END OF YEAR REPORT – 2009
West Yorkshire Animal Rights Group (WYARG) was formed in September 2009 with the aim of being an active group, campaigning for animal rights locally and taking part in national campaigns. To date, we have most certainly fulfilled this role, bringing many issues to light and achieving the goals we set out too. We have also been active in supporting other movements on a regular basis, such as anti-arms trade campaigns, environmentalists, anti-fascists and others.

FUR-TRADE? NO TRADE!
Our first campaign of the year was to rid West Yorkshire of stores selling real fur by spreading information and holding regular demonstrations and boycotts against shops who continued to support this cruelty. After less than two months, we were in the position to confirm that not a single store was left in the county stocking animal fur products, with nine having ended their sale of the controversial garments, including two national chains.

To show solidarity with other groups across the country, activists involved in WYARG also attended the National March Against The Fur Trade in London and have also been attending the protests at Harrods department store. We have also helped out Birmingham and West Midlands campaigners by attending demonstrations outside Madeleine Anne, in Stratford-Upon-Avon and Solihull, who have since dropped the fur.

Coming into 2010, there is nothing we can actively do to continue this campaign due to its success, so we will be continuing sending our Store Detectors into shops across the county to find any stores who think it is acceptable to sell real fur, and if the need arises hold demonstrations in relation to this.

HUNTINGDON LIFE SCIENCES
Our first demonstration of September was at BDO Stoy Heywood’s Leeds Office due to them, at the time, providing loan facilities to Huntingdon Life Sciences. Shortly after this was held, the SHAC Campaign was informed that BDO were no longer associating by any form with HLS. Protests have also been held outside the Head Office of Teva UK, a client of Huntingdon.

WYARG campaigners continue to attend the demonstrations outside vivisection breeders in the north, including Highgate Rabbit Farm (Lincolnshire) and B&K Universal (Hull). We also recently arranged transport to assist Newcastle Animal Rights with their march and protest at animal testing company and HLS client, Sanofi Aventis.

CLOSE DOWN DOGS 4 US
In October we released the findings of our undercover investigation into puppy breeders and pet shop, Dogs 4 Us in Leeds and, again, exposed the horrific and cruel conditions in which animals are forced to live by the company. As a result of the expose, we have held regular protests at the company’s Leeds Store and have also linked up with Manchester Animal Action (MAA) who have held pickets at the main facility of Dogs 4 Us. We have also been attending the monthly demonstrations organised by the Puppy Love campaign.

In 2010, we aim to keep up the presence at Dogs 4 Us and release the findings of our 2nd undercover investigation into the company so watch this space.

STOP ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS AT BRADFORD (SAEAB)
In late November, we published our Academic Abuse investigation into the vivisection facilities of Bradford, Leeds and York Universities, showing the regular abuse and suffering which is common place inside these laboratories. It was clear that something needed to be done to end this and gain progress in the terms of non-animal research techniques, so the Academic Abuse expose quickly merged into a new campaigning group being formed, Stop Animal Experiments at Bradford (SAEAB).

As a result of the above, regular demonstrations have been held at the campus and actions, such as banner drops and publicity events in Bradford city centre, have been conducted. When we first started the campaign, the majority of people were unaware that the University of Bradford even conducted animal experimentation, but now this is commonly known on the university campus and support has been outstanding. So far, the UoB have claimed to be testing for life saving cures which was quickly shattered when we revealed that drug and alcohol addiction and psychological harm experimentation was all that was being done.

SAEB has been featured in a number of articles in local newspapers, again helping to highlight the issues at hand and also took part in International Animal Rights Day (IARD) as part of Uncaged Campaigns. Our National March & Rally through Bradford City Centre has also been announced for February 13th 2010, with hundreds of people already expected.

So, what’s planned for 2010? We aim to continue the SAEAB campaign and keep it going from strength to strength, upping the number of actions conducted. There is hopefully going to be a debate between Bradord University researchers and anti-animal experimentation scientists, plus a showing of the Safer Medicines film about medical advancements without the use of animals. When the weather gets a little warmer, we also aim to hold a protest camp at a currently undisclosed location. A new website is also to be launched, focusing in its entirety on exposing the real side of vivisection at the University of Bradford.

HUNT SABOTEURS
Almost every Saturday, campaigners from WYARG join up with other local hunt saboteur’s groups and attend the meets of hunts and shoots in the area, with the aim of preventing any kills from happening.

This has been very successful this season, however the amount of violence and provocation from those involved in the bloodsports has most certainly increased – the blame for which is being accurately placed on plans by the Conservative Party to repeal the Hunting Act. We would like to make it quite clear that no matter how much violence there is from those who partake in bloodsports, we will not stop disrupting these events and saving lives.

In 2010, we aim to continue this and the repeal of the Hunting Act will in no way act as a deterrent.

MISC ACTIONS
2009 has seen a number of issues coming to light in which we have held actions and demonstrations. This has included the visit from Circus Mondeo and also the alarmingly high number of deaths at Wetherby Racecourse. As a result of both of these, we worked with the Captive Animals Protection Society (CAPS) and Animal Aid to effectively counter the abuse and promotions put forward by those involved in animal cruelty.

TO FINISH OFF…
To finish off 2009, we would like to thank everybody who has attended demonstrations, lent support to us or helped out with West Yorkshire Animal Rights Group. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and will see you in 2010!

For the animals,
West Yorkshire Animal Rights Group xxx