Drum roll! Chris Packham announced as Animal Aid’s new patron!

Chris first supported our work in 1994, giving up meat to launch Animal Aid’s Go Veggie Week.  The day of the launch was Chris’ birthday, so naturally Elaine (Animal Aid’s Youth & Education Officer) made him a vegan chocolate cake! That was the start of Chris’ switch to vegetarianism, and, more recently, veganism. In 2019, Chris spoke at our Christmas Fair, and stayed for the day, chatting with visitors, stall holders and enjoying more cake – courtesy of our friends at The Vegan Cakery!

Chris regularly speaks out for animals on social media and in the press condemning the shocking use of animals in laboratories for testing and research; the dreadful treatment of animals on farms who are then slaughtered for their meat; and the cruelty shown to captive-bred birds, as well as native wildlife, by those who want to hunt or shoot them for ‘sport’. Chris has himself become the target of threats and hate, but refuses to be silenced. At the end of last year, he spoke out against the awful abuse of animals on ‘I’m A Celebrity – Get Me Out Of Here’ advocating for animals as sentient individuals not commodities.

Support from Chris for our Government Petition to ban snares was instrumental in its success in reaching 100,000 signatures and securing a Westminster debate. We have now seen a ban on snares in Wales, with Scotland currently progressing similar legislation and Westminster consulting on the issue.

We are so grateful to the work that all our amazing animal champion patrons do, and so pleased that Chris will be joining Peter Egan, Sara Pascoe Carol Royle, Peter Tatchell and Wendy Turner-Webster – helping us speak even louder for animals.

Chris says:

“As a long-time supporter of Animal Aid, I’m very pleased to become a patron and I’m very much looking forward to working with them to put an end to animal suffering and abuse as quickly as possible. 

“I have been involved with Animal Aid’s work for a number of years now and I am pleased to support their extensive range of campaigns – from ending the use of cruel and archaic snares; to opposing the mass release and killing of millions of purpose bred pheasants and partridges every year – through to their funding of modern, cutting edge tests which will replace horrific toxicity tests on animals, as well as  helping to nurture compassion and understanding in young people through their pioneering Education Department which provides hundreds of talks to thousands of students every year. 

“Animal Aid works hard to expose animal cruelty whilst providing alternatives to end animal suffering and create a kinder, more compassionate world. 

“Sadly, whilst we claim that we are a nation of animal lovers, in the 21^st century animals still face appalling cruelty. And that’s why Animal Aid exists.”

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