Serbia: Is ‘Rabies’ Currently being used as an Excuse by the Government to Slaughter Thousands of Stray Dogs and Wild Species ?

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

 

Is the Serbian government now attempting to use old outdated legislation to justify the mass killing of wild and stray animals ?

Is the Serbian government now attempting to stay friends with the hunters by allowing this mass killing of rabid animals ?

Is the Serbian government reporting this disease outbreak to the World Animal Health Organisation ? – apparently ‘NO’.

We have been informed via our contacts that the Director of the Veterinary Department of the Ministry of Agriculture is allegedly demanding that action is taken against animals with Rabies.

We consider this is an excuse by the government to allow thousands of stray and wild animals to be slaughtered – a very easy way out for the Serbian government to eliminate thousands of possibly un-infected strays which they would have to otherwise care for under existing Serbian legislation.

We have a very strong feeling that old and outdated laws, based around the time when nations formed ‘Yugoslavia’ are still trying to be used by the government to justify this alleged slaughter.

Nothing has been posted on the OIE (World Animal Health) web site to say that there is any rabies ‘problem’ within the last weeks in Serbia. 

The OIE rabies data is updated every week.  Serbia is a member of the OIE and if this is true, which we very much doubt, then data and information / evidence should have been given by the Serbian government to the OIE.

We will now be following up this report to ask the OIE if they have had any formal information supplied to them by Serbia and also to express our concerns at what is being allegedly done to animals as a result. 

More info and news on this to come in the near future.

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, RABIES, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia | Leave a comment »

Vietnam: From Cargo Containers to Freedom for 19 Bears

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

 

 

 

 

 

From cargo containers to freedom for 19 bears

I’m thrilled to be able to bring you the exciting news that yesterday morning we rescued 19 moon bears that have been held in appalling conditions on a farm in Binh Duong province, southern Vietnam. These bears, whose bile was being milked illegally, have been surviving a bleak existence, trapped inside 40ft cargo containers that were divided into even smaller compartments.

This is a particularly exciting rescue for Animals Asia – it is our biggest in Vietnam to date, and it’s also significant because it was instigated by the forestry officials themselves – both the central government’s Forest Protection Department (FPD) and the Binh Duong FPD.

Pictures – AA

Bear bile extraction was made illegal in Vietnam around 15 years ago, but farmers were allowed to keep their bears to display them to tourists. Sadly, around 4,000 bears remain on farms throughout the country, and because of a lack of enforcement, many of them are still subjected to the brutal bile extraction process.

So it’s a huge breakthrough to see the central and local forestry officials working together of their own initiative to confiscate the bears and close down this awful farm. Please let me thank you for your part in this rescue too. It’s taken us many years to get to this stage and to build up such trust with the officials. We couldn’t have done any of it without your ongoing support and kind donations which, together, have enabled us to reach the heart of the problem and bring these bears home.

We still have a long way to go, but this rescue has given us renewed determination and hope. Please stay with us through this important year as we repair the damage inflicted on these poor animals and convince more provinces throughout Vietnam to release their bile bears into our care. Each of these bears needs surgery and extensive rehabilitation. Whatever you can donate to help in their recovery will be greatly appreciated.

Sadly, I won’t be able to meet our 19 new residents until Thursday when I arrive at Tam Dao. But Chinh, our Education Officer in Vietnam, who is part of the team travelling “home” with the bears, is kindly recording the trip. He’ll be sending the first of his Rescue Diary entries soon so you can follow the journey from torture to freedom for these lucky 19 bears – and please, give generously so they can have the life they so much deserve.

For more information, click here.

Bear hugs,

Jill

Jill Robinson MBE
Founder and CEO
Animals Asia Foundation

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »