In 2015, veterinarians and a scientist from PETA India, as well as other experts, inspected ten facilities that produce antitoxins and antivenins.
With the exception of one that outsources its work, all the facilities extract large volumes of blood from horses, donkeys, or mules. The inspectors documented many distressing problems, including the following:
·Animals were suffering from anaemia, bleeding and infected wounds, and other serious health problems.
·Other common physical problems included diseased hooves, malnourishment, infections, parasites, swollen limbs, abnormal gaits, and eye conditions, such as blindness.
·The facilities often used painfully large needles in order to collect blood more quickly.
·Many horses were fearful and anxious and struggled to get away when approached by humans.
·Animals were typically kept in crowded, barren paddocks and often tied with ropes that severely limited their movement.
·Many were forced to stand and lie in their own urine and faeces, and some suffered from “capped elbow”, a painful inflammation and swelling of the joint caused by lying on hard floors.
·Basic husbandry procedures such as dental care and hoof trimming appeared to be ignored, and improper tools were used for grooming.
·There were numerous apparent violations of laws and guidelines, such as the failure of facilities to be registered to conduct these procedures on animals.
Indian law requires people who are responsible for animals to take all reasonable measures to ensure their well-being and to prevent unnecessary pain or suffering – in stark contrast to the abuse and neglect documented at these facilities.
Please speak out for these animals! Ask Indian authorities to close these cruel facilities
Exposed: Young Ostriches Butchered for ‘Luxury’ Bags
Never-before-seen footage shows how birds are shoved into boxes and have their throats slit at slaughterhouses that supply Hermès, Prada and other “luxury” fashion houses.
In September 2015, PETA US investigators travelled to South Africa to document what happens inside the largest ostrich slaughter companies in the world, including the exclusive supplier of ostrich skins for Hermès Birkin bags. Investigators saw workers force terrified ostriches into stun boxes – causing many to slip and fall – and then slit their throats. The ostriches next in line watched helplessly as their flockmates were killed right in front of them.
Workers were caught on camera striking ostriches in the face during transport, and when ostriches stumbled over a collapsed flockmate outside a slaughterhouse, a plant director joked, “I’ll call the animal welfare officer just now”.
These slaughterhouses supply ostrich skins to Hermès, Prada, Louis Vuitton and other top European fashion houses. Feathers, some of which are ripped out of the ostriches’ skin while they are fully conscious, are used in costumes for the Moulin Rouge and festivals like Brazil’s Rio Carnival as well as in feather dusters, boas and accessories. Ostrich meat is also sold throughout South Africa and exported primarily to Europe.
South Africa: The Ostrich Killing Capital of the World
The Western Cape of South Africa is home to the largest ostrich slaughter companies in the world, which supply “luxury” ostrich skins to Hermès and other major fashion houses.
PETA US investigators saw the juvenile birds tightly packed into open-topped vehicles for the terrifying journey to slaughter. Once they reach the slaughterhouse, workers forcibly restrain each bird, electrically stun them and then cut their throats. Moments later, the feathers are torn off the birds’ still-warm bodies, they are skinned and dismembered.
The Intelligent Ostrich
While ostriches can live for more than 40 years, farmed ostriches are slaughtered when they are just 1 year old. And while young ostriches typically stay with their parents for up to three years, ostriches raised on factory farms will never even get to meet their parents.
In the wild, these intelligent birds share parental duties, with the camouflaged mother taking care of the eggs during the daytime and the father, who has black feathers, taking night-time duty. One farm manager told our investigators that he has seen ostriches take turns fanning each other on hot days, remarking, “I have a lot of respect for ostrich”.
Some peoples told me that there’s a chance that it might become legal to hunt me again? (And not just me – all my fox, deer and hare chums are in danger too)
A free vote on repealing the Hunting Act is in the manifesto of the Conservative Party. But why, when so many people are against it?
I don’t understand politics!
This clever moving picture thing tells everyone exactly how many peoples are against hunting. Please, please watch it and send this to everyone you know – including your political candidates. They need to know how unpopular doing this would be (and not just with me!)
Please do it now if you can – it only takes a fox’s heartbeat and it’ll tell all your candidate peoples what you think about hunting and increasing sentences for bad animal cruelty peoples. And please tell your friends you’ve done it!
Help me Crowdfund!
Please pledge towards our urgent crowdfunder appeal. With your support, we will highlight the threat to animals in this election, so that all electoral candidates can take notice of our calls to protect and strengthen animal welfare. Please pledge your support today!
Help me!!
Even if you can’t come and see me, there will be lots of chances for you good peoples to help my campaign! Could you hand out leaflets or talk to peoples? Put up posters? If you can do anything please email campaigns@league.org.uk and my friends will be in touch!
Share and share alike
I’ve been super busy this week and there’s loads of new blogs and photos on my VotesforVinny website. Please share them – go on, I’m really cute! And don’t forget to find me on Tweeter and Foxbook!
I’m going now.
Thank you wonderful person for helping me – it’s made me very happy!
Posted on May 19, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
From friend Mark at ‘Respect for Animals’, Nottingham, England.
Please sign the petition re fur farming ban in Bosnia – and then pass the link to all your contacts – Thanks SAV.
Dear friend.
Do you have 30 seconds?
We are worried about an urgent procedure in the Bosnian parliament that threatens the ban on fur farming, which is due to come into force in 2018.
This proposal will prolong fur farming for ANOTHER 10 YEARS.
We need to make our voices heard for animals. Another 10 years of suffering for huge numbers of animals who will be factory farmed in tiny wire cages is not acceptable.
We’ve already written to key Bosnian politicians and now are asking you to add your name to our letter to the Ambassador for Bosnia- Herzegovina.
Here is the text of the letter you will be adding your name to:
To His Excellency Mustafa Mujezinovic
I am writing to you regarding the fur farming ban which should be implemented in 2018 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
I am alarmed about the unjustified urgent procedure in the Bosnian House of Representatives that undermines the Animal Protection and Welfare Act, which banned the cruel and unnecessary practice of fur farming.
This urgent proposal will prolong this cruel industry and the suffering of innocent animals for another 10 years, just months before the ban should take place. This is extremely disappointing.
Previously, I had admired the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina for your role at the forefront of a Europe that respects animal welfare by the passing of this Act. In the last eight years, fur farmers in Bosnia and Herzegovina were given the opportunity to transition to a more sustainable industry.
Prolonging the phase-out period would be unjustifiable to farmers that have respected the law. It would weaken the reliability of legislation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, given the unjustified, urgent procedure used by the House of Representatives to annul legislation that was voted upon by the Bosnian government nine years ago.
A march in London with guest speakers and surprises, it’s a Bank Holiday so please consider coming along to meet up and support, we will give voice to the animals!
Posted on May 13, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
AUSTRALIAN DONKEYS FACE BEING BLUDGEONED TO DEATH WITH SLEDGEHAMMERS IN CHINA!
Update via another source – 15/5/17.
Dear Louise, Mark and Kent Action Against Live Exports,
Louise – Thank you for forwarding Mark’s/KAALE’s email with link to Serbian Animals Voice webpage about the possibility of Australia (NT) exporting donkeys to China.
All – We are aware of this and are in touch with various people in Australia who are keeping tabs on the situation there, already writing articles, raising awareness etc against such a plan, and will lobby as hard as possible against it if it ever looks like becoming a reality. Whilst we cannot deny the truth of the articles linked in the Serbian Animals Voice page, many of them are several years (or even decades) old, and in the case of flesh being cut off live donkeys, we had reassurance some years ago from a reliable contact in Beijing that this was rare to start with, and now no longer happens. Whilst we do not condone the roadside slaughter of donkeys by sledgehammer, although it is brutal, as long as it is performed by someone who knows what they’re doing and does it well, it can be quicker and more humane than what goes on behind closed doors in some abattoirs rather closer to home. The photos shown first circulated widely in a Daily Mail article a few years ago and have reappeared at regular intervals since – they are guaranteed (and therefore deliberately used) to shock our western senses. Many of us are happy to eat meat, wear leather, etc, but close our eyes and ears to how it comes to be there and are then upset when the stark truth is laid out before us.
The media statement from Australia is dated 2009 – 8 years ago. Whilst the opening sentences are clearly (in my opinion) written in such a way as to provoke reaction, the Australians had not at that time investigated thoroughly into the logistics or economic viability of such a plan.
There are currently no protocols in place for the export of Northern Territory donkey hides or meat to China.
“Most importantly, we’ve also been doing some economic analysis to see whether the dollars stack up,” Mr Trier said.
“We undertook some economic analysis, using some assumptions drawn from a range of mechanisms about the value of donkeys in China and their productive turn-off.
“Our analysis, using Australian feral donkeys, is that it doesn’t seem economically viable [to farm them for export], however using Chinese donkey genetics, there could be some economics in it.
“But then, stacking that up against an existing industry, such as cattle, which [donkeys] would have to displace unless it was on other land, cattle appear more profitable.
“From our point of view, donkeys present a diversification opportunity, but it would be a mid to long-term process.”
In short, whilst it is true that Northern Territories have been, and to our knowledge still are, considering the possibility of export of donkeys to China, as far as we know this is not looking imminent. Furthermore, the indications are that if it should happen (which currently looks unlikely), that donkeys would be slaughtered in licensed abattoirs in Australia, not transported live to China.
We have a whole section of our website dedicated to the global issue of the rapidly increasing Chinese demand for donkey products, mainly skins (used in the production of a Traditional Chinese Medicine called ejiao), which is threatening donkey populations around the world, along with the communities that depend upon them for their livelihoods. To read our extensive report on this, and news and updates since it was published in January this year, please go to: www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/under-the-skin. Please feel free to circulate this link and the information contained therein to as many people and organisations as you like, and help us to raise support for our campaign.
Again, thank you for your concern. The threat to donkeys around the world is real, and we have a special, cross-departmental taskforce working specifically on this issue.
AUSTRALIAN DONKEYS FACE BEING BLUDGEONED TO DEATH IN CHINA IF THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAS ITS WAY.
Just when Australian’s thought the live animal export trade couldn’t possibly get any worse, there is now a possibility that donkeys will be live exported to China, a country known for it unspeakable cruelty towards animals.
Courtesy of Viral Spell:
Donkeys are butchered and sold by the curbside as customers watch:
In June 2009 a media statement was released by the Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Rural and Regional Queensland. The Honourable Tim Mulherin expressed his desire for Australian donkeys to be live exported to China. Mr Mulherin’s first sentence really says it all.
Picture shows : Horrifying sights of the animals bashed over the head with a sledgehammer
Picture this: “balmy afternoon in Beijing, donkey steaks sizzling on the barbeque, a little romance in the air aided by some traditional Chinese medicine made from donkey skins.” He went on to say that “the best part of this scenario is the donkey has been imported from Australia”.
It is extremely unlikely that ‘the best part of this scenario is the donkey has been imported from Australia’, when there are NO animal welfare laws in China for any animal, including Australian animals. Mr Mulherin may think there will be romance in the air while Australian donkey steaks sizzle on the barbeque, but the reality is donkeys in China are killed in the most unspeakable, incomprehensible ways.
There is NOTHING romantic about the horrors donkeys face when slaughtered in China.
THE REALITY SETS IN AS AUSTRALIA ONCE AGAIN DISCUSSES ITS PLANS TO LIVE EXPORT DONKEYS TO CHINA
Alister Trier, chief executive of the NT’s Department of Primary Industry, said over the past two years, the government had been approached by several Chinese companies wanting access to feral donkeys in the Northern Territory.
“The interest has been quite significant; we’ve had well over a dozen enquiries from different Chinese interests,” Mr Trier said.
“There [are] still numbers of feral donkeys in the NT — and too many for a lot of people’s liking — but not the numbers that investors from China were led to believe.”
Mr Trier toured a donkey processing factory in the Shandong province of China this year and said the industry was expanding and the demand for donkeys was incredible.
For decades Australia has been live exporting animals to the Middle East and South East Asia, this has resulted in the most horrific treatment and slaughter of Australian animals. The Australian government and the live export industry, has grossly failed to protect animals from being slaughtered in ways that are heinous. How can the government ensure that Australian donkeys are not killed in such ways if recent talks of starting up a donkey trade to China become a reality?
The answer is it cannot. Investigators have repeatedly exposed the live export trade for exactly what it is! Barbaric beyond belief…Investigators have filmed the most sickening treatment of Australian sheep and cattle on overseas soil, yet this cruel trade continues. Recently Investigators exposed footage of Australian cattle being bashed to death with sledgehammers, the same barbaric method used to kill donkeys in China.
A major campaign has now started in the build up to the UK General Election on 8th June 2017.We must not let the Conservatives repeal the hunting act which has been in place for around the last 11 years.
Support Vinny the fox and show your disgust at animal abuse in hunting.
Okay, I’m a fox cub, I’m not actually taking part in the election – don’t be daft.
·But a Vote for Vinny means that you care about animals – and you think your human government should care for animals too. I don’t just mean foxes, I mean all animals (even dogs – it’s not their fault peoples make them chase me)
·A Vote for Vinny means that you’ve moved from the dark days when peoples liked to kill animals like me for fun.
·And a Vote for Vinny means that you think humans should protect animals like me by punishing those bad peoples who hurt us.
Some clever humans tried to ban hunting long before I was born. It wasn’t just foxes who were grateful – deer, hares and those funny little minks were meant to be saved too.
But now I hear there’s a danger your people in power might want to start hunting us again?
In response to the Prime Minister’s renewed commitment to hold a free vote, League Against Cruel Sports CEO, Eduardo Goncalves said:
“Britain’s voters have been waiting to hear what the next government will be doing on key issues like the NHS, education and Brexit. It’s a shame that Parliamentary time will be spent on trying to make fox hunting legal again. Given that 84% of the public – and 72% of Conservative voters – want fox hunting to remain illegal, this smacks of a small minority with a cruel hobby wielding an inappropriately large influence over the people in charge. “Personally I want to live in a caring Britain, a country that cares for its people, its countryside and its animals. I want people who are cruel to animals to face a maximum penalty of five years, not six months as it is now. I want us to be compassionate and care about animals dying in the name of sport, such as trophy hunting and hare coursing. I think most people want the same. Are we really going to turn the clock back to a time when killing animals for fun was legal? I’m sure many current and future MPs of all colours feel the same way, so we hope they stand up and be counted when the time comes.”
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 