Lebanon: Excellent News – First National Workshop on Animal Welfare !

Posted on May 11, 2010 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

Experts from across the European Union will join stakeholders in Lebanon for the first national workshop on animal welfare on May 18th and 19th.

Held under the patronage of the Lebanese Minister of Agriculture, HE Dr. Hussein Hajj Hassan, this two day workshop is a major initiative to enact national animal welfare legislation.

The European Commission offers training and assistance to countries surrounding the European Union through its Technical Assistance and Information Exchange (TAIEX) program. Animals Lebanon was invited to a regional TAIEX workshop held in Jordan in 2009 and after seeing the potential benefits worked to have a similar workshop take place in Lebanon. “The Ministry of Agriculture has accepted that animal welfare is an issue important to the public and has to be addressed,” said Lana El-Khalil, President of Animals Lebanon. “We are pleased they agreed to work with Animals Lebanon and allowed us to organize this important workshop.”

For two full days, some of the top experts in the field of animal welfare will participate in the workshop, speaking about European Union minimum standards and how they can be applied in and benefit Lebanon.

The two main topics that will be discussed are zoos and CITES, the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species, two areas where Lebanon lags far behind other countries in the region. The Minister of Agriculture has committed to having Lebanon join CITES by 2011, and expressed his intentions at the recent CITES conference in Qatar. Despite this, the smuggling of endangered wildlife continues and lions, grey parrots, chimpanzees and other animals are smuggled through or into Lebanon. Nearly all countries have joined CITES, and those which haven’t are often used as hubs for smuggling. Since 2005 three new zoos have opened in Lebanon, and many others have existed for years. There is no legislation to license or regulate zoos in Lebanon, and no zoo is part of the World Zoo Association or the European Association of Zoo and Aquaria.

In zoos throughout the country there is little or no conservation or education value and animals suffer in horribly inadequate conditions. In an effort to improve compliance with and join CITES, experts will explain about such as issues as how to deal with confiscated animals, transport conditions of CITES listed animals, and animal welfare at border posts. Presentations on authorization and inspection of zoos, registration of animals, and animal welfare in zoos will illustrate how zoos in Lebanon must improve and the necessity of national legislation regulation zoos.

“The value of the workshop can be measured by what the 70 participants put into it,” Lana explained. “We need a room full of stakeholders who are actively engaged, and realize that they are each in a position to help make a major difference. This is a good first beginning to enacting national animal welfare laws and now is the time for everyone to prove this is an issue that is being taken seriously.”

The process of enacting national animal welfare legislation will be long and difficult. Animals Lebanon is committed to bringing about the time when laws are enacted and enforced. Donate now to support the campaign to enact animal welfare legislation in Lebanon.

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, ZOO(S) | Leave a comment »

China: Peking University Using Street Cats for Laboratory Testing ?

Posted on May 11, 2010 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

South China Morning Post
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a0a0/?vgnextoid=5446e6232a288210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=China&s=News

by Yu Aitong

May 11, 2010

Peking University Health Science Centre has been accused of using street
cats for laboratory testing, and the university has confirmed the cats were
purchased but were not bought from local sellers.

The Beijing News reported on Monday that the university was using cats in
its laboratory research by students.

The newspaper sent a reporter, who pretended to be an auditor for a
pharmacology testing class. Before the test started, a white cat weighing
less than three kilograms was hidden in a bag outside the laboratory,
waiting to be dissected.

Later it was brought in a wooden box specially designed for anaesthetising
without the cat scratching the laboratory staff. The staff injected 3 per
cent of a narcotic through holes on the top and side.

Once anaesthetised, the cat was placed on an operating table with its four
legs tied by ropes, its jaws were opened and a metal ring inserted.

Two and a half hours later, the test was finished and a student injected a
chemical into one of the cat’s legs to kill it. A cleaner packed the body
into a plastic bag to be incinerated with that of another cat, which had
died during the same class.

The report said some students had asked their teachers where the cats came
from because they were curious why the laboratory cats smelled badly and
appeared dirty. The teacher told them they were wild cats from the suburbs,
and a laboratory employee explained that “a private cat seller will send
cats to the school whenever we call”.

The newspaper quoted an unidentified animal protection association as saying
Beijing had wild animals in the suburbs, and most cats the sellers caught
were street cats. According to a survey conducted by the Capital Animal
Welfare Association, the Beijing suburbs had at least 200,000 street cats
from 2004 to 2007.

The Regulations for the Administration of Affairs Concerning Experimental
Animals, approved by the State Council in 1988, state that all experimental
animals must have known backgrounds or be artificially fed and bred under
strictly controlled conditions. Animals for experiments can be classified as
quality animals, clean animals, animals carrying no specific pathogens and
animals carrying no bacteria.

The Health Science Centre denied the statements by its teacher and
laboratory staff.

Jiang Hui , chief of the Peking University propaganda department, told the
South China Morning Post (SEHK: 0583, announcements, news) : “The university
does use cats to do experiments, but those cats were not bought from private
cat sellers. We buy them from professional animal farms. I have the formal
purchase invoice,” but he refused to give the farms’ names or any further
information.

“We have not violated the country’s regulations,” Jiang said.

Professor Zheng Zhenhui , chief of the school’s experimental animal science
department, said: “The test the newspaper witnessed was a classic animal
test that has used cats for more than 30 years in China, and cats are the
most suitable animal for it. The country has a specific regulation to manage
`experimental animals’, but experimental animals are only one type of all
animals used for experiments. The university has fed animals we are licensed
to use, but for the other animals we need during the teaching process [and
cats are one of them], we have to purchase from the market.”

He said there was a difference between “experimental animals”, which are
covered by state regulations, and other animals used by laboratories, which
are not regulated, and cats are among the latter.

The Peking University Health Science Centre, the first university on the
mainland to teach Western medicine, has more than 28,000 students.

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »

China: More Than 30,000 Stray Cats Sterilized in Beijing In Attempt to Control Stray Numbers and Contain Animal Disease

Posted on May 10, 2010 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

SAV Comment:

Maybe Serbia and other Balkans states need to learn from this.

From the article:  “He said the project helped to contain the number of stray cats and the
spread of animal diseases”.

Their words, not ours – but anything which helps to contain the numbers of stray animals and also contain the spreading of animal disease is surely a good thing.

Serbian government, it is over to you to learn from this – AND TO ACT !!!!

——————————————————————————–

Source:  http://english.cri.cn/6909/2010/05/09/168s568449.htm

More than 30,000 Stray Cats Sterilized in Beijing

More than 30,000 stray cats have been sterilized in Beijing in a
government-backed NGO project since July 2006, an official said Saturday.

More than 100 animal hospitals and clinics have joined the Trap Neuter
Return (TNR) project, providing more than 1,000 quotas every month for free
sterilization, said Wei Haitao, veterinary chief of the city’s agriculture
bureau.

“NGOs can take stray cats to designated animal hospitals for free
sterilization and then return them to streets,” said Louis Liu, president of
Beijing Small Animal Veterinary Association, sponsor of the project.

The 11 members of NGO New Beautiful World (NBW) helped to sterilize 1,700
cats in 2009.

“Sterilization is important for the well-being of stray cats. My friends and
I just found 10 stray cats to be sterilized in the Palace Museum this
morning,” said NBW volunteer Yao Yao.

The number of stray cats has been increasing rapidly in Beijing as stray
cats are better-fed and more domestic cats are being abandoned by relocated
families, Wei said.

The wandering cats are threatening squirrels, birds and small animals, Wei
added.

He said the project helped to contain the number of stray cats and the
spread of animal diseases.

—
Thank you for your compassion !
With best regards,
Debasis Chakrabarti
Compassionate Crusaders Trust
Phone:+9133 25320000,Fax:+9133 25465548
 http://www.animalcrusaders.org

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »

Romania: Please Take Action for Strays – Video, Petitions and Sample Letter Included for Your Action.

Posted on May 10, 2010 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

 

 

 

 

 

11/05/10 – New government and media contact details added today.

Please see additional contacts listing given at end of this post.

 

 

SAV Comment

Please watch the video on the link given here –

WARNING! Disturbing video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLI5Qkqev6s 

Please try to give your full support to all of the petitions which are detailed below.

A sample letter on this issue is also provided, and we have included e mail addresses to which this letter can be sent.

Thanks – SAV.

—————————————————————————-

STOP the Genocide of stray dogs in ROMANIA

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PROTESTS NEEDED NOW

WARNING: DISTURBING PHOTOS BELOW

Please take action now by signing ALL the petitions below and send your sample letter asap. Please copy and paste the letter several times and then send to the contacts below. Full details on this and info in very important appeal below.

TAKE ACTION NOW TO STOP THIS SLAUGHTER OF INNOCENT ANIMALS

Many thanks for your support 

SWAP team UK

Is it going to be a mass killing of stray dogs in Romania!

 

 

 

 

 

Petition: 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/is-it-going-to-be-a-mass-killing-of-stray-dogs-an

Target: Romanian Parlament

Sponsored by: Evelina

Last week a law was proposed by the prefect of Bucharest Mihai Cristian Atanasoaei to kill all stray dogs and those who stay longer than seven days in public shelters without being adopted. By this law they also want to prohibit feeding abandoned animals on public domain and to make more strict rules for adopting an animal. So in our dear country (who is claiming to be an european contry) 90% from the stray dogs live between people in the residential districts so…. there are people who loves dogs and give them food . I know dogs in my neighborhood  so old…they had spent their all life infront of some block of flats and they hadn’t bitten anyone…..and they don’t let us to give them food anymore?
They are complainig that many people have been bitten…a dog never bites without reason…..and our children can’t play in park because nobody cleans after all this dogs……i really don’t want to ask them how they spent the money from the taxes that i’ve been paying them for a long time!!!!….this is politics…

The idea is that we could use some help…because they had already killed thousands of stray dogs a few years ago…and this will happen in the future too if nobody does something.
I am just a person who loves dogs i don’t have the power to stop them but i am thinking that maybe sameone who can will read this or will see news at tv and that person will do something.
The dogs don’t have any fault…make the one who has pay for that.
 

STOP THE KILLINGS OF DOGS ALONG THE STREETS IN ROMANIA!

WARNING! Disturbing video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLI5Qkqev6s 

 

Other Petitions: 

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/43/stop-the-killings-of-dogs-along-the-streets-in-romania

and also

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-genocide-of-stray-dogs-in-romania.html

For almost a month now, there has been a harsh campaign against stray dogs by the media. Since some members of the Bucharest ASL issued statements advocating the reinstatement of the law that permitted the killing of strays, the newspapers and the TV have been incessantly showing images of packs of strays and those people bitten throughout the country. In reality, the law has formally prohibited the killing of strays since 2007, but the municipalities have skirted the problem by leaving the dogs, in thousands of public facilities spread throughout the country, to simply die of hunger and disease. The law has only prevented large scale killings, such as

those seen before 2007, when strays were killed en masse even in the streets, thanks to the absence of an animal protection law. Since no

sterilization plan has been made, the number of dogs has increased exponentially in the meantime and now the public is asking that drastic measures be taken.

The climate of recent weeks brings us back to 2001 when the then mayor of Bucharest, Basescu, launched the campaign that led to the extermination of at least 100,000 stray dogs in the capital alone. STD is extremely worried and fears that the municipalities where it operates will exploit the atmosphere of hysteria and intolerance crafted by the media to undermine our sterilization programs.

 

Sample Protest Letter

Please send the letter of protest given below to the following people: 

Block mail list:
 

prefect@mira.gov.ro, iulian.urban@gmail.com, cp06@cdep.ro, amr@amr.ro,  calin.chira@amr-bruxelles.eu

Individual contact details: 

Prefect Mr. Mihai Cristian Atanasoaei  
Email: prefect@mira.gov.ro

Senator Iulian Urban  
Email: iulian.urban@gmail.comCommittee for Public Administration Territorial Planning and Ecological Balance  
Email: cp06@cdep.ro

Romania Municipalities Association (Bucharest)  
Email: amr@amr.ro

Romania Municipalities Association (Bruxells)  
Email: calin.chira@amr-bruxelles.eu

National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority  
Email: office@ansvsa.ro

Parliament of Romania – Chamber of Deputies  
Email: srp@cdep.ro,presa@cdep.

** SAMPLE Letter to copy and send **:

Europe says NO to the Killing or Incarceration of Stray Dogs in Romania!

Dear Madam or Sir,

with big dismay all members of the European Union follow the present discussion concerning the plan to take up the killing of stray dogs again or to intern them into huge camps.

During an interview on February 3rd 2010 Mr. Mihai Atanasoaei, prefect of Bucharest, proposed to lift the ban on killing stray dogs again.

As a reason he stated that the mayor and the residents felt equally annoyed by the strays. After massive protests on the internet, on 8th February he declared his intention to comply with the law and to refrain from killing the dogs. Instead he proposed to put them into shelters because ‘… the European legislation prohibits euthanasia except for animals with incurable diseases.’

It is impossible to keep tens of thousands of dogs like that – the shelters are extermination camps of terror!

Since the 15th of January 2008 the killing of stray dogs is prohibited by law! This long overdue ban, which was welcomed throughout Europe, has not at all done damage to the reputation of the Romanian government – quite the reverse: The willingness of this young member of the EU to take responsibility, its humanity and far-sightedness, was internationally acknowledged.
And now this step back towards barbarism?

Will Romania become a country again, in which dogs are hunted, caught, tortured and slaughtered?

Scientific studies submitted in Brussels have long ago produced proof that neutering is the only lasting solution in reducing the population of strays. For years numerous international animal welfare organizations have assisted you, funding and performing neutering campaigns on stray dogs. The majority of the population supports these actions and has made clear how important they consider the wellbeing of stray dogs.

We demand that you refrain from the planned mass killing of stray dogs as well as the animal camps under discussion!

Moreover, we ask you to take up dialogue with animal welfare organizations in order to perform appropriate neutering projects which have proven successful in other countries. These projects may receive funding by the Animal Health Strategy in Brussels.

We want to point out that legalizing the slaughter of stray dogs would meet with indignation and detestation throughout Europe!

The citizens of the European Union would draw their own conclusions if you should really put this idea into action.

Let us make together a modern and animal friendly Europe!

With kind regards,

Name:

Nationality:

**UPDATE** –  Additional contact addresses to which to send your protests – added 11/05/10:

Addresses of government

lic-nadlac@inext.ro; zmb.gherasim@gmail.com; zgonea@cdep.ro; webmaster@senat.ro; webmaster@cdep.ro; viorel.badea@senat.ro; victor.boiangiu@cdep.ro; vasile.gherasim@cdep.ro; varga.lucia@yahoo.com; v_soporan@yahoo.com; turism@primariaarad.ro; titus@corlatean.ro; tiberiu.fechete@senat.ro; szilagy@rmdsz.ro; szidor.iana@primaria-nadlac.ro; suslak.ana@primaria-nadlac.ro; srp@cdep.ro; sorin.sproch@primaria-nadlac.ro; sorin.buta@cdep.ro; soporan.vasile@cdep.ro; solingher.blazena@primaria-nadlac.ro; snicolaescu@gmail.com; sinca.anca@primaria-nadlac.ro; senat.s2_cta@yahoo.com; secretariat@primariacurtici.ro; secretariat@polcomarad.ro; saghian_gheorghe@yahoo.com; roszkos.ioan@primaria-nadlac.ro; relu.fenechiu@cdep.ro; raducans@gmail.com; radub_t@yahoo.com; radu.timpau@cdep.ro; pruneadan@yahoo.com; procetatean@presidency.ro; primaria.pecica@upcmail.ro; presa@cdep.ro; prefect@mira.gov.ro; popgheorghe15@yahoo.com; pma@primariaarad.ro; ples.eugenia@primaria-nadlac.ro; petronela@senat.ro; parkar@primariaarad.ro; office@setupresearch.ro; office@primaria-nadlac.ro,  office@iliesarbu.ro; office@ansvsa.ro; norica.nicolai@yahoo.com, Nicupsd.timis@yahoo.com; nicolae.prunea@senat.ro; neculai.ratoi@cdep.ro; mironmitrea@mac.com; minervaboitan@yahoo.com; mihaela.barbieru@senat.ro; marin.bobes@cdep.ro; marian.popa@senat.ro; mardarecatalin@yahoo.com; marcuglg@yahoo.com; mapostolache@cdep.ro; lucia.varga@cdep.ro; luca.ioan@primaria-nadlac.ro; leginszki.susana@primaria-nadlac.ro; krokos.ana@primaria-nadlac.ro; iulian.urban@gmail.com; ionel.palar@cdep.ro; ion.rotaru@senat.ro; ion.calin@cdep.ro; ion.ariton@gmail.com; ioana.nichita@senat.ro; ioan.oltean@cdep.ro; office@primaria-nadlac.ro; ioan.mang@senat.ro; infocdep@cdep.ro; ilies.dorina@primaria-nadlac.ro; iasovics.claudiu@primaria-nadlac.ro; horvath.elena@primaria-nadlac.ro; gusita.teodora@primaria-nadlac.ro; gros.alex@primaria-nadlac.ro; ghervazen.longher@cdep.ro; gheorghe.ciocan@cdep.ro; ghenghiu.ana@primaria-nadlac.ro; florin.constantinescu@tvr.ro; eugen.uricec@cdep.ro; eugen.nicolaescu@cdep.ro; edler.andras@yahoo.com; ecu777@yahoo.com; ecaterina.andronescu@senat.ro,  dusa_mircea@cdep.ro; drp@gov.ro; doval.ana@primaria-nadlac.ro; dorina@primaria-nadlac.ro; doina_silistru@yahoo.com; deputat_vladoiu@yahoo.com; denes.seres@cdep.ro; daniels2002ro@yahoo.com; danielfuneriu@gmail.com; dan.sova@senat.ro; dan.nica@cdep.ro; dan.bordeianu@cdep.ro; csat@presidency.ro; cristian.buican@cdep.ro; crin.antonescu@cdep.ro; cretucorina@yahoo.com; cralic.ioan@primaria-nadlac.ro; cp06@cdep.ro; costica.macaleti@cdep.ro; cornel.pieptea@cdep.ro; contact@pdlsenat.ro; contact@alegeri.tv; consiliu@cjarad.ro; claudiu.taga@gauss.ro; claudiu.taga@cdep.ro; ciceac.vasile@primaria-nadlac.ro; carmen.mihaileanu@senat.ro; calin.chira@amr-bruxelles.eu; boiangiuvictor@yahoo.com; bogdan.cantaragiu@cdep.ro; boari.ana@primaria-nadlac.ro; biroulsenatorial2sm@yahoo.com; avram.liliana@primaria-nadlac.ro; aurel.vladoiu@cdep.ro; arcas.viorel@senat.ro; aor@aor.ro; antonella_barbu@yahoo.com; antonella.marinescu@cdep.ro; andras.edler@cdep.ro; anca.boagiu@gmail.com; ana.ungureanu@senat.ro; ana.bera@senat.ro; amr@amr.ro; amalia.radut@senat.ro; cezar.chioibasu@senat.ro; aldea.ioan@primaria-nadlac.ro;rosa-mertens@telenet.be; office@realitatea.net

Media contacts

martorocular@realitatea.net; vox@voxpublica.ro; stiri@antena1.ro; webmaster@intact.antena1.ro; contact@antena2.tv; tvr1@tvr.ro; tvr2@tvr.ro; tvr3@tvr.ro; tvrinfo@tvr.ro; tvri@tvr.ro; tvrcultural@tvr.ro; relatiicupublicul@tvr.ro; pactualitati@rornet.ro; dpr@rornet.ro; relatiipublic@rornet.ro; office@radio3net.ro; ctp@gandul.info; andrei.udisteanu@evz.ro; alexandru.cristorian@catavencu.ro; marius.tuca@jurnalul.ro; ddd@dandiaconescu.ro; redactie@libertatea.ro; sergiu.voicu@primatv.ro; office@realitatea.net; stiri@antena3.ro; bahmuteanu@yahoo.com; protvintl@protv.ro; sasevinepresa@b1tv.ro; stiri@b1tv.ro; nasul@b1tv.ro; focus@primatv.ro; office@primatv.ro; stiri@europafm.ro; stiri@radio21.ro; info@nationaltv.ro
 

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, GLOBAL PETITIONS - Anything Animal, Anywhere !, VIDEOS | Leave a comment »

“Balkans Animal Suffering” – A SAV ‘Sister’ Site Specifically For Balkans Animals

Posted on May 8, 2010 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

In case you are not aware, we also run another site; still for Balkans animals.

It is called “Balkans Animal Suffering” (BAS) and can be accessed through the following link:

http://balkansanimalsuffering.wordpress.com/

All of the Balkans specific posts covered on this site (SAV) are also covered on BAS.

No other (non Balkans) international animal issues are dealt with on BAS – it is a Balkans animals site exclusively dedicated to helping animals in Balkans states.

BAS was established due to the fact that SAV has become much more international regarding the animal welfare issues it now covers.  Whilst we welcome publicising animal welfare work across the world, the original concept of the SAV formation has now taken on a much broader and very much more international status.  So we needed to revert in some way to a specific site dedicated to only Balkans animal issues.  That site can be found at BAS.

Both SAV and BAS will continue to be updated regularly; SAV will continue to lead the way with global animal issues; and with BAS covering only those which are associated with Balkans events.

We hope you get a chance to visit BAS sometime.  The vast majority of text is the same (as SAV), the ‘posts’ are the same, but the overall layout is a little different.

SAV.

Here are just a tiny selection of the masses of Balkans animal photographs we have stored in our archive.

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering) | Leave a comment »

Uk: Political Elections Hang Questions Over the (Return to) Hunting Issue.

Posted on May 8, 2010 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

 

 

 

 

08/05/10

For the first time in many years (25+) the Uk elections have produced no outright political party to govern the country.  The Uk is currently in a position of what is known as a ‘hung government’ – ie. No party with overall control.  At the moment, there are frantic meetings and talks going on in London between poltical parties to ascertain who can ‘do deals’ with each other and establish a government.  This system is very common in most of Europe after political elections, but is rare in the Uk.

One factor being considered by the animal welfare lobby is what could happen by these political party mergers with regard the hunting act.  Things are in the balance. 

The following is a bulletin provided by the Uk league Against Cruel Sports (LACS), one of the Uk’s largest anti hunt animal welfare organisations.

Things are moving on every hour with regard political deals – but hopefully this message from the LACS will give our non Uk friends an insight into the current situation.

Basically, the political parties view on hunting is as follows:

Conservative Party – Pro Hunt.

Labour Party – Anti Hunt

Liberal Democrats – Anti but with some pro hunt.

The LACS website is at  http://www.league.org.uk/   

Please watch the video on this link featuring celebrities against the re-introduction of hunting, as is promised by the Conservative political party.

The British people do not want wild animal abuse to return – so KEEP CRUELTY HISTORY !

Past SAV anti hunt posts:

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/04/29/uk-uncaged-expose-uk-political-party-policies-on-animals-the-conservatives-animal-protection-rating-is-0-37-and-to-bring-backk-hunting/ 

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/04/13/uk-london-brian-may-launches-save-me-anti-hunting-campaign/ 

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/04/08/uk-england-queen-rock-legend-brian-may-fumes-over-queen-song-used-in-pro-hunt-video/ 

 https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/04/02/uk-tally-ho-conservative-party-leader-david-cameron-described-himself-as-a-country-boy-who-loved-hunting-and-shooting/ 

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/02/20/uk-3-minutes-to-show-why-the-uk-hunting-ban-must-never-be-overturned-by-the-conservative-party/ 

SAV.

 

—————————————

Message from the LACS:

Justice and prosecutions for wildlife crime now hang in the political balance. The result of yesterday’s general election shows that there isn’t a clear and overall parliamentary majority of MPs of any single party.

First and most obviously the result means that no party can point to its manifesto and claim that the majority of voters supported their policies. Put at its simplest the country voted for a hung parliament, where no one party has overall control.

From an animal welfare perspective that makes for a difficult situation in the new parliament.  The Conservative Party were committed to a free vote on repeal of the Hunting Act, the Labour Party were opposed to repeal and the Liberal Democrats said that they would establish an Animal Protection Commission to investigate abuses, educate the public and enforce the law.

All the major parties have long said that hunting is a free vote issue. Individual MPs of all parties range in view, from passionate and considered support for the ban on hunting and coursing for sport at one end of the spectrum, while others at the other end of the spectrum are passionate in their determination to repeal the Hunting Act if they possibly can. Somewhere between those two groups lie the vast majority of MPs.

Most MPs are very well aware that while a tiny minority of their voters are passionate hunters wanting them to turn the clock backwards to allow the hunters and coursers to be cruel to animals for sport, the vast majority of their electors are opposed to hunting, coursing and killing for sport.

On a free vote issue, individual MPs have to make up their own minds. The government of the day cannot use the whips to march the government payroll vote (about 130 MPs from the ruling party or group) through the lobbies and they cannot tell individual MPs how to vote, however much they might want to do so.

Individual MPs will be faced with stark choices if there is any attempt to repeal the Hunting Act. Do they follow their leader through his chosen lobby? If they follow their leaders, the majority of Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs would vote against repeal, while the majority of Conservatives would vote for repeal. If those MPs of all parties were to do what the majority of their electors want on hunting, they would vote against repeal. If MPs make their own choices the current indications are that the new parliament will be split down the middle between pro- and anti-repeal MPs. 

So the real truth to be gathered from last night is that the future of the Hunting Act now lies in the hands of 650 MPs of all parties. While the party leaders are haggling over what is and isn’t to be in the Queen’s Speech and what is and isn’t part of any agreed program for government, all of us will need to make it clear to MPs of all parties, that we do not want repeal of the Hunting Act to be on the political agenda in the new parliament. The message to the new MPs and to the hunters and to those inclined to support them, should be very clear. The peoples answer to cruelty for sport is: no, not in our name you don’t. Not with our consent do you chase and kill for sport. Animal abuse and cruelty for sport is a crime and it should stay a crime.

So the inevitable question is, what are we all going to do about it? And by us, I mean the League and all its supporters. It is clearly down to us now that the electors have decided who they want as their MPs. The election result wasn’t decided on the hunting and coursing issue. There is widespread agreement amongst the political commentators that the key issue was the desire for change. When the votes were cast and counted, a lot of seats changed hands. Some stalwart defenders of the Hunting Act lost their seats; some hunting supporters lost their seats. Some new arrivals are pro-repeal and some are against.

What the changes in the make up of the new parliament undoubtedly mean is that the hunting issue could be back on the political agenda as early as the Queen’s Speech, if it is a Conservative led government. It is also clear that the result of any free vote on repeal of the Act cannot now be predicted with confidence. It now looks as if we may well have to fight the hunting campaign battles all over again in this new parliament.

The hunters’ agenda is to ram through a Hunting Act repeal bill in the early days of a new parliament amongst a group of other repeal bills. Their plan is to get the bad news out of the way as fast as possible, and to do it in time for the next hunting season. They assume that their best chance of getting repeal is when it is too early for any sort of back bench rebellion which could bring down the new minority government. Our agenda will be to make sure that MPs free votes scupper their plans.

The hunters’ and Vote-OK goal of a Conservative led government with a sufficiently large majority to overcome the parliamentary resistance to turning the clock back to cruelty is not what the voting public have delivered. What the hunters, the Countryside Alliance and Vote-OK  will have to live with is a weak coalition of sorts, that will stand or fall bill by bill in the new minority party led parliament. By concerted action we can ensure that the Hunting Act is not repealed on a free vote.

Because there are so many new MPs, many of whom will not know about the ins and outs of parliamentary processes, and because repeal of the Hunting Act has not been anywhere near the top of the political agenda, many of the new intake of MPs will not know what repeal of the Act might mean, or how it could be achieved or stopped. It will be our job to make sure that they do know what repeal could mean to our wildlife and what it would mean to you, and that they know how to stop it happening.

As soon as the MPs are in Westminster and have email and postal addresses we will be asking you to contact them to let them know where you stand and to tell them what is at risk for hunted and coursed animals and for all those whose lives are impacted by the abusive and violent behaviour of the hunts.

The vast majority in this country do not want to turn the clock backwards to cruelty to animals for sport. Animal abuse for sport is a crime, and let’s keep it that way. When the political dust settles after the weekend’s haggling and it is clear which party will be taking the lead in parliament, we will be ready to act, with your help to help Keep Cruelty History!

Croy man fined for hare coursing; The Press & Journal, 06/05/2010.

Queen guitarist’s hunting fight; UK Wired, 04/05/2010.

Fox is fed up of hunting; Western Morning News, 30/04/2010.

The Fox Tour concluded on Wednesday having visited fourteen constituencies around England and Wales. Fergus the Fox toured constituencies where hunting is a key issue, and attempted to engage parliamentary candidates in discussion on the issue.

You can watch films from each of the Fox Tour constituencies on our YouTube channel.

The League’s blog is updated every day at www.league.org.uk/blog.

You can follow us on twitter @LeagueACS and on Facebook by searching for our name.

Don’t forget there’s a wealth of information on our website at www.league.org.uk and you can support the Keep Cruelty History campaign at www.keepcrueltyhistory.com

The eBulletin is published weekly by the League Against Cruel Sports, registered charity number 1095234. The League is politically neutral and does not support or endorse any party or candidate. © League Against Cruel Sports 2010

Registered office: New Sparling House, Holloway Hill, Godalming, Surrey. GU7 1QZ. Tel 01483 524250. Web www.league.org.uk

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SAV German(y) hunt links:

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/02/22/germany-220210-update-fox-week-killings-go-on-and-on-for-weeks/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/germany-fox-week-update-080210-more-killings-animals-now-skinned/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/02/03/germany-fox-week-sees-hunters-killing-thousands-of-beautiful-animals-please-crosspost/

German hunters have killed around 600,000 foxes so far this year – 2010.

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, VIDEOS | Leave a comment »

Uk (England): Amersham Horse Trader Loses Cruelty Convictions Appeal

Posted on May 6, 2010 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

 

 

 

 

Past SAV articles and photographs relating to the Amersham case:

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2009/05/09/uk-england-five-members-of-same-family-all-found-guilty-of-neglecting-horses-and-ponies/ 

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2009/06/13/england-uk-legal-victory-horse-trader-sentenced-to-6-months-prison-fined-400000-and-given-a-life-ban-on-keeping-horses-ponies-and-donkeys/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2009/07/20/uk-horse-trader-faces-bail-breach-charge-update/

News articles from today – 06/05/10:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/8664692.stm

http://www.redwings.org.uk/news-appealverdict.php

BBC Article;

Amersham horse trader loses cruelty convictions appeal

A horse trader jailed for neglecting dozens of animals at a farm has lost his appeal against his convictions.

Photo – James Gray

James Gray was jailed for six months last June for leaving the animals to starve to death at Spindle Farm in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.

His wife Julie Gray, 42, and daughters Jodie, 27, and Cordelia, 21, were also unsuccessful in their appeals at Aylesbury Crown Court.

The RSPCA removed 115 horses, ponies and donkeys from the farm last January.

James Gray Junior, 17, was acquitted on two charges.

All five defendants were appealing against charges of neglect and cruelty under the Animal Welfare Act.

Judge Christopher Tyrer said: “We are satisfied that these horses were neglected and starved.

“It follows that the appellants failed to exercise reasonable care and supervision in respect of their protection and they knew or ought reasonably to have known that this would have that effect.”

The original trial heard many horses living at the farm were found surrounded by the rotting corpses of other animals which had been left to die of starvation.

Nick White, a field officer for international horse charity World Horse Welfare, was one of the first at the scene.

He said: “There were dead horses on the ground in front of me, and to the right.

“I looked across and there was a dead horse in the stalls. It was like walking into another world.”

Norfolk-based horse charity Redwings helped remove 80 animals from the farm and brought back 21 to its own care.

Redwings senior vet Nicolas de Brauwere said: “We are delighted with this result, not to mention incredibly relieved.

“As events unfolded on 9 January 2008 we found more and more evidence of untold suffering that shocked us and compelled us to act. We always believed that the evidence would support today’s verdict.”

He added: “Even though two days of rescue had already preceded our involvement we were confronted with scenes of suffering animals, animal remains, terrible living conditions and an overwhelming atmosphere of death and disease.”

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »

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