Victory for Arsenal – as owner drops plans to broadcast trophy hunting
Posted 8th April 2017
News that Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke has decided not to show trophy hunting on his newly launched MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) channel in the UK, has been welcomed by the League Against Cruel Sports.
Philippa King, Chief Operating Officer of the animal welfare charity which led the outcry against the planned channel when it was announced this week, said:
“I think Arsenal have just snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Launching a TV channel which glorifies bloodsports was never going to be a good idea in a nation of animal lovers. We asked Mr Kroenke to cancel his plan to show trophy hunting and that’s what he has done, so we thank him for it.
“Whether the decision was taken because his eyes were opened to the suffering of animals involved in trophy hunting, or because he realised it was a PR disaster for Arsenal football club, I don’t know. Hopefully it was the former – the world is turning against cruel sports like trophy hunting, fox hunting and ‘game’ bird shooting, so we hope Stan joins the majority in focussing on caring for and protecting precious species like lions and elephants and stops indulging the bloodthirsty minority who get their kicks from killing them.”
Trophy hunting involves the shooting of animals including lions, elephants and rhinos, all of which are threatened with potential extinction.
Photo: Male Lion on Rock by William Warby. Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)