Three innocent hedgehogs. One carrier bag. No legal protection to stop it happening again.

Dear supporters,

I’m writing with a heavy heart—but also renewed determination.

On Thursday, 7 August 2025, the RSPCA launched an investigation after three hedgehogs were discovered dead inside a carrier bag on a footpath behind homes on Coldermeadow Avenue, Corby. One male suffered a puncture wound to the head, and another had an injury to the mouth, while all three had blood around their faces—despite otherwise appearing healthy before death. The circumstances are being treated as suspicious. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czxp073vrpvo?app-referrer=searc

This is not negligence. This is cruelty—and another glaring reminder that hedgehogs remain dangerously unprotected by UK law.

Currently, hedgehogs are only protected from certain trapping methods and hunting techniques. But nothing stops someone from harming them with brutal intent—or leaving them to die silently in a bag—and walking away with minimal consequences.

That’s where the change we’re pushing for comes in.

What Schedule 5 Protection Would Do:

Make it a criminal offence to injure, kill, or disturb hedgehogs – intentionally or through neglect
Safeguard their nests and shelters from destruction
Strengthen enforcement and meaningful penalties for cruelty

How You Can Help, Right Now
Share this petition again—loudly and widely: https://chng.it/xFMxXjrNmv

Contact your MP—ask them to support Schedule 5 protection for hedgehogs
Support local hedgehog rescues—they’re often the first responders to tragedies like this
Be vigilant—if you see something suspicious involving wildlife, report it immediately

We cannot bring back these hedgehogs. But together, we can demand laws that prevent this from happening again.

Thank you for standing with me—and with them.

Maggie Wilcox

Petition Starter & Wildlife Campaigner