August | 2010 | Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

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Sweden: The Horror of Sweden’s Fur Farms Exposed – Take Action Now – Sample Letter and Contacts Included

Posted on August 11, 2010 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

The Horror of Sweden’s Fur Farms Exposed –

Take Action Now!!!

The Animal Rights Alliance in Sweden have just released the shocking
results of their 18 month investigation in to the Swedish Mink Farming
Industry, including sick and injured animals, stereotypical behaviour and
cannibalism.

Full details of the investigation can be found here:–
http://www.sveketmotminkarna.se/horror-revealed-swedish-fur-farms

With a General Election in Sweden only weeks away, one of the major topics
of the election campaign is a potential ban on all fur farms in Sweden.

Please support the campaign to end fur farming in Sweden by emailing Swedish Embassies worldwide to demand a complete ban on fur farming,

(Emails and Sample Letter below).

The Animal Rights Alliance reveals major animal abuse – Minks have been let down for 22 years!

For the past year-and-a-half, the Animal Rights Alliance investigation unit has been mapping out the Swedish fur industry. We have combed through environmental inspection protocols, court documents and research reports and what’s more – we have visited one-fifth of the 75 mink farms in Sweden to see them for ourselves. We have discovered major environmental violations by an industry that is already highly-criticized. Above all we have discovered the mink. Clever, beautiful wild mink imprisoned in shed after shed, housing row after row of small dirty cages. Mink that will never see any water beyond what comes out of a water nipple, even though they are hunters that naturally spend half of their life in water. Mink that express so-called stereotypical behavior, endless repetitive motion without purpose, a feeble attempt at dealing with stress and frustration.

We already knew that this would be the case. We were prepared for meeting curious eyes behind bars from animals that are so psychologically-broken that they incessantly circle their cages. We knew that it would be bad, but reality on the farms was worse than we could have ever imagined.

We understood that the mortality rate would be high. Several reports show that one out of every four or five animals die before they reach 6 months of age. But we didn’t know how they die – and how they suffer. Now we know. We have seen pups chewing on their dead littermates, entire litters where every animals has had its ear bitten off; young animals with gaping wounds on their heads; and fully-grown mink that twist and turn in agony, screaming in panic from pain and illness that minutes later ceases but only with their death.

It has been terrible to see all of this without being able to do anything about it. On our worst days, we felt completely powerless. But we’ve been driven to continue toward our goal – to make public the horrific animal cruelty that occurs on the farms. This animal cruelty cannot continue in silence.

The fourth paragraph of the Animal Welfare Act clearly states that all animals must be allowed to express their natural behaviours and that they must be protected from unnecessary suffering. But Sweden continues to allow mink to be bred and kept in mesh cages that are no bigger than 30 x 90 centimeters before being killed to produce an unnecessary luxury product that nobody needs. In 2003, the Swedish Commission of Inquiry into the Fur Industry gave Swedish fur farms until 2010 to comply with the Animal Welfare Act. Seven years later we can conclude that the Swedish fur industry has done nothing to improve conditions for mink on fur farms. It is high-time that the fur industry is made history.

The Animal Rights Alliance
The Animal Rights Alliance is a not-for-profit campaigning group that speaks for the animals. Founded in 2005, we have since then brought about the criminalization of bestiality, organized five veggie food conventions and exposed the Swedish pork industry through undercover investigation. Our work for the animals is completely dependent on donations, supporting members and active volunteers.

STEREOTYPICAL BEHAVIOR
    “Animals shall be kept and maintained in an environment that furthers their good health and allows them to behave naturally”. – Animal Welfare Act (1988:534), 4 §
    We have filmed evidence of stereotypical behavior on thirteen of the fifteen farms that we visited. The stereotypes, by which we mean incessant repetitive motion that serves no purpose, is a feeble attempt by the mink to deal with stress and frustration. It is a common symptom of an animal’s natural needs not being met.
     “The majority of mink show typical signs of derangement that animals express when confined to areas that are too constrictive” – Sverre Sjölander, Professor in Zoology.

SICK AND INJURED ANIMALS
    “A sick or injured animal shall be given necessary medical attention, if the illness or injury isn’t severe enough to justify the animal being put down immediately”.
    Animal Welfare Act (1988:534) § 9.
    We have found sick animals with infected eyes and ear; unconscious, convulsive and dead animals were found on two-thirds of the farms. Maimed, bleeding animals with torn-off ears, large gaping head wounds and missing limps were found on eleven of the fifteen visited farms. The horrific injuries are the result of fights caused by crowding in shockingly small cages – in the wild mink interact only to mate – but the injuries are also oftentimes caused by self-mutilation. According to 2 § of the Animal Welfare Act, animals are to be “treated well and are to be protected from unnecessary suffering and illness”.
     “If a cow becomes sick, then we’re called immediately. But the mink are so many that if one animal becomes sick, then we’re not called – the animal has too little economic value for the farmer. We only get called if there is an epidemic. But every animal has an intrinsic value and the Animal Welfare Act clearly states that if an animal becomes sick, then it must be treated or euthanised. Large farms like mink farms have so many animals that it can take time before illness is discovered”
     – My Leffler, District Veterinarian who used to work on mink farms.

DEAD ANIMALS IN THE CAGES
On 80% of the farms, we found dead animals in the cages – in most cases, the carcasses were left among other living animals. In many cases, the carcasses had been half-eaten by their mother and siblings.
“ In the natural world, it isn’t normal for a mink to be forced to be around another dead mink. When it happens on a farm, it can lead to cannibalism because they are so under stimulated and don’t know how to react to the situation” – Mark Collins, Veterinarian

DIRTY CAGES
On 67% of the farms, we found cages where large amounts of faeces had piled up, oftentimes in thick layers. Mink avoid their own feces so when the cage fills up with waste, an already small space becomes even smaller.

ILLEGAL SEWAGE RUNOFF
Manure runoff could be documented at 80% of the farms. Mink manure contains high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus and causes contamination of water and soil if leaked out into the environment. Mink farms are therefore classified as environmentally-hazardous operations. By law, manure must be stored in such a way that it is sheltered from rain while preventing soil seepage.

ILLEGAL HANDLING OF CARCASSES
“Carcasses awaiting transport shall be stored in such a way that disease cannot be spread through contact with wild animals. The waste shall be stored separate from living animals” – Board of Agriculture Regulations 2009:6, section K 14.
Dead mink that had been left to rot throughout and around the farm property, or were otherwise disposed of improperly, were found on 73% of the farms, even though all carcasses must be immediately removed and stored, preferably frozen. Many carcasses had been left to rot for at least 6 months, since the pelting season last November.

CANNIBALISM
We have documented cannibalism on half of the farms. Mink females that kill their young and littermates that kill and eat one another is more the rule than the exception. Cannibalism is caused by stress and lack of stimulation. The mink have no release for their hunting instincts and those mink that fall victim to attack have no possibility to take flight or cover in their tiny cages.
“Animals on fur farms have high levels of stress and this can cause cannibalism” – My Leffler, Veterinarian.

Sample Letter:–

For the attention of the Government of Sweden,

I’m writing to you today to express my horror at the shocking animal
welfare standards on Swedish mink farms that have been exposed in a recent
investigation conducted by the Animal Rights Alliance in Sweden.

Full details of their investigation can be found here:–
http://www.sveketmotminkarna.se

As I’m sure you will be aware, in 2003 the Swedish Commission of Inquiry
into the Fur Industry gave Swedish fur farms until 2010 to comply with the
Animal Welfare Act (1988:534), however seven years later we can conclude
that the Swedish fur industry has done absolutely nothing to improve
conditions for mink on fur farms in that time!

It is evident that the Fur Industry and Animal Welfare are completely
incompatible, and therefore I urge you in the strongest possible terms to
ensure that both the Swedish Animal Welfare Act (1988:534) is properly
enforced and that the decision of the Swedish Commission of Inquiry into the
Fur Industry is acted upon.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME / YOUR COUNTRY

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, LETTERS, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering), VIDEOS | Leave a comment »

Uk; Animal Abusing Thug Gets Detention and a 10 Year Ban – but Not Long Enough !

Posted on August 8, 2010 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

16 weeks detention and a 10 year ban on keeping animals for thug who kicks his young puppy who shows no aggression when goaded.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3082528/Pup-kicking-thug-jailed.html

SAV Comment

16 weeks is not enough – it should have been 16 months and a lifetime ban.

Prediction is that the Uk animal rights movement will give him their own verdict on his cruel treatment of a young animal.

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

Bulgarian Society for Animal Protection and Preservation – BSAPP.

Posted on August 8, 2010 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

Bulgarian Society for Animal Protection and Preservation – BSAPP.

http://bulgariadogs.webs.com/sarkacampaign.htm

Great site – please check it out !

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | 1 Comment »

Australia: Let your voice be heard regarding live animal exports

Posted on August 5, 2010 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

Be Heard This Election

Its election time, let your voice be heard regarding live animal exports.

There are a few ways you can get involved.

You can jump on the WSPA Humane Chain Election website and help put live exports on the agenda in the media. It only takes a few minutes and a couple of clicks. Simply click here

You can also go to the Animals Australia website and let the major parties know that animal welfare is important to you. It also only takes a few minutes. Simply click here.

In regards to local WA issues, we urge you to contact both your Federal MP and candidates and let them know that animal welfare issues, specifically a phase out of live exports, is important to you. This is especially important if you live in the marginal seats of Hasluck, Cowan, Canning, Swan and Stirling.

To find out who your candidates are, the ABC has an excellent website at:

http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2010/guide/

If you aren’t sure which electorate you are in, go to
http://apps.aec.gov.au/esearch/

For an overview of the candidates in Fremantle see below:

Melissa Parke, Labour – supports an end to live exports
Kate Davis, Greens – supports an end to live exports
Matt Taylor, Liberal – awaiting response

For an overview of the candidates in Brand see below (there is a push to move live exports to Kwinana, so this area is also important)

Dawn Jecks, Greens – supports an end to live exports
Gary Gray, Labour – agrees with live exports
Donna Gordin, Liberal – agrees with live exports

If you would like some assistance, or would like further information on other candidates, please contact Jodie by replying to this email.

You Can Make A Difference

Thank you for your support!

Stop Live Exports

(formerly People Against Cruelty in Animal Transport)

pacat@iinet.net.au

www.stopliveexports.org

PO Box 499, Fremantle WA 6959

Phone: (08) 9430 8839 – Fax: (08) 6270 4489

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, GLOBAL PETITIONS - Anything Animal, Anywhere !, LETTERS | Leave a comment »

Uk: Shine On You Crazy Diamonds – To All AW / AR People Everywhere !

Posted on August 1, 2010 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyqgjCKm9nQ

For Jordie at Op Toby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gELhNbDcLE0

Operation Toby:

http://www.operationtoby.co.nz/

http://www.operationtoby.com.au/index.htm

Shine on you crazy diamond !!

Shine on Dave Gilmour !

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering) | Leave a comment »

Ecuador Sets Major Rainforest and Climate Protection Precedent

Posted on August 1, 2010 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

EI PRESS/SOCIAL MEDIA RELEASE
VICTORY: Ecuador Sets Major Rainforest and Climate Protection Precedent

– It is reported Ecuador will be compensated for leaving oil reserves in Yasuni National Park untouched. This is a major victory for Ecuador, the rainforest movement, and Ecological Internet – who was the first to campaign internationally on the issue.

July 31, 2010
From Earth’s Newsdesk and the Rainforest Portal, projects of Ecological Internet (EI)
http://www.ecoearth.info/newsdesk/ | http://www.rainforestportal.org/

Ecuador’s government announced today it has reached a deal with the United Nations Development Program under which donor countries will compensate Quito for leaving oil reserves untouched in a large primary rainforest filled national park. Yasuni National Park – covering some 9,820 km2, or about the size of Massachusetts – is thought to be one of Earth’s most biodiversity rich sites and is also home to several nomadic Indian tribes. Yasuni’s preservation (total protection, not “sustainable management” or “conservation”) would spare Earth some 410 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that contribute to global warming; while keeping biodiversity, ecosystems and cultures fully intact. The official signing is reported to be held on Tuesday.

Ecological Internet’s Earth Action Network [1] was the first to campaign internationally on threats to Yasuni from oil exploration, successfully internationalizing the issue. “This marvelous rainforest and climate victory is very gratifying and exciting,” states Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet President. “Ecological Internet began to campaign in the early 2000s to protect Yasuni National Park from oil development, and continuously since. Like so many of our campaigns, it has just taken off. Our efforts were picked up by ‘The Ecologist’ Magazine, and since then a large local and global movement has been built – including the Yasuni-ITT Initiative, Scientists Concerned for Yasuni, Save America’s Forest and many other participants – who share in this victory.”

In 2007, Ecuador’s then President Rafael Correa launched the Yasuni-ITT Initiative, which sought compensation for agreeing to forgo exploiting the estimated 846 million barrels of crude in the Yasuni National Park. Negotiations had centered on the amount of compensation Ecuador would receive, with Correa insisting his nation get at least 3.5 billion dollars over ten years — about half the value of the estimated reserves in the protected area. When international donors were slow to respond, Ecological Internet launched another campaign which successfully “nudged” donor nations to fund this Yasuni-ITT proposal[2]. As of early this year, about half had been pledged, with Germany (910 million) and Spain (241.8 million) leading the group of donors that included France, Sweden and Switzerland.

### MORE ###

Much of the remainder of the Western Amazon — home to some of the most biodiverse and intact primary rainforest ecosystems left on Earth, which are critical for driving regional and global ecosystems and climatic patterns necessary for life – are threatened with decimation by oil rigs and pipelines. Over 180 oil and gas “blocks” – covering some 688,000 km2 (170 million acres) of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and western Brazil (nearly the size of Texas) – areas zoned for exploration and development. This energy production is concentrated in the Amazon’s largest remaining un-fragmented primary rainforest wildernesses, containing the most species of birds, mammals, and amphibians.

“Destruction of primary rainforests for oil production and other industrial developments is a global ecological emergency. Regional governments, international donors and global citizens must decide whether every last bit of the Earth’s old forest wildernesses; and intact, large ecosystems which make Earth habitable, will be sacrificed to delay having to transition now to renewable energy sources. In the process, abrupt run-away climate change, mass extinction and social disintegration will be ensured. This deal, if indeed signed as reported on Tuesday, represents a major new model for achieving global ecological sustainability, which must be replicated wherever primary rainforests shroud oil reserves. Further, it sets the precedent that to truly be protected, primary rainforests must be fully preserved in an intact condition, and not ‘sustainably managed’, which is a myth,” explains Dr. Barry.

### ENDS ###

[1] Earth Action Network’s current alerts are found at http://www.ecoearth.info/shared/alerts and you can subscribe to new alert notifications at: http://www.ecoearth.info/shared/subscribe/ and on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ecointernet

[2] http://forests.org/shared/alerts/send.aspx?id=ecuador_oil_underground

DISCUSS RELEASE:
http://www.rainforestportal.org/issues/
http://www.facebook.com/ecointernet
http://www.twitter.com/ecointernet

—
Please support Ecological Internet’s campaigns to protect and restore old forests at http://www.rainforestportal.org/shared/donate/ . Our mid-year fund-raiser was very successful, yet we are a couple thousand dollars short of meeting our expenses to the end of the year.

To subscribe visit:
http://www.ecoearth.info/shared/subscribe/

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

Romania: Man is Seen Attacking a Dog; Another Man Steps in to Defend Dog and is Stabbed to Death as a Result – The Romanian Authorities Are NOT Acting to Help Animals, But Help Criminals !

Posted on August 1, 2010 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

Today’s news: In Brasov, a man saw an aggressor beating a street dog, and tried to save the dog. The aggressor vented his rage upon him, the dog lover was attacked, beaten, stabbed to death with a glass piece in his chest.

This is the result of the tensions that have built – up in the Romanian society over the last years, of the policy of violence against the street animals promoted and encouraged by Romanian authorities.

There is nowhere you can report the acts of cruelty against animals, with the hope and expectation that the law will be enforced.

If media and people make pressure on cases that get to public knowledge, the authorities will open the regular penal investigations, which in the best case will end 1 year later with the aggressors facing no penal convictions.

If you report cruelty cases to police, the investigations will be very slow, rather reluctant and often the witnesses and the plaintiff are treated with a sort of mockery.

Witnesses report sometimes they were influenced by police representatives, during interviews. In other cases the investigations consist in exchange of letters with perpetrators. The evidences submitted are ignored, omitted. The investigations are conducted in such a manner to end up with no criminal charges. We can provide evidence of such cases.

The investigations are carried out simply because these public employees fear reports or complaints to higher levels, not because the law and society reprove the animal cruelty, and the perpetrators should pay for their acts.

According to our knowledge, since 2008, all penal investigations on animal cruelty ended with very few insignificant administrative fines: less than 125 euro for a horse stabbed to death by the employees of a zoo, less than 50 euro for poisoning dogs with insecticide. That is, insignificant administrative fines for felony cases.

Many other dossiers regarding animal maltreatment and mass killing of dogs while the law forbids it, with hard evidences, are blocked at Braila, Tulcea, Onesti etc. The system is very ‘efficient’ to cover the facts and perpetrators.

Other penal complaints on animal cruelty were lost in the bureaucratic system of police and prosecutors.

If you are an individual, a citizen who knows your Romanian law punishes the animal cruelty, and you take stand and report a cruelty act to authorities, you have no chance to see the perpetrator punished as provided by law.

Last week our organization brought a case on the table of the Romanian College of Veterinarians, were interviewed, and they defended their colleague who killed and maltreated thousands of dogs in Braila, and still does it, saying that we have no right of complaint, since we were not the owners of dogs, that the veterinarians are not in charge of animal welfare, and how can we prove the 2000 dogs killed as incurables were not incurable but healthy dogs?

Could a veterinarian with 40% dog mortality rate in his shelter, he being also owner of this dog killing ‘business’, could he be called ‘veterinarian’?

This position was expressed within the highest Romanian institution monitoring the veterinarians deontology.

So that, what position to expect from the other institutions?

http://stirileprotv.ro/stiri/eveniment/un-barbat-din-brasov-a-murit-incercand-sa-salveze-un-catel-comunitar.html

Daniela Dragomir

FRPCA

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

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Sweden: The Horror of Sweden’s Fur Farms Exposed – Take Action Now – Sample Letter and Contacts Included

Uk; Animal Abusing Thug Gets Detention and a 10 Year Ban – but Not Long Enough !

Bulgarian Society for Animal Protection and Preservation – BSAPP.

Australia: Let your voice be heard regarding live animal exports

Uk: Shine On You Crazy Diamonds – To All AW / AR People Everywhere !

Shine on you crazy diamond !!

Ecuador Sets Major Rainforest and Climate Protection Precedent

Romania: Man is Seen Attacking a Dog; Another Man Steps in to Defend Dog and is Stabbed to Death as a Result – The Romanian Authorities Are NOT Acting to Help Animals, But Help Criminals !

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