Memorandum submitted by the Asian Hardfeather
Club
Several Asian Hardfeather Club members have
brought to my attention the very worrying proposed legislation
in the draft Animal Welfare Bill.
That legislation being to allow the police to
enter premises without warrant, search, and take possession of
animals kept for fighting even if they are not currently in distress.
The worrying phrase here for AHC members is
"animals kept for fighting". Although our birds are
not now kept for that purpose, it cannot be denied that it was
their original purpose, as with Old English Game—so where
would we stand were this proposed legislation to be passed? The
wording is ambiguous and open to misinterpretation.
It worries members considerably that there could
be open access to our birds, as neither the police nor the RSPCA
have sufficient knowledge of Asian breeds to understand that they
never look like nice fluffy chickens. They are very sparsely feathered,
with bare red skin at the neck, chest, top of wing, also often
on the legs. To an untrained eye this may look like neglect or
the result of fighting, but it most certainly is not.
It is also of great concern that if birds were
ever removed for any reason, they would not be cared for correctly.
These birds could not be put down to live happily in a nice farmyard;
they would kill each other—all in the name of animal welfare.
Exhibitors of these birds keep them because
they have a primitive beauty and nature not obvious to everyone
who sees them but as with others who keep and exhibit their chosen
breed of bird, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I would be grateful if this aspect of the wording
be considered, and made less ambiguous.
Julia Keeling
Secretary
6 August 2004
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