'Stop this cruelty' (From Penarth Times)

'Stop this cruelty'

PENARTH residents have united in a bid to ban hunting with dogs as part of an RSPCA campaign.

Locals Jackie Marshall and Julia Steinson are supporting the action, and in a joint effort have collected hundreds of signatures - as part of the RSPCA's campaign called 'A Banner for a Ban'.

Julia explained that the general public had enthusiastically signed their petition sheets. Their aim is to collect a banner of signatures locally, which will then be put together with others from all over Britain.

Julia said: "The RSPCA aims to present Tony Blair with a million signed animal pictures as a token of the strong feelings of the majority of British people against hunting with dogs." Local Assembly Member for Cardiff South and Penarth, Lorraine Barrett is also supporting the movement.

She is chairman of the all-party group for animal welfare in the Assembly and has been a long-standing supporter of a ban on hunting.

Lorraine told the Times: "Like bear-baiting and cockfighting, hunting with dogs will hopefully be illegal. Nothing will convince me that hunting with dogs is not cruel."

According to a MORI poll in January 2002, 72 percent of people think hunting should be illegal.

Julia said: "The culling of animals may well be justifiable on occasions, but hunting with dogs never can be."

She said hunting with dogs is cruel and barbaric, and added that if animals have to be killed, then it should be carried out as humanely as possible.

Lorraine said the Countryside Alliance would attempt to prevent the ban, but she added: "I hope very much that the wishes of the majority of MPs, who are democratically elected, and the wishes of the majority of people in Wales and England will be granted, and this cruel sport will be consigned to the dustbin of history."

If you want to register your support, the deadline for signatures is the end of this week. Contact Julia on 029 2063 5221 for further information.