Davenport to Horses: Don’t Poop on My Parade

Horses will be required to wear diapers in order to march in the Halloween Parade in Davenport, Iowa this year. “Even though horses have long been staged at the rear of the parade, their droppings sometimes become a mine hazard to those leaving the parade route afterward,” says the Quad City Times. According to the […]

Alice Barnard: New Head of Countryside Alliance

Alice Barnard, 33, has taken over the reins of Britain’s Countryside Alliance. She is not only the first woman to lead the organization that boasts a membership of 100,000, but the youngest to do so. In a recent interview, Barnard urged Prime Minister Cameron to make good on his promise to hold a free vote […]

Eastern Coyote Is Part Wolf

The secret of the Eastern coyote was revealed just this year when scientists discovered wolf DNA in coyotes living in the U.S. Northeast. The scientists hypothesize that the Western coyotes mated with wolves as they migrated eastward north of the Great Lakes across Canada during the last century. The finding helps to explain why the […]

Sportsmen Seek Constitutional Protection for Hunting

Four states—Arkansas, Arizona, South Carolina, and Tennessee—have right-to-hunt referendums on the ballot this year. Kentucky may follow. Such constitutional guarantees have already been passed in nine states: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Oklahoma, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Not all the legislation has been recent; Vermont passed their […]

Florida Bans Fox Pens

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has banned the use of enclosures in the hunting of fox or coyote with hounds. The decision, made at a commission meeting on Wednesday, September 1, made permanent the temporary ban instituted in February. The ban is the result of complaints concerning at least one pen owner’s non-compliance […]

Florida May Shut Down Training Pens

Foxhound training pens are used by many hunts around the country as a part of their puppy training program. The pens are also used by individuals who simply enjoy running their hounds. Foxes (or coyotes) are provided with refuges within the pen to allow them to escape hounds when pressed. There are rules that limit […]

Eastern Equine Encephalitis in Many States

Horse owners in Alabama and elsewhere have been advised to vaccinate against Eastern Equine Encephalitis. The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries says that six cases of EEE in horses have been found in the state and contiguous counties. Commissioner Ron Sparks said, “Heavy rainfall has made us extremely vulnerable to the spread of mosquito-borne […]

West Nile Virus Returns to California

So far this year, four horses have been diagnosed with West Nile virus in California: in Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Madera Counties. Each of the four horses was either unvaccinated or not vaccinated completely. State officials have renewed calls for all horse owners to vaccinate, warning that outbreaks of the virus are still a risk […]

British Government Confirms Free Vote in Parliament on Hunting Act

The coalition government in Britain has confirmed its intention to offer Parliament a chance to repeal the Hunting Act by a free vote. After an online petition on the Number 10 Downing Street website called for repeal, the government responded, “The Act has not been a demonstrable success. It is an unnecessary drain on police resources […]

LACS PLedges 1 Million to Defend Hunting Ban

The League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) has announced plans to sell some of its land in Exmoor to raise funds for a £1 million campaign to defend the hunting ban. This is in response to the coalition government’s promise for a free vote in Parliament on the repeal of the Hunting Act. LACS would place […]