Animal Crimewatch

How we investigate and our successes

Here at the League Against Cruel Sports, we are fully committed towards protecting animals from cruelty in the name of ‘sport’. Our supporter funded Animal Crimewatch is a confidential function available to report cruelty to animals inflicted by ‘sport’.

When you contact us to report animal cruelty, your information could:

Help our investigators bring offenders to justice.
Be the all-important missing jigsaw piece to complete the picture of what’s happening.
Provide statistical details to show the scale of the cruelty.
Support our vital campaigning work calling for changes to the law to improve the lives of thousands of animals.
Provide our media team with stories worthy of press interest highlighting issues to a wider audience.

Some of the animals we protect include:

Head of a fox, a stag, a bulldog, a hare and a grouse with black background

Dogs - Dog Fighting
Cockerels – Animal Fighting
Foxes - hunted by hounds
Deer - hunted by hounds
Hares - hunted by hounds and hare coursing
Minks - hunted by hounds
Badgers - (Baiting, digging out and sett interference)
Partridges & Pheasants – Commercial Shooting
Grouse – Intensive moorland & Commercial Shooting
Snares & Traps (in relation to Commercial Shooting & hunting)
Raptor Persecution (Trapping & poisoning)

Unfortunately, our charitable aims do not extend to matters that are not within our campaigns such as the neglect or cruelty to domestic pets or horse welfare.

Our Professional investigators

Our investigative work is carried out by a dedicated team of League investigators or highly skilled contractors. The work we undertake, can be dangerous and therefore we are unable to disclose details of our investigators to protect their safety enabling them to continue to operate in this challenging environment. Our professional investigative team will gather information, assess its value, analyse it and produce packages to support our work. This complex work can only be done with the support of suitable software solutions.

Even though the League has no regulatory powers to directly enforce the laws relating to cruelty to animals in the name of ‘sport’, we are collaborative in our approach and have the capability, knowledge and skills to prepare credible investigation and evidential packages to share with those who do have an enforcement capability. Therefore, on occasions, we may share the information you provide - without disclosing your personal details - with those able to enforce cruelty laws.

Report crimes to help us end cruelty in the name of 'sport'

You can contact us by:

Using our online reporting form

Make a report to Animal Crimewatch

Or telephone us on 01483 361108

Or e-mail us at [email protected]

You can give information anonymously, but it would really help us if you consent to leave your name and contact details to provide us with the opportunity to clarify the information you have provided. We guarantee your confidentiality, and any personal details we record will be kept securely, ensuring your identity remains safe.

We assess every report we receive, and where possible, we will progress your information into action. Empowered by knowledge and driven by compassion, your information may also be used to form statistical data; providing us with a holistic view of the scale of the cruelty.

“We treat all information confidentially and you may be eligible for a REWARD of up to £1,000 for information that leads to a conviction.”

Location location location

*As part of our Online Animal Crimewatch Form, we ask that if you use the free what3words app add in the 3 words to the form. This is not mandatory.

What3words is a free app for your mobile phone that allows you to provide and identify the exact location of the crime you are reporting by generating three simple words that are unique to a three square metre point. This helps us understand exactly where you are referring to when reporting wildlife crime incidents.

If you see something that you think is a crime you should also call the police on 101. If you don’t report it, the police won’t know it happened; and remember always ask for a reference number for adding to your report to us.

Some of our successes to help end cruelty to animals in the name of 'sports'

We are sure you will understand, but much of our investigation work is sensitive and we are not often able to explain what we are doing. But through our investigations there have been some momentous outcomes for animals persecuted in the name of ‘sport’.

Crimewatch: Fox hunting brutality mapped out by the League.
Posted 10th December, 2019

New figures compiled by leading animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports show the shocking scale of fox hunting still taking place across Britain, 14 years after it was banned.
Campaigns and Crimewatch: Yorkshire Water commended for tightening up grouse shooting rules.
Posted 11^th November, 2019

Campaigning organisations Ban Bloodsports on Yorkshire’s Moors and the League Against Cruel Sports have welcomed a commitment from Yorkshire Water to change the way it manages its land.
Crimewatch & Campaigns: Law needs to be strengthened
Posted 18^th November, 2019

Leading animal welfare charity the League Against Cruel Sports is calling for political parties to commit to strengthening the law on hunting.
Crimewatch: Ban for Dumfries man who admitted dog fighting charges
Posted 28^th August, 2019

Following the BBC Expose on dog fighting a collaborative investigation with the SSPCA in Scotland lead to a dog fighter being identified and convicted.
Crimewatch & Campaigns: Calls for longer sentences
Posted 24^th June, 2019

Animal welfare charity League Against Cruel Sports with other NGO’s have collaborated to call on the Government to stand by its repeated promise to increase prison sentences for animal cruelty.
Crimewatch: BBC Expose - Inside the illegal world of organised dogfighting
Posted 13^th February 2019

A three year investigation with the BBC into an international dog fighting syndicate was uncovered and exposed with links to the UK identified.
Crimewatch & Investigations: Conviction for animal cruelty shatters myth of trail hunting

Posted: 29 March, 2018

The League Against Cruel Sports investigators, using hidden cameras caught a gamekeeper for keeping a fox in cruel conditions which led to his conviction.

Latest

Chaos on Borders road as Buccleuch Hunt loses control of hounds

A member of the public was left distressed and shaken up after being caught up in a incident of hunt havoc when the Buccleuch Hunt lost control of its hounds.
Our Policies

We value every person with whom we come into contact. We are committed to providing a high quality service across all areas of the League and working in an open and accountable way.
Complaints policy

We are committed to delivering a high standard of service to our supporters. From campaigning for changes in the law to better protect animals, to providing safe havens for wildlife on our many sanctuaries, our work simply would not be possible without you.
Blur drummer takes ‘trail’ hunting concerns to Norfolk County Council

Blur drummer Dave Rowntree joined forces with fellow councillor Mike Smith-Clare yesterday in a bid to persuade Norfolk County Council to consider stopping hunts from using its land.

Working for the League

As a team, we share the same passion – to stop animal cruelty in the name of sport. We are a tight knit team and we work hard within a fun, relaxed environment. We also offer something many employers don’t – an office full of friendly dogs!
Fox Hunting

Hunting was banned in England and Wales in 2004, but the law has never been properly enforced, and attempts to weaken or repeal it continue. The hunting law in Scotland is weak, and hunting is still legal in Northern Ireland.
Hunting on National Trust Land

Many people have been shocked to learn that illegal hunting is taking place on National Trust land.
Foxes

Foxes use 28 different vocal calls to communicate, and often form a pair that lasts for life. Foxes wag their tails to greet family members - just like dogs. More fox facts here!
Why The League

Hurting and killing animals for ‘sport’ is one of the principal causes of animal cruelty in the UK: tens of millions suffer and die each year for ‘leisure’ activities. We’re here to protect those animals.
Bullfighting

Bullfighting is perhaps the most well known spectator “sport” involving the killing of animals for entertainment. It has already been banned in most countries, but each year tens of thousands of bulls are maimed, tortured and killed for entertainment across the world.
Stand up for animals Join the League

Help stop animal cruelty in the name of sport.
JOIN
Strengthen the Hunting Act

The Hunting Act 2004 is the law which bans chasing wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales – this basically means that fox hunting, deer hunting, hare hunting, hare coursing and mink hunting are all illegal, as they all are cruel sports based on dogs chasing wild mammals.
Greyhound Racing

The hidden side of greyhound racing includes dogs kept for long periods in lonely kennels, painful injuries from racing and training, illness and neglect. Shockingly, thousands of surplus dogs die or disappear every year. The League believes dogs should not suffer or die for entertainment or for the profit of the dog racing industry.
Dog Fighting

Dog fighting as a ‘sport’ was banned in 1835, as even then it was considered barbaric. But this horrific form of dog abuse continues.
It's time to take a stand against dog fighting.