Kabul as the city fell to the Taliban. 

In a remarkable two week period social media lit up as people everywhere demanded action to get Nowzad staff and their animals out of danger;  British media first embraced former marine and  Nowzad founder Pen Farthing then turned against him as a government minister and his special advisor spun what had always been a humanitarian rescue mission into a false argument about putting 'pets before people'; and with an aircraft ready to fly into Kabul Airport the story became a race against time to land as air corridors shifted and the few remaining troops that controlled access to entrance gates and landing strips were pulled out.

While all this was taking place, Off the Leash's Dominic Dyer found himself becoming the public face of Operation Ark,  explaining the same points over again on multiple TV and radio appearances and - in increasingly frustrated and exasperated tones - on his own social media platforms. 

Operation Ark continues to work for the evacuation of all Nowzad staff, but with at least Pen Farthing and many of the charity's animals safe Dominic can now look back on a tumultuous fortnight, the barriers he came up against, and the extraordinarily compassionate and courageous people he found himself fighting for. As he explains in this podcast he initially had no idea how consuming the battle to 'rescue the animal rescuers' would be but felt compelled to do whatever he could because, as he reflects, "if you're fortunate enough to be part of a team like that, make the most of it - that's what makes life worth living".

• Nowzad Website and Facebook
• Nowzad Operation Ark updates
• Pen Farthing Twitter feed

Last week was notable for three things: an alpaca named Geronimo,  a report that led the UN secretary-general António Guterres, to call it a “code red for humanity”, and the unfolding tragedy in Afghanistan. We discuss all three. We also have a shortcast from veterinary scientist Iain McGill (who has done so much work exposing the government's failed 'test and slaughter' BovineTB policy), and raw audio from Dominic on the 'Rescue the Animal Rescuers' campaign. Charlie has a close look at a petition which it turns out wants 'animal rights protestors' kept off farms. In Heroes and Villains we praise the animal welfare teams working in Kabul, and slate the politicians that made such a mess of last week.  In our 'Shoutout' we give the link to donate to Nowzad, Pen Farthing's animal rescue centre in Afghanistan.

• The Independent  Geronimo's owner says she has 'new hope' 
• IPCC Sixth Assessment Report
• The Guardian  Denialism, Anti-vaxxers,  and the climate crisis
• Nowzad (winning the war for animals) website and Donate page
• The Mayhew Afghanistan

Our second episode of season two starts with a discussion of Henry Dimbleby's National Food Strategy and a look at Earth Overshoot Day (which this year fell in July).  We have a new team member - Lisa Marley introduces herself in a shortcast.  Charlie talks about August 7th's upcoming Hen Harrier Day, and Bob Berzins follows up with a shortcast about the harassment and intimidation he faces for speaking out about wildlife crime on grouse moors. In Heroes and Villains  we praise Luke Steele and Wild Moors for their work with Yorkshire Water,  student and artist Giuditta Migiani for her superb badger pictograms, and the RNLI (not a charity normally in our focus but Nigel Farage's comments were just plain stupid); our Villians of the Week are the organisers of the Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show for banning Action Against Foxhunting and the regressive 'countryside lobbyists' who want to water down animal welfare and animal sentience legislation.  Finally, in our 60 Second Shoutout we flag up our own expanding collection of shortcasts and a Defra consultation on extending the Ivory Act to cover all ivory-bearing species.

• National Food Strategy The Plan
• Earth Overshoot Day Press-release
• Lisa Marley website and Twitter feed
• Wild Justice Hen Harrier Day
• Raptor Persecution UK   Bob Berzins guest post: Organised crime, harassment & intimidation – another day on the grouse moors
• The War on Wildlife Project 'Snared' by Bob Berzins Book Review
• Wild Moors website and Twitter feed
•  Giuditta Migiani website and Twitter feed
• RNLI website and Twitter feed
• Action Against Foxhunting  AAF banned from Gillingham and Shaftesbury Show
• Defra consultation  Extending the Ivory Act

Back after our summer break, season two kicks off with a withering look at the lack of animal welfare in the horse- and greyhound-racing industries. We then turn our focus on the National Trust and its support for so-called 'trail hunting' - a cover for illegal foxhunting (which includes a shortcast from Rob Pownall of Keep the Ban). Charlie tells the dog whistlers yelling 'woke' to wake the heck up.  In 'Hero and Villain' we thank campaigners at Camp Beagle and swift nestbox manufacturer John Stimpson, and pour scorn on Ian Botham's declaration of war on the RSPB and the 'penis rockets' of Jeff Bezos and Sir Richard Branson. In 60 Second Shoutout, we highlight the new shortcasts we've recently uploaded (and introduce a new one from author and campaigner Mary Colwell), flag up Peter Egan's petition to have laboratory animals included in the Animal Welfare Act and Maggie Wilcox's petition on free-roaming cats (and we have our third shortcast of the episode from Maggie herself). Finally, Dominic trails the Oxford Badger Group 'Badger Picnic' he will be talking at.

 

• Animal Aid investigation into horse racing industry
• Founder of The Citro Glen Black shortcast
• The War on Wildlife Project National Trust and Trail Hunting 2021
• Podcast – Interview: Nick Weston, Head of Campaigns League Against Cruel Sports
• Keep the Ban website and Twitter feed
• Protesting animal experimentation  Camp Beagle 
• BBC News John Stimpson and his Swift Nestboxes
• The War on Wildlife Project  Botham declares war on the RSPB
• Mary Colwell's Curlew Media website and book 'Beak, Tooth and Claw'
• Peter Egan petition:  Change the law to include laboratory animals in the Animal Welfare Act
• Maggie Wilcox petition:  Keep cats safe and save wild lives
• Oxford Badger Group 'Badger Picnic' on August 1st

In our ninth episode, we talk about the decision by clothing manufacturer Canada Goose to stop using (Coyote) fur in its products. We discuss (in deliberately non-graphic terms) the dog meat trade and the Yulin 'festival' and focus on the role of activists in Asia:  our first guest audio comes from Dr Peter Li, China Policy Specialist at Humane Society International, who has visited Yulin many times and offers an optimistic perspective.  Charlie discusses grouse moor licencing - declaring it as 'licencing slaughter'. In Hero and Villian, Dominic nominates campaigner Emily Lawrence and the campaigners who pressured Canada Goose,  Charlie nominates activists on the ground in East Asia. For our villains, Dominic tears into the UK Fur Industry, and Charlie slates Veolia UK for destroying precious nesting habitat next to Rainham Marshes. Finally, we highlight an event at Vale Wildlife Hospital, the War on Wildlife Project's management of an 'equipment fund' for monitors on the ground tackling the 'war on wildlife, and discuss our own ‘Guests Off the Leash’ plans.


The Guardian  Canada Goose fashion brand to stop using fur by end of 2022

Humane Society International  Dog Meat Trade

Blog on HSA website  Chinese advocates lead the fight against Yulin’s dog meat trade

The War on Wildlife Project  Grouse Moors | Licencing Slaughter

Dominic Mitchell  Veolia UK destroys grassland habitat (on Twitter)

The Citro  Journalism on the persecution and defence of wildlife

Vale Wildlife Hospital  Open Day 2021

The War on Wildlife Project Equipment Fund

After the surprise by-election result at Chesham and Amersham, in our eighth episode Dominic discusses whether there is still a need for HS2 and the impact of loosening housing development controls. We highlight the new Australian trade deal and the animals at the heart of it. Our first guest audio comes from Philip Lymbery, CEO of Compassion in World Farming, who puts the case for 'cultured meat'. Charlie talks about intensive agriculture and biodiversity loss, and whether people are ready for lab meat. In Hero and Villain, we first hear from Vanessa Williams-Grey, Policy Manager at Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), on the shameful Norwegian Minke whale sound experiments, before Charlie nominates Jane Stevenson MP as Hero of the Week for her work on glue traps and Dominic thanks First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford for shutting the door on a Welsh badger cull.  For our villains, Charlie slates the JNCC for potentially removing protection from Common Toads and Adders, and Dominic spanks Mark Zuckerberg for hunting wild boar while not doing enough to stop illegal wildlife trade on Facebook. Finally we outline our ideas for 'Guests Off the Leash' and thank Twitter use 'Me' for their supportive words on social media. 

The Guardian   Lib Dems win Chesham and Amersham byelection in stunning upset

HS2 Rebellion

The Guardian   UK-Australia trade deal: what does it mean?

Compassion in World Farming   Petition: Demand a Future Free from Factory Farming

Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC)   Shameful whale experiments in Norway – what we know and why they must stop (blog by Vanessa Williams-Grey)

Change.org    Tell Norway’s government to stop cruel whale experiments

Email  Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg  postmottak@smk.dep.no

Government backs Bill banning the use of glue traps for pest control

The War on Wildlife Project  Wales | No to Badger Culling

Joint Nature Conservation Committee

Daily Mail   Mark Zuckerberg spotted on Hawaii danger hike hunting wild boar 

In our seventh episode we focus on the missed opportunities and mixed signals of the G7 meeting in Cornwall, and Dominic discusses Boris Johnson's 'green' credentials. We look at who might take over at Defra (the government department with a huge influence over what happens to our wildlife and the environment) and what signals that would send. In our third discussion point Charlie explains the thinking behind the off the leash 'Community Bulletin Board' (and even sings a few lines of 'Imagine' to make a point), and our pre-record comes from environmental consultant and journalist Stuart Spray who gives us his take on the G7. In ‘Hero and Villian’ Dominic praises Sir John Randall, and Charlie the activist group Extinction Rebellion. Continuing our G7 theme, our villain this week is the governments who have never managed to fully achieve a single UN target on the climate and the environment.  In ’60 Second Sell’ we flag up an equipment fund set up to help monitors/wounded badger patrollers etc, ecologist Tom Langton stretching his crowdfunder to fight the badger cull in court, and the remarkable fundraising work of Nick Moran and Johnny Rankin via Dovestep.

Amnesty International   G7 support for pharma monopolies is putting millions of lives at risk

The Times  How Carrie Johnson’s eco clique took control of No 10

The War on Wildlife Project  Defra’s ministerial farming and shooting merry-go-round

Off the Leash  Community Bulletin Board

Stuart Spray  Environmental Journalist

Extinction Rebellion website

Sir John Randall   A Birdwatcher in Parliament (podcast)

Convention on Biological Diversity   Global Biodiversity Outlook 5

The Guardian   World fails to meet a single target to stop destruction of nature

The War on Wildlife Project   Equipment Fund - next steps

Tom Langton on Crowd Justice  Help stop badger culling adding to England’s Biodiversity catastrophe

Fund raising for Turtle Dove conservation   Dovestep (on Twitter)

Webinar (June 17th) – ‘Voices for Badgers’ How can we end DEFRA’s ineffectual badger killing spree?

 In our sixth episode we begin by discussing fur farming, Canada Goose, and the disgusting rabbit farms that T&S Nurseries are trying to set up.  Dominic discusses an article he wrote for Byline Times looking at the poor performances of opposition parties on animal welfare.  In a section on the so-called 'badger cull', Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's Tim Birch talks in a pre-record about his shock and anger that the cull will carry on for another four years and Charlie discusses the co-opting of the word 'cull' by government, industry, and lobbyists.  In 'Hero and Villian' Dominic praises Animals Asia founder Jill Robinson, and Charlie talks about the BadgerCrowd's Tom Langton (who provides a second pre-record on the 'cull' and crowdfunding for his upcoming Hgh Court Appeal). Dominic's villain this week is Cornwall's Carbis Bay Hotel and Charlie blasts irresponsible cat owners who allow their pets to decimate wildlife during the breeding season.  In '60 Second Sell' we flag up a petition asking for a 'no take' of Spider Crabs and highlight two blogs as well as discussing Buglife's new 'bug splat' app. Finally, we discuss our plans to open up the Off the Leash Podcasts website as a 'community bulletin board'.

Refuse Planning for an Intensive Rabbit Farm in Cornwall  -   change.org/p/cornwall-council-refuse-planning-for-a-rabbit-farm-in-falmouth-cornwall

Animal Aid  Investigators find appalling conditions at rabbit farm in Derbyshire

Byline Times  Why the Conservatives Became The Animal Friendly Party

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust  Government approves badger culling to 2026 and ignores public consultation

The War on Wildlife Project   Judicial Review over beaver killing licences

Animals Asia  Animals Asia brings 101 bears home in largest ever operation of its kind

Tom Langton on Crowd Justice  Help stop badger culling adding to England's Biodiversity catastrophe

BBC News   G7 Cornwall: Protest against Carbis Bay building work

Change.org   Support NO-TAKE of Australia's Iconic Spider Crabs during their Moulting Season

Simon Mustoe Blog  Animal Impact

Stephen Thomson blog The Conservation Buddha

Buglife  New bug splatter app to reveal more about insect populations

 In our fifth episode we begin by discussing the two Brown Bears shot at Whipsnade Zoo after escaping from their enclosure and a new Born Free report looking at which species are kept by zoos. Dominic talks about the latest on the so-called badger cull. Charlie looks at the UK's biodiversity crisis in the light of a new report from the RSPB using data from the Natural History Museum. In 'Hero and Villian' we both praise Lisa Marley (who also provides this week's pre-record) and her excellent new podcast series 'Crimes Against Nature'. Dominic's villain this week is Norway's government for their plans to capture Minke Whales and torture them with sound experiments, Charlie's villains are the shooting lobbyists who have endlessly delayed replacing lead shot instead of dumping it into the environment. In '60 Second Sell' we flag up two important petitions ('Ban the Sale of Artificial Grass' and 'Ask the EU to recognise animal sentience') and finally we announce our plans to open up the Off the Leash Podcasts website as a 'community bulletin board'.

Whipsnade Zoo | BBC News: Brown bears shot dead after enclosure escape

Born Free | The Majority Of Species Kept In Charitable UK Zoos Aren’t Threatened With Extinction

The War on Wildlife Project | Biodiversity? The UK is losing it fast

Lisa Marley | Crimes Against Nature | True Crime Nature Podcast

Whale and Dolphin Conservation | Norway urged to abandon plans to experiment on captured whales

Change.org | WDC petition 'Tell Norway’s government to stop cruel whale experiments'

The War on Wildlife Project | Lead shot is poisoning Europe’s raptors

Government Petition | Ban the Sale of Artificial Grass

Care2 Petition | Tell the EU to recognise animals as sentient beings

Lauren S J Cook on Twitter 

Off the Leash Podcasts 'community bulletin board' FAQs

 In our fourth episode we begin by discussing Tuk's Law, a remarkable campaign that has made it mandatory for vets to check dogs and cats for microchips before considering euthanasia. Dominic makes a striking argument about measures to control the Covid-19 pandemic and measures to control Bovine TB. We reflect on the future of Environment Minister George Eustice, and look at how businesses might buy upland peat moors as part of a strategy to bring their carbon balance sheets down to net-zero. In 'Hero and Villian' we praise Hugh Warwick (aka Hedgehog Hugh, who also provides a pre-record) for his petition to ensure new builds include hedgehog highways and Sue Williams and Dawn Ashley the joint founders of the Tuk's Law campaign, and turn our ire on Bayer (the manufacturer of RoundUp)  because 'weeds' are wild flowers, and on coffee chains for using disposable cups again. In '60 Second Sell' we flag up two important petitions (' Mini's Law' and 'Call for Nature's Recovery by 2030') and look forward to Virginia McKenna's online ninetieth birthday party. Oh, and apologise for an unfortunate typo that meant emails weren't getting through to us...

Tuk's Law - facebook.com/Tuks-Law-Scan-Me-716932295354918/

George Eustice's speech on "restoring nature and building back greener" on Gov.uk website

Dominic Dyer - The Independent: "Lessons learned from Covid-19 must spell the end of the badger cull"

Luke Steele - "A new space race for the future of the uplands is underway"

Brewdog is now Carbon Negative

Hugh Warwick's 'hedgehog highways' petition on Change.org and his personal website hughwarwick.com

Bayer - legacy cancer claims and class actions

Petition: Mini's Law (The Public and Animal Safety Bill 2021)

Petition: Call for Nature's Recovery by 2030 on e-activist.com

Born Free's Happy Birthday Virginia!

 UK-based environmental and animal welfare campaigners Dominic Dyer and Charlie Moores are off the leash. In our third episode we begin by discussing the Queen's Speech and potential advances for animal welfare (including animal sentience, hare coursing, foie gras) and what was left out (the badger cull, the fishing industry, a commitment to ban snares). We look at trophy hunting (with a pre-record from Eduardo Goncalves, founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting) and deer shooting at English Heritage's Wrest Park (kudos Bedfordshire Against Trophy Hunting fo that story). We discuss whether Jonathan Seed, the Conservative's candidate for Wiltshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, should have ever been put forward. We take a long look at grouse moor lobby group C4PMC and supply a long list of wildlife crime/raptor persecution to counter their propaganda. In 'Hero and Villian' we praise both Dr Paula Kahumbu and the individuals who worked to return a Minke Whale to the sea, and return to Jonathan Seed as our villain of the week. In '60 Second Sell' we flag up Salford Wildlife, Colin Marshall of livingworldeducation.com, Nicky Campbell's podcast (which Dominic guested on), and the Animal Welfare Party.

War on Wildlife Project | The Queen's Speech: Conservatives – the party for animal welfare?

The Guardian | Police commissioner candidate withdraws over drink-driving conviction

War on Wildlife Project | English Heritage, Trophy Hunting and Muntjacs

Bedfordshire Against Trophy Hunting

Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting

Raptor Persecution UK | Campaign for Protection of Moorland Communities: who’s involved?

Salford Wildlife Facebook Group

Colin Marshall | Living World Education

Wildlife Direct | Dr Paula Kahumbu wins prestigious Whitley Gold Award

Nicky Campbell Podcast | One of the Family 14 May 2021

Animal Welfare Party