July | 2012 | Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

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Serbia: Cows Producing Milk For Human Consumption ! – Two Years On And The Serbian Authorities Are Still Failing To Act – Now We Have Further Evidence – Please E Mail and Support The Campaign.

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

If anyone ever needed proof about the negative aspects of the human consumption of bovine milk, then take a look at this ! – Go Vegan !

Further to our recent post (07/07/12) regarding the latest disturbing photographs (as shown in this post) from a dairy farm in Rusko Selo, Northern Serbia:

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/serbia-same-old-farm-exposed-again-and-an-ineffective-ministry-so-what-changes/

SAV have been working with our friends and expert global farm animal welfare campaigners at Uk based Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) about this particular situation.

CIWF Links:

http://www.ciwf.org.uk/

http://www.ciwf.org.uk/about_us/default.aspx

At the end of last week, we provided copies of all the most recent photographs from Rusko Selo to Phil Brooke, the Welfare Development Manager at Compassion in World Farming. Phil kindly gave his help and advice on this very same farm in the past when we uncovered the situation back in 2010::

Previous links:

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/serbia-farm-anima

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/serbia-farm-anima

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/serbia-november-2

Again Phil has provided us with a formal CIWF statement which has today (10/07/12) been provided to Serbian campaigners to use and forward on to Serbian government Ministry officials – the very people who should be ensuring that situations like these seen at this farm never happen.

Below is a full transcript of the statement made by Phil Brooke after reviewing the recent photographs and information provided by SAV and Serbian welfare campaigners.

As Serbia is looking towards EU membership in the near future, we would like to draw attention to one particular part of the statement made by Phil; this being:

“The squalid conditions these cattle are being kept in plainly fail to meet basic welfare or hygiene standards as laid down by Council of Europe Convention and EU Directive which require that animals are prevented avoidable suffering and kept in conditions which avoid risks to their health. It is clear beyond doubt that what is shown in these photographs does not comply with existing EU legislation, and consequently could impact Serbian accession to the EU”.

We ask anyone who has concerns like us about this farm, to e mail the following, who are all associated with responsibility for ensuring animal welfare; we would suggest that you copy some photographs and the part of the statement given abobe, and mail this to the addresses given:

predsednikvladesrbije@gov.rs; zoran.marinkovic@minpolj.gov.rs ;
zoran.micovic@minpolj.gov.rs; s.celebicanin@minpolj.gov.rs,
office@minpolj.gov.rs; vetuprava@minpolj.gov.rs, muprs@mup.gov.rs

If a nation is looking at future EU membership, then it must do a lot better than to allow animals to be kept in non-EU standards. There is no further statement to be made – Serbia needs to improve big time !

We know that conditions on this Serbian farm are not a ‘one off’ – similar conditions are regular all over the country. We are now working with serbian campaigners to identify and expose these other facilities.

——————————————————

Link to pdf copy of formal CIWF statement:

Statement Serbian cattle July 2012

CIWF Statement

Unsanitary Conditions for Serbian dairy cattle at Rusko selo 1^st July 2012

In 2010 we issued a statement relating to the environmental conditions for dairy cattle in this farm. We stated that is was clear from the photographs that these cattle were being kept in squalid, filthy, unhealthy and completely unacceptable conditions. The cattle in the pictures shown were standing in water contaminated with excrement. The matted nature of their coats shows that they were unable to keep clean and had clearly been in these conditions for some time.

We are disturbed to discover that in 2012, conditions do not seem to have improved. Pictures from the farm show the cattle lying in their own manure. Unsurprisingly, their coats were dirty due to being forced to lie in their own excrement. Contact between their udders and faeces and urine and dirt on the teats increases the risk of infection by a range of micro-organisms including e coli. These can cause mastitis which is a risk to the health and welfare of the cattle as well as to the health of people who consume dairy products from this farm. These are also conditions in which flies are likely to breed with further risks of disease spread.

In the event of rain it seems clear that the lying area would again become waterlogged. Wet feet can lead to a range of hoof conditions and increased risk of lameness.

Cattle need a comfortable, clean and well-drained area to lie down, receive adequate rest and remain healthy. The squalid conditions these cattle are being kept in plainly fail to meet basic welfare or hygiene standards as laid down by Council of Europe Convention and EU Directive which require that animals are prevented avoidable suffering and kept in conditions which avoid risks to their health.

It is clear beyond doubt that what is shown in these photographs does not comply with existing EU legislation, and consequently could impact Serbian accession to the EU. In the event of Serbia’s accession, these photographs could form the basis of a formal complaint to be made to the Legal Affairs Dept of the EU associated with animal welfare.

Phil Brooke

Welfare Development Manager

Compassion in World Farming

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 98/58/EC of 20 July 1998 concerning the protection of animals kept for farming purposes

Article 3

Member States shall make provision to ensure that the owners or keepers take all reasonable steps to ensure the welfare of animals under their care and to ensure that those animals are not caused any unnecessary pain, suffering or injury.

From the Annex:

Animals not kept in buildings

12. Animals not kept in buildings shall where necessary and possible be given protection from adverse weather conditions, predators and risks to their health.

Ref: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/1998/l_221/l_22119980808en00230027.pdf

Council of Europe Convention covering the Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes state, amongst other things:

Article 9

1. Animals should be maintained in a clean condition.

2. Those parts of the accommodation with which the animals come into contact should be thoroughly cleansed, and where appropriate, disinfected, everytime the accommodation has been emptied and before new animals are brought in. While the accommodation is occupied by the animals, the interior surfaces and all equipment therein shall be kept satisfactorily clean.

Ref: http://www.coe.int/t/e/legal_affairs/legal_co-operation/biological_safety,_use_of_animals/Farming/Rec%20cattle%20E.asp#TopOfPage

See a lot more very disturbing photographs of conditions at this same farm taken back in 2010 via the following links:

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/serbia-farm-anima

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/serbia-farm-anima

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/serbia-november-2

The Serbian authorities did not act then as a result of our evidence. As you can see from the latest photographs, nothing has changed two years on !

Please take action and contact the authorities now – see above for further info.

Thanks – SAV.

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

Taiwan: Pig Farmer Becomes A Vegetarian And Works Instead To Promote Animal Welfare – Great Story.

Posted on July 7, 2012 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

Recalling the moment that transformed him from a moneymaking pig farmer to a vegetarian who regarded his farm animals as close companions, Lo said it was a piglet that was about to be butchered that changed his perception of pig farming.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2012/07/07/2003537184

Lo Hung-hsien feeds his pigs at his farm in New Taipei City on Tuesday. A hog farmer from New Taipei City’s (新北市) Linkou District (林口) has transformed his farm into a real-life “piggy paradise” where pigs are not raised for meat, after he was struck by the woeful eyes of a piglet which was going to be slaughtered.

“Animals are our friends, not our food,” said 34-year-old Lo Hung-hsien (駱鴻賢), the owner of the pig sanctuary, who is also a vegetarianism advocate and a part-time volunteer.

In an effort to cover the huge overhead costs of managing the non-profitable ranch, Lo holds down multiple jobs, including working as a cargo driver, setting up temporary stalls at night markets and running an online business selling dumplings.

Aside from his salaried jobs, Lo also squeezes in time for his advocacy work to promote the benefits of a vegetarian diet, volunteer at schools and give free speeches at the Tzu Chi Foundation.

Exhausting all his hard-earned money on raising his family and “piggy friends,” Lo said that despite all the criticism he has received for his decision to change how the farm was managed, he will still hold on to his beliefs even if it left him penniless.

Before his change of heart, Lo said that he had been a profit-driven pig farmer who inherited his family’s large-scale, lucrative farming business from his grandfather.

Lo said that at the business’ peak, his farm could accommodate 500 pigs and raked in substantial revenue that was far more than he could spend.

Lo said that at the time, a staff member from a slaughterhouse had gone to his farm to single out a few hogs, prompting the terrified animals to start wailing.

“Except for one piglet, which abruptly quieted down when I took it in my hands and then it looked me right in the eyes, as if saying: ‘How could you do this to me?’ That look in its eyes shattered me and kept me awake all night,” Lo said.

“It was then that I resolved to convert to vegetarianism and cut off cooperation with any butcheries,” he said.

Over the past few years, only forty out of the hundreds of hogs survive, while the rest have succumbed to old age or disease, but Lo still spares no effort in attending to his pig companions.

Lo starts his day at 4am each morning, driving to a number of vegetarian restaurants to collect their leftovers, which are first cooked before being fed to his treasured pets.

Afterward, Lo cleans up the pigpens and washes and plays with the hogs attentively, as if they were his children.

He has also sprayed the slogan “animals are our friends, not our food” on his truck because he wants to spread the seeds of his beliefs wherever he goes.

A hog farmer from New Taipei City’s (新北市) Linkou District (林口) has transformed his farm into a real-life “piggy paradise” where pigs are not raised for meat, after he was struck by the woeful eyes of a piglet which was going to be slaughtered.