Posted on June 26, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Dog sobs when she sees rescuer coming to save her:
We (AAU) got a call that a dog had fallen into a deep well in a village outside of Udaipur. When we arrived we found a heartbroken dog desperate to be helped.
Watch her amazing rescue on the above link !
To donate and help more fantastic rescues like this, please visit:
Posted on June 26, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT IS ABOUT TO KILL 200 DOGS.
SAV Comment – we do not have any more details other than those on the petition – which does not give that much of a story. Probably this lady is protecting strays and the government wants to kill them ?
Petition words:
For over 15 years this English woman called Janet has been saving these beautiful Egyptian dogs. She donated her life to this.
Janet, an English lady has committed her life to the street animals, especially dogs, in the town.
this page was formed to support her in supporting the street animals.
life on the streets is harsh and short, and for most dogs, and many cats, ends horrifically by poison or torture
Janet’s dream is for there to be no poisoned animals,
which means there should be no poison! To achieve this needs no dogs, or at least less street/feral dogs and cats, with protection for those that remain and for the foxes too.
sterilization, education, re-homing, a shelter for the homeless, negotiation with the local council, banning possession of poisons should lead to the end of poison in our town and a more pleasant life for it’s animals, residents and tourists,
NOW ALL THIS HARD WORK IS ABOUT TO END IN A HUGE TRAGEDY!!
WE MUST UNITE AND GET AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO SIGN SO WE GET THE PRESS TO WRITE ABOUT THIS AND HOPEFULLY STOP THIS ACT OF INTENSE CRUELTY!!!
Bears at Wilson’s Wild Animal Park—a roadside zoo in Winchester, Virginia—are confined to a concrete-floored cage, and their water trough is typically empty, leaving them with no means of cooling off during sweltering weather. We need your help to protect these bears from rising temperatures.
PETA recently sent complaints to local, state, and federal authorities requesting that they take action on apparent animal suffering at the roadside zoo, including bears who were seen panting with no means of escaping the heat. One bear was eating water- and urine-soaked food, and another repeatedly paced inside the small, barren enclosure—a sign of severe psychological distress.
The roadside zoo has been repeatedly cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for failing to meet the minimum requirements of the federal Animal Welfare Act. The violations include inadequate caging for dangerous animals, a lack of a veterinary-care program, and failing to provide primates with adequate enrichment. Eyewitnesses also recently observed deer panting in the heat, a goat with nasal discharge, an alpaca with overgrown nails, lynxes and a lion cub confined to enclosures on concrete slabs, a lynx repeatedly pacing, and birds with apparent injuries and missing feathers.
Please urge Wilson’s Wild Animal Park to provide these bears with at least natural terrain and an adequate pool to escape the heat and to consider retiring them to a reputable sanctuary.
Please take action for the bears using the link given above – thank you.
Posted on June 25, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
“Over 1 Million Dogs Being Raised for Food in Appalling Conditions”
The Korea Bizwire reported on June 23 that “On June 22, Rep. Lee Jung Mi of the Justice Party and animal rights activist group Korea Animal Rights Advocates KARA held a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido to publicly disclose the state of dog meat farms in Korea. Beginning in August of last year, an investigation into the general practices of 20 dog meat farms revealed horrifying conditions. Dogs were kept in tiny steel cages so small that the animals could not even stretch out properly.”
Please click HERE and read the article to learn more about the survey results.
Czech Republic, New Zealand, Norway, Israel, Iceland: Speak out against the dog meat trade at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics!
The clock is ticking towards the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, a nation of the cruel and brutal practice of eating companion animals.
We have a campaign urging National Olympic Teams participating in this event, to take a stand against this atrocious barbarity. Click below for the campaign pages:
Bucheon Mayor Kim Man-Soo publicly suggests that his city become dog meat-free.
On June 23rd, Bucheon Mayor Kim Man-Soo posted a message on his personal Facebook page asking, “How about our city going without dog meat?” Nami Kim had personally delivered our online petition signatures to Mayor Kim Man-Soo two weeks ago, and had a lengthy meeting with him discussing this issue.
Our petition to the Mayor is to thank him for all his efforts to end the dog meat trade in his city so far, which is virtually unheard of in Korean cities and government. It is very important to encourage him to make Bucheon the first “Dog Meat-Free City” in Korea. We would like Mayor Kim to be the example for other Mayors and Governors.
Sharing for LCA: Join the Two-Day Demo Against the S. Korean Dog Meat Trade
Last Chance for the Animals (LCA) is organizing 2 demonstrations at the Washington DC this week. Please join! Thank you!
South Korea’s newly elected President Moon will be coming to Washington DC next week to meet with President Trump. LCA will be having a demonstration in DC to urge him to end the dog meat trade now!
Please see details below. The demonstration will be held over 2 days and will be at 2 different locations.
FIRST DEMO WHEN: 10 am – 1 pm THURSDAY, JUNE 29TH WHERE: CAPITOL HILL Meet at the corner of Constitution Avenue and New Jersey Avenue – 10 am sharp until 1pm. LCA hope to deliver their message in person to the South Korean President Moon to ban the dog meat trade.
SECOND DEMO WHEN: 10 am – 1 pm FRIDAY JUNE 30TH WHERE: S. KOREAN EMBASSY Meet in front of the Korean Embassy – 2450 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
LCA will have posters and banners to hold.
Join us in San Francisco, New York or from your home!
Please join us at our upcoming events in San Francisco or three ‘Boknal’ demonstrations organized by The Animals’ Battalion in New York. You can also join us from the comfort of your home by picking up the phone.
Nothing will change without action and people demanding change. If you would like to hand out our leaflets in your city or organize an event in US, we would be glad to send you our leaflets.
Posted on June 25, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Hello Mark,
I send you the promised article about meat eating.
I have been inspired by the beautiful photo exhibition in Berlin, I have seen the topic from a different perspective!
Best regards
Venus
This photo, taken in 1963, was especially noticeable from me at a photo exhibition in Berlin.
Yes! So we always asked at the table at home: “Give us our daily bread today, Lord!”
The word “bread” was symbolic, in fact meat was mostly eaten.
Today, as then, we look at the corpses that are served on our table as the right food.
We prefer the clubs, the ribs, the bellies, the breast parts of massacred animals as our daily bread.
The meat industry, today as then, is particularly concerned with advertising on meat.
The turkey, the pig, the rabbit are nicely done and deliciously served in everyday life as in festivals.
But the greatest effort of the meat industry is that the life, the misery, the production of these animals remain invisible at all.
Even more invisible is the fact that the body of a turkey is actually the body of a child who dies of hunger because we want to have our daily flesh here.
“A child who dies of hunger today is murdered”, said Jean Ziegler.
By whom murdered?
By all who are involved in this system.
Because tragically, a large portion of the world’s food and land is used to produce cattle and other farm animals and as a food for the rich, at the same time 43,000 children die daily of hunger in the Third World.
We cannot say today, we do not know where the “daily bread” comes to our table.
And when some naive still pray to the god that their plates are filled with corpses every day, their morals and consciences have long since sold to the God of the meat-mafia.
Posted on June 21, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
It seems like a lifetime – Joanne, Mark and Trevor were out campaigning about this slaughter back around 19990 / 91. Very sadly, in this modern age, it still continues, some 27 years or so after they hit the streets.
Animal rights campaigners have reported details of the the latest Grindarap – an annual event in the Faroe Islands where locals round up and massacre huge families of whales.
The sea turned red as the blood of an estimated 150-200 mammals were sliced to death by hunters from the Danish islands, located in the Norwegian Sea.
The Grindarap is believed to date back as far as 1584. It is a method of whaling that drives entire pods of whales and dolphins towards beaches by trapping them with small boats and missiles.
The prey, typically short-finned pilot whales migrating through the Norwegian Sea in the summer, are then set upon other hunters armed with knives and lances.
There are usually a series of hunts in close succession to one another at this time of year. The whale meat is eaten by locals.
Various campaign groups have demanded that the practice, which is legal, be stamped out.
“The animals slowly bleed to death. Whole families are slaughtered, and some whales swim around in their family members’ blood for hours.
“Whales and dolphins are highly intelligent creatures and feel pain and fear every bit as much as we do,” PETA said.
Posted on June 21, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
We had never thought that such a little creature could steal our hearts in just a matter of days. Last Wednesday, our friends from Anima informed us that they had been contacted by a family that wished to give Argos up for adoption, as they couldn’t take care of him anymore. And it wouldn’t have been a problem as all of us are used to receiving numerous appeals for help of the kind, if Argos hadn’t been completely blind. The only reason that Anima reached to us is that blind cats need to live in a controlled environment, for the sake of their own safety.
During the first conversation with his owners/caretakers, we found out that he was a young stray living on the streets until he got hit by a car approximately a month ago, so they picked him up and took him to the local vet. They live in a small city and the vet in question didn’t seem to be very interested in an injured stray. Argos received just minimal treatment that helped stabilize him, but nothing more, so he arrived at the shelter on Thursday and was immediately taken to our vet.
He tested negative for FIV/FeLV and his blood work was more or less normal, except for his eosinophils which were low, the vet suspected he has a parasitosis, so Argos was dewormed and deflead right away. Unfortunately, he still has a cerebral contusion and huge hematomas behind his eyes. His lower jaw was broken and is currently healing on its own, so right now he can eat only liquid food and soft cat pate’. He is under aggressive treatment because of his brain edema and is being given injections every day plus two different kinds of eye drops as a topical treatment. Sadly, his eyesight has been lost forever. Had the local vet who treated Argos right after his injury done something, anything, to try and reduce his brain edema and had he been able to at least begin solving some of the numerous problems this lovely kitty boy had at the time, Argos would have had at least some chances to see again one day – but as the vet failed, Argos will remain blind for the rest of his life.
Nevertheless, he is still cheerful, lively and enjoys eating Gourmet cat pate’ and kibble for baby cats, as it’s easier on his broken jaw. He’s gotten accustomed perfectly to his new surroundings and we are almost certain he’ll soon be having fun with all of the shelter kitties. But until he recovers, he needs to spend most of his time in a cage so that he heals well, he is being taken to the vet every day and is regularly receiving vitamins and supplements to boost his immune system. As soon as he gets strong enough, he will be vaccinated, microchipped and neutered and he will finally become an owned cat.
If someone wishes to donate diapers, cat pate’, sauce/gravy and cat litter or to make a financial contribution towards this sweet little creature’s recovery, he will be extremely grateful! We are sorry you can’t see Argos purring and cuddling, as he would surely melt your hearts!!
Fittingly, today, 21st June 2017 is going to be probably the hottest midsummer day for around 40 years. Huge crowds gathered at Stonehenge to welcome the Summer sun rising on the morning of 21st. Stonehenge is considered to be a very special place for midsummer – The Neolithic monument is widely believed to be a prehistoric temple built to mark the movements of the sun, according to English Heritage. The heel stone and slaughter stones at the site are aligned with sunrise on summer solstice.
Even in midsummer the UK is often swamped in rain and the sunrise is not seen at Stonehenge. But this year it has been perfect as you can see from some of the photos.
The summer solstice occurs around the 21 June in the northern hemisphere and is the time when then sun reaches its highest point of the year at the Tropic of Cancer, resulting in the longest day.
This year the summer solstice will see the UK bathed in sunlight for around 16 hours and 38 minutes on Wednesday 21
Why is the summer solstice seen as special?
‘Solstice’ comes from the Latin, ‘solstitium’, meaning the stopping or standing still of the sun, and marks the first day of summer.
The summer solstice is marked with a number of festivals, feasts and rituals across different faiths, and strongly associated with fertility, growth and light.
The Christian feast day of St John the Baptist occurs within days of the solstice, while in ancient China, the solstice was associated with Li, the goddess of light.
The day is perhaps most strongly linked with pagans, who used it as a marker for planting and harvesting crops. It also marked the union of the pagan god and goddess, which was believed to create the harvest’s fruits, the BBC reports.
Why is Stonehenge significant to the summer solstice?
Thousands of people descend on the ancient religious site of Stonehenge in Wiltshire each year to see the sun rise on the summer solstice, with many dressed in flower garlands or druids’ robes.
The Neolithic monument is widely believed to be a prehistoric temple built to mark the movements of the sun, according to English Heritage. The heel stone and slaughter stones at the site are aligned with sunrise on summer solstice.
Posted on June 20, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
We stand united with our Chinese animal campaigner friends who are doing all they can to get the message across to the Chinese citizens and world about the suffering of the dog and cat meat trades. SAV.
Crackdown At Yulin Dog Meat Festival As Police Shut Down Stalls
The festival is going ahead – but law enforcement agencies are trying to uphold sales restriction.
A video showing police shutting down dog meat stalls at the controversial Yulin festival is being shared by activists and animal welfare charities.
More than 10 million dogs and 4 million cats are reportedly killed every year for human consumption in China, but the practice is becoming increasingly polarized, with many young people strongly opposed to it.
The last few weeks has seen lots of information emerging around the festival, with reports released that the festival itself had been cancelled – though these were later disputed, with Jason Baker, Vice President of International Campaigns at PETA, saying: “We have spoken with several people working within the mayor’s office, the food and drug administration and the municipal building and no one seems aware of a Yulin festival ban.”
These rumors were possibly the result of news that Yulin city was going to ban the sale of dog meat during the event. The ban, which was set to come into force on June 15 (one week before the festival begins on June 23) would see traders risk arrest and a fine of up to $14,500 if caught selling the contraband meat.
The ban was credited to Yulin’s newly appointed Party Secretary Mo Gong Ming.
‘Compromise’
Now according Humane Society International [HSI], a last-minute compromise deal was recently reached between angry dog meat vendors and the Yulin authorities, whereby vendors are permitted to sell dog meat, but are limited to two dog carcasses per stand – a dramatic reduction for most vendors.
But HSI’s Chinese partners claim to have seen a number of dog meat traders selling in quantities they believed was violation of the order. They reported the activity to the authorities in Yulin. This was then followed by a crackdown whereby the traders were told to close down their stands.
HSI’s Chinese activist partner, Sean Long, said: “It doesn’t look like business as usual at Dongkou market in Yulin. It’s disappointing to see dog meat still on sale, but nothing like the amount we’ve seen in the past.
“Business was slow at the market, with far fewer buyers. Some vendors we spoke with said they believed they were allowed to sell dog meat again, and hinted that some kind of concession had been gained from the authorities just in the last couple of days.
“However, other vendors expressed doubt that they would be allowed to continue selling dog meat for long and said that there was so much genuine uncertainty that they had decided not to order more dogs in case they can’t sell them.”
Enforcing the ban
HSI’s partner groups are also reporting that the Yulin police department has set up a temporary office in the main Dongkou market for daily inspections to enforce the order, and so HSI would encourage Chinese activists on the ground to swiftly report any violations they see.
These partner groups will continue to monitor the situation and assist the Yulin police in taking action against dog meat vendors who violate the order.
Dr Peter Li, HSI’s China policy specialist, said: “It is encouraging to see the Yulin authorities enforcing the compromise ban that they themselves struck with Yulin officials. It shows that while the restricted sales order is by no means perfect, it is absolutely having an impact and Yulin law enforcement want to be seen to be taking it seriously.
“Our Chinese partners share the frustration of animal campaigners around the world that change in Yulin is a long time coming, but they are keen for this video to go viral so that people can see that progress is being made and the dog traders are definitely feeling the pressure.
“This kind of crackdown is certainly causing vendors to hold off buying more dogs, and word is spreading.”
Take action now by signing the open letter calling for a ban on the trade. Please click on the following link to sign and read more:
Posted on June 19, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
SAV Comment – We all know from ‘Eyes on Animals’ investigations how cattle are slaughtered in Turkey. Pity the Irish Farmers Association does not get off its money laden backside and go see exactly how ‘their’ animals are killed. But they wont cos all they are interested in is Money !
Info supplied by export hero Jane.
Further contracts to ship Irish cattle to Turkey expected
7:00 am – June 19, 2017
Further contracts to ship Irish cattle to Turkey expected
Irish suckler farmers are holding on to the hope that further contracts, which would see more Irish cattle being shipped to Turkey, will be agreed this year.
The Turkish market has grown in importance since the first boatload of Irish animals departed for the Middle Eastern market back in the autumn of 2016.
Since the market opened to Irish cattle, some seven boatloads have departed Irish shores. The latest consignment was organised by the Waterford-based exporting company Purcell Brothers.
The exporting company has sent two boatloads of cattle to Turkey this year as part of a 20,000-head contract.
Last year, Viastar shipped more than 19,000 cattle to Turkey. The four shipments included both finished and weanling bulls. In a separate deal, earlier this year another Irish exporter also sent a consignment of 1,564 Irish heifers to Turkey.
And hopes are growing that similar contracts could be agreed this year.
In a statement last week, the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) said exports to Turkey are very strong and it is expected that there will be further contracts as the year progresses.
Nearly 27,000 head of Irish cattle have now been exported to Turkey. And the added competition from exporters is having a positive impact on cattle prices in numerous marts throughout the country.
IFA National Livestock Chairman, Angus Woods, said lighter carcass weights and a strong live export trade will help to negate the impact of higher numbers for the second half of the year.
Predictions suggest that 100,000 extra cattle will be slaughtered in Ireland this year and supplies have climbed by 27,000 head above 2016 levels already this year.
In addition, Woods said, live exports have been very strong this year and are up 35,000 head to reach 116,000. Over 90,000 calves have been exported from Ireland this year, he added.
Posted on June 18, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Posted 14th June, 2017
Updated: 15th June, 2017
Author: Eduardo Gonçalves
Elections can be curious affairs. For political junkies, the polling, the projections, and the posturing are their bread and butter – but away from that there is something much deeper. Elections have a way of distilling how a nation feels and what it values.
This was supposed to be the Brexit election, but in the end, that wasn’t a major issue. To everyone’s surprise, it was usurped by a different issue: hunting.
In Conservative manifestos past, the party has committed a free vote on repeal of the Hunting Act. Previously, when only a handful of Conservative MPs supported the ban, this was barely commented on. But we know that prior to this election, more than 50 Conservative MPs supported the ban. More than that, we know that the vast majority of the British public support the ban. So it came as something of a surprise when Theresa May affirmed her own support for hunting, and a repeal of the Hunting Act. What happened next was little short of remarkable.
Like never before, fox hunting became an election issue.
That’s not my just view. Buzzfeed analysed what was being shared online during the campaign. Throughout the campaign, hunting was the fourth most-shared topic, ahead of Brexit. It wasn’t just online that it was making a stir, either. BritainThinks ran focus groups with swing voters in marginal constituencies. After social care, the most commonly mentioned manifesto commitment was the Hunting Act. YouGov said that the words brought up most during the campaign were “social care” and “fox hunting”.
Candidates – both Labour and Conservative – spoke time and time again about how fox hunting repeatedly came up on the doorsteps. Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston said Theresa May’s comments on hunting were a “turning point” in the campaign. Another Conservative MP, Michael Fabricant, said that raising the issue was “very foolish”. The victorious Labour candidate in Canterbury – held by the Conservatives for decades – said it was fox hunting that swung it.
Jim Waterson, Political Editor at Buzzfeed, tweeted that “Anecdotally and based on our most-shared data, I really think fox hunting (& ivory ban) cost the Tories some marginal seats”.
At the same time all this was going on, League Against Cruel Sports supporters were contacting their local candidates as part of the Votes for Vinny campaign. Tens of thousands of emails were sent, and in the days before polling day, thousands of people logged in to the League website to see how their candidates responded to the pledges.
Clearly, hunting is not a party political issue. No party has a monopoly on compassion. Along with those many anti-hunting Conservative MPs, over 70% of Conservative voters support the ban on hunting. Party colour was not the vote loser here – the misjudgement was pandering to a vocal minority who want to see a return to a more ignorant time.
Vinny himself was in cities across Britain, spreading the word about animal cruelty. Candidates from all parties contacted their constituents – and us at the League – to say that they opposed repeal. In the final two weeks of the campaign, an additional 30 Conservative candidates, almost all of whom were elected, said that they would vote against repeal.
So, where do we stand now? Well, it is very difficult to see a repeal vote on the Hunting Act being passed. Former Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps says it “stands absolutely no chance” of repeal.
Despite the Conservatives losing seats, the number of Conservative MPs supporting the Hunting Act has increased, and is possibly as high as one third of MPs. The election has made clear how unpopular – not to mention politically toxic – the idea of repeal is.
Yet there is more work to do. The Brexit process may open the door to weakened environmental and animal welfare legislation. That must be stopped. In the last Parliament, good progress was made towards tougher sentencing for animal cruelty. That must be seen through. It is not just politicians that should now be left in no doubt as to how unpopular hunting is. In a couple of months, ‘cub hunting’ – the illegal slaughter of fox cubs – will begin again, and hunting continues under the false alibi of “trail hunting”. Public bodies like the National Trust, the Forestry Commission, and the Ministry of Defence continue to allow this on their land. The British public do not tolerate animal cruelty, and neither should those organisations.
With a hung Parliament, the election may have had an indecisive outcome, but in another way, it was utterly decisive. The idea that the Hunting Act should be repealed has been roundly rejected and the hope now is that we can move on from any notion of repeal or weakening.
The British public believes in compassion and they believe that animals should be protected from persecution. Politicians surely now accept that. It must be time, therefore, that we seek to strengthen and extend those protections.
Many people think of the small Southeast Asian country of Laos as paradise on Earth, but for many of our four-legged friends it is truly nothing but hell.
In a recent report Laos was singled out as one of the worst countries participating in the wildlife farming industry. Where small ramshackle cages filled with tigers and other endangered animals await their fate. Usually that means they will end up on a tourist plate.
You’ll be shocked and appalled to learn about secret monkey shipments on Air France passenger flights that we’ve discovered.
The monkeys were flown 5,979 miles from Mauritius to Paris, where they were held for a further nine hours, before being flown 4,138 miles to Chicago. Their ordeal lasted over 37 hours.
Tragically, the monkeys were destined for Charles River Laboratories, a company that profits from carrying out cruel poisoning tests on animals.
While holidaymakers were enjoying their flight in comfort, they would’ve been totally unaware of the suffering just below their feet. 120 monkeys, torn from their families and imprisoned in small wooden crates, were suffering in the dark and noisy cargo hold.
Air France are the only European passenger airline still transporting monkeys for research. This must stop!
Foie Gras is not allowed to be produced in the UK on animal cruelty grounds, but is imported as a so called ‘delicacy’ by selected stores. The aim of this petition is to demand that the UK bans the importation of all Foie Gras.
Foie gras is a ‘delicacy’ made from the diseased liver of ducks or geese who have been repeatedly force-fed. Animal Equality investigations in France and Spain have revealed the extreme suffering that millions of ducks and geese endure on foie gras farms
Please sign the petition demanding a UK import ban on foie gras.
The President does not want to visit the UK until the public supports him, sources say
Donald Trump has reportedly told Theresa May that he does not want to visit the UK soon for fear of large-scale protests against him.
Ms May invited Mr Trump to Britain seven days after his inauguration. Now he apparently wants to wait until the British public supports him coming.
The US President made the admission in a recent phone call to the Prime Minister, a Downing Street adviser who was present for the call told The Guardian. The aide said Ms May seemed surprised.
Mr Trump – never a favourite among British voters – stoked outcry in recent weeks for attacking London Mayor Sadiq Khan in the wake of terrorist attacks in the city.
The President ridiculed Mr Khan’s calls for calm, and later condemned the Mayor’s “pathetic excuse” for his statements.
The comments drove even Ms May to say that Mr Trump was “wrong”. Some MPs – and Mr Khan himself – suggested she cancel Mr Trump’s visit to the UK.
“Show some bottle please PM,” David Lammy, senior Labour MP, tweeted. “Cancel the state visit and tell Trump where to get off.”
Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, has also expressed his support for cancelling the trip.
A spokesperson for Ms May, however, told Reuters that “the Queen extended an invitation to President Trump to visit the UK and there is no change to those plans”.
British police stopped sharing intelligence with the US about the Manchester terrorist attack after photos of the investigation were leaked to the media.
The Foreign Office was also reportedly upset with Mr Trump’s decision to remove the US from the Paris climate agreement.
Mr Trump did not visit the UK on his first foreign trip as President, choosing instead to visit Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the Vatican. He also attended summits in Italy and Belgium. The White House recently announced that his next foreign trip will include a visit Poland.
Businessman Woody Johnson has been named as the new US ambassador to the UK, but the President has yet to formally nominate him.
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.
· Oppose “climate mitigation” projects in the Gulf of Mexico that could keep mother sea turtles from nesting beaches, such as the nightmarish Ike Dike, a massive sea wall along our coast that would impact critical Kemp’s ridley turtle habitat.
· Spearhead efforts to re-establish a nesting colony for Hawaiian green sea turtles, creating a second beachhead to guard against sea level rise at their primary nesting site.
· Mobilize thousands of activists to defend national laws that reduce carbon emissions and fight against oil and gas drilling projects in our oceans.
Together over the past 25 years, we’ve stared right into the eyes of some formidable opponents to protect the sea turtles – international trade organizations, powerful governments, and vested fishing interests. And we’ve won real change.
Painted Lady butterflies to grace Alberta with rare migration
Throngs of the soft pink beauties have begun epic trip north
A rare kaleidoscope of painted-lady butterflies will invade Alberta this summer, during an epic migration that only happens every 10 to 15 years.
It’s been a dozen years since the province was last inundated with the dainty insects.
“We get used to migrating birds coming north and south every year like clockwork, but some butterflies are not like that at all,” said John Acorn, a naturalist known as the Nature Nut.
“And the painted lady is a great example.”
The colourful butterflies breed in the southern United States, parts of Mexico and Central America.
Their migration into Canada is dependent on weather conditions and the health of those southern populations, said Acorn, a professor with the department of renewable resources at the University of Alberta.
‘We expect to see our fill’
“As the population grows, the butterfly population becomes more migratory and they just stream north,” Acorn said. “The bigger the population, the stronger the migration.
“We generally see a couple every year, but this year we expect to see our fill.”
The painted lady is easily identified by pointed, salmon-pink wings, with intricate dark markings and row of five eyespots on the outer edges of the hind wing.
“The painted lady is more pinkish-orange but the butterflies that are arriving now are a little bit faded,” Acorn said. “They’ve flown who knows how many hundreds, if not thousands of kilometres, so they’re not looking their best.
“The butterflies that emerge in July will be much snappier looking.”
Taking flight
It’s not known exactly how many of the insects are expected to fly into Alberta this summer. But there will be ample opportunities to catch a glimpse of them before they fly south again or perish in the cold, said Acorn.
The butterflies arriving now will be laying their eggs on thistle flowers in a few weeks.
“I don’t know how long they’re going live, maybe a month or two if they’re lucky,” Acorn said of the butterflies soon to emerge from cocoons.
“There is some suggestion that they migrate south again at high altitudes before winter so it may be that they get out of here before it gets really ugly, although I have seen painted ladies into October and they didn’t seem to get that this is Alberta and they should get out.”
There is a great deal of rumour and counter rumour as to what exactly the real truth is regarding the Yulin festival this year.
As you will see from the many links we have provided in the above (link), much of the press and AW organisations are under the impression that the Yulin festival will be much tighter controlled this year.
But we have been informed by Animals Asia who are based in the region that things may not be as good as publicised. Please read the following statement from them. We are desperately attempting to getmore info, but it is difficult regarding the location and authorities involved. We do place a lot of belief in what AA are saying, although we desperately hope that this is incorrect
If we do get any further updates then we will be publishing on this site – SAV.
From Animals Asia –
Rumours that dog meat sales would be banned in the run up to this year’s Yulin dog meat festival have been denied by the city authorities.
Last month, rumours began circulating that this year’s Yulin dog meat festival would not be allowed to take place due to a government ban on the sale of dog meat in the week leading up to the summer solstice.
However, on the day the ban was rumoured to begin, the Beijing News reported that the Yulin city authorities had denied the existence of any dog meat ban.
Speaking to the paper, staff from the Yulin Publicity Department of the Municipal Committee claimed the event is not authorised by the government and therefore they have no right to call it off.
They also confirmed that the city authorities did not publish any policy on a dog meat ban and did not know where the rumours had originated.
The people of Yulin eat lychees and dog meat to celebrate the summer solstice. The celebration was briefly formalised by the authorities as the Yulin Lychee and Dog Meat Festival in order to boost the local economy, but due to both internal and international condemnation, the government distanced themselves from the event in 2014.
Since losing official backing, the event has continued as an informal activity.
This year, rumours claimed the ban would begin on 15 June and continue until either 21 or 22 of the same month. In 2017, the summer solstice falls on 21 June.
Animals Asia has spoken to sources in Yulin who have reported that dog meat traders in the city’s Dongkou market were publicly selling dog meat on 15 June, as they do every day.
Animals Asia’s Cat and Dog Welfare Director Irene Feng said:
“It seems likely there will not be an overt ban on dog meat sales in the city of Yulin during this year’s summer solstice. However, we do believe that the government has had enough and wants to end the global association of Yulin city with the minority practice of eating dog meat.
“The will may be there – but as long as dog meat eating is legal in China it is difficult for any one locality to issue its own ban.
“It’s possible that this year the Yulin government did indeed try to implement a soft ban and issued it verbally, but due to the leak their intentions to be discrete were made more difficult.
“In any event, what the situation crystalises is that the international attention given to Yulin for one week of the year is becoming a distraction from the much larger issue of the dog meat trade’s activities every single day of the year across the country. That is the real issue and it requires a consistent and holistic approach – it can’t be solved in a week.”
Reports of the number of dogs slaughtered during the summer solstice in Yulin vary wildly and should be treated with caution but most observers put the number between 1,000 and 10,000.
In contrast, the dog meat trade is estimated to be responsible for the deaths of 10 million canines a year across the entire country.
A long-term Animals Asia investigation into the dog and cat meat trade in China found widespread illegality and public health concerns. The investigation, released in 2015, found no evidence of any large-scale farms, fuelling long-standing accusations that most meat dogs are stolen pets and strays.
Many of these animals are poisoned during capture or have no proof of origin and vaccination histories as required by law – raising serious health concerns.
With so many pets being stolen and inadequate police action taken, vigilante violence has become common with both dog thieves and owners being killed in brutal confrontations across the country.
Animals Asia, via Ya Dong – a consultancy wholly owned and advised by the Hong Kong-based NGO – deploys a holistic approach to ending the cat and dog meat trade which runs year-round.
‘Springwatch’ has been on UK television every night for the last few weeks. It is broadcast live and is intended to get viewers to get closer to British wildlife. The presenters are very good and very knowledgeable about all wildlife subjects.
There are several live cams – access to live cameras installed adjacent to bird nests etc. We are giving the links here and hope that non UK visitors can access them ok. There is some great wildlife footage – so click and enjoy.
Target: Cao Jianming, Procurator-General of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of the People’s Republic of China.
Goal: Demand that the zoo owners who fed a live donkey to tigers be punished to the maximum degree.
Angry shareholders in a Chinese zoo fed a live donkey to tigers as a way to protest a court’s decision they didn’t like. The shareholders stated that they voted in favor of this horrific act because the court froze the zoo’s assets and they were no longer receiving profits. Demand justice for this innocent donkey torn to bits by tigers.
Shocking video footage showed the men pushing the frightened donkey down into the tiger enclosure. The tigers pounced on the donkey almost immediately and mauled it for thirty minutes before it finally died. The shareholders also planned to send a sheep into the enclosure, but zoo officials stopped them in time to save the sheep.
Officials at Yancheng Safari Park issued an apology, stating that they are working on improving their safety standards. They will be holding a meeting to “calm shareholders’ nerves.”
However, this horrific act of cruelty cannot go unpunished. Sign below and demand that these shareholders face legal charges and receive the maximum penalty.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Procurator-General Cao,
A donkey suffered tremendously and died after a zoo’s shareholders fed it to tigers. Video footage showed the donkey resisting while men dressed in red robes forced it into a tiger enclosure. We demand justice for this innocent donkey.
Visitors looked on in horror as the tigers mauled the helpless donkey to death. Per witness reports, it brayed in pain and desperately tried to get away. The shareholders stated that they sacrificed the live animal in protest of the court’s decision to freeze the zoo’s assets.
This poor animal did not deserve to suffer a cruel death in the name of protest. We demand that you bring charges against the men responsible and punish them to the maximum degree.
If the news is true, which we believe IS TRUE judging all the current press, then this will stop the slaughter of thousands of dogs and cats at the festival which is due to commence on 21/6/17.
We are so pleased that at long last, China now seems to be really getting it together for the better welfare of animals. Is this action going to lead the way for a more major ban of the dog meat trade ? – what next – we desperately hope that bear bile farming is next in line for the ban. China – moving forward with animals – President Trump’s actions for animals ? – we say no more !
SAV.
We are getting early reports in that the consumption of dog and cat meat at this years Yulin festival, which takes place around June 21st on, has been BANNED
At this moment, information is still mixed, but there is a lot of positive media and publicity which says that a ban could be in place.
What we are told – The ban has been initiated by Mr. Mo Gong Ming, Yulin’s new Party Secretary, and will come into effect on June 15, one week prior to the festival that begins on June 21.
Several animal rights activist groups are saying that vendors and restaurants have been told no dog meat will be allowed to be sold during this year’s festival nor in the days running up to it.
California-based campaign group DuoDuo said they had heard this from “several reliable sources in Yulin”, calling it “a crucial domino on the road to topple the dog meat industry”.
The Humane Society International said that “if this news is true as we hope, it is a really big nail in the coffin for a gruesome event that has come to symbolise China’s crime-fuelled dog meat trade”.
And read a lot more from international press about the issue – there appears to be a lot of press and media now announcing that a ban is to be imposed at the festival.
Posted on June 12, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Dear Mark,
The past few months have seen one of the most notable victories in New Zealand animal protection history where our largest supermarket chain, Countdown, has committed to phase out cage eggs.
This game-changing victory for hens is due to your months of tireless campaigning – contacting your supermarket, speaking out on social media, signing petitions and supporting SAFE’s tv campaign. When we asked for your help to free hens from cages, you didn’t just step up, you leapt up! Your determination and compassion has changed the lives of 400,000 hens.
A life of compassion and advocacy begins with an understanding of animals, and a confidence to speak up for them. We are particularly proud of the Safe Animal Squad, our club for children aged 8 – 12 years. More than 300 bright, caring Kiwi kids have already joined, and we are excited to offer them information and a meaningful connection with other club members through a new website created just for them.
Posted on June 12, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
This is typical of the problems so many animal welfare organisations in Serbia have with authorities. They try to do everything correctly and every time the authorities and government just want to threaten them and take further actions, with the constant threat of closing them down and turning animals back onto the streets; or simply taking them and killing them all.
We are being informed of ongoing updates to this situation. At present we are not becoming directly involved as many supporting groups from Austria, Germany, France, Slovenia and Switzerland are already involved. We will add out voice if necessary.
I am writing you in the hope that you can help us to realize our rights and protect the rights of those who cannot do it for themselves. We have, since 2013, been running a ”Lassie dog shelter” project, designed as a temporary shelter for the most vulnerable dogs without a home, with no intention at all to work in the field of veterinary and utility services of zoo hygiene or anything similar to that, providing emergency accommodation for dogs instead. In addition to that, we have worked on educating the population and spayed/neutered a large number of privately-owned dogs and cats.
During these four years we have been trying to resolve the administrative part of the whole story, we have finally reached the end, the most disputable moment was that of legalization of facilities, we have submitted complete documentation, paid due fees per square meter of facilities, etc. … In any case, the local government REFUSES to issue us a decision on legalization. As to his political opponent, the president of the municipality has, in public, before witnesses, told me that as long as he was in office, I would not get that decision. It is, directly, an obstruction for me in the process of registering the dog shelter with the Ministry of Agriculture, and he knows it.
On the other hand, he keeps sending a municipal inspector who sends us to a magistrate and that goes on in circles. In this way, the local government hinders us from registering the dog shelter although it meets all the legal requirements and we have paid all the fees.
I am sending you this link so that you know what it is that we do.
Austria, Germany, France, Slovenia and Switzerland have participated in this project, we are the only ones in the Balkans who do this.
The Croats and the Macedonians have similar projects, working with cats, and we are the only ones who work with dogs.
Of course, as it often goes in the province, all the local self-government does about the problem of abandoned animals is either done the way it used to be done back in 1946, or contrary to the Constitution, the law and common sense.
The local government has an unlawful contract with “Avenija MB“, a firm from Vrnjacka Banja which is 700 km away from Bač, to provide veterinary and utility services of zoo hygiene. A large number of animals and a lot of money dissapear. My concern is that I would like our project to succeed, so that three or four years of joint efforts of a number of dog protection associations from several European countries do not, just like that, remain burried under a bunch of bureaucratic negligence and forgotten.
Thank you in advance for any advice or contact details of institutions or persons that could help us. Thank you for your time.
Posted on June 10, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Well it has been absolutely disastrous for the Conservative Party to hold a (national) election. PM Mrs May wanted to increase her majority so that she could move forward into Brexit negotiations next week with a strong majority. Instead she scored a huge own goal and actually lost many MP’s – not because of Brexit but because the British public could not stand some of her new (proposed) policies
A return to a free vote (as wished by Mrs May) in the House to bring back hunting was one such topic. As a result of this self inflicted own goal – (she did not have to have an election for another 3 years) – Mrs May’s future as the Prime Minister is now in doubt.
See the following article from the Telegraph – which is one of the most Conservative supporting newspapers in the UK:
So hopefully with all this trouble and now less MP’s rather than more (to try and get a hunting supportive majority); it now looks as if hunting will remain banned and that the ‘Vinny’ campaign by the LACS was effective.
See here what the ‘League Against Cruel Sports (LACS)’ views on it all are:
On what is quite a remarkable day for British politics, we just wanted to say thank you.
As someone who cares about animals, you have played a major role in this election campaign.
If you Voted for Vinny to contact your candidates, you were one of many who made sure that those standing for election knew exactly how strong feeling is on our key issues. In fact, around 85,000 emails were sent to candidates! Many of those candidates told us that they received more communication about hunting than any other issue.
Vinny himself toured the country from one end to the other. We understand that some people didn’t really like the campaign – all the best campaigns are a bit ‘Marmite’ in that they are loved or hated! – but it did enable us to reach out to people beyond our normal supporter base. The more people who understand how vile hunting really is, the more will join us in ensuring that it is never made legal again.
Alongside the Votes for Vinny campaign we continued our usual work in the media and in Parliament. Our polling showing that 84% of the public are opposed to legalising fox hunting was published everywhere. We know that some pro-hunting candidates publicly switched their position, potentially because of this work.
We also commissioned a poll which showed that half of all voters would switch their vote to a candidate of another party if the local candidate from their preferred party was pro-repeal. That’s quite a devastating figure when you consider how close the election was. This information will help us understand the scale of the threat against the Hunting Act.
Other polling showed that hunting was one of the most talked about issues of the entire election, second only to social care. Hunting was truly a hot topic, and I firmly believe the League can take a lot of credit for keeping it in the public eye.
But to the future – what will the election result mean? Honestly, we don’t know yet!
There is a chance that hunting has become so toxic that no government will touch it for a while. But there is also the threat of an attempt to re-write environmental legislation – including the Hunting Act. Meanwhile, the hunters who continue to defy the law will be out and about– starting with cub hunting season in just a few weeks.
Our work continues, and we continue to rely on your support. This election could be a turning point for animals. But there is so much more we can achieve together in bringing cruel sport to an end –who knows what mountains we can climb.
So once again, from Vinny and all the other animals you’re helping – thank you!
Posted on June 9, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Spring is now quickly turning into summer and keeping a cat shelter with around 130 residents going is still a full-time job and then some.
All of the cats are fed wet canned food once a day and then their dishes need to be thoroughly washed and filled with kibble alongside bowls of clean drinking water that are kept full all day long. T
he litter boxes that are kept inside and the two spacious outdoor litter boxes have to be cleaned two times a day, the floors of the cats’ rooms are being washed every morning and all of the kitty beds and pillows are shaken out. The chronically ill cats are constantly being given drugs and require being fed a veterinary diet; moreover, taking the sick kitties to the vet every day has already become a routine.
All in all, the expenses of keeping the shelter afloat are enormous and donations (which are usually few and far between) aren’t able to cover even a significant part of the sum needed every single month. We are forced to ask, beg and plead for help to purchase the canned wet cat food regularly, as we spend around 600 euros on wet cat food alone every month. Also, there is a worker who comes to the shelter twice a day and needs to be paid 200 euros per month, and in the case that we couldn’t afford to pay for her valuable and hard work, there would be no way to keep the shelter as clean as it is right now. We’ve exhausted our personal resources a long time ago, so now the shelter relies on the generosity of cat lovers from all over the world. If we are going to survive, we simply have to raise 800 euros each and every month for the maintenance of the shelter kitties.
Please, consider a donation of any amount and make a difference in their lives today! Every little bit really means a lot!
A couple of days ago, we first learned of Ebony’s existence from an e-mail we received which said that she was a young and cuddly stray that had been hit in the street and had “some broken bones” in the pelvic area, but the person who had found her couldn’t take care her for much longer, so we were supposed to step in.
The first news we received when we talked to the vet wasn’t good, as the X–ray exam showed that Ebony had a spinal fracture, several broken vertebrae and a dislocated pelvis. However, by the time we got to the ambulance to see her, she was able to stand up on all four legs and even took a few unsteady steps. Her spinal fracture is old, caused by either a hard blow she may have received when she got hit by a car or she even could have been kicked by somebody, and it’s highly probable that the same thing happened to her again when her pelvis got dislocated, as it’s usually the result of a traumatic injury.
In order to recover, Ebony will need at least eight weeks of cage rest, high quality cat food (she isn’t exactly in great shape at the moment) and Gabagamma capsules given regularly as a supplement. Luckily for her, she tested negative for FIV/FeLV.
If you could help us cover the costs of Ebony’s care please do so!
This tiny kitty girl and everyone here would be sincerely grateful!
Above – Help us get essential repairs done with a donation please !
Posted on June 4, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
I had a very nice e mail from Erika last week thanking me for putting the videos of the rescues by AAU (India) onto SAV. They are more than welcome for promotion of their great work and I said this to Erika in my response mail. (Mark – SAV)
So here is another couple of videos showing many of the excellent team at AAU – we know you will enjoy it and we hope that it will be a great inspiration to many the world over to get out and do anything they can to help animals.
Watch what it takes! A tribute to the loving caregivers at Animal Aid Unlimited.
You can see the video of AAU work which we posted recently by clicking on the following link – there is also a donation link here so that you can support their rescues if you wish:
You can see a lot more amazing rescue videos by just typing ‘Animal Aid Unlimited’ into the ‘Search’ box upper right on this site – then you should get access to all our old posts and videos relating to the rescue work of AAU.
For the team AAU of India.
If you look at the videos, you can feel a spontaneous admiration on two things:
On the ability of the rescuers to become even with very serious rescue processes. They deal with enormously difficult cases, which in Europe would only be undertaken by qualified forces, e.g. Fire brigade or animal rescue teams. That is the one thing.
The other is the expertise of veterinarians. It is felt that they can save almost everyone. Where are such veterinarians in Germany? We should send some to India, so they learn. Alone when my cat has diarrhea, usually takes a week, until my doctor gets the handle. And the Indian veterinarians even heal with deeply burned skin, which is destroyed to the muscles.
But there is also something else: the incredibly fast ability of the animals to overcome their shock, their trauma, their physical and mental injuries. We humans, in the similar case, would probably never recover from it.
But for this, all animals are capable, not just the victims in India. Animals have a strong mental world, have patience and courage when they suffer. And as soon as they are freed from their suffering, they forget it much faster than we humans and look forward to their new, happy life.
Such abilities we humans have no longer, or perhaps never had anyway.
We can learn a lot from animals.
And also from the innovative working methods of the AAU activists in India.
For the next several years, politicians will be battling each other about how to address climate change globally.
But the science tells us we need to act now. Sea levels are rising at sea turtle nesting beaches. Hatching success is diminishing due to hotter, drier sand. If we don’t act, we could lose sea turtles to extinction.
Join Turtle Island in fighting climate change through the simple act of planting a tree.
Well now an excellent approach, non Korean citizens
are being allowed to contact the President to
express their animal welfare concerns.
President Moon accepts foreigners’ complaints.
Send yours TODAY!
The Korea Times reported on May 26, 2017 that “Foreigners now have an official window to deliver their complaints directly to the central government, but they must be in a written format without a personal consultation. President Moon Jae-in opened on Thursday Gwanghwamun 1st Street, an outdoor pavilion comprising blue modular spaces, next to the Government Complex in Gwanghwamun, where visitors can leave their comments about the new administration.
Comments can also be submitted online to a website launched on Friday….
Foreigners can submit their comments in their own languages to staff at the pavilion or via the email indicated on the website gwanghwamoon1st.go.kr”
This is the chance to send our message to the President of South Korea, that we are against Korea’s cruel dog and cat meat trade.
President Moon is more interested in improving the welfare of Korean animals than his predecessor. So let’s take full advantage of this opportunity to make it very clear that people from all over the world are asking Korea to stop the killing and eating of animals, which are universally considered as companion animals.
Deadline for submitting your complaint is July 12, 2017. President Moon will report back at the end of August.
Please copy the following, SIGN at the end, include your nationality, and then forward your response to:
저는 대한민국에서는 반려동물을 고문하고 잡아먹는다는 사실을 접하고 엄청난 충격을 받았습니다. 산재해 있는 소셜 미디어를 통해서 한국에 있는 아무런 죄 없는 개들이 고문 당하고 죽임 당하는 끔찍하고 가슴 아픈 장면이 담긴 사진과 동영상을 매순간 접하고 있습니다.
비록 한국이 반려동물에 대한 동물보호법을 제정했지만 개들은 여전히 개농장 주인과 도살업자에게 구타당하고, 목 매달리고, 감전되고, 잔인하게 취급 당하고 있습니다. 또 보약이라는 미명하에 아직도 개와 고양이를 산채로 끓는 물에 집어넣고 있습니다. 아무런 의학적 효과가 증명된 바 없음에도 불구하고 무지하고 잘 속아넘어가는 사람들은 여전히 효험이 있다고 믿고 있습니다.
이러한 관행은 오늘날 어디에서도 찾아볼 수 없는 일입니다. 대만이나 필리핀 같은 다른 아시아 국가들은 이미 개고기와 개고기 관련 산업을 금지시켰습니다. 한국이 왜 이러한 나라들이나 다른 문명 사회보다 뒤쳐진 채로 남아있는지 이해할 수가 없습니다.
한국에서 이 잔인하기 짝이 없는 개고기 산업과 고양이로 만든 보약 산업을 영원히 근절시키는 것은 대한민국 정부의 책임입니다. 이와 관련된 산업과 혐오식품을 둘러싼 어리석은 괴담과 주장을 떨쳐버릴 때입니다. 낙후되고 불필요한 전통은 과감히 버릴 때입니다.
그리고 동물복지 문제를 심각하게 받아들여서 한국 사회가 자비롭고 윤리적인 사회라는 것을 보여줄 때입니다. 즉, 한국 정부가 대중들에게 반려동물의 중성화의 중요성, 유기금지, 동물에 대한 적절한 취급에 대해 더 나은 교육을 시작할 때라는 뜻입니다.
그렇지 않으면 한국은 국제사회에서 계속해서 나쁜 평판을 이어가게 될 것입니다. 한국 국민들 역시 수치와 곤란함을 겪게 될 겁니다. 한국이 근대화되었고 국제화된 사고를 도입하려 함에도 불구하고 여전히 “제3세계 후진국가”로 인식될 것입니다.
평창에서 개최되는 2018년 동계 올림픽 게임이 다가오고 있습니다. 이 행사 전과 과정 중에 전 세계의 관심이 한국에 집중될 터인데 아무쪼록 이 야만적이고 잔인한 관습에 종지부를 찍을 수 있도록 온 힘을 다해주시기를 요청드립니다.
저는 개와 고양이에 대한 학대가 한국에서 완전히 사라지기 전까지 한국 제품을 구매하지 않을 것이고 한국 회사를 이용하거나 한국을 방문하지 않을 것입니다.
ADD Your name and nationality.
Other actions:
NEW PETITION – Please sign and share!!
We Support Dr. Woo Hee-Jong for the Minister of Agriculture,
Livestock & Food in South Korea.
We support Dr. Woo Hee-Jong, Professor at the Seoul National University,
to be the Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food
in South Korea.
Dr. Woo is a veterinarian and against dog meat consumption.
If he becomes the Minister, he can de-list dogs from the
livestock list, which are animals approved for
human consumption.
We Support Dr.Woo Hee-Jong for the Minister of Agriculture,
Livestock &Food in South Korea:
Give your support to Dr Woo Hee-Jong and the new South Koren President by
The president’s reckless move threatens more than just the environment—it hurts the economy and puts national security at risk.
On the heels of a contentious summit with G7 partners, President Trump announced today that he will pull the United States out from the landmark Paris climate accord, the global agreement to battle climate change that 195 countries signed on to in December 2015. The United States will join only two other countries—Syria and Nicaragua—as non-participants.
“This is a grave mistake that hurts our country—starting now,” NRDC president Rhea Suh said. “Trump’s extremism has isolated us from the global coalition we helped to create—with China, Germany, India, Japan, and 190 other countries—to fight the central environmental challenge of our time. He’s sidelined American workers in the economic play of our lifetime: the clean energy boom that is remaking the world economy. And he’s abandoned our children to climate catastrophe.”
Indeed, withdrawing the United States from the climate agreement will turn us into a global pariah and destroy our international credibility, threatening not just our environment but also our national security. At home, our economy also stands to take a hit: Trump’s decision puts more than a million clean energy jobs at risk. In signing the Paris climate agreement, the United States, the second-largest polluter on the planet, committed to reducing its carbon emissions by 26 percent to 28 percent in a decade. Our withdrawal from the agreement will undo years of progress made toward achieving that goal.
“It’s on us now—state and local officials, business leaders, educators, consumers, and moms and dads—to help keep the promise of Paris alive,” Suh said.
Greenpeace (UK)
Hi Mark,
These are words I hoped I wouldn’t have to write — last night, Donald Trump announced he’ll abandon the Paris climate agreement. In a move that’s been called “one of the most reckless and reprehensible decisions ever made by a US president”, Trump is trying to take a sledgehammer to plans to tackle the global climate crisis. But if Trump thinks we’re going to stand by while he puts our planet on course to catastrophe, then now is the moment we’ll prove him wrong. As you read this, Greenpeace’s team around the world is already mobilising. Our office in the US has launched a huge response, urgently calling for members of Congress to oppose the president. And here in Europe, we’re ramping up pressure on EU leaders to condemn Trump’s move in the strongest possible terms. In the coming weeks and months, we’ll need to work together to prevent Trump’s actions from rippling out and causing more damage. This could be one of the biggest challenges our movement has ever faced.
Though the Paris agreement is by no means perfect, it’s still a monumental achievement — a deal that hundreds of thousands of us across the globe tirelessly campaigned for. When it was agreed in 2015, it was the first time in history the world’s governments came together to set out comprehensive plans to tackle the climate crisis. But Trump’s actions don’t just risk undoing hard work. While here in the UK climate change might seem like a distant threat, for many people around the world it is a life or death issue. In sub-Saharan Africa, climate change is triggering more extreme drought and pushing pastoralist farmers into an uncertain future. In Bangladesh, rising sea levels – brought on by melting ice and warming seas – are forcing people to abandon their homes. With his announcement yesterday at the White House, Trump turned his back on one of the greatest threats humanity faces — and he chose to put more lives at risk. While all countries must play their part in slashing greenhouse gases, the US has a crucial role to play in tackling the climate crisis. Each year, the US pumps out a huge share of global emissions [4]. And as one of the world’s richest and most powerful nations, other governments look to the US for leadership on solving global problems.
Already, Trump is looking isolated. In the hours after the president’s announcement, China vowed to push forward with the Paris agreement despite Trump’s decision to withdraw. France’s new President Emmanuel Macron even went on TV to issue a statement condemning Trump. Without the US onboard, we must act fast to pressure other countries ramp up their plans to reduce climate-warming emissions.
Today’s news isn’t what we hoped for. And right now, many of us will be feeling uncertain about the future of our planet. But today let’s remember there’s reason to have hope too. While Trump is turning his back on the world, there are millions of us across the globe who are determined to work together to create a greener, more peaceful world — and leave a planet that’s fit for generations to come. Greenpeace is a huge, worldwide movement of people who care deeply about the future of the world we live in. We’re a movement of people whose resolve only becomes stronger when faced with huge challenges. And most of all, we’re a movement that’s never giving up.
With all my thanks, Richard
Greenpeace UK
Defenders of Wildlife (USA)
Dear Mark,
The news out of Washington yesterday stopped us in our tracks. President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement is simply unfathomable.
Not only has President Trump turned his back on wildlife, he has abandoned any pretense of moral leadership in the world.
This decision is a slap in the face – in the face of our children, our grandchildren and the wildlife we all love.
Climate change is real, and it is the greatest challenge facing our planet. Wildlife and their habitat, as well as human communities and economies worldwide, are at risk due to rising seas, severe weather and a rapidly changing environment.
When I think of climate change, the first image to jump to mind is that of a lone, starving polar bear paddling desperately in open water in search of food. But the bears and their Arctic home are far from the only victims of this terrifying global threat.
Severe drought impacts plants and fresh water sources that desert animals like the critically endangered Sonoran pronghorn need to survive.
Shorter, warmer winters increase the presence of pests like mosquitoes and ticks that spread disease to our children when they play outdoors.
And the problems aren’t only on land. The carbon dioxide that humans emit dissolves naturally in the ocean, where it creates an acid so strong that it will dissolve the shells of some sea creatures. Acidification threatens any creature with a shell, including tiny plankton – the base of marine food chains – and will harm diverse marine life ranging from clams and mussels to coral reefs.
The results of doing nothing in the face of such dramatic changes are mind-boggling. Climate change is a crisis of massive proportions, and Defenders is doing our part to help wildlife survive these shifts by protecting the habitats that species need today and will need in the future, and ensuring those habitats are healthy and resilient enough to better withstand higher temperatures, severe weather and drought.
But we need global action to limit climate warming. That is what the Paris Climate Agreement represents. I am infuriated that this administration feels comfortable tossing aside an accord that so many worked so long and so hard to create. Vague promises to renegotiate the agreement give us no assurance that the United States will make the commitments needed to stop climate change.
President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement is short-sighted and narrow-minded. How can America be great when our leaders ignore and deny the siege we are under by a rapidly changing climate?
We owe a debt to our children and grandchildren to protect our world and secure a prosperous future. The Paris Agreement was an enormous step towards this goal.
We will not give up on our children or on our wildlife. The future is too important to do anything else.
Sincerely,
Jamie Rappaport Clark President, Defenders of Wildlife
Posted on May 30, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Dear Mark,
Rejoice and be proud of the wonderful rescues you helped us achieve during the past two months.
This is a team effort–and as a supporter, you’re behind every smiling face and wagging tail.
Each video you see here has a beautifully HAPPY ending, so don’t be afraid to open them–we know you’re going to find these extraordinary stories of healing and hope absolutely uplifting!
SAV Comment – very sad starts; but every video ends up showing what can be done to help animals in so much need if people are prepared to accept that they are sentient beings just like us – they hurt, they suffer; but with the brilliant work of the team at AAU each and every one of these stories has a very happy ending. So don’t be afraid to watch – see what can be done for animals when the right, caring people come along.
IMPORTANT – Please go to the end of this post and make sure you give a donation to help AAU saving very sick animals – thank you.
Miraculous recovery of a wounded street dog collapsed in a ditch
When we got a call on our helpline to rescue an injured street dog we found an emaciated and almost life-less old dog in a sewage drain. She had a massive wound on the side of her neck infested with maggots and she was too sick to get out of the sewage water she had fallen in. She was utterly hopeless and had we not been able to rescue her just then, she would have certainly died right there in that drain, possibly within just another hour or two.
We rushed her back to Animal Aid Unlimited’s shelter and began her intensive treatment which would continue over the next 6 weeks.
Shanti wouldn’t be alive today if not for your generous help. She would have died alone, confused, in terrible pain and so scared in that awful sewage drain. The suffering she was enduring when we found her was unimaginable and something most of us will never come close to experiencing in our whole lives. Thanks to your help we were able to stop that suffering and replace it with comfort, healing and love.
We won’t let you die! 5 animals rescued from unbelievably close calls
Several of the animals you’re about to see in this video were going to die within hours and maybe within minutes–and in truly ghastly ways. But we got there in time, all hands on deck. And you–donors and supporters–you gave what it took to add people power, machines, vehicles and know-how.We’re pretty sure your heart will overflow for these incredibly brave animals.
The choice to make the world a beautiful place is ours.
Please donate today.
These animals were truly inches and moments from death. It’s hard to imagine their fear and suffering, as
they came so close to tragedy. And their relief when they were saved is unforgettable.
Your heart is sure to overflow seeing these 5 beautiful animals saved.
Love wins after a beautiful dog was attacked with acid
Unimaginable pain seared through her when this sweet girl was viciously attacked with acid. All the layers of her skin down to the muscle dissolved. When we rescued her, we promised her she’d have our love forever.
We worried that such cruelty might have permanently hurt her soul. But watch how Honey responded to love.
Most Indian police are not familiar with animal protection laws because the public rarely reports cruelty to animals. But Animal Aid helped make sure that Udaipur’s police ARE familiar with the laws. In April, we organised a workshop on animal protection laws for police officers in Udaipur, covering how to stop illegal cattle smuggling and slaughter, cruelty to street dogs, wild life poaching, and other critical issues. Outstanding presentations by People for Animals and Humane Society International, India, provided them with information and inspiration. The officers care about animals and Udaipur’s future of region-wide compassion has grown in a profoundly important direction.
Her beauty was locked inside a painful shell
Locked inside what was almost literally her shell, this street dog had such severe mange that barnacle-like crusting was taking over her body. Starving, her pain excruciating and weary from the itchiness caused by mange mites under her skin, this girl was close to giving up.
But that was then.
Healed, spayed, vaccinated, and loved, meet Cherry today.
Hit by a car probably just a few hours before we got the call on our rescue helpline, this little sweetheart couldn’t understand why his back legs just would not work. You can see it in his eyes from the first moment, his profound innocence and confusion. It doesn’t happen very often but sometimes, when nerve damage is caught early and intensive treatment and physical therapy is started right away, there can be reason to hope, and that’s what Georgie did. He hoped.
Lucky, that the accident did not work properly; really a pity!
I dream about the day that a pitiful slave like you, who has to suffer for years under all kinds of beatings, abuses and humiliation, finally raises his head and does not storm on a car, but on his torturer.
He kicked him with his trembling feet, on which he cannot even stand, because he is tired and weak, he pushes him with his head, which can only point forward because of a multitude of cutting chains and bridles punishing his body, and sends the sadist with life-threatening injuries there, where he belongs.
It would also be best to eliminate the un-educated carriage riding idiots alike, making the fat tourists walk for once, turning them instead into beings who don`t want to burden natures wonderful creatures by supporting an animal abusive industry making a living being a mode of transport for their overweight ‘fun’.
For the first time it was not bad – Lucky.
But the second time, possibly it works better.
For non UK visitors – we have a General Election here on 8/6/17 to elect a new government.In the UK we have 2 main political parties – Conservative and Labour.The Conservatives are basically the same as Republicans in the US – all about money, their interests and very little else.Labour is a ‘normal mans’ party.The Conservatives are currently the government under the PM Mrs. May.
Labour was the party that introduced the hunting ban around 11 years ago.May and Tories now want to try and bring it back – hence the demo in London on 29 and the several references to ‘May’ – this being T. May, the Prime Minister.
David Cameron (remember him ?) was the Conservative PM before Mrs May.Cameron was a hunter; and the Tories are always really viewed as the hunting party of British politics.Most now ask; with the hunt ban in place for 11 years; why do the Conservatives want to try and bring it back ?
Because Conservatives are looked on as the upper class; the land owners with a blood lust for hunting innocent wild animals.Labour have pledged to fight to keep the ban, and improve legislation even more if necessary.Labour is led by Mr. Corbyn.
So now we are into the last 2 weeks before the election.A few months ago the Conservatives were way ahead, but now Labour are steadily catching up.The Conservatives (Tories) have done a U turn on Ivory for example – https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2017/05/26/uk-conservatives-to-u-turn-on-ivory-ban-please-take-action-before-the-8th-june-election/— and are not at all animal welfare friendly.Labour are the very positive.Hunting of British wild animals is just one of many issues, but an issue that the British public feel very strongly about.It will be interesting to watch how the parties progress over the next few weeks and who comes out eventual winner.Many pundits say it will be the Conservatives, but they are very un popular because of a lot of their views on certain things.
We shall see and will report the result on this site.
London anti hunt demo on 29/5 newspaper links – note that articles may be biased depending on which political party the newspaper supports !
Posted on May 29, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
CHARLESTON
What in the world is going on in Charleston?! On Thursday morning, May 25th, once again a horse spooked and bolted. The driver was unable to control him and fell out of the carriage, suffering severe injuries. He was hospitalized. Although the horse crashed into a car, he is said to be doing fine. This is media speak and we do not believe it — but these are the reports. Charleston media is obviously trying to protect this industry from well deserved criticism.
This is one of the first articles about the accident. Click Here.
A local resident who witnessed the accident told us: “The horse [Luke] was running at full gallop, passengers screaming like they were on a roller coaster. All the horse was trying to do was ‘run home.’ He was terrified, so he ran to where he knows. Hitting all the parked cars and then finally being stopped by running head on into a parked car.” It is bad enough that Charleston has punishingly hot heat and humidity, but it seems their drivers do not know how to handle huge draft horses. We say once again that horses do not belong on the crowded streets of any city — especially Charleston. Because of their sensitive nature, they can spook at the slightest provocation and bolt into traffic, causing injury or death to themselves, their passengers and driver or unsuspecting passersby. These large, powerful animals can weigh between 1,500 to 2,000 pounds and can become unwitting weapons when they try to run away from their source of fear.
Why is the City of Charleston continuing to allow this dangerous and frivolous business to continue? How will this touristy city handle it when a tourist gets killed or very seriously injured? Will they continue to make excuses or will they finally put an end to this business as they did recently in Mumbai, India and other cities around the world.
NOTE: for those who missed our recent issue about Charleston carriage horses, Click Here.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
The City of Melbourne is trying to reign in its carriages. This is a weak attempt but at least it is something. NYC has done nothing to deal with crowded streets, u-turns and overloaded carriages.
A bizarre accident in India resulted in the death of two horses who were pulling an empty carriage. Warning: graphic video may be disturbing. Click Here.
WHY WE SHARE THIS NEWS?
Horse-drawn carriages that engage in hack line trade in busy cities are inhumane, unsafe, antiquated and frivolous. There have been activist campaigns in many cities all over the world to ban horse-drawn carriages. Only a few have been successful. It is a very difficult task because it is institutionalized cruelty and in many cases, supported by the local media and politicians who have questionable honesty and ethics. But is is important to share these accidents with the world. This is not about horses doing noble work. When used up and no longer wanted, the horses often go to auction and slaughter.
Henry Beston, a writer and naturalist, eloquently said this about animals in the Outermost House, published in 1928,
“For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.”
The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages P.O. Box 20247 | Park West Station | New York, NY 10025
Posted on May 28, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
BREAKING: Ringling Bros. Plans To Ship Its Tigers To German Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus just held its last show ever on Sunday — but life could be getting even worse for the circus’ tigers.
Feld Entertainment, the parent company behind Ringling Bros., has applied for a permit to ship eight of its tigers overseas to a circus in Germany instead of retiring them to a sanctuary, according to documents provided to The Dodo by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF).
In the notice, Ringling claims the tigers would serve “to enhance the propagation or survival of the species,” a requirement put in place by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFW) to ensure endangered species, like tigers, are only shipped for conservation purposes. But according to ALDF, this requirement doesn’t always receive the scrutiny it deserves.
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has historically taken a controversial ‘pay-to-play’ approach to the enhancement requirement, often rubber-stamping permits for objectionable uses of endangered species so long as the applicant makes a nominal donation to a conservation program,” ALDF said in a statement. “It is well-established that use of tigers in circuses fails to educate the public and has no nexus to legitimate species conservation. In fact, many experts opine that the use of exotic animals for entertainment acts and other traveling shows is harmful to their wild counterparts.”
The announcement comes as a blow to animal lovers throughout the country, many of whom hoped that Ringling’s January decision to close its doors for good would mean its animals would finally be able to retire to more natural lives after years of mistreatment.
But while most of the public attention has focused on the plight of Ringling’s elephants, the circus’ big cats were living an equally depressing life.
An undercover report published last year described life as a “nightmare” for the tigers. They spent most of their lives packed into tiny cages in parking lots or behind buildings, devoid of water to swim in or room to run. Tigers are solitary, and this closeness led to frequent fighting — many tigers were covered in scars, and others had cracked paws or pressure wounds from living on the unnatural concrete.
Jay Pratte, an animal trainer with 25 years of experience who conducted the investigation, said he saw tigers display signs of mental distress, such as compulsively over-grooming themselves until their skin cracked or pacing their cages obsessively.
In the circus ring, tigers were trained using whips and prods, and their fear was palpable, according to Pratte. “When the goads or whips are raised, the cats flinch and shy back every time,” he said. “The cats know only fear, dominance and punishment.”
When Ringling’s elephants were retired last year, they were sent to the circus’s Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida, the controversial breeding and training ground where many of Ringling’s alleged abuses took place. It’s still unclear what life is like for the elephants there, or if they will continue performing in some capacity.
But now it seems the tigers’ future is even more murky. If the permit is approved, the eight tigers will be sent to Zirkus Crone, a circus in Munich that’s had its own share of abuse accusations — including claims that many of the circus’ animals, similarly to Ringling, are suffering from arthritis and mental distress and are denied proper living conditions.
In a statement, ALDF said it “strongly opposes Ringling’s effort to condemn these tigers to continued exploitation for ‘entertainment’ when there are humane options for the endangered animals.” For now, the best hope is that public outcry will prevent USFW from approving the permit request — which will be open for public comment for 30 days beginning on Friday — and save the tigers from years of further performances
“The curtain has come down on Ringling Bros. and an enlightened public is turning away from the outdated notion that it’s acceptable to use endangered species as entertainment props,” Stephen Wells, executive director of ALDF, said in a statement. “After spending years being carted around in cramped transport cages for 50 weeks of the year, it’s time for Ringling and trainer Alexander Lacey to let these tigers live out their lives at a reputable sanctuary where they can experience the space, habitats and peace they need and deserve.”
Posted on May 27, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
ENJOY THE MARCH / DEMO, BUT TAKE NOTE THAT AFTER THE BOMBINGS IN MANCHESTER earlier this week, public events security is massive – military and police. Help to make it go well by adhering to a few rules – enjoy but make it safe.
We have a proud democracy here in the UK – this event could easily have been stopped by the police after recent events; but we are allowed to continue. Follow the rules – don’t give the pro hunters anything to use against us antis – they would love that. Follow the simple rules and keep it safe – SAV.
As far as we know, the London anti hunt march is STILL ON – Bank Holiday Monday.
Police and military will be on patrol over the City – so make it all go as good as it could.
Because of the terrible Manchester events earlier this week, security is obviously higher. The UK is at its highest security level post Manchester bombings – so please help to make life easier for all military security and police concerned.
The following has been put out – please take note of what it says.
“MARCH/DEMO GOING AHEAD.
The police have confirmed they will be bringing sniffer dogs into the crowd at the start of the anti hunt protest on Bank Holiday Monday.
The dogs will be searching for explosive devices this is a precaution being used for all public events under the heightened security threat.
The police are also asking all attendees not to bring flares to the protest. These have been used at anti hunt protests in the past, but anyone letting off a flare or attempting to throw one will be putting themselves and other people at risk.
Any loud bangs or smoke could lead to panic by the wider public and a reaction by armed police or soldiers along our march route.
Can I therefore call on everyone attending the march to please not bring any flares with them.”
Posted on May 26, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
SAV Comment – Typical Tory elite getting what they want and to hell with the rest of the people. Don’t vote Conservative on 8th June if you support animal welfare – the Tories just want to destroy everything – and bringing back hunting is just one other example. Disgusting Party – Disgusting People.
Theresa May – HONOUR The Conservative PLEDGE To End The UK Ivory Trade
Under David Cameron the Conservatives had pledged – along with other UK political parties – to put into place a ban on ivory trading. This follows bans by China, the US and other important ivory trading countries to end domestic trades in ivory by the end of 2017.
But there is no mention of the ban in Theresa May’s Conservative 2017 manifesto. Sneakily,
the Conservatives have decided to DROP their previous commitment to introducing a total ban on ivory trade in Britain. This comes after heavy pressure from wealthy antiques traders who have been lobbying Theresa May hard to drop the ban on ivory.
The most powerful UK antique traders association is the British Antique Dealers’ Association – whose president is Conservative MP and friend of Theresa May, Lady Victoria Borwick.
On average, an Elephant is killed every 15 minutes for its ivory and their population has fallen by almost a third in Africa since 2007.
Interestingly, this policy puts the Conservatives in direct conflict with Prince William, who has been a vocal supporter of a total ban on ivory sales.
Please sign the petition and URGE Theresa May to HONOUR their earlier pledge to ban the UK ivory trade.
See a few celebrities at the garden in the following video:
Well its Chelsea Flower Show week again here in ol’ London town.
Here are a few links relating to this years show; including a garden representing world horse welfare – and the saving of abused horses. A sculptor has made a life size horse using horseshoes – and it is amazing as you can see in the photos. It was inspired by a horse named ‘Clippy’ – which was rescued.
The horse garden includes plants like ragwort – it is an educational garden to inform the public about what plants are harmful to horses, and what ones are good for them.
EDITORIAL USE ONLY Darcy Fowler, aged 4, Roly Owers, CEO World Horse Welfare (right) and Chelsea Pensioners Mike Hall and Joe Sharthall, introduce Nutkin, a rescue pony to a life size model of himself, which has been made entirely out of white carnations by florist Judith Blacklock to celebrate World Horse Welfare’s 90th anniversary and mark the charity’s continued commitment to improving horses’ lives around the world, at the Royal Chelsea Hospital in London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo.
Here is the link which details a bit more about this garden:
In 2015, veterinarians and a scientist from PETA India, as well as other experts, inspected ten facilities that produce antitoxins and antivenins.
With the exception of one that outsources its work, all the facilities extract large volumes of blood from horses, donkeys, or mules. The inspectors documented many distressing problems, including the following:
·Animals were suffering from anaemia, bleeding and infected wounds, and other serious health problems.
·Other common physical problems included diseased hooves, malnourishment, infections, parasites, swollen limbs, abnormal gaits, and eye conditions, such as blindness.
·The facilities often used painfully large needles in order to collect blood more quickly.
·Many horses were fearful and anxious and struggled to get away when approached by humans.
·Animals were typically kept in crowded, barren paddocks and often tied with ropes that severely limited their movement.
·Many were forced to stand and lie in their own urine and faeces, and some suffered from “capped elbow”, a painful inflammation and swelling of the joint caused by lying on hard floors.
·Basic husbandry procedures such as dental care and hoof trimming appeared to be ignored, and improper tools were used for grooming.
·There were numerous apparent violations of laws and guidelines, such as the failure of facilities to be registered to conduct these procedures on animals.
Indian law requires people who are responsible for animals to take all reasonable measures to ensure their well-being and to prevent unnecessary pain or suffering – in stark contrast to the abuse and neglect documented at these facilities.
Please speak out for these animals! Ask Indian authorities to close these cruel facilities
Exposed: Young Ostriches Butchered for ‘Luxury’ Bags
Never-before-seen footage shows how birds are shoved into boxes and have their throats slit at slaughterhouses that supply Hermès, Prada and other “luxury” fashion houses.
In September 2015, PETA US investigators travelled to South Africa to document what happens inside the largest ostrich slaughter companies in the world, including the exclusive supplier of ostrich skins for Hermès Birkin bags. Investigators saw workers force terrified ostriches into stun boxes – causing many to slip and fall – and then slit their throats. The ostriches next in line watched helplessly as their flockmates were killed right in front of them.
Workers were caught on camera striking ostriches in the face during transport, and when ostriches stumbled over a collapsed flockmate outside a slaughterhouse, a plant director joked, “I’ll call the animal welfare officer just now”.
These slaughterhouses supply ostrich skins to Hermès, Prada, Louis Vuitton and other top European fashion houses. Feathers, some of which are ripped out of the ostriches’ skin while they are fully conscious, are used in costumes for the Moulin Rouge and festivals like Brazil’s Rio Carnival as well as in feather dusters, boas and accessories. Ostrich meat is also sold throughout South Africa and exported primarily to Europe.
South Africa: The Ostrich Killing Capital of the World
The Western Cape of South Africa is home to the largest ostrich slaughter companies in the world, which supply “luxury” ostrich skins to Hermès and other major fashion houses.
PETA US investigators saw the juvenile birds tightly packed into open-topped vehicles for the terrifying journey to slaughter. Once they reach the slaughterhouse, workers forcibly restrain each bird, electrically stun them and then cut their throats. Moments later, the feathers are torn off the birds’ still-warm bodies, they are skinned and dismembered.
The Intelligent Ostrich
While ostriches can live for more than 40 years, farmed ostriches are slaughtered when they are just 1 year old. And while young ostriches typically stay with their parents for up to three years, ostriches raised on factory farms will never even get to meet their parents.
In the wild, these intelligent birds share parental duties, with the camouflaged mother taking care of the eggs during the daytime and the father, who has black feathers, taking night-time duty. One farm manager told our investigators that he has seen ostriches take turns fanning each other on hot days, remarking, “I have a lot of respect for ostrich”.
