Posted on February 15, 2018 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Dear Mark,
I recently got an undercover video from the well-known organization Soko, which do undercover investigators in Germany.
It’s about the OSI- slaughterhouse in Tauberbischofsheim that the McDonalds delivers with meat.
Especially those who still eat meat from this shop should watch the video.
But I think even of all meat eaters would turn their stomachs when they see the pictures!.
I have translated much of the documentation from German to English.
Maybe it makes sense to spread the video in the US
In the links that follows, you can see the undercover recording, as well as the interview with Friedrich Mülln, the head of the organisation, on television.
SAV Comment – Unlike attempts in the USA, Europe does not have an ‘ag gag’ system where guys who obtain this kind of undercover footage get imprisoned rather than the animal abusers whop do the deeds in the first place !
If we are already slaughtering animals for our food, then at least so that they do not suffer. Every meat eater would sign this sentence. And the laws also dictate how the animals should be treated in the slaughterhouse in order to spare them unnecessary suffering.
If cattle are hung on the hooks for insufficient numbness, this is not intended.
Also not that the animals are maltreated with electric drivers on sensitive parts of the body or exposed to special violence.
But such events have documented activists of Soko animal protection in an OSI slaughterhouse in Tauberbischofsheim.
OSI is an international meat supplier, from which McDonald’s exclusively sources the burger patties for German branches.
In order to get to the pictures, cameras were hidden and if possible Minijobber undercover in slaughterhouses introduced.
The photos of the animal rights activists show how employees of the slaughterhouse repeatedly violate the animal welfare slaughter ordinance and torture the cattle before the slaughter.
“Worse pictures can not be imagined. In my view, slaughtering should be stopped there immediately and staff should be exchanged, “states Dr. Kai Braunmiller, Chairman of the Federal Association of Meat Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Consumer Protection, the recordings.
Animal rights activist Friedrich Mülln denounces the conditions in German slaughterhouses as a whole:
“This is the fourth detection of Soko animal welfare within a year.” The conditions are catastrophic. “Slaughterhouses in Germany are a lawless area and a total failure of the entire system,” said the organisation founder from Soko Animal Protection. It is true that again and again violations of the Animal Welfare Battle Ordinance become known, most recently the animal rights activists uncovered abuses in a slaughterhouse in Düren, from which McDonald’s also took meat.
The operator of OSI, Erik Schöttl, did not want to say anything concrete about the recordings.
According to the veterinary office, the immediate closure of the abattoir Tauberbischofsheim has been ordered. Apart from animals already delivered at the slaughterhouse, no animals may be accepted and slaughtered there anymore, wrote the district office Main-Tauber-Kreis. This rule applies until the operator submits an appropriate catalog of measures and the implementation is checked by the veterinary office.
McDonald’s then announced to clarify the grievances actively and adjust the meat reference through the relevant slaughterhouse. “From our point of view, the slaughterhouse shots we have received contain serious miscarriages in the slaughterhouse, which is unacceptable to us, and we have had the meat from that slaughterhouse temporarily closed until further notice,” the company explained Company written.
To what extent this will bring about an improvement in the future, is questionable – the recordings with the serious violations of the animal welfare battle ordinance were also created under the supervision of officially appointed veterinarians. This is also shown by the pictures of the animal rights activists.
Anyway and until further notice the State Administration of Baden-Wuerttemberg and after the inspection of the Veterinary Office has closed the slaughterhouse.
The head of the organization SOKO and activist Friedrich Mülln gave an interview on February 14, on television: He said: “The McDonalds should not be really surprised!
After my many years of experience in undercover investigations in German slaughterhouses, I have to say one thing: “in Germany there is a total failure in the matter of ‘slaughterhouse’!!
Within five years, it’s the fourth scandal. No! that’s no exception, it’s the rule. If any people from Eastern Bloc are hauled here to work in the slaughterhouses and live below subsistence level, then one becomes dull from the first day. Those people are not to blame, the system and the consumers who power this system are to blame.
The tape is running, the tape never stops, you are controlled, and only counts what is cheap.
Basically, consumers make power this system to these crimes.
We can not wait for the agency or higher authorities to make any changes”, so Freidrich Mülln from Soko Organisation.
Posted on February 8, 2018 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
UPDATE 10/2/18
The following photos are in relation to a private dogcatcher firm named Avenija MB.
This firm has political support by leading political parties, and it works in 52 municipality cities all over Serbia.
These photos show how this leading dogcatcher firm work.
They put 20-30 dogs (sometimes as many as 49) into this trailer and transport them from locations all over Serbia.
The dogs are in-microchipped, in-vaccinated, and when put together in this trailer, there is much fighting. Yes, 30+ dogs crammed into this trailer.
This procedure is in opposition to Serbian laws, but the political parties support this way of dealing with the street dog issue.
Sadly in Serbia, there is no independent media to really take up the fight for animal advocates. It is a mafia type system making lots of money out of dog catching; when the money should really be put into sterilisation and the reduction of dog numbers on the streets.
As we have said before; there are some people who are making big money out of this business operation, and by ignoring the laws of the land.
Here (for example) is video footage from animal friends Vier Pfoten (Austrian AW organisation) taken back in 2008.
The dog has been fully treated by VP – which includes being sterilised, microchipped and vaccinated against Rabies. To show this, the dog has a Red button tag fitted to ear to clearly identify to dog catchers that it has been fully sterilised and vaccinated.
Regardless of all the treatment and a clearly visible red ear tag, the dog is still darted ready for capture and disposal by a balaclava wearing dog catcher ! – He is also clearly visible in the video:
This video above was taken 10 Years Ago !! – and nothing in Serbia has progressed for animals and their welfare.
So, dogs being sterilised and vaccinated by animal welfare organisations – something which the Serbian government should really be doing in order to reduce street dog numbers; and still the dog caching organisations (working for the authorities) ignore the red button ear tag and continue to catch the dog as part of their ‘collections’. This dog, like all the others, has a bounty on its head; the companies and / or authorities will be paid a dividend from the taxpayers contributions to government to get this dog off the streets. Money, time and effort wasted by VP (Austria) for sterilisation and vaccination; and yet more money rolling in to authorities and management from the Serbian government to cover the capture and killing of this dog.
As we have said so many times; the government and authorities do NOT want to adopt a stray / street dog sterilisation because over time it will reduce stray dog numbers; thus solving a long term problem for Serbia. By not sterilising dogs, the authorities can guarantee that there will be a constant new source of street dogs for them to capture and claim back official money from the government – the head bounty. Where does the money go ? – ask the seniors who run this style of a system.
The money being paid out by the government as ‘head count bounties’ for each dog caught and killed, would more than support the finances required for a national long term sterilisation and vaccination programme. But the government and authorities do not want to know about this.
Why ? – because some people are maybe living very comfortably thank you from the system the way it currently operates.
The following are videos of Avenija MB, who catch and put dogs into this unlawful trailer.
The dogs are then often transported long distances – 500 to 1,000km. They go in all seasons, including Winter and Summer.
As you can see in the video above (dog with red ear tag), they still catch dogs that are fully identified as being sterilised and vaccinated.
The owner of this private firm is Mrs Andjelija Stevanovic; which is allegedly operated with her son Mr Nenad Stevanovic.
We are informed that they have very close links with a politician named Mr Zoran Babic – who we are informed is also the Director of a National firm named Koridor Srbije. Mr Babic is a very close friend of the President of Serbia Mr.Aleksandar Vucic.
As we say; any wonder why there is no enthusiasm for a national sterilisation programme !!!
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A campaign has now started in Serbia which is aimed at getting the Press and media to adopt a different attitude to the way they deal with the issue of stray dogs.
Their approach has always been very negative; yet they do very little, if anything, to show up the Serbian governments attitude of what they should be doing under Serbian constitutional law – providing stray dogs with care.
Below is a copy of the letter which has been submitted to the Journalists Association of Serbia. It fully describes how people are feeling about the Serbian press / media coverage regarding stray dogs.
** ACTION ** – This is where we need your (international) supporter help with this campaign.
These are the e mail addresses to which we would like you to send mails.
You could send a copy of this post by selecting and copying the post link at the top of this article.
We need to make it very clear to the Press that they are NOT doing their job.
Rather that constantly attacking the dogs on the streets, the Journalists Association is in an ideal situation to both show the lack of government / regional authority compliance with Serbian law – and also to put pressure on the government and authorities that sterilisation on a mass national level is the only way that the number of strays is ever going to be reduced.
We know, and have proven so many times on this site, that there are a lot of people in important positions in government and regional government who are making a great deal of money out of the continual rounding up and killing of street dogs. Without undertaking sterilisation there is a constant supply of street dogs to be captured and killed – and very productive bounties paid to some in authority for doing it.
People in power do NOT want a reduction in the number of street dogs; otherwise their corrupt income will reduce. They say ‘to hell’ with the Constitutional Court (of Serbia) and what it says. This careless and non compliance with enforcing the national law makes it look as if Serbia is in an ideal position to become an EU member state – simply because the EU Commissions do very little to enforce EU law also when it comes to animals and their welfare. Reg 1/2005 and all that.
Here is the open letter which has been produced by Serbian campaigners and which we are asking you to support by sending a copy of this post or the letter to the e mail addresses given above.
Open Letter:
Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
28.07.2017.
Open letter
Respected Sir/Madam,
We are deeply disappointed, indignant and disgusted by the media prosecution that has been occurred for years against homeless dogs.
Homeless dogs are in the media mentioned exclusively and only in a negative connotation, to widespread sensationalist news about bites of dangerous, raging dogs from horrid packs, which are always called “strays”, following with titles like “Dread”, “Horror”, “Dog bite a child”, “Dogs attacked a mother with a kid”, etc.
Those types of texts are accompanied with images of huge dogs with wide open jaws, taken from Internet, which are not connected at all with the text. Such texts are superficial, without any details, do not point at the source of real problem, and their target is always the homeless dog, even when they are about dogs who do have owners and make false charges of dog bites.
There are many of these false charges because of high money compensation, which is drawn from municipal budgets. The truth is always befogged.
Such manner of reporting, superficial and wrongful, leads to spreading of hate among citizens toward dogs, and have dangerous long term consequences. Brutal behavior to dogs that has owners or homeless dogs is immense, even without spreading of hate. This kind of journalism only encourages that hate. So, inhumane society emerges, which has no compassion for the weaker beings and primitivism is promoted.
If the reason for such warmonger texts is to increase newspapers circulation, per system – sensational news sell newspapers (which certainly is not justified and sludge the role of journalist profession), why then sensational news are not also: “Kids set on fire puppies in the school yard”, “Teenagers pushed a firecracker in a mouth of homeless dog and light it”, “Man hanged dog with a belt”, “Puppy’s legs cut off”, “Dying dog thrown into a garbage container alive”, “Hunters in Kosovska Mitrovica killed 20 homeless dogs on the streets”, “Dogs in the shelter in Vršac eat each other”, “Mass poisoning of dogs in Serbian towns”…..
Isn’t this news? Or this news is unattractive to the media? Why?
Spreading hatred towards dogs by the media has many consequences. Besides that encourage brutality towards dogs, it also encourages the hatred of citizens towards animal welfare volunteers, so people are divided on being either haters and lovers.
This leads to a conflict and create a false image that Animal Welfare Associations aims to have dogs on streets because they feed them and remove from streets, for which they need money funds.
Unfortunately, there are no texts about positive examples of their humanity, rescues, adoptions and how they invest their own money, time and work. This topic is not popular.
Homeless dogs are very often in the media when there is need to publish interviews with the director of Public Communal Company and managers of incorrectly named companies “zoo-hygiene’s” – in which they denounce crimes in their facilities, torture of dogs, stilling food and money funds for animal “humane care”, dog slaughter, and how hungry dogs eat each other in there public shelters. Like in the cases of shelters in Loznica, Požega, Vršac, Ovča etc, etc.
With this one-side reporting is encouraging corruption, which in the domain of Zoo-hygiene and “humane care” already exceeds inconceivable limits. No one is interested in the corruption or not dare to write a text on this topic. But, that corruption is the cause and essence of everything what is happening.
Homeless dogs are the golden cocks and collateral damage of our society; the media proclaimed them as the number one enemy of our nation, fear and hatred is growing among the citizens, the public is mislead how dogs creates enormous costs for the state – all this is excuse to steal money from municipal budgets for their fake “humane care”.
Money, of course, goes into human private pockets and these poor hated beings are not important at all.
Why this is not an article topic? Is research journalism gone?
Why is not a topic over 3000 dog kennels and that only 3 are registered in APR?
This is the reason why many dogs end up in streets and increase the number of homeless animals, sadly this problem doesn’t bother the Veterinary Directorate, which is in charge to control the welfare of dogs in kennels.
Would it not be a sensational story about rackets and people who have jobs but don’t have to pay taxes?
Isn’t it sensational news how dog-catchers attack an animal welfare activist and civilians, as well how Avenija MB insults the citizens, how the municipal authorities, who have with Avenija MB a suspicious contract about purchases, insult animal welfare activists, there revanchism, threats??????
These apparently are not topics about which citizens – who finance municipal budgets and their thievery in the name of “humane care of homeless dogs”, as well by local authorities and Public Communal Company “Zoo-hygiene” – should read and know.
For them stories are about bites, spreading hatred and calling to lynch homeless dogs, who are not guilty because people abandon them, throw them onto the street, because “Zoo-hygiene’s” don’t do their job honestly, with love and respect the Animal Welfare Law, and because they are born in the society in which offenders who do not respect laws are unpunished.
This is also a topic to be talked about in the media, concerning these “dangerous strays”.
If a role of the media is to inform us truthfully, to educate and ennoble, then on this subject, for now, they fail.
We sincerely hope there is will for change and that media coverage about homeless dogs, instead of perpetual talking about “strays”, will stop repetition of same many-decade-old mantra – Dog bites, Horror – while municipality budget funds for solving the problem of homeless dogs are being devoured and their number is growing, and nothing is done to find the solution.
The role of the media to solve the problem of homeless dogs in the streets of Serbia is extremely important, but it seems that the media are not interested to personally take some responsibility. We hope that will be changes on this topic. Otherwise, the vicious cycle of nonsense and inhumanity will continue.
Best regards,
With hope that many things will change.
Signatories:
Animal Welfare and Nature Protection Associations
PRIJATELJ Ub, zastupnik Suzana Gojković
SOLIDARNO ZA ŽIVOTINJE I PRIRODU Beograd, zastupnik Aleksandra Dudić
BELKA Majdanpek, zastupnik Igor Janković
SPASKE Kraljevo, zastupnik Danijela Jović
ORPAK Kruševac, zastupnik Lela Bucek
BORSKE ŠAPE Bor, zastupnik Nikola Nedeljković
TERA Zemun
BORBA ZA ŽIVOT Vranje, zastupnik Tanja Lakičević
PROTEKTA Vlasotince, zastupnik Borka Mitić
BOBI Gornji Milanovac
ZAŠTITA POMOĆ I UDOMLJAVANJE VRANJE, zastupnik Marko Spirić
KOALICIJA ZA ŽIVOT NO KILL COALITION Beograd, zastupnik Mirjana Raščanin
KOALICIJA ZA ŽIVOT NO KILL COALITION ogranak Dimitrovgrad, zastupnik Melita Stavrev.
EPAR-OIPA SRBIJA, Subotica, zastupnik Prim. mr. sci. dr. med. Slavica Mazak Bešlić
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You can find out a great deal more on the cruelty inflicted by the Serbian government and regional authorities – the money making dog killers who seem to be ignored by the press in their coverage, by visiting the following
– in our opinion the press would have a lot to cover if they wished; but are they also being told to keep quiet about it all and only to cover stories on those terrible street dogs ?
How far does this go ? – right to the very top we would suggest !
The following is about 20% of the data we have on our campaign work in Serbia over the last 12 years or more.
Mr Press – we hope that with the following you would have been able to throw a story or 100 together about how corrupt the Serbian animal welfare system is regarding street dog catching and killing by the authorities.
But you seem incapable of telling the truth. Who we ask, is stopping you ?
Browse through the following links; if you are REAL Press people then maybe you can do some follow ups on these. If you don’t, then we know exactly who pulls your strings !
Posted on February 6, 2018 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
All photos AE.
Back in 2012 we exposed work undertaken by Animal Equality regarding a pig farming facility in Murcia, Spain. The animals are bred for the food company El
Pozo (the second largest pig meat producers in Spain).
The undercover footage that was obtained at the time (2012) showed:
Workers hitting pigs on their heads with iron bars, jumping on top of
them, kicking them, and posing in front of a camera with the pigs
Workers attacking and killing pigs with metre length swords
The hitting of a pregnant pig with a bar before cutting her abdomen and
uterus with a knife whilst she’s still conscious, then pulling of piglets
out of her uterus and killing her because she isn’t fit for the
slaughterhouse
This pig, tied and immobilised, unsuccessfully tries to escape while the
workers for several minutes pulls out the piglets. They remove her
intestines, liver and other internal organs while she suffers terribly.
The animal is left in agony with internal organs spread over the ground
until she dies several minutes later.
You can see stills from the 2012 investigation here:
And so; it was very disturbing, but not surprising, that on 5/2/18; some 6 years later; we hear of yet further abuses at the same facility; via Animal Equality and Venus.
Animal Equality investigators documented extreme animal distress in a pig farm in Alhama de Murcia, Spain.
This Company-Farma, supplies the Spanish meat producer El Pozo, whose products are also available in Germany via Amazon and the supermarket chains Edeka and Rewe.
The cruel conditions in the factory have shocked even the veteran investigator team at Animal Equality.
– Cut-off ears with marks are reminiscent of the tortured animals.
– Many of the pigs show some serious injuries and unhealed fractures.
– Dying and dead animals lie between the living conspecifics. – Countless animals are deformed by gigantic abscesses. – Some animals suffer from severe cases of intestinal breakage.
These conditions are an animal welfare scandal – and also a health risk to the public.
If parts of the animals in the slaughterhouse are classified as “edible”, they end up in El Pozo products on the supermarket shelf.
We have reported these conditions to the relevant authorities and are calling for the closure of the facility.
In addition, we demand from El Pozo to take all necessary measures to prevent such animal suffering in the future.
Help us increase the pressure on El Pozo by asking Amazon, Edeka and Rewe to ban El Pozo products.
Please sign this petition of animal equality!
AE Link including same video footage and a Petition:
This further expose; some 6 years on from the first; just goes to show how ineffective the whole meat producing industry is in ensuring the welfare of animals in its system. We have exposed this so many times. There is a meat Mafia which ensures that regardless of what is found; industry supportive politicians will do anything to overturn the evidence and to get the finances for the industry rolling back in.
Is not the Live Exports ban by Brazil a typical example of this ?
“On the 5th of February we are told that the courts have introduced a ban on live exports:
The Federal Court in Brazil has just used evidence of his abuse to suspend live animal exports from the country — determining that live export does not reflect Brazil’s animal protection laws or its societal values, nor does it satisfy international standards to which Brazil is a signatory”.
Yet within a few hours of the ban being enforced by the courts; we are then informed that the injunction halting live exports from Brazil has been LIFTED !
This just shows what can be done with friends in high places – and how the meat mafia is closely linked with some politicians to ensure that, regardless of the evidence of cruelty presented, ‘their’ industry will continue as it is, turning blind eyes to animal abuse and at the same time attempting to present a squeaky clean image to the public – the consumer of their products.
The pig farm abuses shown above happened in Spain. Spain is a member state of the EU. Once again as we have said so many times before, the EU likes to have so many rules and regulations written down on paper; but the main problem is that it continues by never enforcing them in the way of prosecutions.
You have to ask what the whole MEP / EU Commission system is about when heads are turned in opposite directions to the obvious cruelties which are being presented.
Please check out the AE website for any immediate news on this incident.
Posted on February 4, 2018 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
We are getting more visitors to the site from the Ukraine – so we welcome them all.
The following are a few links specifically aimed at animal welfare issues in the Ukraine. Please browse the links and take a positive look at all the work being undertaken to help animals and their welfare.
We are sure our visitor friends will be familiar with most of these; but they may also help them and other visitors to the site to find out more about the work being done in the Ukraine.
We will give links to sites and a very short copy of some of the words being used by the site(s).
If this kind of thing proves popular with visitors, we may cover animal welfare issues in other nations in a similar vain.
Our ‘Clustrmap’ (global visitor map on the left side) can be used by us to select which nations to cover. SAV.
For the past 20 years, Naturewatch Foundation has been actively developing projects in Ukraine, working with municipalities to implement humane and sustainable stray dog population management schemes, following the recommendations of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OiE).
Our aims are: ……………………………………..
For the first time in Ukrainian history, the situation with animals in Ukraine was marked by not only negative news but there were also positive changes.
The most remarkable advancement was noticed in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, where the City Authorities shifted their policies towards humane ways of reduction stray animal population. Here the municipal services not only neuter and actively rehome stray dogs but also provide them vaccination and treatment. More than 3000 stray animals were neutered this year with the help of Kiev administration and European animal welfare organizations. Kiev Center for the Protection of Animals started implementing the regulations proposed by Naturewatch and thus using the European model of caring for animals.
Evpatoria / Vienna, 5 April 2013 FOUR PAWS continues its successful animal welfare initiative in Ukraine: Following the agreement between FOUR PAWS and the City Hall of Evpatoria, a new stray animal care project was launched in the Ukrainian town on 26 March 2013, bringing hope and salvation to many thousands of stray animals.
For the last 15 years, Naturewatch Foundation has been actively developing projects throughout Eastern Europe, working with municipalities and state veterinary services to implement humane and sustainable stray dog population management schemes, following the recommendations of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OiE).
“Friend” is a non-profitable charity organization and rehabilitation center for the homeless animals in Dnepropetrovsk City – Ukraine. We cannot help all street animals but we hope that with the help of sterilization program, volunteers and support locally and internationally the situation in the city and in Ukraine slowly will get better…
In recent years there have been several cases involving Member State export credit agencies providing export credit guarantees for exports to Ukraine of farm animal housing equipment that does not meet EU standards. Under the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, Ukraine has to approximate its animal welfare legislation to that of the EU. Animal products from Ukraine, e.g. poultry meat and egg products, are beginning to enter the EU market.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has pledged to help a shelter called Pif in the devastated city of Donetsk. They are a large-scale shelter taking in dogs from many areas impacted by the war. Most recently, they took in 19 dogs from Kramatorsk as citizens fled.
Thanks to the purchase of land and a building made possible by funds provided by an IFAW donor, we have found an alternative location for the nearly 300 resident dogs. Recently, they were transported two-by-two for safety reasons from the old location to the new one. There are still a lot of repairs and some construction work to be done, but for the time being the dogs are in a much safer environment than before.
The Animal Protection UA is a humane society founded on the belief that animals are entitled to kind and respectful treatment at the hands of humans and must be protected under the law.
Mission
To provide aid for some of the hundreds of thousands of unwanted animals given to shelters in the Ukraine every year through donations, petitions, and store purchases.
Law No. 2120-VIII on strengthening liability for cruelty toward animals has entered into force in Ukraine August 4, after being published in the official newspaper of the Verkhovna Rada, “Holos Ukrainy.”
Civility of a country is determined by its attitude towards children, elderly people and animals. One cannot but agree with this statement. Unfortunately, when it comes to animals, Ukraine is far from being an example to follow. Thus, nowadays there is an urgent need to improve legislation on the proper pet care, identification and registration of animals.
Kyiv Society for the Protection of Animals (KSPA, or KCSPA) – is a nonprofit, non-government organization that specializes in the protection of animals, mainly targeting the city of Kyiv. Maksym Ryl’skiy, a distinguished poet, took part in its founding in 1960. The activity of the Society is regulated by the Statute and directed by the President. The Society advocates humanism towards all living creatures and takes a firm, uncompromising stand against the problem of homeless animals. We do not accept half measures of the authorized State institutions and their individual officials; we insist on an exhaustive and final solution to the problem of stray animals through modern and humane means. The Society is not supported by any government subsidies*); it is financed solely by membership fees and voluntary donations of citizens.
KSPA is a member of the Ukrainian Association for Protection of Animals (AZOU)
FOUR PAWS plans to neuter, vaccinate 2,000 stray dogs in Ukraine
2017-02-01
FOUR PAWS extends its cooperation in animal welfare with the Ukrainian government
Kiev/Zhytomyr, 1 February 2017 – FOUR PAWS and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine agreed to implement a program for the protection and welfare of stray animals. The respective agreement was signed by both parties on Tuesday, January 31 in Kiev.
Posted on February 3, 2018 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
High-Speed Slaughter is Hell for Pigs
– You Can Help Stop the Cruelty
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed a scary new slaughter method for pigs that ramps up kill speed while slashing regulation.
This high speed, reduced-inspection program, known as HIMP, shifts key inspection responsibilities to the slaughterhouses themselves, allowing animal abuse and food safety problems to go unmonitored.
Under HIMP, 1,300 pigs are slaughtered each hour — about one every five seconds.
During the pilot program, Compassion Over Killing investigator Scott David worked undercover at Quality Pork Processing, an exclusive Hormel supplier, in Austin, Minnesota. What he encountered there was a shocking disregard for animal welfare and federal law.
This video features David recounting his experience, as well as horrific footage from inside the slaughterhouse:
TAKE ACTION
The USDA’s terrible proposal is now open to public comment.
Use your voice to stop the high-speed torture of pigs.
See the sample text below, and click here to leave your comment.
Sample Comment
I strongly oppose the Modernization of Swine Slaughter Inspection rule, which endangers animals, consumers, and American workers. Under this dangerous rule, the New Swine Slaughter Inspection System (NSIS) would give slaughter plants free reign to kill at irresponsibly high speeds with severely inadequate oversight. An investigation by Compassion Over Killing of a pilot high-speed slaughter program exposed pigs dragged, kicked, excessively shocked, and improperly stunned by workers who struggled just to keep up — risking their own safety in the process. I urge you to abandon this cruel and reckless proposal, for the good of pigs and humans.
Behind the scenes at the sanctuary ending bear bile
farming in Vietnam
From educating the public to empowering law enforcement, Animals Asia and their Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre are on course to end bile farming in Vietnam.
Today it is responsible for the poaching of bears from the wild, the trafficking of their body parts on the black market and their unimaginable suffering inside tiny, metal cages on bile farms.
Even so, the battle to end such horrific cruelty is being won. Here’s why:
EDUCATION
Educating the next generation about the horrors of bear bile farming is critical to ending the industry once and for all.
Every year, hundreds of school children and university students visit Animals Asia’s bear sanctuary in Tam Dao National Park to meet bears who have been rescued from a lifetime of misery and exploitation.
These young people are Vietnam’s future and by teaching respect and compassion for all animals, we can ensure these children will grow up demanding an end to animal cruelty.
TACKLING DEMAND
To end the bear bile industry, it is essential to address demand for bear bile.
In 2015 there was a significant breakthrough when Animals Asia signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Vietnamese Traditional Medicine Association to end prescriptions of bear bile by 2020.
Our partners for at least a decade, the Association has also co-authored a book of herbal alternatives to bear bile.
Animals Asia has also been working alongside traditional medicine doctors in Vietnam’s Ha Giang, Tay Ninh, and Vinh Phuc provinces, to cultivate thousands of herbal plants. More than 30 types of herbs that can be used in place of bear bile are now growing in these gardens – the seeds of a new beginning for Vietnam.
EMPTYING THE CAGES
Since 2007, Animals Asia has rescued 186 bears in Vietnam – mostly from bear bile farms. This has been achieved by working closely with the authorities and in some cases, farmers who have turned their backs on the trade.
Starved, abused and often suffering from a range of ailments, the bears are given a chance to put their pain behind them at our sanctuary where a dedicated team of vets and bear managers are on hand to provide the best possible care for the rest of the bears’ lives.
Not only do the bears receive medical treatment for broken teeth, high blood pressure, cracked paws and other health problems, they undergo a comprehensive rehabilitation programme that takes into account all their health, social and cognitive needs.
A cornerstone of their rehabilitation is being given access to a grassy enclosure, often the biggest space they have ever known, where they can forage for food among trees, pools and wooden climbing frames, and interact with new playmates – everything denied to them in captivity.
EMPOWERING LAW ENFORCEMENT
For a long time authorities turned a blind eye to trafficking and bile farming as they simply had nowhere to put confiscated bears.
With support from Animals Asia, the Vietnamese authorities are able to do their job and protect their county’s precious wildlife from poachers – safe in the knowledge rescued animals will have a home for life.
One of the many bears to benefit from the authorities’ enhanced capacity to act is Murphy.
In 2015, the bear cub was taken to VBRC after he was discovered by Forest Protection Department rangers in the mountainous northwestern province of Son La, which borders both Laos and China. He had been trafficked in a backpack.
Despite attempting to escape, Murphy’s trafficker was tracked down by rangers and while under arrest, he admitted killing Murphy’s mother in order to traffic the cub, paving the way for criminal charges to be brought against him.
Writing the roadmap to end bile farming cruelty
In a historic agreement signed with the Vietnamese government in 2017, Animals Asia committed to ending Vietnam’s bear bile industry forever by rescuing all bears remaining on bile farms within five years.
The MOU also set out a commitment to improve the welfare of captive bears in Vietnam and conserve the country’s wild bear populations. In effect, it offers the possibility of creating a national standard for keeping wildlife in captivity.
Without the extraordinary example set by Animals Asia, this would not have been possible.
Posted on January 31, 2018 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Mark has just completed giving responses to a UK government consultation on the first draft of a new Animal Welfare Act. This is a unique opportunity to speak out and be a voice for the voiceless for all animals and support stronger legal protections for them in the UK.
So, an opportunity that cannot be missed.
Included in his response; Mark had called for, and justified the need for:
·More definition in the term ‘Sentience’ when applied to all animals and their situations
·Often, in places such as factory farms, animals do not ‘live’; they merely ‘survive’
·The term ‘Animal’ needs much more definition; lab rats, broiler chickens, circus tigers are all ‘animals’ but their protection requirements vary greatly – hence you cannot define everything as an ‘animal’ only – more specific definition is required
·The ‘welfare needs of animals’ should be defined explicitly in written legislation
·UK sheep exported live in Summer in temperatures above documented maximums given as example
·There is no ‘welfare’ for animals that travel constantly with the circus
·Maximum sentences for animal cruelty. Definitely not strict enough. The legal profession to have much more specific legislation as part of statute; which defines the protections which are to be given to any specific animal species which is in any specific environment. In the UK, many judges have recently spoken out that the are only allowed to impose certain maximum sentences for animal abuse; when they would individually (and legally) be allowed to give much harsher sentences.
·For example, if slaughterhouse workers are shown to abuse animals with UK slaughterhouse cctv legislation; then the worker to be dismissed from his job in the industry for life.
·Much heavier financial fines to be given for animal abuse
·A call for the ‘law enforcers’ to actually enforce the law at places such as hunt meets; where legislation is often overlooked
·Examples of the failings of EU legislation; especially that which is supposed to ‘protect’ animals in transport (EU Regulation 1/2005) has been cited as a typical case of ‘paper’ legislation which is actually hardly ever enforced by the authorities. You have seen our many battles with the EU authorities on live (EU) animals being exported to Turkey, for example.
Submission for the consultation finishes on 31/1/18; and so very soon now the government will start undertaking a full review of submissions. We are currently unsure when the first new draft ‘Animal Welfare Act’ will be produced; as we appreciate there is a lot of submissions and opinions (from many different viewpoints) to be considered.
We know that this new Act will become UK legislation in the not too distant future. And knowing the feel of the British and animal welfare, we hope that many of our viewpoints will be included in the new Act.
We are not legal specialists by any means; but there are a couple of near future very important issues to consider:
·The UK will be leaving the EU within the next few years – Brexit negotiations with the EU are well under way
·When it leaves the EU, the UK will be free to establish worldwide trade agreements.
And so, if a new up to date ‘Animal Welfare Act’ is part of UK law / legislation; this will form part of a good negotiating basis for future deals around the world. It is hoped that UK standards can be used in agreements set up with, for example, China; and that Chinese animals welfare will greatly improve as a result. This is just one example and one hope.
The same can be said for trade deals with (current) EU member nations. The UK will be establishing new trade deals with current EU partner states; and as such, UK animal welfare standards will be used as a ‘tool’ during future negotiations.
Who knows, this new Acorn of the Animal Welfare Act could grow into a big tree which then spreads its animal welfare branches (through new trade deals) into nations who currently do not put animal welfare much onto their list of priorities. If they want a good deal with the UK, then hopefully they will have to change that will be the view from the UK.
Existing UK animal welfare legislation – there is already lots – check it out:
Remember that under Brexit negotiations; all existing EU animal law will become new UK (independent) law post Brexit.
The United Kingdom was the first country in the world to implement laws protecting animals. In 1822 an Act to Prevent the Cruel and Improper Treatment of Cattle was passed by Parliament. The UK government has publicly stated that animals are sentient beings, not merely commodities, and has confirmed its commitment to the highest possible standards of animal welfare.
The first general animal protection law, called the Protection of Animals Act, was introduced in 1911 and updated several times since.
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 