Posted on February 14, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Read more at:
While others try to leave, our brave and selfless staff are rushing back to the danger zone. I couldn’t be prouder… please show them your support as they battle food and medication shortages… all to keep the bears healthy.
Dear Mark,
The impact of the coronavirus is already hitting hard here at our China bear sanctuary.
Medications, face masks and disinfectant are all getting harder to find… even deliveries of food and water are under threat. And prices are going up by the day.
The implications for the bears, and other animals who rely on us for help, are truly frightening. Please give what you can to our Crisis Action Fund and help us – and the animals – through this devastating time.
Your gift today will help us pay for urgent veterinary supplies… face masks, antiseptic soap, syringes, swabs, surgical gloves… and most importantly, the bears’ medicines.
The worst thing is the uncertainty. We just don’t know how long this deadly virus will last. But we do know the impact will last for months, not weeks. And we know that this crisis is worsening day by day.
To make a donation to support the bears and the AA team in this crisis; please go to:
Our greatest fear is that transport restrictions and panic buying will mean we can’t get enough basic food, water and medicines for both staff and bears. Even locally sourced supplies like fruit and vegetables are drying up.
Our hearts go out to those directly affected by this devastating virus. As I write this, tens of thousands of people are confirmed as positive and hundreds have died…
By the time you’re reading this, the situation will be even worse.
… most of these cases are in Wuhan, Hubei Province, the epicentre of the virus. And unfortunately, we’re almost next door. Sichuan province, the home of our China sanctuary, and our Nanning rescue site are close to Hubei. So we’re directly affected by the new regulations in place to contain the virus. Lockdowns and transport restrictions are taking a heavy toll.
But among this devastation are stories of courage and kindness that go to the core of what this big Animals Asia family means to us all.
Our embattled China team is giving all that they have to ensure our rescued bears (and other animals too) have the care that they need.
This is bravery in action. And I’ll share some of these
inspiring stories with you soon…
Like millions across China, our staff and volunteers are facing high prices and shortages of food, water and medical supplies, mostly because of panic buying and onerous (but necessary) transport restrictions. And of course there’s the constant danger of infection.
We’ve increased our already rigorous bio-security measures at our rescue sites. And we’re planning ahead for any contingency that could arise as the situation rapidly deteriorates.
But most of all we need your help. Will you support
the bravest bear team in China?
We’ve already started sending in basic vet equipment from afar to keep our staff and bears safe. But this is very expensive. Your kind gift today will help us secure much-needed supplies like face masks, surgical gloves, disinfectant soap, food and, crucially, medications for the bears.
The truth is that without you, we’re simply not going to get through this. Please, please… give what you can today.
With hope and gratitude,
Jill Robinson MBE, Dr med vet hc, Hon LLD
Founder and CEO, Animals Asia
PS Our mainland China and Hong Kong offices are closed and our community outreach activities are suspended throughout the country. But all our staff are working harder than ever from home or in the field.
PPS Follow events with us as they unfold on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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Posted on February 13, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Puppies Drowned and Their Bodies Hung From Trees.
We give a full and detailed overview of Serbian animal welfare legislation on our sister site – ‘Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)’. – click on: https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/about-serbian-animals/ – and so as you can also see from the ‘Archives’ on the left of the same site; we have had a lot of past experience with illegal stray animal abuse (in Serbia) in the past.
We thus (2020) invited Serbian activists to give us some updates of the current situation for stray animals (dogs but also cats) in Serbia now; so that we can publish on this site; WAV, and also SAV. And so here is the first of the reports we have from Slavica at ‘EPAR -OIPA Serbia / Alliance for Nature Protection, the rights of animals and people’.
We need to make it clear to readers that Serbia is currently not a member state of the EU, but is a ‘Candidate Country’. As such it is given EU financial support at present. But there is no EU strategy or legislation for stray animals within EU member states anyway; something which welfare groups have been pressing the EU about, with no result, for many years.
As with most issues; especially those relating to animals, the EU simply passes the buck back to individual member states, declaring that it is their individual responsibility to undertake controls. So why do EU politicians exist we ask if they just hand issues back to member states ?
Stray animals, unlike livestock which is traded and sadly transported all over the EU constantly, do not make money for the nations in which they exist; thus they are of no real concern for EU legislators who are solely financially driven. We say what a very sad situation; as to us, all animal lives matter, be they prize bulls or stray dogs struggling to survive on the streets.
Financial contributions to the OIE – or the ‘World Organisation for Animal Health’; are made by all national member states around the world; and this includes Serbia. Thus, we would expect compliance with; or very close to, OIE strategy by member states regarding strays; sadly, Serbia does NOT follow this; irrespective of what is said.
We would like to draw your attention to stray dog information published by the OIE:
Article 7.7.5 states:
In the development of a dog population control programme it is recommended that the authorities establish an advisory group, which should include veterinarians, experts in dog ecology, dog behaviour and zoonotic diseases, and representatives of relevant stakeholders (local authorities, human health services/authorities, environmental control services/authorities, NGOs and the public). The main purpose of this advisory group would be to analyse and quantify the problem, identify the causes, obtain public opinion on dogs and propose the most effective approaches to use in the short and long term.
Important considerations are as follows:
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Identifying the sources of stray dogs
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dogs that have been abandoned by their owner, including puppies resulting from uncontrolled breeding of owned dogs;
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unowned dogs that reproduce successfully.
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vaccination against rabies and other preventive measures against zoonotic diseases, as appropriate;
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veterinary procedures (e.g. surgical procedures);
As we have always argued from our (SAV) founding in 2005; the capture and killing of stray dogs in Serbia; despite being illegal to kill health dogs; can be a very financially profitable business for some; whilst wrongfully misleading the public; tax paying citizens; that stray dog numbers are being controlled. It is called ‘corruption and deceipt’.
The reality is that the Serbian government and regional / local authorities do NOT want to undertake veterinary procedures as suggested in Article 7.7.5 (see above) such as sterilisations of strays, which would gradually reduce their numbers; as they (the authorities) desire a constant supply of ‘new’ stray animals to capture and kill; – thus, it is not financially profitable for them to reduce stray numbers; and thus reduce their financial gains to be made by the capture and killing of strays ! That is the reality of how the Serbian stray system works; animal abuse and suffering; leading to eventual death; solely for financial profit by those involved in the process.
As far as we are (still) aware, there is no ‘advisory group’ involving either the public or NGO’s in a population control programme anywhere within Serbia. In addition, the Serbian authorities; who appear to work on their own; using contractors, or ‘shinters’, have a simple policy of ‘kill and more kill’; whilst misleading the public that they have the situation under control. As such they do not follow any of the OIE suggested procedures mentioned above, such as ‘surgical procedures’ (sterilisation) in order to reduce stray animal population numbers over time. They simply continue to want an endless supply of strays; in order to kill endless numbers of strays; and make endless money from the process.
Read more at
2020 – We are currently aware that 3 private shinter firms’ – companies hired by local authorities in Serbia to ‘control’ dog numbers using illegal practices which are non-compliant with existing national animal welfare legislation, include Avenija MB – they have probably have killed up to 10,000 dogs in more than 60 Serbian cities by the means of illegal contracts with various city authorities. If NGO’s and the public were represented in these OIE suggested ‘advisory groups’ throughout the country in accordance with OIE stray management guidelines; we very much doubt that such mass killings (as the 10,000) would ever be allowed to happen. We think not very much !
Also, (2020) it has been alleged that in just one day, in more than 40 cities throughout Serbia, illegal mass poisonings have been undertaken again; most probably by shinters working under the private control and public misleading of local authorities. We understand that the illegal killings may have been undertaken using the ‘Kreozan’ poison.
Killing with Nuvan and Kreozan poisons. These cause death by suffocation to the animal after the following prolonged effects – headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, excessive sweating, salivation, blurred vision, tightness in the chest, weakness, muscle twitching, and confusion. Also convulsions, severe respiratory depression, unconsciousness, and eventual death. http://www.actionagainstpoisoning.com/CRY%20FOR%20HELP/serbiaT61/crySerbiaT61.html
In our second post on Serbia you will find copies of the recent letters sent by Serbian activists to the OIE. We ask you to make of the letters to the OIE what you read – and several examples of non compliances by authorities with the current Serbian animal welfare laws are given.
Finally for this post; to become a member state of the EU. The enforcement of ‘the rule of law’ is a requirement for nations wishing to join. Serbia is NOT enforcing its own laws; and as such there is currently no reason why it should be allowed to join the EU. We think in the end the EU will conveniently ignore such things as animal welfare legislation and welcome Serbia into ‘the club’ regardless of its non compliances.
As for dogs hung from trees, we will be publishing a second part to this post to provide you with more about the situation in Serbia. For animals living on the streets; trying to survive at the best of times, they require initiatives that will help them; not have authorities who just want to make money by destroying them. This is currently the way in Serbia. Change will only come from within; when Serbian taxpayers recognise where their money is being wasted on a kill policy rather than a sterilisation policy to reduce numbers forever. Money that is wasted catching and killing dogs should be put into a policy of national long term sterilisation and welfare improvements for the animals – complying with the existing laws.
Changes sometimes take long times to happen; for animals in Serbia the change cannot come soon enough !
Regards Mark
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Posted on February 12, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
The empathy of “animals ” orangutans are usually scared of water due to the density of their fur . This image depicts one offering a helping hand despite the risk.
A good night and regards from Venus
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Posted on February 12, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Dr. Don Barnes experimented with animals at School for Aerospace Medicine for 13-14 years.
When he was an experimenter, they conditioned him AGAINST applying ethics to animals who weren’t human.
But Dr. Don Barnes knew that using animals as laboratory equipment was wrong.
“We use the wrong models for our experiments,” he says.
He fundamentally changed his life and became an animal rights activist.
A nice Video!
My best regards to all, Venus
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Posted on February 12, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
America’s First Vegan Fried Chicken Shop
With modifications to reflect we are now in 2020.
The United States got its very first vegan fried chicken restaurant! On November 22 last year (2019), pop-up shop and catering company Eat Love will finally open a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Eat Love’s founder, Lynn Torres, chose a location in Orange County, California, just a mile away from where she grew up. Hungry customers will have their pick of seitan-based fried chicken sandwiches and bucket meals akin to Kentucky Fried Chicken’s and Chick-fil-A’s, along with delicious desserts, like chocolate-dipped ice cream sandwiches and fudge brownies. Lynn told VegNews:
We are better than KFC and Chick-fil-A because we want to share amazing and delicious food without harming animals and without harming our health. We actually really care about animals, the environment, social issues, your health, and the world.
Back in 2015, Lynn and her husband, Enrique, weighed a combined 610 pounds. Once they started eating plant-based, Enrique was able to reverse his Type 2 diabetes, and Lynn lost over 150 pounds! This inspired them to open Eat Love and bring delicious vegan food to their friends, their neighbours, and the world. Lynn said:
I believe that the way we can create change is by spreading love, and to me food is love. I hope that people take our food and share it with their loved ones and that this action brings up a conversation about veganism.
Plant-based fried chicken is certainly a growing trend. In August 2019, Kentucky Fried Chicken tested vegan fried chicken that combined Beyond Meat with their signature secret spices. Customers lined up around the building at the Atlanta restaurant that served the plant-based chicken. KFC is considering moving forward on either broader testing or a nationwide rollout. U.S. president and chief concept officer Kevin Hochman stated:
“KFC Beyond Fried Chicken is so delicious, our customers will find it difficult to tell that it’s plant-based. I think we’ve all heard “it tastes like chicken”—well our customers are going to be amazed and say, “it tastes like Kentucky Fried Chicken!”
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Posted on February 12, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
See the rescue videos at:
Dear Mark,
“How big is the wound?”
“Can she stand?”
“When was the last time he ate?”
The answers to questions like these are essential in determining out of the 70-90 emergency calls we receive each day which rescues are top priorities. Even with four rescue vehicles on the road, every day is a rush to get to the next animal as fast as possible. Thousands of callers have stayed by the side of an injured or ill animal keeping them safe until our ambulance arrives. To you wonderful friends, near and far, without whom countless animals would have perished, Happy Valentine’s Day. We just love you.
She looked like an ancient one, shriveled, gnarly and fading away. But this angel was succumbing to advanced mange, which had thrust her into the grip of intense itchiness, and crusted skin which broke apart in massive cracks. Like most mange dogs she had likely run herself ragged trying to escape the maddening itchiness. Now, she was deflated and perhaps preparing to let go of life itself. She faced her regimen of medicated baths with trembling fear, but within a few days came to understand that touch did not have to mean pain; touching now meant comfort. Watch this young lady’s astounding transformation. We named her Shimmer, like dancing sunshine.
For those who have so much life left to live, please donate.
The puppy’s heart was still beating. Otherwise, he would have been mistaken for dead. Neighbors were horrified when they saw a passing car run him over, and his head injury was so severe that he didn’t really wake up for another 48 hours. When he did, he couldn’t eat or walk. But one of the first things he did after regaining consciousness was to wag his innocent, adorable tail, and he managed to communicate worlds with those first bursts of joy–joy to be alive. Meet Dil and watch him re-discover his Self: a boy who is charming, subtle, and beams with love.
Meet the Caregivers:
Rakesh Meghwal is a gentle leader in charge of large animal nursing care, introducing new staff who have never before worked with animals to a new world of service to the most vulnerable. From turning a cow on a mattress who cannot stand, or keeping a bull still while his splint gets changed, Rakesh is a teacher, not just a boss. He “leads by example” and we’re grateful to him for his example being so gentle, bright and caring.
Every day, 20-40 animals in Udaipur are rescued and treated. Some are admitted into Animal Aid’s hospital and some are treated in their own neighborhoods. Every bandage, every injection, every meal, every cozy tub had a donation behind it.
We’re serving animals like Sophia because of YOU. Sophia’s paw was badly wounded and to see her now, it’s hard to believe this extraordinarily cheerful girl was lost in pain a few weeks ago. Every time a transformation like this takes place, kindness scores a little victory.
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Posted on February 11, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
A court in Turkey has sentenced three men to ten years in prison for poisoning street dogs.
Ankara – A Turkish court has sentenced three men to ten years in prison for poisoning street dogs.
Ankara Grand Criminal Chamber No. 5 also fined each defendant 15,000 Turkish lira. The decision was welcomed by animal activists who followed the process.
According to the Anadolu news agency, referring to the indictment, the accused had fed chicken dipped in pesticides to street dogs in Ankara, causing their gruesome death.
Cat massacre with poison, Kos Island-Greece
Movies that show the dogs in agony when residents hurried to the scene of the crime triggered public outrage. Animal activists have long been committed to defining that violence against animals is a crime, not an offense. Existing laws only provide fines for crimes against animals.
Under increasing pressure from the public, the Turkish government had hurriedly announced a new ministerial law on animal rights.
The new law is intended to enable the courts to sentence up to four and a half years in prison for the killing and torture of pets and street animals.
poison bait
According to the changes, people found guilty of killing and torturing animals are sentenced to prison terms between four months and three years. If suspects have injured more than one animal, the sentence can be increased to four and a half years.
People who have forced animals to fight are given a draft of two to three years.
On the subject
– Turkey –
Animal welfare: Turkish police set up new cyber team against animal abusers!
The Turkish Police’s Cybercrime Department now has 11 new teams available. One of these teams will track animal violence online.
The new team is responsible for identifying users on social networks who share and distribute images of violence against animals. The actual perpetrators of the crimes would also be identified, the police said.
And I mean…Although Turkey is not an EU country and no one believes that Turkey will ever enter the EU, one has to say that these penalties are almost unknown in many EU countries.
10 years for the murder of an animal is a punishment that can have a big impact.
Germany claims it has one of the best animal welfare laws in Europe, but such a punishment for murdering an animal has not yet been posted here!
We very much welcome the judgment and hope that other countries belonging to the “civilized” EU will soon follow this example.
My best regards to all, Venus
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Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 