Posted on August 3, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
News from the Center for Biological Diversity
A Big Win for Great Lakes Wolves
A victory for wolves this week: The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals decided the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was wrong when it removed Endangered Species Act protections from gray wolves in the western Great Lakes states. This ruling protects more than 3,000 wolves in the region and saves hundreds from killing each year. The decision marks the eighth time — at least — that a federal court has ruled that the Service has wrongly ended gray wolf protections. “The second-highest court in the nation reaffirmed that we must do much more to recover gray wolves before declaring the mission accomplished,” said the Center’s Noah Greenwald. “Wolves are still missing from more than 90 percent of their historic range in the lower 48 states, and both the Endangered Species Act and common sense tell us we can’t ignore that loss.” Read more in the Chicago Tribune.
Trump Flouts the Law to Rush Border-wall Construction
Trump’s Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday it’s exempting itself from all laws — including environmental laws — to rush construction of the border wall near San Diego. This waiver would speed construction of replacement walls, roads, 30-foot-high “prototypes,” lighting and other infrastructure without any analysis of environmental impacts on local endangered species — including Quino checkerspot butterflies and tiny gray songbirds called coastal California gnatcatchers.
The Center is suing Trump’s administration over its failure to perform environmental analysis or release information about the border-wall project. “Trump’s wall is a divisive symbol of fear and hatred, and it does real harm to the landscape and border communities,” said Center attorney Brian Segee
The Fight’s Getting Started to Save Yellowstone’s Grizzlies
The road to recovery for Yellowstone’s grizzly bears just got steeper — but the battle to save them is far from over. This week the Trump administration finalized the removal of federal Endangered Species Act protections from grizzlies living in and around Yellowstone National Park — even though grizzlies only occupy less than 5 percent of their historic range, and Yellowstone grizzlies remain isolated. Wyoming, Montana and Idaho have now taken over management and have stated they plan to implement trophy-hunting seasons soon.
But the Center, along with conservation and tribal allies, have already told the Fish and Wildlife Service we’ll sue if the agency doesn’t reverse course. Stay tuned for how you can help.
Appeal Filed Against Destructive SoCal Freeway Plan
A $1.7 billion, six-lane freeway project in Southern California would hurt low-income neighborhoods, fragment San Jacinto Valley wildlife preserves, and pollute the air — so the Center and partners have filed a federal challenge. The project site harbors species like burrowing owls, Swainson’s hawks, tricolored blackbirds and Stephens’ kangaroo rats. “Rather than offer 21st-century transit solutions, the feds ignored environmental laws and pushed through this boondoggle, which will hurt imperiled animals and force hundreds of people from their homes,” said the Center’s Aruna Prabhala.
Suit Seeks to Expose Trump’s Collusion With Coal
The Center has sued the Trump administration for not providing public records on closed-door meetings between the U.S. Department of the Interior and fossil-fuel industry executives. “If Trump and Zinke had nothing to hide, they’d comply with our simple call to release meeting records,” said the Center’s Senior Counsel Bill Snape. “Instead the administration continues to plot with fossil-fuel executives in secret, making decisions that hurt public health and affect the future of all Americans.”
Today we released footage filmed over the past two months on a West Country chicken farm that supplies Faccenda – the UK’s second largest chicken company.
More than 150,000 birds are housed in four giant sheds in crowded, barren conditions to end up on shelves and menus of retailers such as Nando’s, Lidl and Asda.
Some of the distressing scenes captured by our investigators include:
Hundreds of dead chicks being dumped every day for several days, including one who was thrown into a wheelbarrow alive with dozens of dead bodies and left for at least an hour.
A worker kicking birds during daily checksinside the sheds; collecting ill birds and breaking their necks, with some still alive and flapping their wings as he carried them around.
Lame birds in obvious discomfort attempting to walk; birds on their backs slowly dying because they are unable to stand and reach water and birds with red, raw sores from the filthy ammonia-soaked litter underfoot.
Workers violently catching and crating birds for transport to the slaughterhouse, including carrying birds by one leg in violation of Defra’s welfare code.
Our expose featured in The Times and The Independent today, alerting millions of people to the agony endured by chickens raised and killed for meat in Britain.
Please help spread the word by sharing our video with your friends and family, and encouraging them to discover the joys of plant-based food by signing our Love Veg pledge!
Thank you for helping to make the world a better place for animals.
Posted on August 2, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Thanks to Jane for sending the following info:
Above and below – Ocean Drover.
Around 6,600 dairy cows from New Zealand are currently en route to China aboard the world’s largest livestock carrier, the Ocean Drover.
The 176m long vessel collected the first half of its cargo at Timaru port in New Zealand’s southern island, before travelling north to Napier port to collect the remaining cows.
It was scheduled to depart New Zealand shores on Friday, July 31. The shipment is currently travelling across the Pacific Ocean; it is approximately half way through its journey to China.
The arrival date and time of the livestock carrier at a port in China are unknown, as the journey time will depend on both weather and sea conditions.
The Ocean Drover, which was built in 2002, is believed to be the world’s largest livestock carrier. It measures 176.1m in length and is 31.1m wide; the vessel tips the scales at just under 13,500t deadweight.
It is believed that these New Zealand cows will be transported to farms owned by dairy giant Fonterra.
The news of the Ocean Drover’s departure to China coincided with New Zealand being described as China’s “most important” dairy partner at the China-NZ Dairy Forum.
The forum was co-hosted by Fonterra and it aims to promote the exchange of ideas between the two countries.
At the forum, the Chairman of the Dairy Association of China (DAC), Gao Hongbin, praised New Zealand while recognising the role international companies play in the domestic industry.
“New Zealand is China’s most important overseas dairy partner and this partnership will keep strengthening,” he said.
Sharing knowledge on effluent management systems, which is an important part of delivering sustainable dairy systems, was a key theme at this year’s forum, Fonterra added.
Tesco have so far refused to drop Hogwood Farm as a supplier, and this needs to change!
On Saturday 12th August, Viva! is holding a nationwide Day of Action. It is set to be our BIGGEST yet!
Viva! Campaigns aired undercover footage in the Mirror revealing shocking scenes of cruelty at Hogwood Farm, which supplies Tesco supermarkets.
Tesco claims to take “animal welfare extremely seriously”, but Hogwood was given their seal of approval – showing that supermarket welfare assurances are meaningless!
Our petition to close the farm downis helping us show Tesco that this treatment of animals is unacceptable. With over 31,000 signatures so far, we’ve made great progress. Thank you to everyone who has signed it!
Join us in telling Tesco to dump Hogwood as a supplier by ordering your FREE leaflets or demo pack today.
Order before 8th August to recieve your packs in time!
Our leaflets educate people about the UK’s failure to protect farmed animals and offers people the chance to avoid taking part in this cruelty – by trying vegan.
Please share this email with your friends and help us make this our biggest ever Day of Action!
Target: Donna Kaspar, District Attorney of Houston, Texas
Goal: Seek the maximum penalty possible for man who allegedly beat his puppy with a crow bar before dragging him down the road.
An eight-week old Labrador puppy, named Mud, was reportedly beaten with a crow bar after his owner had duct taped the poor puppy’s muzzle.
According to witnesses, the owner, 58-year-old Dwain Riley, coaxed his timid puppy outside by dangling treats in front of him.
Witnesses say that Riley then tied the puppy by the neck to his vehicle before duct-taping his muzzle and beating him with a crowbar. He sped 10 – 15 miles per hour with poor Mud dragging behind.
The injured puppy barked and managed to wrestle free and a neighbor was able to grab the dog and take him to safety.
These would be the actions of an extremely cruel, violent person who has no business owning animals. Please add your signature to the petition below to demand that Riley receive the maximum penalty and be banned from owning animals if convicted of this crime.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Ms. Kaspar,
A puppy was reportedly beaten with a crowbar, then tied to the back of a vehicle and dragged. The owner had allegedly duct taped the dog’s muzzle beforehand. The puppy survived and managed to run free.
We, the undersigned, are calling on you to make sure that no other animal has to suffer this extreme violence. Please see to it that the owner is given the maximum possible penalty and banned from owning animals if found guilty.
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 
