CNN Video Link:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/12/28/illegal.slaughterhouses.cnn?iref=allsearch
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, VIDEOS | Leave a comment »
USA: Secret Slaughterhouses and Terrible Conditions in Florida
Posted on December 29, 2009 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
2010: New Year and New Plans for Getting Worldwide Attention for Balkans Animals
Posted on December 27, 2009 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Despite it being the Christmas period we have been working behind the scenes whenever there have been a few spare hours.
The start of 2010 will see the work for all Balkans animals start in what is hoped will be a new and informative / effective way; a way that will benefit everyone involved.
Due to limited resources, primarily manpower, the new 2010 plan will not be fully completed at the start of the new year; but from what has been produced so far, it is hoped that we will be able to present to the world even more data and information on the situation(s) for all Balkans animals in the coming weeks and months.
Early January will see the launch of the new data, which will be built upon in the future.
There are reasons why SAV (this site) has not been updated much during the last week or so. We hope that new releases in January will explain why.
Please stick with us and look forward to the new year; with new data that we hope will be of benefit to everyone.
Regards – SAV.
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »
USA: SPEAK OUT AGAINST COYOTE KILLING ‘TOURNAMENT’ IN MAINE
Posted on December 24, 2009 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
http://www.projectcoyote.org/action/actionmaine.html
ACTION ALERT
SPEAK OUT AGAINST COYOTE KILLING ‘TOURNAMENT’ IN MAINE
Right now in Northern Maine (Jackman), predator hunters are killing coyotes as part of a contest “tournament.” Sponsored by the Jackman-Moose River Region Chamber of Commerce, the “kill” runs from December 16th through January 30, 2010. Prizes are awarded for those hunters who kill both the most coyotes and the largest individuals. Ethics aside, random coyote killing will do nothing to protect Maine’s deer herds, as tournament sponsors contend. A copious and growing body of literature shows that coyote population reduction efforts through lethal control are futile, given the species’ resiliency and ability to biologically rebound.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
1- Contact the Jackman-Moose River Region Chamber of Commerce and express your concern about this hunt. Points to convey:
- Let them know that their name as a Chamber of Commerce will be deeply tarnished by their support of this blood sport.
- The principles behind tournament/bounty systems are ecologically and socially flawed, and no federal or state wildlife agencies endorse this as a viable coyote management strategy.
- If you live outside of Maine, convey that you will not be spending your tourist dollars in Jackman until they stop sponsoring coyote/predator killing contest hunts — and that you’ll encourage your friends and family to do the same.
- Let them know that you believe that this “tournament” is ethically indefensible, ecologically reckless, and counter to sound scientific wildlife management. It is important to point out that this coyote slaughter is not hunting, and is in direct opposition to Maine’s long tradition of sustenance hunting.
- As an area that prides itself on being a “working forest”, the Jackman-Moose River Region Chamber of Commerce should support forestry practices that will support adequate wintering habitat for deer – not scapegoating coyotes. As confirmed by state biologists and researchers, deer are suffering in Northern Maine from a loss of wintering habitat- not from predation.
Contact information:
Jackman-Moose River Region
Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 368
Jackman, Maine 04945
Email: mooserus@jackmanmaine.org
Phone: (207) 668-4171 or 1-888-633-5225
2- Cc your letter/comments to (and call) Governor John Baldacci; urge him to tell the Jackman-Moose River Region Chamber of Commerce to call off the coyote killing “tournament” — in perpetuity (in 2005 Governor Baldacci came out against a coyote contest hunt in Washington County and directed the state Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife to tell “tournament” organizers to cancel the event because it was not an effective way to control the coyote population).
Contact information:
Gov. John E. Baldacci
Office of the Governor
#1 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0001
Email: governor@maine.gov (or share your views directly through the Governor’s website:www.maine.gov/governor/baldacci/contact/index.html )
Phone: 207-287-3531
****************************************
Project Coyote is a non-profit fiscally sponsored project of Earth Island Institute that promotes educated coexistence between people and coyotes and advocates on behalf of coyotes and other native carnivores. We depend on our members and supporters to help us continue our work on behalf of America’s native “song dog.” Please join us today! All donations are tax-deductible. Visit us at www.ProjectCoyote.org.
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, GLOBAL PETITIONS - Anything Animal, Anywhere ! | Leave a comment »
Uk: Campaign to Stop China From Introducing Bullfighting – Also Excellent Result in EU Court re ‘Human Rights’ and the Uk Ban on Hunting (an Existing Uk Law)
Posted on December 22, 2009 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) Web Site Link: www.league.org.uk
Stop China from introducing bullfighting!
The Chinese government plans to introduce bullfighting in the country.
A Spanish matador is already in charge of operations, with a shipment of bulls and cows for breeding planned for as soon as January.
The construction of a bull ring is also due to start in the New Year and be complete by October.
We need to act now!
China may want to support Spanish culture, but would only promote a cruel past time that the vast majority of Europeans abhor and that most Spaniards have no interest in.
STOP THIS EXPORT OF CRUELTY!
Join the League, Animal and CAS International and send an email to the Chinese President by clicking here and urge him to stop these plans.
Bullfighting is bad enough where it is, we can’t allow it to start in other countries.
Thank you for your help and best wishes.
PS If you would like to donate to our campaigning work, please visit the League Against Cruel Sports website. All donations will be gratefully received.
** Also from LACS – Some Really Good News ** Some Really Good News **
Posted: 17 December 2009
In a landmark legal ruling, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that the Hunting Act does not breach human rights legislation.
The case, brought by the Countryside Alliance and Brian Friend, 70, of Axminster, rested on whether or not the Hunting Act 2004 breached the rights to a private and family life, freedom of association, and protection of property. The court rejected all arguments.
The court rejected arguments that the Hunting Act infringed an individual’s right to a private and family life on the basis that hunting is a public activity and it is not integral to an individual’s identity. The judgment also made clear that the ban on hunting had “not created serious difficulties for earning one’s living”.
Welcoming the ruling, Douglas Batchelor, Chief Executive of the League Against Cruel Sports said: “This is a victory for common sense. No-one has the right to chase and kill animals purely for sport. The Hunting Act is a landmark piece of animal welfare legislation and today’s decision sends a clear message to politicians and the hunting community alike that the ban on hunting is here to stay.”
An Ipsos-MORI poll in September found that 75% of the public support the ban on fox hunting, and 84% and 85% support the ban on stag hunting and hare hunting respectively.
Keep It Where It Belongs – Only In the History Books !!
Photo: M. Johnson – SAV.
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, GLOBAL PETITIONS - Anything Animal, Anywhere !, LETTERS, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering) | Leave a comment »
China: 600 Cats Rescued Near Shanghai – Story and Photographs Below
Posted on December 21, 2009 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
—– Original Message —–
From: Joy Gao
Sent: Sunday, December 20, 2009 1:37 AM
Subject: RE: SOS – Dec 19th 2009, 600 Cats Rescued near Shanghai
In the afternoon of Dec the 18th, the cat rescuers got a text message about the track of a cat nappers’ truck, and they had themselves ready to depart at any time.
At 10:00pm, two cars with ten cat rescuers and one reporter from Beijing joined other cat rescuers from the city of Wuxi (a city close to Shanghai).
At 11:20pm, they had the cat-nappers truck stopped at Jiaxin city in the Zhejiang Province (not far from Shanghai) and called the local police.
After midnight, at 1:00 am on Dec the 19th, they managed to get the truck down to the local police station called: ‘Wang Jiang Jing Police Station’ with the police officers’ help. There were 30 cages containing around 600 cats with 3 cat-nappers and 2 truck drivers.
At 2:00am, the police decided they will make a decision on what to do after when the morning shift starts. The rescuers from Shanghai and Wuxi had to stay with the truck for the whole night, where the temperature was below 0 degrees and frost was on the ground.
At 9:00am, the rescuers were all there waiting for the police to make their decision about the cat nappers. During the wait rescuers discovered that some cats had died in the cage over night. Two cat-nappers went inside the police station and after a short while they emerged and announced their decision. The police officers saw that the cat-nappers have a certificate of quarantine, and legal paperwork. Rescuers tried explaining to the police that the certificates were fake, but the police maintained that if the rescuers couldn’t prove that the certificates were fake, then the truck will be released to the cat-nappers.
At 10am, the rescuers, being upset about the police officers’ unfair attitude, had posters made saying “Down Cat-nappers! Return Our Cats!” These were hung on their cars. Mr. Xu Yixiang, the vice director of the Wang Jiang Jing Police Station, said that the citizens’ property is under protection, so the cat-nappers are protected under the law because the cats belong to them. Other police officers rudely asked the cat rescuers if they had any other jobs to do other than play with cats.
At 12:00pm, Mr. Shen, the director of the Wang Jiang Jing Police Station, gave the police officers the order to destroy the rescuers’ protest posters. Both the police and the rescuers had small fights, and one of the police officers even tore the clothing of a rescuer. At this, Mr. Shen shouted, “Don’t make any more trouble, I HAVE A GUN!” At12:30pm, Suzhou rescuers came to support the other rescuers, and five rescuers’ cars blocked the access for the truck to leave.
At 1:00pm, the police officers, under pressure, agreed to negotiate with the rescuers. Three representatives from Shanghai, Wuxi and Suzhou went into Director Shen’s office to discuss the problem. At the same time, one rescuer was sent to Zhen Jiang (also near Shanghai) to report the situation and to find a way to prove that the cat-nappers’ certificate was fake. Mr. Shen demanded that the rescuers prove the certificate of quarantine fake by 3:00pm, or the truck will be released to the cat-nappers. At 2:00pm, after several ways of trying to show that the certificate was fake failed, the rescuers had to give up the negotiation with Mr. Shen. Mr. Shen then gave the rescuers two choices: to have the truck transported out of Jiaxin by the police, or to have 200 of the cats released to rescuers.
The rescuers from the three rescues groups (Shanghai, Wuxi, Suzhou), refused to choose, and declared that they will fight to the death and not abandon even one cat. To prepare for the worst situation, the rescuers called for more help, and split the rescuers, with some going to the access of the Jiaxin highway and with some staying at the police station.
At 4:00pm, more police arrived. There were more than ten police officers that arrived that were specialised and fully armed. The rescuers were in a bad situation, but some still went and lay underneath the cat-nappers’ truck to prevent it from moving.
At 4:30pm, at Mr. Shen’s order, the police surrounded the rescuers and the truck and dragged the rescuers out from under the truck one by one. When the access was all clear, the cat-nappers returned to their truck and left towards the highway.
At 5:00pm, Mr. Shen said that the rescuers will be allowed to leave half an hour after the truck had left. However, he soon changed his mind, and asked for all the rescuers to show their IDs so that they can be recorded for the investigation, which resulted in the rescuers staying there even longer. Mr. Shen even had two of the front rescuers arrested for affecting their official business. After all of this, the rescuers could finally leave to join the rescue over the highway .
At 6:30pm, all the rescuers joined ASAP to contact the two cars that were waiting over at the highway access, and knowing that the truck was stopped successfully at the toll pay highway station, they called the police in the Jiangsu Province.
At 7:00pm, the rescuers went to the Wu Jiang Police Station in the Jiangsu province, and called the Jiangsu Agriculture Bureau in hopes that the police officers there will release the cats. At the same time, more rescuers from Shanghai arrived, and the local police officers showed mercy to the rescuers and had the truck transported to the police station.
At 7:30pm, after negotiations with the rescuers and the cat-nappers, the cat-nappers were forced to have all 600 cats released to rescuers. We won! The rescuers had an urgent meeting, and decided that the 600 cats will be released to the Wuxi Cat Rescuer Group. At around 1:00 of Dec the 20th, 30 cages containing the rescued cats were safely back in Wuxi, and the cats were released to chosen living areas in Wuxi. At 4:00am, the Shanghai cat rescuers finally returned to Shanghai for a well deserved rest.
We won!
The new searched in petuion:
http://bbs.petunion.com/viewthread.php?tid=35723&extra=page%3D1&page=1<http://bbs.petunion.com/viewthread.php?tid=35723&extra=page%3D1&page=1>
Translated by Joy Gao 金椒妈
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering) | Leave a comment »
Uk (England): Thanks for all your Support – A Christmas Message
Posted on December 20, 2009 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
SAV Christmas
Well, today (19/12) it was going to be a pond clearing day by volunteers at the local Forestry Commission http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/HCOU-5YHJS7 area called ‘Jeskyns’ :
Newsletter Link: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/forestry.nsf/byunique/infd-6drl75
But for some reason; don’t ask why, but just possibly because it was around 4 degrees below Zero, there were too not many volunteers to go into the water; none to be exact. So, in order to have some fun and celebrate the end of a great year protecting both wildlife and woodland in the area, why not have a Winter Barbeque !
So that is what we did.
Here are a few piccys of the volunteers very cold but very enjoyable few hours out in the Winter sun.
A lot of the time I personally was thinking about the Balkans dogs and cats who are having to survive conditions like we experienced here on an everlasting basis at the moment. They are not able to fill themselves with food or go into somewhere warm when the need arises. They are always hungry and they are always cold. What we experienced today for a few hours is a 24/7 situation for all Balkans strays.
2010 will see SAV continuing to fight for the animals of the Balkans states, especially for the stray and sometimes owned, roaming animals. The fight will continue to press governments and authorities to undertake humane, No Kill sterilisation, vaccination, microchipping and identification procedures in order that owners of roaming animals can be traced and identified, and by the adoption of programmes towards the humane sterilisation of strays, the ever growing ‘pyramid of stray animals’ is gradually reduced.
One unspayed female (bitch) dog, her male (dog) mate and all of their subsequent offspring, as they mature and if none of them are ever sterilised, will produce between them a staggering 67,000 dogs within the next 6 years.
That is just one pair of animals. Belgrade City in Serbia kills over 9,000 strays each year as part of the ‘control’ programme. A small drop in the ocean. A policy of humane, sterilisation and no kill for just one pair as detailed above, would in effect, prevent 67,000 further strays being born onto the streets.
Can the Serbian government not understand this ? – it appears not as they are showing no leadership and management in attempting to reduce stray animal numbers, other than the blinkered view that killing off a percentage of strays on the streets will resolve all of the problem. It will not.
Cats under the same conditions as the dogs detailed would produce 11,606,077 new cats onto the streets in around 9 years.
We have been greeted with some great news from our buddies in India today – read all about it on our post at:
We hope that this same kind of approach to stray animal understanding and welfare controls could be adopted by Balkans states. We live in hope that the Balkans government understanding light actually switches on in the near future rather than remain firmly off.
Whatever and whenever, we will continue to be a voice for both Serbian and other Balkans states animals, and we will be presenting evidence and information to the European Union Enlargement / Accession Commission whenever it is felt necessary. We have very recently supported the call of EU Animal Welfare Intergroup / Eurogroup President Dr. Caroline Lucas in expressing our concerns about the situation at Vardariste holding facility in Macedonia. The full story and some pictures from our Vardariste photo archive, as well as a copy of Dr. Lucas’ can be seen at the following:
A copy of SAV’s letter to Commissioner Vassiliou and Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner can be viewed by clicking on the following link:
Commissioner letter Macedonia Dec 2009
The year of 2009 has seen a few ‘highs’ but an awful lot of ‘lows’. But the lows make us all ever more determined to move forward with new campaigns and actions in 2010. 2009 campaigns, along with other campaigns we are involved in outside of the SAV ‘box’, such as investigating long distance live animal transport in the EU, teach us many things, and we hope that we can group all our experiences, the highs and the lows together, to tackle balkans animal abuse as a more stronger and effective group in the future.
I would like to thank everyone for their involvement, support and hundreds of comments which have been left on the SAV site. Every one is read fully, I can assure you. Very limited resources do not allow replies to everyone who comments, but we thank you for them; please keep them coming !
Finally, I would like to wish you all a very enjoyable, cruelty-free Christmas this festive season. Regards go to all your friends and family.
2010 is a new year, with new problems and hopefully new solutions and campaigns to resolve them. We are not going anywhere, so we look forward to enjoying your company once again at SAV in the new year of 2010.
SAV Christmas
Regards and thanks
Mark – SAV – Kent, England, Uk.
Think of them this Christmas time –
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, LETTERS, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering), The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »
India: Excellent News – High Court Allows Strays to be Fed as a Central Reason to the Sterlization and Immunization Scheme for CONTROLLING STRAY DOG POPULATION NUMBERS, and Preventing the Spread of Rabies
Posted on December 19, 2009 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Some really excellent news from India – congratulations to all the campaigners there who have had the courage to fight in the courts, to win and as a result, save so many animals.
Thanks also to the Judges who understood and accepted the reasons put before them.
A fantastic result ! – well done everyone involved – especially Anjali and Rishi.
What a pity this example cannot be learned from and followed in many other nations, especially the Balkans, where stray numbers need humane management through sterilisation rather than immediate death, the ‘way’ of the blinkered government and authorities of the Balkans states.
SAV
————————————–
It is with deep satisfaction that I share this information with all.
9 petitions, including 2 filed by the Animal Welfare Organizations, Citizens for the Welfare and Protection of Animals, and Friendicoes SECA, were listed for hearing today, before the High Court of Delhi. The Government of the N.C.T. of Delhi ; the Delhi Police [through the Commissioner of Police, and the S.H.O. of the area where each of the petitioners reside, or (A.W.O.s) operate] ; the M.C.D. ; and the A.W.B.I., are respondents to the petitions.
The petitioners had simply sought that the police be directed to take cognizance of their complaints if they face hostility when tending to, and feeding community dogs. (As we all know, the police sometimes tends to be rather obtuse when it comes to animal related issues.) The matters, before Justice V.K. Jain, i.e. the judge we were before today, had increasingly become an enquiry into ‘why feeding?’ – he seems to share the prejudice that a lot of people carry vis-a-vis stray dogs.
Anyways, we had placed the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules before him ; and the AWBI, vide the counter affidavit that it filed, had stressed that feeding is very central to the sterlization, immunization scheme for controlling stray dog population, and the spread of rabies.
Our contention was that without befriending and partially domesticating the dogs through feeding them, how on earth would Animal Welfare Organizations/private individuals/local authorities, etc. catch them for sterilization and vaccination – the latter of the two being a procedure that has to be repeated each year.
After some back and forth, this is the order that the Court passed :
That dogs will be fed, but that the AWBI, in consultation with the AWOs operating in each area, and the RWAs of the colonies concerned, and the local police, will identify areas in colonies where stray animals can be fed ;
That dogs have to be fed, because they have to be confined to the territories they inhabit, so that they can be vaccinated year after year – and the best method of confining them to the territories they are at, is to feed them ; and
That the police will protect the representatives / members / associates of AWOs, who feed these dogs.
The AWBI is to start with the 4 to 5 colonies of Delhi where the petitioners reside / operate out of, and later, decide about other colonies of Delhi as well, i.e. decide upon areas where dogs can be fed.
A very heartening step forward for our animal friends.
Rgds
Anjali Sharma
Rishi Dev,
Citizens For Animal Rights (CFAR),
New Delhi.
Article 51A of the Indian Constitution . . .
” It shall be the duty of every citizen of India . . . to have compassion for all living creatures . . . “
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, RABIES | Leave a comment »
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 
