Posted on April 22, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
22/4/15 – Serbian situation update.
The situation regarding the ‘new kill’ proposals being put forward by the Serbian government, which they have been hoping to introduce during May; is obviously changing and updating on an almost daily basis.
Today (22/4), Mark made a telephone conversation to the EU Enlargement Commission (one of many over the past few months) in Brussels to ask when, if ever, he will be getting a written response to his letter of 22nd February 2015. Read the original letter via this ref:
Mark was in conversation with the Commission Member of Cabinet, Mr. Kyriacos Charalambous, who is partly responsible for Serbian EU membership.
were, in their opinion, basically the same thing; and as such needed just one response from them.
This response from Commissioner Hahn was thus sent directly to Keith Taylor MEP, and titled ‘Honorable Member’; addressed only to Keith himself and nobody else, the content of which you can see directly below.
We would always argue that in no way were the letters of Keith and Mark identical, and we still feel that each letter should have been acted on and responded to as individual issues by the EU Commission. Commissioner Hahn and the Enlargement Commission for example; did not even touch on the many animal fighting video links which were provided in Mark’s letter and Mark’s letter only. Video evidence that the Serbian government and police should have acted on years or months ago – and here we are now with the EU Commission further supporting the Serbian government with their utter ignorance and disrespect of what the videos actually show. The Commission should run the issues, not give in and do what the Serbian government does and does not want to do.
Just for the record, as this link is being sent back to the EU Head of Cabinet; we repeat a few of the video links which were supplied ONLY in Mark’s original letter; not that of Keith Taylors.
People involved in this animal abuse can be clearly seen in the videos; along with the name of the person who posted them onto Youtube in the first place – Jovica Vidovic.
So why has no action been taken by the Serbian government and police to enforce ‘the rule of law’ we ask ? – something the EU Commission seems unable to pick up on; and also, why are the EU Enlargement Commission waffling on with excuses to us that they have fully responded about things in the reply to Keith Taylor, when the actual reality is that the issues of the videos raised by Mark specifically do not even get a hearing at the EU Commission !!
So we are now left in the situation where the EU Enlargement Commission have failed to respond directly back to Mark regarding his letter to them of 22nd of February 2015. In the telephone conversation on 22/4, Mark did point out to the Member of Cabinet that a fundamental requirement of any EU accession state is ensuring that any new state seeking EU membership should be fully enforcing ‘the rule of law’ within its own country – and this should be proven to the EU. So we ask again, where is the action being taken by either serbia or the EU Commission regarding the videos above ?
Mark also pointed out to the Commission that despite rulings from the Serbian Constitutional Court in 2005 saying that stray animals must not be killed; but instead controlled by other means, https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2010/01/25/serbia-constitutional-court-of-serbia-says-that-the-killing-of-stray-dogs-and-cats-in-serbia-is-forbidden-from-02102005/ the Serbian government has ignored the rulings of its own national Constitutional Court and continued to round up and kill stray animals for at least the last 10 years.
In the opinion of SAV and many others, it was made clear by Mark today (22/4) to the EU Commission that the Serbian government has been ignoring the requirements of the Serbian Constitutional Court for the past 10 years is not enforcing the rule of law within Serbia.
Mark was ‘verbally assured’ by the EU member of Cabinet, that the EU is working hard to ensure that the ‘rules of law’ are enforced throughout Serbia before it is given EU membership. Mark pointed out that in his opinion and that of many others involved with animal welfare in Serbia, that these new proposals for ‘quicker killings’ of stray animals which are currently being presented by the Serbian government are simply a way of (as it has been said) “cleaning up the streets in order to Fast Track Serbia’s EU membership”. This was denied by the EU Commission when suggested to them.
Fed up with no action from the EU; Mark closed the conversation with the EU by informing them he had little faith in their current actions; asking them to ensure that the Serbian government did NOT continue with their new kill proposals for May 2015, and reminded the EU that we (and many other EU animal welfare groups) will be watching and reporting on every event which takes place for Serbian animals over the coming months.
If the Member of Cabinet at the EU did not get the message today that they need to act; and act positively and quickly in the next few weeks; then it has to be asked exactly what one has to do with the EU to simply get a message through to them !!
And then we wonder why so many people in the UK (for example) want to get out of the EU ! – with actions like theirs is it any wonder people want to move to an authority that does not continually drag its heels.
So, we have been busy behind the scenes. This is the latest of all the events but we will continue to keep you updated as always when we feel it is time to do so. And EU Commission; we are watching your actions (or lack of) very closely.
We dont want a ‘Romania 2’ when Serbia is allowed into the EU. Sort It Now.
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, DOCUMENTS, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, LETTERS, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering), SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 19, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Above – The Earth Day Flag.
Earth Day
Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, on which day events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and celebrated in more than 192 countries each year.
Filed under: GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 19, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
The Canadian seal pup killers have just realised that the world hates them and what they do – and they have just announced the following (on 17/4/15):
Important Notice: CSA Operations
For immediate release: April 17, 2015
The Canadian Sealers Association is facing challenging times in light of restrictive market opportunities worldwide for our sealers and producers to sell their product.
The CSA will be seeking open discussions with any industry stakeholders with ideas how to best advance the sealing industry for the future.
We want current members and supporters to know that we plan to continue operations in a scaled down mode.
Our head office in St. John’s will be closed temporarily till the executive board meet in the summer and decide on a new executive director.
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Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, HUNTING - Primarily UK and Germany | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 18, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
All the following photographs are not part of this article but have been included by SAV.
Mark,
Thank you. KFC is the latest company to release a new, deforestation-free palm oil commitment, and it’s because of you!
Over the last year, SumOfUs members have added over 1.5 million signatures to petitions telling some of the world’s largest fast food corporations that there’s no excuse to continue buying palm oil that could cause climate change, loss of endangered species habitat, and tropical deforestation.
We took action. Corporations listened. And acted!
KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell — all owned by multinational conglomerate Yum! Brands, America’s second largest fast food corporation — responded to our demands. Yum! Brands recently announced a new palm oil policy that requires all the palm oil they use for cooking be deforestation-free.
While Yum! Brands still need to go further to ensure its commitments translate into real impacts on the ground, this is a tremendous step forward for the climate, tropical forests, and endangered species.
Together, we are transforming the palm oil industry.
Thanks for all that you do,
Hanna, Fatah, Nicole, Carys, and the rest of the team at SumOfUs.
P.S. Wondering what’s next in the fight for tropical forests and deforestation free palm oil?
Join the more than 110,000 people who have asked Burger King and Tim Horton’s, America’s third largest fast food company, to go deforestation-free.
Original mail:
Mark,
KFC says it has absolutely no idea where its palm oil comes from — and it’s putting that palm oil into loads of products, from apple turnovers to grilled chicken to country-fried steak.
In other words, KFC, the world’s second largest restaurant chain, can’t guarantee that it’s not buying from conflict palm oil plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia. It could very well be responsible for the clearing of pristine rainforest, for the deaths of thousands of orangutans and tigers, for child labour on palm plantations, and rocketing carbon emissions from deforestation.
KFC is owned by Yum! Brands, which also owns Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, two more fast food chains that also use palm oil. To get Yum! to adopt a deforestation-free palm oil policy, we’re joining forces with the Union of Concerned Scientists to push this issue all the way up to the CEO’s desk.
The mega fast food conglomerate insists that it’s phasing out palm oil “wherever feasible”, with only a little more than 30% of its restaurants still using it for frying. But with more than 40,00 outlets around the world, that’s still more than 12,000 KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants that fry with palm oil that could be from destroyed rainforests. Furthermore, Yum! Brands has no policy for palm oil used in the rest of its non-fried products, including KFC’s biscuits and gravy.
Pressure is mounting on KFC to make the switch to responsibly-sourced palm oil. On top of our efforts, Yum! Brands is feeling pressure from its own shareholders over the palm oil issue, and it will have to face a shareholder resolution at its Annual General Meeting in May, demanding that it starts sourcing responsible palm oil.
We’ve already convinced Kellogg’s, Krispy Kreme, Dunkin’ Donuts and other big companies to change their ways, causing a shift in the global palm oil supply chain. Because of our work, it’s easier than ever for companies to buy palm oil that’s free of deforestation. Similar organized consumer pressure has dramatically slowed the rate of deforestation in Brazil. KFC can be moved with public pressure too, especially now with the double whammy of a shareholder resolution looming on the horizon.
Thanks for all that you do,
Kaytee, Hanna, and the team at SumOfUs.org
More information:
SumOfUs is a worldwide movement of people like you, working together to hold corporations accountable for their actions and forge a new, sustainable path for our global economy.
Please help keep SumOfUs strong by chipping in $3.
Filed under: GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 17, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Passion gets Animals Represented in NSW Parliament
Despite a tiny budget, but with of plenty of passion, the Animal Justice Party won its first parliamentary seat by gaining the last seat in the Legislative Council election in New South Wales today. At the preference distribution count today the AJP ended up an easy winner for the final seat ahead of the No Land Tax Party and the Liberal Party.
This is a historic result; as Party President and Founder Professor Steve Garlick said: “This is the first time in Australia that animals will be represented at a parliamentary level. We know that more than 80 percent of all decisions made in Australian parliaments impact on the lives of animals and its about time they had a voice representing their interests”.
Elected AJP candidate Mark Pearson will take up his position in the NSW upper house in July and will have much to say about how the lives of farm, domestic and wild animals in NSW can be improved. Being the Executive Director of NSW Animal Liberation, Mark comes to this parliamentary role with considerable commitment and knowledge about how to stop animal cruelty.
Apart from supporting Mark in his new role in the Parliament of NSW, the Party will now set its sights on a number of elections in 2016 where it hopes to emulate its success and where it will target government supported extreme animal brutality.
Please visit www.animaljusticeparty.org for more info about AJP. Watch this space!
I would like to thank all of you who supported us and voted for animals.
You gave a voice to the voiceless – thank you :))
– for all animals
Teresa
SAV Comment – We are sure Mark will be a big voice speaking out against the live export trade from Australia –
First time for animals in Parliament; but certainly not the last. Hopefully this is just the beginning. Congratulations !!
Filed under: GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 17, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
This is for EVERYONE who visits SAV:
Dear Mark
we know you are fighting for animals everyday and we want you to know that thanks to your efforts things ARE changing for animals around the world.
One of the places where things are moving forward is in China.
This is how you Mark are helping it happen.
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You are supporting groundbreaking investigations!
Your support has helped Animal Equality investigators carry out three investigations. Two of them exposed the brutality behind the Chinese dog and cat meat industry, and the third one exposed the cruel fur trade.
All the investigations reached international coverage appearing in media such as CNN, Sky News, Daily Mail or El Mundo. The footage has touched the heart of millions of people. They are joining you to help end the abuse.
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You are helping us tell THEIR stories
Vita was terrified that day of April. She was at a dog slaughterhouse in Zhanjiang… she knew that it would soon be her turn. Her life would soon be over.
Vita suddenly saw a stranger enter the dark room of the slaughterhouse with a camera. She desperately tried to call his attention.
She must have known… The investigator saw her and convinced the slaughterhouse worker to give him Vita. Today she lives with a loving and caring family.
You have done so much for Vita! You shared her story with your family and friends. Thanks to that and your donations Vita is now an ambassador of all the animals brutally abused by the dog meat industry.
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You have spoken
With your signature you have raised your voice with over 400,000 people, and firmly opposed the dog and cat meat trade.
Please stay tuned Mark. In the next months we will be bringing these signatures to Chinese embassies around the world.
4. And finally: You are helping end the massacre
So today I am writing to say: THANK YOU Mark!
We have a detailed plan to continue working in China and you are a key part of this plan. Soon you’ll receive news on how you can help.
Hope for animals in China is in sight. And you are so much a part of this change. You are their hero. You are our hero.
Thank you,
Sharon Nunez
International Director – Animal Equality.
BM Box 2732 · London
Filed under: GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »
Posted on April 17, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Lina’s Animal Rescue is organisation for animal welfare from Serbia.
We have 20 dogs in small private unfinished shelter, 20 dogs in 2 boarding kennels and 14 kitties in one rescuers home.
Funds are desperately needed to pay the boarding kennel fees. We have debt for March for 16 dogs and now unpaid April for 16 dogs.
We are desperate, those dogs can not go again on the street. The life of street dogs everywhere is difficult, but here in Serbia the dog catchers kill them rather than rescue them.
Finding homes is very difficult as the culture in Serbia is not to adopt dogs, but rather buy a puppy then turn it out in the streets later when it is grown. Those dogs urgent need help.
Each dog’s boarding fees are 60€ per month ( 40 boarding kennel + 20 food ) . With 20 dogs currently in boarding facilities, the debt is too great to even think about renovating our shelter.
They depend only on help from good people.
Please share our story and donate, this is URGENT APPEAL !
Thank you !
To donate anything, please click on the following SECURE donation link:
Filed under: Animals Requiring Adoption or Homes - Worldwide, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia, SHELTER - Information | Leave a comment »
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 