Posted on March 31, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
UPDATE – April 2015.
We have been joining our Serbian animal campaigner colleagues for several years now in what seems a never ending battle with the authorities to improve the treatment of Serbian stray animals; and most importantly; control and reduce stray (street) animal numbers by using a properly orchestrated ‘no kill’ strategy.
Please click on the following link below to read and see the situation for Serbian stray animals; and what we have undertaken in recent years to try and improve their lives. The EU also has big responsibilities on this issue which it is NOT addressing. Now more than ever (early 2015); we need EU wide legislation on a ‘NO Kill’ stray dog management and control programme. With something in place such as this; nations already in the EU, such as Romania; and nations seeking EU membership, such as Serbia, would then be obliged by EU law to enforce the EU wide regulations, rather than making up or simply ignoring their own national legislation / rules as they are doing at present.
Link – ‘About Serbian Strays’ – https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/about-serbian-animals/
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Update 1/4/15 – Very soon we aim to provide a sample letter on this site (written in both Serbian and English); which you will be able to copy and send to the Serbian ministers and government regarding this issue. We will provide the sample letter and also all the e mail addresses.
You only need to copy and send to help us with the campaign !
We are currently working on this and will provide the information on this site (and SAV Facebook) in the near future.
This is being given priority over other issues at present. – SAV.
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Petition links (English and Serbian):
Dear friends,
Last week, a draft version of Ministry of Agriculture working group’s proposals for the amendments to the existing Animal Welfare Act in Serbia has leaked on the social media.
It introduced the concept of “quarantine for a lost and abandoned animals,” which lasts 15 days, after which the animals can be “killed humanely.”
We believe that the amendments to the Law which was never fully implemented are counter-productive and unacceptable and that in no way it will solve the problem of abandoned animals with killing thousands of healthy animals.
This process should include representatives of civil society from the beginning, as enforced by the “Guidelines for the involvement of civil society in the process of adopting regulations” adopted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia on 26 August 2014.
If these amendments get accepted it would allow dog catchers to kill all dogs that have no individual owner, within 15 days of catching them.
This is to include all dogs and cats in PRIVATE shelters, even those who have been offered homes.
We believe the Government of Serbia is using this amendment to try and quickly ‘clean-up’ the streets of Serbia to make them look more favourable as candidates for EU membership.
They keep forgetting that they have other methods of actually successful stray animal population management that is not detrimental to animals.
What could be the reasons you might ask yourselves – well the obvious reason for this new kill policy is because dogcatchers, local government officials, veterinarians and many politicians, all take money from the public purse by being involved with an animal killing strategy.
So the public money is continuously being used for killing with no real long term programme to reduce animal numbers by other methods.
We join other animal welfare associations and organisations in support for Serbia to lead the way in animal welfare.
They can do this by setting up country-wide Catch, Neuter, Release (CNR) programmes. Using the government facilities of dog catchers and pound vet facilities, this approach could help Serbia get its stray population under control humanely.
We are all aware that the unpunished culture of owners letting unneutered pets roam free has created this problem.
Killing 80,000 innocent animals WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
However, sadly the new amendment don’t just stop at the stray animal population but also deal with experimental, food chain, hunting/wild animals and the amendments are far from favourable for all those sentient beings.
This is why we have to act and be their voice NOW!
We call Serbian government to LEAD THE WAY TO A COMPASSIONATE, SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION!
Please sign this petition and share it widely to raise the awareness of this urgent situation in Balkans so that Europe and the world doesn’t get another Romania.
Also let us support the College of Agriculture students who have organised a peaceful protest against the proposed killings on 4th April 12noon in Belgrade.
Petition links (English and Serbian):
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, DOCUMENTS, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, GLOBAL PETITIONS - Anything Animal, Anywhere !, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering), SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia, SHINTERS (Dog catchers), The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 25, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Due primarily to language issues we are currently leaving all contact (and opposition work) associated with this to our Serbian campaigner friends. Change and opposition has to come from within Serbia, by the Serbian people; not by outside Europeans. But you can give your support and opposition to the current proposals by signing the petition link below – Thanks – SAV.
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After examining the working version of the Amendment of the Animal Welfare Act of the Republic of Serbia, it introduced the concept of “quarantine for a lost and abandoned animals,” which lasts 15 days, after which the animals can be “killed humanely.”
This mean that thousands and thousands of animals being killed and no one will be able to help it.
PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE
Petition wording
After examining the working version of the Amendment of the Animal Welfare Act of the Republic of Serbia, it introduced the concept of “quarantine for a lost and abandoned animals,” which lasts 15 days, after which the animals can be “killed humanely.”
We believe that the amendments to the Law which was never fully implemented are counter-productive and unacceptable to us, the citizens, and that in no way it will solve the problem of abandoned animals with killing thousands of healthy animals.
Also, we consider that in the beginning of work on the amendments to the Act must include representatives of civil society. This is enforced by the “Guidelines for the involvement of civil society in the process of adopting regulations” adopted by the Government of the Republic of Serbia on 26 August 2014.
We want solution to the problem of abandoned animals in a humane and sustainable manner.
Petition Link:
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, DOCUMENTS, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, GLOBAL PETITIONS - Anything Animal, Anywhere !, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 24, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Mark Johnson (SAV – this site) and Philip Lymbery (CEO at CIWF – http://www.ciwf.org.uk/about-us/our-staff/philip-lymbery/ ) have known each other and been campaigning (farm animal) friends for some 25+ years. They originally got to know each other regarding their extensive campaigning regarding the live transport of farm animals from the Kent ports of SE England and other parts of the UK to mainland Europe back in the 80’s.
You can read more about Mark’s long term work with CIWF by reading ‘About Us’ – https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/about-us/ – in 2003 Mark was awarded the ‘campaigner of the year’ in recognition of his work into the UK live export trade (calves, sheep, pigs) and also for his investigative work as part of the CIWF Investigations Unit into the export of live horses to Europe for the meat trade.
You can read more from Philip on his current regular CIWF blog page – http://www.philiplymbery.com/
Philip’s recent book ‘Farmageddon’ – which lifts the lid on intensive farming around the world has been made into a film also. You can see this by looking at the following links from either CIWF or directly on Youtube. Links are given below – please take a look as this is worth seeing !!!
Described by Joanna Lumley as ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ for food and farming, a year and several reprints later, Bloomsbury is re-launching Farmageddon in a new-look paperback format. To celebrate, CIWF have pulled together this short film showing some of the key moments of the three-year journey behind the closed doors of the factory farm industry.
‘Farmaggedon’ — The True Cost of Cheap Meat
Also, in the following link, see extensive undercover footage obtained by CIWF investigators who have been involved with Rabbit farming / production in several countries of the EU.
Watch their appalling expose of this disgusting business at:
Exposing the biggest secret of the Cage Age:
Check out all of London based CIWF’s work and campaigns at http://www.ciwf.org.uk/
Its time to lift the entire lid on the abuse of millions of animals every day and the ill health suffering of humans caused by intensive farming.
Its time to decide:
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, DOCUMENTS, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE, VIDEOS | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 12, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
TAKE ACTION FOR THE ANIMALS SLAUGHTERED
AT GADHIMAI
WARNING – The following posts shows a lot of footage of animal killing, animal distress and animal sacrifice. This is all shown on the many Youtube video links which are provided.
To get an idea of what this ‘festival’ involves –
Recent SAV posts regarding the festival – note these also contain graphic images in many places:
*** The following post shows what a kind of society we are dealing with here – allowing an animal top suffer like this !! –
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PLEASE SEND THE SAMLE LETTER GIVEN BELOW TO ALL OF THE FOLLOWING IN THE BLOCK LISTING.
Lets leave the government in no doubt that the world is disgusted by what it has seen in the recent past.
Block E-mail Listings follow – it is suggested that e mails are sent as per the blocks provided.
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear President,
Dear Excellencies,
Dear Ministers,
Dear Ambassadeurs,
Mrs. Mr.
And to whom it may concern :
We, Citizens of Europe and of the world, are writing for expressing our indignation about the barbaric sacrifices in Nepal.
Today, more than ever because of global warming and the degradation of the planet, we must watch over it. This moral problem concerns all inhabitants of the planet!
Nepalis say that the sacrifices of Ghadimai occur every 5 years, Certainly, but simply in the name of a popular and superstitious belief, millions of animals must be fed before their horrific sacrifice. We know that intensive farming is a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions and pollution in general.
We respect Nepal and its traditions but Nepal must respect the planet that belongs to everyone.
Today the planet demands our attention because we ask him more than it can deliver.
We inform you that we will not visit Nepal, as long as these unworthy atrocities will continue! We live in 2015, not in pre-historic era!
Thank you to read the rest of this letter:
Please read this email, have a look at the pictures and video’s.
Can you, as a human being, tell me this is right ?
All this horrible suffering ?
As you may be aware, this year’s Khokana Festival was held on 12th August (the day after Gai Jatra). We wait for confirmation from AWNN about the goat sacrifice – whether it will take place, what action is being taken to prevent it, etc. In the meantime, there are numerous other rituals taking place in Nepal involving gratuitous cruelty to animals which are largely unreported. Here are just a few:-
2. Sacrifice of a goat at Nuwakot Durbar Square. A priest drinks blood from the dying goat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vxOCrNSdTU
3. The annual sacrifice of buffaloes and goats in Achham during November. The buffaloes suffer a long and agonizing death as they are hacked to death. Villagers believe that the more often “devotees” bite and hack at the buffaloes, the more satisfied the goddess Barbadevi Mai will be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vxOCrNSdTU
Khokana Festival’ Day… the day that a 5-6 month old goat is thrown in a pond close to Rudrayani temple in Khokana, a village in the south of Kathmandu Valley, following which nine young men will enter the pond and then start to …tear the goat apart by grasping its legs, ears, hoof or tail. The one who manages to kill the goat is the ‘hero’ and will lead the Shinkali dance which is held afterwards.
Please see video, at:
Khokana residents have witnessed the barbaric scene year in, year out, and think it provides religious merit.
It is not clear why and when the cruel goat-killing was introduced. Locals believe that when children started to drown in the pond in the 12th century, residents started to drown a live goat to appease the gods. However, there is evidence showing that devotees in former times offered fruits and flowers in the temple and that the act with the struggling goat was introduced to create a spectacle.
Despite the attempts of AWNN (Animal Welfare Network Nepal) and the village anti-sacrifice group to stop the goat sacrifice, it looks as though it will take place yet again today, 12th August (the day after Gai Jatra).
ON ANIMAL SACRIFICE IN NEPAL
First off: Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing of an animal as part of a religion. It is practised by many religions as a means of appeasing a god or gods or changing the course of nature. Animal sacrifice has turned up in almost all cultures, from the Hebrews to the Greeks and Romans and from the Aztecs to the Hindus and is still practiced today.
Remnants of ancient rituals of animal sacrifice are apparent in many cultures, for example the Spanish bullfights, or kapparos in Judaism, or ritual slaughter procedures like shechita or ḏabīḥah in Judaism and Islam, respectively and many other forms.
IN NEPAL, animal sacrifice is part of various ‘puja’ ritual offerings performed when Hindus worship idols. Animals are killed to get once wish fulfilled, to sanctify weddings, new homes or religious festivals. Upon purchasing a new car or truck, the owner sometimes splashes its exterior with fresh animal blood, to ensure the vehicle doesn’t crash whenever it is driven.
For certain groups ‘puja’ is merely symbolic — an offering of fruits, vegetables, butter, yogurt, money or flowers. For others ‘puja’ must involve animal blood. This death to please the gods is also interpreted as doing the animal a favour by releasing it from a life of suffering.
Sacrifices are performed as a mass bloodletting, such as during the Durga Puja festival when, once a year, soldiers in the centre of Kathmandu decapitate hundreds of water buffalos and goats — trying to dispatch each with a single stroke. During Nepal’s largest festival, the Dasain feast in early autumn, up to 10,000 goats and other animals are slaughtered. Among sacrificial animals are water buffaloes, male goats, lamb, sheep, chicken, ducks, birds, snakes and pigs. Contrary to what people tend to belief, sacrifice causes great distress and suffering to the animals involved.
In the next video:
Animal sacrifice in Bhaktapur Square, Kathmandu, Nepal. Argued as a mainstream part of Nepali culture and Hindu culture. The ceremony in fact does ask for animal’s agreement to sacrifice – through man’s interpretation anyway – with signal that animal shakes its head!
The world’s goriest mass killing of animals – the Gadhimai Festival – which is an unparalleled religious madness during which a few hundred thousands buffaloes, pigs, goats, pigeons, rabbits and chickens will be killed as part of the blood-soaked festival held every five years (November 24, 25) to honour the Hindu goddess of power.
There have been protest against this mass animal slaughtering in Nepal and all over the world, but despite all the protests, the festival and the slaughtering of animals went on in 2009 festival and is expected to be ‘celebrated’ again.
Around 250.000 animals were slaughtered, including the young ones of the animals.
Please see:
FACTS & FIGURES
– Animal sacrifice is conducted in most goddess temples.
– The total number of animals sacrifices annually is estimated to be a few hundred thousand; most villages offer 250-1000 animals during Dasain festival alone.
– Sacrifices are generally conducted in the presence of children.
– There is no law to regulate animal sacrifice.
– The government supports sacrifices with subsidies.
– Annual Dasain sacrifices are shown life on national TV.
.- Nepal’s diverse multi-religious ethnic groups are all involved.
– There is very little awareness about the welfare aspect of blood sacrifices.
– Priests are among the promoters of animal sacrifice.
– Grave abuse takes place in the transport and killing of the animals.
– Gadhimai Festival takes place once every 5 years and ranks among the world’s worst forms of animal cruelty.
– Apart from known sacrifice through throat slitting and beheading other extreme forms of blood sacrifices include the tearing apart of a live goat by young men, burning of live snakes, live skinning of pigs, removal of hearts from live animals, etc. (Source: Stop Animal Sacrifice)
THE ANIMAL SACRIFICE CALENDAR OF NEPAL
In Nepal there is not much respite for animals destined to be sacrificed. Here is a summary of sacrificial events held in Nepal throughout the year (courtesy of Stop Animal Sacrifice).
January
Maghesakrati – This festival celebrates the first day of the Nepali month Magha (Mid January) when Winter ends and Summer is heralded. Thousands of Hindu devotees dip in the river. In Talukchandani village in Nuwakot district fights between oxens are organized. Although the oxens are not made to fight till death they often get badly injured. No arrangements for medical treatment are made. In the 2008 fight one of the oxens received a deep wound while the other fractured its leg.
February
N/A
March
Blood drinking festival – Early March the first in a series of yak blood drinking festivals is organized in Nangi, Myagdi district. In April/May and June/July similar happenings take place in lower Mustang. During the event the jugular veins of yaks are pierced and blood is collected in cups. Hundreds of people buy the blood, believed to have medicinal qualities. The yaks recover but it is a stressful event for the animals.
Chaite Dasain – This festival is also called ‘small Dasain’ as it lasts only for 2 days while Dasain in September/October lasts for 9 days. Animal sacrifices, especially of water buffaloes and goats, are an important feature of the festival. Blood sacrifices are carried out in Durga temples across the country. Both during Dasain and Chaite Dasain the Nepal army conducts sacrifices at Hanuman Dhoka palace in Kathmanduand the guardhouse in Bhaktapur Durbar Square.
April
Godhe Jatra – During the Horse Festival a grand horse parade takes place at Tundikhel, in the heart of Kathmandu. Another event takes place in Bal Kumari area in Patan where a horse is intoxicated with spirits. An equally drunk person in a traditional Newari attire rides it. People shout to frighten and enrage the animal until it runs madly with the rider clinging to it.
Bisket Jatra/New Year – During Bisket for seven days chariots representing Bhairava and Goddess Bhadrakali are pulled through Bhaktapur. On the 3rd day panch bali (five animals) involves the sacrifice of a chicken, duck, goat, sheep and buffalo. On the 4th day the government sends state offerings: 2 sacrificial goats. On New Year day farmers sacrifice female chicken that have not yet laid eggs.
May
Budha Jyanti/Rana Kul Puja – The Nepali month Jyestha (May/June) is the month for Newar and Rana clan pujas which involve the sacrifice of countless goats and ducks. The Rana clan puja is held on Buddha’s birthday and sees the killing of hundreds of goats.
Panauti festival – Panauti is located 30 km outside of Kathmandu. Its festival is apalanquin and chariot festival. The 9 day festival starts in Jyestha (May-June) and ends in Ashad (June-July). On the 5th day Panauti residents sacrifice male goats and ducks
June
Navadurga/Bhagasti –The nine goddesses or Nava Durga are worshipped with masked dances which begin in Dashain in October and end in Bhagasti in June. Countless animals are sacrificed during rituals accompanying the dances. The dancers get intoxicated on the fresh blood spewing from the necks of dying animals as well as alcohol. The animals who are killed in the presence of the public and whose blood is drank include goats, ducks and buffaloes.
Some of the extreme forms of cruelty in the Tantric rituals include the removal of the heart of a live piglet, the biting off of the head of a cock (see September) and the eating of blood-stained offerings.
The dances are also performed in the major places of Kathmandu Valley and Kavre district. In Lalitpur district the dances are organized in Patan and villages such as Pharping, Khokana, Harasiddhi. In Kathmandu district the dances are performed in Sankhu and Pharping. The number of animal sacrifices varies from place to place. Moderately wealthy families may offer panchabali (five species of animals). Elaborate sacrifices takes place in Theco, Khokana and Jala, more than fifty ducks and twenty-five goats are offered in just one of the rituals.
July
N/A
August
Khokana festival – Khokana festival is held every year in August, the day after Gai Jatra. A 5-6 month old live goat is thrown in a pond close to Rudrayani temple in Khokana, a village in the south of Kathmandu Valley. Nine young men enter the pond and start to tear the goat apart by grasping its legs, ears, hoof or tail. The one who manages to kill the goat is the ‘hero’ and leads the Shinkali dance which is held afterwards.
September
Dasain – Dasain festivals is Nepal’s largest festivals which is celebrated during the month of Kartik (late September and early October). During the Dashain festivals (Dasain and Chaite Dasain – see March), priests perform various Tantric rituals to Goddess Durga Bhawani, and the Living Goddess Kumari. Dasain sees the greatest numbers of animals sacrificed. During Kalrati, in Taleju Temple, the government publicly beheads 54 buffaloes and 54 he-goats, followed by the killing of 108 buffaloes by the Nepal Army. The event draws many devotees and is screened on national Television. At the same time in the palace in Gurkha 108 buffaloes are being beheaded. This marks the start of mass sacrifice by the people across the country; it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of goats are being sacrificed during Dasain as well as an unknown number of buffaloes, ducks, chicken, birds, etc.
Dasain Bhaktapur – At Taleju temple in Bhaktapur 25 buffaloes and some 20 goats are killed by cutting their throats and spilling blood over all the images. Only then they are beheaded. The temple area is soaked with blood. The heads of the animals are displayed around the image of Taleju.
During the Navadurga dances, on the ninth day of Dasain, people feed a water buffalo drunk on rice beer. The staggering animal is chase by a crowd of people it to Brahmayani where nine Goddesses are installed at the night. The priest performs a Tantric worship to sacrifice the drunk buffalo believed to be possessed by a demon called Mahi-sa-shur. The nine Navadurga dancers receive a fountain of blood in their mouth directly from the vein of the buffalo.
In one ritual a dancer bites off the head of a cockrel and drinks the blood that spews out.
Another ritual is the chasing of a sacrificial pig, stolen by groups of young men and boys. The youngsters run around carrying the squeaking pig under their jackets and passing it quickly from one to the other. The animal is released after two hours after which a dancer grabs it. He tears the heart of the live baby pig out after which it is eaten raw. As the dancers are forbidden to use knives or instruments the lead dancer tears the skin under the piglet’s forelegs with his fingernails, insert his hand and pulls out the heart. The dancers drink blood from the piglet’s open chest.
October
(See September)
November
Indrayani – This festival is held during the new moon night at the Indrayani temple at Swayambhunath. During the previous night three buffaloes are slaughtered in the temple. The first buffalo’s throat is cut and its blood sprayed all over the temple and the goddess images. The other animals’ heads are cut off. The head, heart and lungs of one buffalo are burned in the sacred fire. Climax of the festival is the sacrifice of a pair of live snakes by throwing them into a sacrificial fire. Apart from snakes pairs of live sparrows, grasshoppers and fishes are burned alive while others are released by throwing them into the air. Serpent sacrifices are known from three other places inNepal.
Gadhimai – This festival held in Bara district takes place every five years in November.
It is known as one of the worst forms of animal cruelty in the world.
In a span of 2 days some 200,000 animals are sacrificed. 20,000 buffaloes are publicly beheaded by licensed butchers who randomly hack the animals to death. In a span of 5 km around the Gadhimai temple anyone can kill any kind of animal in whatever manner. After 2 days the place has turned into a foul smelling marsh land covered in blood and animal remains.
Elephant polo – The World Elephant Polo Championship takes place in Nepal annually from late November till early December. Elephant polo may seem a fun game but remember that elephants do not naturally ride bicycles, balance on balls or play polo. In order to force them to perform these confusing and physically uncomfortable tricks, trainers typically use cruel training methods that inflict pain and cause fear.
Please accept the expression of our deepest concern and respect.
As of now we encourage everybody to boycott your animal abusing nation until you live in the 21st Century; NOT the Dark Ages.
You are not civilized and never will be all the time this mass slaughter is allowed !
Sincerely,
Nationality:
END OF SAMPLE LETTER – please make sure you give your nationality.
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, DOCUMENTS, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, LETTERS, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering), The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE, VIDEOS | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 10, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
The European Enforcement Network for Animal Welfare
Lawyers and Commissioners
For all of our global visitor friends from outside of the EU; here are a few links which will provide you with plenty of information into the legal situation for EU animals at this present time; and also plans for the future.
We have broken the areas down into sections and provided the necessary link for each. Note that for ‘On Going EU Enforcement Activities and Challenges’ below this is then further sub divided into many areas including battery hens, cosmetic testing, sow stalls, slaughter etc.
Hopefully this excellent site will give you an insight, and loads of information into the current EU situation with regard animal welfare issues.
Worth a Look: For a summary of each member states enforcement of the rules (or not !) – please go to – http://lawyersforanimalprotection.eu/enforcement-status/ then click on the green button (compliance) for a nation-by-nation compassion.
By visiting http://lawyersforanimalprotection.eu/ and then sub selecting any EU member state on the EU map; you can find out a great deal more about each member nation and how they perform regarding animal welfare legislation. For example:
Check out the EU animal welfare enforcement status and you will see both the UK and Sweden have top marks (Greens) all round. Selection of different nations from the map provides you with an insight into how good or bad each nation is when it comes to animal welfare legislation enforcement.
Have a good time checking out the masses of legal useful information on EU animal welfare legislation and enforcement site – we hope it helps – it sure helps us keeping tabs on how good or bad member states are !!!
SAV.
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, DOCUMENTS, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 21, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
SAV Comment:
The following shows just a fraction of the photographic and video evidence that we and others have regarding animal suffering in Serbia that is not being addressed by the Serbian government and authorities. IT IS NOW TIME FOR CHANGE – especially as Serbia wishes to become a new EU member. Citizens of the EU will not tolerate this kind of animal abuse.
We will be a Serbian Animals Voice !
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Further to the letter sent to EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn by English MEP / Vice President of the EU Intergroup for Animal Welfare, Mr Keith Taylor on 19th February 2015;
We at SAV have now completed a follow up letter to the Commissioner giving him several video links and many photographs of ‘animal welfare’ (??) situations we have experienced over the last few years at SAV. Note that we have published all the animal fighting videos on this site during the last month.
As you can see from our letter, we are asking Commissioner Hahn; who has overall EU responsibility for “European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations” – ie. allowing the Republic of Serbia to become a member of the EU; to review our presentation, photographs and animal fighting links (especially) to ensure that the Serbian government; local authorities and national police actually take EXISTING Serbian legislation much more seriously by actually enforcing the law. This is something we have not seen much proof of during our last 10 years producing this site.
We have been working with Mr. Taylor MEP over the last few weeks on this very issue. As both Keith says in his letter, and we also do in ours; by allowing animal abuse such as can be seen for example in the video links; and by not enforcing its own (Serbian laws) on animal welfare; which are good; Serbia is NOT upholding the fundamental principle set by the EU for new member states of proving that they are enforcing ‘the rule of law’ (their own national legislation) within their own borders.
And so by not enforcing the ‘rule of law’ on animal welfare as one example; and using Serbian legislation within Serbia to prosecute offenders; it (Serbia) is showing the EU that on just this one particular issue alone that we are involved with, national legislation IS NOT being applied. Thus it should be considered that Serbia is currently not in a position to be a suitable EU member state.
Only when Serbia actually does apply Serbian law on animal welfare; and prosecutes or takes other actions as necessary to prove things ARE being done to the EU; should it then be seen to be complying with the EU ‘rule of law’ requirements and thus be allowed to join the EU as a new member state.
Please click on the following link to read our follow up letter to EU Commissioner Hahn in full.
Note that at the start; all contact addresses have been removed from the original.
IMPORTANT – when you click on the following link below, you should then see a Word doc with this same name as below appear at the bottom of the site. Simply click on this same Word doc to open the letter.
It should start by saying: “Addresses removed from original sent”.
We now await further correspondence in future from the Commissioner regarding our letter and that of Keith Taylor MEP; and we will immediately report any news of information on this site.
We have lots of excellent Serbian campaigner friends and shelter operating friends – see some of them and their work at our ‘Shelters’ section of the site – https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/serbian-shelters/ They work relying entirely on supporter donation support when it should also be provided by the government, who should have animal welfare responsibilities; especially regarding the keeping of stray animals in shelters.
Evidence is provided to the authorities; and they simply ignore it and walk away, leaving our friends to pick up the animal pieces. It should not be the case that hard evidence of causing suffering is just ignored.
We are finally starting to reach a corner. The government and authorities have done very little for animal welfare for many years by ignoring the evidence and failing to prosecute those who cause suffering. Maybe now that Serbia wants EU accession the tide is turning. They are NOT complying with the fundamentals of EU accession – namely enforcing the rule of (Serbian) law within Serbia. We, as an EU based NGO will continue to provide the evidence to the EU. We need the EU to act and inform Serbia that it is not enforcing its own laws for animal welfare. And we say to the EU, until Serbia does and proves that it is enforcing the law, it should not be allowed to become a new member state of the EU.
Serbian government and regional authorities needs to get their house in order re animal welfare before the EU even considers their accession. We speak for Serbian welfare campaigners, shelters and also for the current citizens of the EU who are shocked and appalled by what they see on this site.
Serbian government and authorities – clean up your act
– make things better for animals, not worse!
SAV.
Filed under: Animals Requiring Adoption or Homes - Worldwide, BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA (Capital - Sarajevo), 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 February 12, 2015 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Reproduced in full from the ‘Center for Biological Diversity’ / ‘Endangered Earth Online’
Bill Would End Protection for 4,000 Wolves in 4 States
A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives this morning would strip Endangered Species Act protections from 4,000 gray wolves in four states and open them up to more hunting and trapping. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ended protections for wolves in the Great Lakes a few years ago — and more than 1,600 wolves died as a result.
Federal judges later overturned the decisions to remove protections, but the new legislation would override those court orders and again put the fate of wolves in Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan in the hands of state wildlife agencies eager to resume their wolf-killing.
“This is an ugly political ploy that will end with a lot of dead wolves and do serious damage to one of the most important endangered species success stories in America’s history,” said the Center’s Brett Hartl. “This bill will subject some of the last remaining wolves in the lower 48 to state-sanctioned hunting and trapping seasons designed to drastically reduce populations.”
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Center for Biological Diversity
P.O. Box 710
Tucson, AZ 85702-0710
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