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Dear John,
I am writing to you on behalf of Willow the owl, to appeal for your help. She and many other birds face years of suffering at the hands of humans.
In ‘bird of prey displays’, birds are transported around the UK to appear at events, where people will pay to be entertained by them. The birds are forced to interact with countless strangers and denied their freedom. All in the pursuit of profit for their captors.
To keep these birds under control, bird of prey companies use a restraint technique called tethering. Birds are tied down by their legs with a strap. They cannot fly away and can barely move from their perch. I have seen many birds desperately pulling against their tethers, trying to free themselves. Tragically birds can spend hour upon hour tied down in this way.
Right now we are on a mission to get cruel tethering banned! By sending a donation today, you can help us pressure the government to end this awful practice. You will give birds a step towards freedom.
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Willow is held captive by humans who control her life. She is put on display alongside a group of other owls, all tethered and unable to fly away, at a busy market in north-east England. She is tied down to a perch by her legs for hours at a time. People can pay to take a photo with her. She cannot fly away at will. She must instead sit and endure the loud noises of the busy market and the shoppers.
Will you take action for Willow and other birds, by sending an urgent donation today?Â
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Tied down and on display.
Image taken from the trader's Facebook page
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Willow’s captors are just one example of the many individuals and companies who use living, breathing birds as props in this way. On markets like this one, on high streets around the UK, owls and other birds of prey are tied down for hours on end. People pay money to hold the birds, to take photos with them, to watch them perform flying displays. But it is the birds who pay the biggest price: their freedom.
Right now, we are receiving reports of displays like these as more of these companies get back out on the road. As lockdown restrictions end there is money to be made. That means birds will be forced into misery once again.
That is why we need your help, to step up our efforts to ban tethering and end this industry!
By donating £10 or more today, you can be a voice for birds like Willow.
- Your £10 can fund government lobbying to push for a ban on tethering, one of the worst forms of restriction on an animals’ life.
- By donating over £10 you could equip an investigator to visit a bird of prey display, to collect vital evidence.
- You can give birds a better future, of freedom.
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By banning tethering, birds like Willow will be free of this most cruel form of restraint. Those who keep owls and other birds of prey captive will no longer be able to control them in this way, making it incredibly difficult to use them in displays. When there is no profit to be made, fewer of these birds will be bred into captivity. Birds will no longer be exploited and held captive.
I know that you feel just as I do, that no animal should be tied down for days on end. That all animals should live free. That is why I am asking you to make an urgent donation today, to take action and fight for the freedom of owls and other animals held captive.
Right now, bird of prey companies are heading out on the road and birds are suffering. Packed up in crates on the back of vehicles, to reach the next event where these birds will be tied down and put on display like objects. That is why I need your help today. Together, we can change the future for thousands of birds.
For the animals,
Rachel Smith, Investigator
(*name changed to protect identity)
Freedom for Animals
P.S. Right now, owls and other birds are suffering in bird of prey displays. Tied down by their legs to stop them flying, these animals are used as props for human entertainment and profit. By giving £10 or more today you will help pressure the government to ban cruel tethering and secure a step towards freedom for these birds.
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