I care about Animal Welfare

Here’s the text of a message I received, asking me “Do you care about animal welfare?” and asking me to complete a survey from the “League Against Cruel Sports”:

Dear Simon Platt,

I am writing to ask your views about animal protection.

Britain has some of the strongest animal welfare laws in the world, but we now risk falling behind:

• The Hunting Act, which protects wild animals from being chased by packs of dogs, is under threat, despite 84% of the public supporting the ban.
• Sentences for animal cruelty offences are extremely lenient, with a maximum six months in prison, compared to two to five years in most countries.
• Court orders banning those convicted of animal welfare offences are unenforceable due to a lack of records.

As a voter who treasures Britain’s animals and natural environment, I would really appreciate if you could take a moment to fill out this survey about your views. [link removed]

Kind regards,

Here’s my reply:

Yes, I do care about animal welfare, very much, and have done since my early childhood. I can’t remember when this subject wasn’t important to me. But I can’t understand why you think “we now risk falling behind”. Could you explain?

I followed the link to your survey, but found it to be from the League Against Cruel Sports. I’m afraid that I do not support that organisation. I think they are misguided and intolerant, and I shan’t be participating in any of their activities, not even completing an online survey.