Parliamentary debates don’t lead directly to changes in law, but they can influence decision-making and raise the profile of a campaign.
In this case, the campaign reflects a larger movement that seems to keep gaining momentum. In the past year, major fashion brands like Gucci, Michael Kors, and Versace have said that they’re no longer using fur in their collections. Meanwhile, the city of San Francisco banned all sales of fur, and both Norway and the Czech Republic announced plans to end fur farming in their countries. In the UK, London’s popular Camden market banned sales of fur as of March.
Opponents of fur believe that farming and trapping is cruel and unethical. At the same time, technology has produced faux furs so good that even the fanciest of luxury brands, such as Tom Ford, see them as viable substitutes—giving rise to the argument that, at this point, using fur is simply outdated. “Do you think using furs today is still modern?” Gucci CEO Marco Bizzari said to Business of Fashion last year (paywall) when talking about thecompany’s decision to stop using fur. “I don’t think it’s still modern and that’s the reason why we decided not to do that.”
Not all shoppers agree. In China and other parts of Asia, sales of fur items, such as coats, remain strong. There are still plenty of buyers for fur in places like Europe and the US, too, especially when the fur is used as a trim. Canada Goose parkas, with their hoods edged in coyote fur, are a common sight in the colder parts of America. And not long before Gucci ditched fur, it had a sales hit with its kangaroo-fur-lined loafers. They were one of the items that proved the brand was back on the upswing after its new creative director, Alessandro Michele, took over in 2015.
The UK itself prohibited fur farming in 2000, but still allows fur imports, which is where the dispute before Parliament now lies. The petition that prompted the debate says imports are coming from countries that aren’t safeguarding animals.
Mike Moser, CEO of the British Fur Trade Association, called it “seriously flawed,” in a statement issued by the group. The petition “erroneously states that much of the fur imported into the UK comes from countries ‘that have very weak or no animal welfare laws at all’ as justification for a fur import ban,” he said. “In fact, all fur farms, wherever they are, must be licensed by authorities and independently inspected in order to operate.”
But critics of the fur industry point to investigations that keep turning up cases of animal abuse, despite regulations. Last week, 50 veterinarians and animal behaviorists sent a letter (pdf) to Michael Gove, the UK’s secretary of state for environment, food, and rural affairs, saying there are “severe animal welfare deficiencies inherent to the fur trade.”
They supported Humane Society International UK’s call for a ban on fur imports to Britain.
Posted on June 4, 2018 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Grey wolf cubs – hiding from the idiot Trump
Dear Mark,
In an attempt to reverse yet another Obama regulation, the Trump administration has proposed to strike rules that forbid inhumane hunting methods on federal land in Alaska.
This proposal would allow bear and wolf families to be gunned down where they sleep.
Cruel hunting methods like bait, hounds and artificial lights would be used to target bears. And even swimming caribou could be shot by hunters chasing them in motorboats.
Please – Don’t Visit the UK
It’s all part of a new Trump policy to expand hunting on public lands and defer to states anytime there’s a conflict. But this is just cruel.
The iconic wildlife of Denali National Park and Preserve and other national park lands are public treasures. Officials need to hear that you value these animals in the wild and don’t want to see them killed by thrill-seeking trophy hunters.
Act now to demand that the National Park Service withdraw this heartless proposal.
Posted on June 3, 2018 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
South Africa is the world’s leading producer of mohair.
A shocking report by PETA Asia shows for the first time the full horror behind the scenes of the South African mohair industry. Workers dragged goats to and fro, threw them to the ground, mutilated them, and even cut the throat of the animals with full consciousness. Some yelled out loud. The groundbreaking footage shows only part of the abuse found on all 12 eyewitness-visited angora farms.
Systematic animal suffering Many goats were pierced with a pair of pliers sharp needles through the ears. The animals are in great pain. According to a farmer, the animals are supposed to scream terribly.
Another farmer said his goats “scream and roll around” when neutered without anesthetics. After all, it was “damn painful.” Another farmer explained, “We … cut … [the ear] just off” if there is any suspicion that it has cancer. A farmer cut a goat’s head – apparently without painkillers – with a knife. So, she wanted to drain the liquid from what she called an “abscess” !!!
Thousands of dead animals before and after the shearing One farmer said that in some farms, at least 25 percent of goats would die before the first shearing. The first shearing is usually done at six months.
The Shearing robs the goats of their natural cold protection. Farmers admitted that many goats freeze to death after the shearing, when it’s cold, windy and rainy. One man said that in South Africa, 40,000 goats died of hypothermia in just one weekend. Another said that on some farms up to 80 percent of goats would die after the shearing. Other goats succumbed to their injuries or died of dehydration because they got stuck in thorns during foraging in the pasture. The workers even shaved the wool from the rotting corpses!!!
Bathed in chemicals and pressed under water
The fur of some goats was smeared with feces. To clean the mohair before the shearing, a farmer dipped goats into pelvis with cleaning solution. He dipped their head under the water and admitted it poisoned the animals if they swallow the solution.
Clippers are paid per piece, not per hour.
This promotes rapid and therefore murderous work. The goats have cuts on them and often bleed on the face and ears. The clippers cut off whole pieces of skin and, according to a farmer, even teats. The animals did not receive any painkillers before the workers began to sew their wounds on the filthy soil.
Unprofitable goats died a painful death
The goats that survive the repeated scissors are exploited for five or six years because of their hair. About 90 percent of the South African Angora goats who lived so long are then sold for slaughter.Slaughter is often not in approved establishments, but privately. On a farm, a worker with goats fully consciously cut his throat with a blunt knife and then broke his neck. He immediately chopped off an animal’s head. Another animal was conscious for over a minute after the first cut and kicked.
Other goats end up in the slaughterhouse. In the battlefield the eyewitness visited, the goats received an electric shock and were hung upside down on one leg. Then they slit their throats, bleeding them, and skinned them.
Mohair is not a byproduct of the meat industry
The garment industry and individual companies state in part that the hair they sell, the skin and feathers are by-products of the meat industry. But Angora goats are only bred for their hair and many do not even reach the slaughterhouse.
What can we do?
We can best help the angora goats by not buying mohair! Always check the label in the store. Good check. If the word “mohair” is written on it, we leave the product on the shelf.
Posted on June 3, 2018 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
SAV Comment:
A beautiful story from Harmony Fund. We got this story because we give money each month to Harmony – they help animals and people caring for them all over the world.
Please try to support Harmony with a monthly donation – your money will help animals welfare work the world over.
We love sharing good-news updates on how your donations are transforming lives, and today you’ve saved not only several dogs in Romania, but also the woman who cares for them.
In our last newsletter, we told you the story of this sweet Romanian woman named Mandache who became homeless a few years ago when the government took her home through eminent domain for industrial expansion.
Rather than wallow in her own suffering, Mandache summoned all her strength each day to find food for dogs who were also homeless. She would go through town, scavenging for scraps for the animals, despite her own declining health and battle with cancer.
Mandache asked us for help with adopting one particularly gentle dog whom she thought might be harmed by other street dogs when she left for a few days for the allotment of government funded cancer treatment.
Since that time, several of our supporters asked how they could help Mandache and we were able to find a small place for her to live. It’s a kitchen with a little bed to sleep on and a bathroom area. There is running water and heat and It is safe from bad weather and the dangers of the street. She can properly rest and heal in this space. But what has happened since Mandache moved in is nothing short of amazing.
Every morning, Mandache leaves her kitchen early to begin her rounds of street feeding. She has no intention of surrendering her mission to help street dogs, and it is an honor to help her. We’ve already rescued several of the dogs she was feeding and they’ve received full veterinary care and are up for adoption. When we showed Mandache photos of some of the dogs happily settled in at their new homes, she cried with joy and kissed each photo.
In this line of work, we often come upon people like Mandache who devote every ounce of their being to helping others. It is a true privilege to help her to continue in this work. The rent for her room is only $65 a month. Our own Debbie Evans sent her a wonderful gift of essential living supplies and we are providing food and medicines for the dogs on an ongoing basis and continuing a rolling rescue program there.
Posted on June 2, 2018 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
It follows the letter of a hunter, in which he explains his reasons, why he has hung up “the gun on the nail”!
After 12 years I finally got up the courage to quit the hunting community. During this time, I could fully recognize the mentality of today’s hunter. I also had the opportunity to work with several hunting associations, so the remarks below do not apply to a small circle of hunters – in which I was a member – but I dare say that the hunter mentality is more or less the same everywhere is.
Why should not one become a hunter?
1.The claim that hunters are environmentalists or ecologists is ridiculous, as is the claim that hunters spend many volunteer hours in the hunting district for the benefit of wildlife, animals and the environment.
Everything the hunter does in the hunting district is directly or indirectly linked to hunting = “harvesting”, shooting or social gathering. By the way: The so-called environmental protection works consist largely of the construction or preservation of the hunters’ projects – which are where they are, anyway a disturbing element – or for food preparation, which is in most cases only a lure for the wild animals; the feeders for animals in the forest are surrounded by high seats (podiums in the forest, where hunters shoot at the animals while sitting). The various cleaning actions in the forest and the corridor are only sand in the eyes of the general public – and of course pure hunter propaganda.The hunters with their high seats, vehicles and their presence are the biggest natural pests among all earthlings!
2.Even more ridiculous is the assertion that the hunt, in the first place, cares for the wild animals and shooting is just one of their activities. The aim of the hunt is the execution or killing, possibly the most beautiful animals as a personal trophy – and nothing else.
3. Do not believe that hunting is a Samaritan service to sick, injured or distressed animals. For the situations in which the hunters could act as Samaritans, you do not need hunters (in Germany: about 360 000) with the shotgun, but only a few professionally trained people who have a right attitude to the animals.
I assert that no act of success in blood can be honorable-least of all hunting, where the animal as a victim is helpless and vulnerable to the hunter.
4. The hunter world is much worse than you can imagine. You will not become a true hunter with the completion of the course and the exam, BUT:
– If you only see the animal as a thing and then, when you have killed it, it brings prestige to other people, raises your self-esteem and causes envy of colleagues.
– If you are willing to neglect your family, work responsibilities and yourself because of the hunt.
– When slander, hypocrisy, and alcohol the only strength is for you, or at least not strange is to you.
– If the pain and agony of the animals do not touch you anymore.
Leaving the hunting society was a great relief for me, and I believe that there are many hunters who accidentally go into this “organization”: on the recommendation of friends – hunters, like me, for example – or family tradition.
If you are still a hunter, then consider it: If you want to be animal and nature lovers, as most hunters like to claim for themselves, then you can be it – but please without a gun!
My intention is not to convince the jaded hunters of their error. From experience, I know that this is hardly possible, because hunting is paramount in their lives – and I have often had an opportunity to see what these people in the green uniform are ready for.
I appeal to those who flirt with the “green” brotherhood. I assure you from my experience: If you doubt a little more whether the hunt is really the right thing for you, then you have no business in hunting. Because then you are – thank God – not brutal enough for the soulless hunters! “
Posted on June 2, 2018 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
SAV comment – Scotland has its own Parliament. The English parliament is at Westminster, London. There is always a type of ‘competition’ between the Scots and the English parliaments; and what one often does, you will find it is soon repeated by the other. For so many years we have been campaigning to get wild animals banned from circuses in England. We now predict that as the Scottish parliament has undertaken this ban, England will very soon follow for a ban in England.
PS – we (the English) are always better at football and rugby than the Scots – this is a massive issue between UK sports fans. England-Scotland sporting fixtures are notorious for their conflicts.
For overseas visitors; each nation of the UK has its own flag – you can see the Scottish flag above.
England has the flag of St George as shown here:
When ALL the nations flags are united under one flag – the ‘Union flag’, or ‘Union Jack’ as it is affectionately known; it is flown as a united (UK) front. The Union flag is not just a representation of England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland individually; it is a flag showing the combined (nations) force. British forces have always fought together in theatre as a combined force – thus the union flag is the only one ever flown. There is (to many peoples surprise). a right and wrong way of flying this. Look at the positions of the red diagonals on the Union flag below; this (their positions) determines the right or wrong way to fly the flag ! – Here is the Union flag; flying correctly:
Amazing news!
The ban on wild animal circuses is now officially in force in Scotland! As of 28th May 2018, it is no longer legal for any travelling circus with wild animals to make them perform demeaning tricks for crowds.
Thank you for everything you have done to make this long overdue ban a reality! Such a fantastic victory!
But sadly, not all animals are safe. This ban only applies to wild animals in circuses, not domestic animals like horses, birds, dogs and cats.
Right now, Zippos Circus is touring with domestic animals and will be in Scotland from 5th June.
They have 11 venues lined up across Scotland for their cruel shows. By tracking their journey between venues, we have calculated they will cover 1043 miles in Scotland alone – the animals will spend all of those miles in trailers and vehicles.
This is no way for any animal to spend their life! It is known that domestic animals can be stressed on long journeys and that making animals perform tricks repeatedly can cause injury. And of course, it uses them as objects of entertainment.
Take Action to help these animals too!
Protests are being organised at the venues that Zippos will visit in Scotland – today we have been sending out leaflets and posters for these protests.
We must celebrate the wild animal circus ban for animals – your hard work does make a difference! But I can’t help but feel frustration when I know animal circuses in Scotland have not come to an end, as long as domestic animals are exploited.
So let’s celebrate and use that energy to keep up the fight, until all are free!
For the animals,
Nicola O’Brien
Campaigns Director
P.S. Well done to you on this fantastic news! Now let’s help domestic animals in circuses too!
Posted on June 1, 2018 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Excitement in the Eifel, the German part of North Rhine Westphalia: Several predators of a private zoo have broken out, it was said. There is confusion this afternoon about a small, privately operated zoo located about 30 kilometers northwest of Bitburg, near the Belgian border.
But only one bear was really upset – and is dead now.
Authorities have warned on Friday before erupting predators from the Eifel Zoo in Lünebach. A bear was shot, after two tigers, two lions and a jaguar were searched, because even with them an outbreak was suspected.
Later it turns out that the animals have never left their enclosure!!!
The administration of the district of Bitburg-Prüm can initially give no precise information, even in the zoo nobody is reachable. The confusion may be related to the previous night’s events. Heavy thunderstorms broke over the region. The Eifel Zoo was also affected by the floods.
The Eifel Zoo in Lünebach is home to about 60 exotic and native species and a total of about 400 animals on 30 acres, including Siberian tigers and lions. The founder of the zoo, the Cologne businessman Hans Wallpott, died last year. He had acquired parts of what is now the zoo site in 1965, which was formerly used for fish farming. Over the years, the zoo was expanded and expanded. To this day, the Eifel Zoo is family owned.
Because of the keeping conditions of the big cats and the small enclosures the zoo is again and again in the criticism of animal activists. This also appeals to this video in the YouTube channel “Zoo Experience”, in which zoos are presented. Zoo Boss Isabelle Wallpott said in 2010 after an accident at the Bear enclosure. “Of course, we cannot keep up with the scientific standards of large zoos, but we have statutory housing requirements and we respect them.”
At that time, a three-year-old girl had climbed over a fence that was about one meter high and entered the enclosure of the “Mike” collar bear. The father jumped immediately after, the girl suffered only minor injuries from a blow with his paw. In 2007, the almost 200-pound bear had mangled one arm of Zoo chef Wallpott.
What does a zoo do when animals escape the enclosure despite all safety measures?
Every zoo must have alarm plans for such cases. A deadly shot is always the last resort. First, they try to push the animals back, capture them or stun them. The narcotic works within five to ten minutes if the animal is hit well.
My comment:A private zoo with incompetent staff and even more incompetent leadership panics a whole country for an escape that never took place.
You can sell it as a fairy tale, but you have to look long for children who believe that.
A bear is killed in vain, but so far no leader gives a fair explanation for a mistake, that has cost the life of an animal.
Because a bear’s life is just only the life of an animal, that can quickly replace the profit-oriented zoo boss.
Anyone, who tries to escape from the concentration camp “Eifel Zoo” is shot dead.
Does that remind you of a black age?
