Kevin Newell is the founder of Humane Wildlife Solutions - one of the only vegan pest control services in the world
The founder of a vegan pest control company has revealed that business is booming as people are becoming more sensitive to slaughter.
Kevin Newell is the founder of Humane Wildlife Solutions – one of the only vegan pest control services in the world. Instead of trapping and killing animals, his company instead deters and repels them, a process he describes as a ‘humane, vegan, non-lethal and ethical alternative’.
Volunteering with wildlife as a teen inspired him to work within wildlife protection. Now Humane Wildlife Solutions, which services the whole of the UK, has scooped multiple awards including Vegan Wildlife Business 2021.
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Vegan pest control
A recent interview with The Times revealed that ‘business is booming’ for the company, given ‘modern sensitivities to slaughter’.
In the interview, Kevin discussed how he also lobbies for wildlife, persuading public body NatureScot to allow pest controllers to ‘bring gull chicks and eggs in to wildlife rehabilitation centres during nesting season’.
As a result, around 300 of the chicks – who would normally be culled – have been saved, as pest controllers embraced the idea to rehome rather than kill the animals.
Kevin said: “One member of someone’s team had to take six months off because he couldn’t deal with the trauma of having to snap the baby birds’ necks. With my methods, everyone wins.”
Glue traps
He has also campaigned against the sale of glue traps in Scotland. A ban on the traps – which are considered to be extremely cruel, is thought to be imminent.
Speaking earlier this year about glue traps, Kevin said: “We need to start reassessing the way we look at wildlife, because these are sentient beings.
“We’re not just in a climate crisis, we’re in a wildlife crisis. We’re one of the most depleted countries in terms of wildlife in Europe.”
Would you like to make your garden more appealing to animals? Here are five ways to make your garden wildlife-friendly.
