Posted on March 3, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Inspectors find suffering and unnecessary deaths at South Lakes Safari Zoo
Controversy surrounding South Lakes Safari Zoo in Cumbria has been going on for years. Of course, many of us will remember the tragic death of Sarah McClay who died when attacked by a Sumatran tiger who had managed to escape through an unlocked gate. Aside from these obvious health and safety concerns which the owner was eventually prosecuted for, concerns about the animals were raised with us by members of the public. This led to us closely monitoring the zoo, as we do with many zoos around the country.
When the Zoo License for the zoo was up for renewal in July 2016, the council chose not to renew it, a strong action from the council which indicated major problems at the zoo. On a visit we carried out at the zoo later that month, our investigators filmed and photographed animals with health or welfare concerns on display to the public like those shown below. On one of the hottest days of the year, the penguins were a sad sight to see with no water in their pool for them to swim in. There were no signs explaining why and no keepers to be seen.
Read more at:
A keeper at the zoo informed inspectors that she was told by the management ‘if there were any further deaths, she was to just dispose of the bodies and not to tell anyone.’
Inspectors have quite clearly stated that the blame falls to David Gill, the licence holder, for the suffering and some of the deaths of the animals. They concluded in a report to the council ‘The conditions that theses animals are being held in, is quite frankly appalling, and has led directly to the death of a number of them.’ They advised the council to prosecute David Gill under Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act for allowing the animals to suffer.
SAV Comment – It all looks very impressive on their website; but does reality show another truth ?
A statement from our friends at the Captive Animals Protection Society (CAPS)
We submitted all of our findings to the local council who have welcomed us to join their committee meeting NEXT Monday, 6th March.
Here they will discuss and decide on the latest application to renew the zoo licence.
Our Campaigns Director, Nicola O’Brien and I will be there to represent you and the animals, to push for the application to be rejected and for the zoo to be closed down for good.
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE, ZOO(S) | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 3, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Soon, there will be a Presidential election in South Korea, 60 days after the final ruling by the Constitutional Court, impeaching their current president, Geun-Hye Park (the first female president in Korea) who is accused of corruption.
Even if the court rules in her favor, Park’s term will come to an end in just one year.
Right now in Korea, the presidential hopefuls’ campaigns are in full swing. The unchallenged frontrunner in the poll is Mr. Moon Jae-In and he is the most likely candidate to strengthen the Animal Protection Law and help the animals in Korea.
We support him and his pledge to lead his nation into a more ethical and compassionate society by improving the welfare of animals.
He has posted a story about a stray dog who came into his life and what he had learned from that experience.
Click HERE to read and please share.
Moon Jae-In responds to animal friends:
I was happy because I had companions like Jjingjjing and Maru.
They gave me much comfort and joy.
Now, it’s my turn to help them.
I will strengthen the Animal Protection Laws and Animal Administration.
There will be no more cruel slaughter or burying alive of animals.
In order to stop the animals being killed in laboratory testing, I will ban all animal testing in the cosmetic industry and I will invest in researching the alternatives.
I will try to improve the lives of abandoned and stray animals.
You must be happy before we can be happy.
Now together, we may dream of happiness.
Please join us to speak out against the South Korean dog and cat meat cruelty.
Join our Thunderclap campaign to say “Boycott PyeongChang 2018 Olympics in South Korea”!
Click HERE to join TODAY.
Click HERE for more Thunderclap Campaigns you can join.
Putting Economics Before Animal Welfare – Michigan Governor’s Office replies, but declines to take action.
We received a response from the offices of Governor Rick Snyder, in Michigan, regarding our campaign asking them to take action over the dog-meat trade in Gyeonggi Province in South Korea, who they have business-related agreements with.
And, whilst we are grateful for a response from Governor Snyder’s Office (on so many occasions we fail to get any sort of response from the many people and offices contacted across the globe), we are disappointed to hear that all they advise is for us to contact ‘the entities in question directly’ in South Korea.
The Governor’s representative also states that Michigan does not have a friendship agreement with South Korea, only various agreements for the benefit of economic growth etc., from which we infer that they feel unable to address the dog-meat issue with their counterparts.
We feel that they could have taken simple action, like many Mayors have done, but they declined to do so and have chosen to look the other way, putting their economic interests first and ignoring the immense suffering and terrible injustice inflicted on these animals.
Click HERE to learn more.
Click HERE for up to date status of our Sister City Campaigns.
Friendship State Campaign – This time it’s Jeollanam Province.
Jeollanam Province has 3 Friendship States in US – Virginia, Arizona and Maryland.
Please take action urging these states to speak out for the Korean animals.
Friends don’t let friends kill dogs.
Friendship State Campaign – Jeollanam Province, South Korea – Virginia
Friendship State Campaign – Jeollanam Province, South Korea – Arizona
Friendship State Campaign – Jeollanam Province, South Korea – Maryland
Friendship City Campaign – Jeonju, South Korea – Honolulu, Hawaii
Filed under: Animals Requiring Adoption or Homes - Worldwide, CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, GLOBAL PETITIONS - Anything Animal, Anywhere !, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 2, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
As you can see from our recent post (link below); yet again, a Conservative MP, Mr Christopher Chope, talked out a ban on the use of animals in UK circuses in Parliament last week.
We have now combined with Venus to produce a response; or you could call it ‘an appeal’ ?, to Mr Chope about the situation for all circus animals, wherever in the world they may be suffering.
This issue of UK circus animals is being discussed in UK Parliament again on 24th March. How will Mr Chope act then we have to ask ? – yet again defending animal abuse; or joining the vast majority of UK citizens who have been calling for a ban for well in excess of 11 years; as proven by the MAFF Public Consultation taken but never acted on, more than a decade ago.
We will watch with great interest the events of 24th March and the actions of Mr Chope. Naturally we will provide an update soon after.
In the meantime; here below is our simple letter to Mr Chope.
Will it make him think ? – the 24th of March will tell ! – we wait and see with interest – SAV.
Our letter to Mr. Chope – with hope for circus animals !
When a tiger and a bear are forced to ride on horseback in a circus show, these are things that only thrill a stupid audience and so-called ‘politician’ types such as Christopher Chope.
But in reality, all this performance really shows is forced animal suffering and torture, which the civilized, understanding people of this world call ‘animal cruelty’.
There are two categories of people who would advocate any circus that uses wild animals: One is the ignorant braindead who pays his entrance fee to watch suffering, the other is the politician, who benefits from it !
The fact that in nature, a tiger never lives together with a lion in the free wilderness should even provoke suspicion by the ignorant, that this abnormal coexistence is only possible under the power and control of the demon circus animal trainer.
The traces of torture on the backs of, or in the eyes of the animals, are proof of what these animals must suffer and endure constantly. Perhaps with the ignorant the suffering is overlooked; but as animal advocates,we see it, because they are visible scars on sentient beings.
These traces of torture on skin and in eyes are the real evidence of the circus life.
Circus animals are captive wild animals. They live in direct contact with humans. To control these wild animals and to show them as circus attractions, they are not given a life of sweetness and tender care, like most of the attending, hand clapping drag knuckles believe. The ‘control’ happens with abominable cruelty. Regular blows with sharp hooks and current surges make them pliable. These animal cruel rituals take place at night, when the office doctors sleep, or in dark corners of the circus tents, far from the eyes of the paying public.
Elephants are chained by the leg in a stable tent all their lives; whenever they are not used as a pathetic visual tool for drag knuckle eyes. Lions and tigers live a life imprisoned in cages surrounded by their own excrement, enduring a pitiful ‘life’ that is nothing but lonely and captive.
Their freedom ? – only when they die and the time comes for them to be released from their eternal torment and suffering; and the captivity of a travelling ‘beast wagon’.
And now once again, the politicians are in play.
Dragging out their speeches to prevent an end to the suffering, transportation and cruelty.
What do you personally get from all this, Mr.Chope?
Sure, morality and ethics are obviously not on your list of cultural achievements, but your personal dulling is not enough, as a reason, to advocate the cruel business of the wild animal circus.
Anyone who has a bit more empathy than you, would suspect, that possibly you have a personal interest in the conservation of this animal-trafficking business. An economic interest, I mean. From your web page, I quote:
“Chris is here to help, regardless of how you vote, so please feel free to get in touch”!
Absolutely ridiculous, Mr. Chope! –
The circus wildlife you have “helped” at the request of the British citizen – where are they now ?
In February 2017 your actions prevented any help for circus animals; and though your actions they continue to live in slavery and torture.
You have personally helped slavery continue to exist in the Circuses of England.
As long as circus animals are kept as slaves, are tortured, are abused with your personal consent, because you consider it ‘right’, no one will ever believe that you want to ‘help’.
And this ignorance of yours thus prevents us from having any further communication with you ‘the helper’, because we are the people with compassion, who don´t support the cruel business of the animal circus.
Prove to us you want to help as you declare, on March 24, 2017, and give your voice against the barbarism inflicted on the circus animal – show us real proof that you really want to help as your site declares.
Venus / Mark.
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, CIRCUS, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, LETTERS, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering), The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 1, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Read the article here also, which is repeated below. Access this following link to see many photographs which we have not included – SAV.
Revealed: exported EU animals subject to abuse and illegal conditions
Undercover videos show EU cattle and sheep being beaten, given electric shocks, and inhumanely slaughtered at destinations in Turkey and Middle East.
Animals exported live from EU countries are routinely being subjected to abuse, illegal transportation conditions and inhumane slaughter, an investigation has found.
Dozens of undercover videos and photographs obtained by the Guardian show live cattle and sheep from EU countries being beaten, shocked with electric prods, held for days in overcrowded pens and covered head to toe in faeces as they are transported from Europe to their final destinations in Turkey and the Middle East in conditions that breach European law.
At their destination, at least some of the animals are slaughtered in appalling conditions. The footage shows cattle and sheep from France, Romania and Lithuania kicking and flailing violently as their throats are crudely cut or sawed at repeatedly, often in crowded street markets and run-down abattoirs.
The footage was collected over eight months by campaigners from the Australian animal rights charity Animals International, who worked undercover in Croatia and six Middle Eastern countries to follow animals from their departure at European ports through to destination.
The evidence they collected shows clear breaches of a number of European laws in almost every country the campaigners visited. European legislation maintains that export livestock must receive certain standards of care throughout the entire journey, including any stages that occur entirely in third countries. The standards dictate that animal handlers must carry out their task without violence or any method likely to cause unnecessary fear, injury or suffering; that transport and loading equipment must be designed, maintained and operated so as to avoid injury and suffering, and that transport is carried out without delay and at the minimum possible length.
The Guardian asked Conte & Giacomini, an Italian law firm specialising in animal rights and shipping and transport law, to review the evidence. They responded: “We might deem that the transports shown in the footage are all in breach of the [EU] Regulation EC No 1/2005 [on the protection of animals in transport].
“Moreover, we could also state that, according to the ruling of the European court of justice and to the interpretation of the regulation EC No 1/2005, the competent authorities of the member states of departure shouldn’t even have authorised these transports as they couldn’t ensure that provisions would be met,” they said.
In an EU port in Croatia, the video shows animals from at least five European countries, including Germany, Hungary, Romania, Poland and Slovenia, waiting to be loaded on to a vessel headed to Beirut. Cattle and sheep are seen being kicked, beaten and shocked with electric prods to the anus while being loaded on to the ship. A sheep is shown being picked up by an animal handler and thrown on to the boat; cows slide backwards on to each other while trying to climb steep loading ramps.
At a port in Turkey, footage shows cattle being unloaded from a vessel that has arrived from Ireland after a voyage of almost two weeks. Their hair is thick with faeces from the journey as they are crammed on to a small and open-topped truck to be transported along the next leg of the journey. In Palestine, Romanian cattle travelling unharnessed in the back of an overcrowded truck are shown being thrown violently against the railings, causing clear distress to the animals.
While European legislation covers EU export livestock up until they are unloaded at their final destination, it does not apply to the final stages of the animal’s life. The footage shows repeated instances in multiple countries of animals being brutally slaughtered. In a street market in Jordan, a Romanian sheep spasms violently across the blood-soaked pavement after its throat is cut. In an abattoir in Turkey, French cattle hang by one leg from the ceiling, kicking and twisting violently as their throats are repeatedly cut at.
Exports of livestock from the EU to the Middle East have grown rapidly in the past two years, with exports of cattle doubling since 2014 to 650,000 last year, while sheep exports rose by a quarter to 2.5 million, mostly to Libya, Lebanon and Jordan.
The increase in exports coincided with a landmark legal case at the European court of justice in 2015, in which the judge ruled that any transport provider carrying livestock from the EU to third countries must take steps to prove that they have complied with EU legislation throughout all stages of the journey. Transport providers are required to submit a log detailing their journey to the national authorities in the country of departure. It is these national authorities who are responsible for enforcing European regulations.
However, EU officials, member states and animal rights groups have repeatedly claimed that enforcement is poor across much of the continent. In November 2016, a paper presented by several member states to the European agriculture council called on the European commission to address the problem. It stated: “The continuing shortcomings in enforcement [of animal welfare in export laws] is simply not acceptable. Since the entry in to force of Regulation 1/2005 [on the protection of animals during transport], there have been numerous examples of infringements and lack of enforcement. Both member states and commission have to intensify their efforts to put an end to transports that are in obvious breach of the regulation”.
Animal rights groups including the Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) and Tierschutzbund Zürich believe that financial motives drive many export and transport enterprises to breach European animal protection regulations, as it reduces costs and administrative charges. As a result, enterprises are encouraged to operate in member states with poorer enforcement of EU law.
This view appears to be supported by the European commission’s own Animal Welfare Strategy 2012-2015, in which the commission notes that “a diverging interpretation of [protection of animals in transport] rules may result in market distortions which, combined with reduced profit margins and different administrative costs, could put a transport business operator in a difficult situation. Furthermore, a lack of vigour in enforcement may put compliant transporters at disadvantage”.
After watching the footage, MEPs from Germany, France, Lithuania and Finland said they are calling on the European commission for stronger enforcement of existing laws and an extension of legislation to cover the slaughter of European-bred animals in third countries.
Sirpa Pietikäinen, a Finnish MEP and president of the European parliament’s Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals, said: “These shocking revelations should be the final frontier for the European commission to take this seriously. We need EU strategy on this issue. Better law enforcement, agreement with supervision on slaughtering practices, with the goal of ending the transportation of living animals for slaughter to third countries.”
The MEPs join a growing movement that is calling for reform of Europe’s animal transport regulations. The Eurogroup for Animals, the EU umbrella group for animal advocacy organisations, has collected more than 700,000 signatures urging the EU to put an end to long distance transport of live animals.
“Europe is to all effects exporting massive animal cruelty, which is largely invisible for EU citizens”, says Reineke Hameleers, Eurogroup’s director. “It is crystal clear that the transport regulation is not fit for purpose and that we should move towards a food system where animals are reared and slaughtered as close as possible to the place where they are born. This is not only paramount for animal welfare but also essential for food security, the environment and to protect public health.”
A European commission spokesman told the Guardian “The level of enforcement of existing EU legislation on animal welfare during transport has improved over the last years (SAV Comment – ARSEHOLES!!) and has been considered one of the key priorities of the directorate general for health and food safety. Although the responsibility for the enforcement lies primarily with the member states, the commission has made considerable efforts to improve the enforcement and provides active assistance to member states.”
Talk to Mr ‘I can do nothing’ Van Goethem (pictured above) – so he and the Commission have made considerable efforts ???
The spokesman said: “The EU has limited power to enforce the union legislation on animal transport within the territory of non-EU countries. The commission will continue supporting training activities on animal welfare during transport and at slaughter, including for non-EU countries.”
The European commission has failed to respond to pressure on the protection of animals in transport before.
In early 2016, animal rights groups Tierschutzbund Zürich, the AWF and Eyes on Animals presented the commission with a 1,000 page report detailing hundreds of cases of illegal treatment of animals being transported over land between Europe and Turkey in the hot summer months. The NGOs claim the commission ignored all their requests, including an appeal for transport of live animals to Turkey in the hottest summer months to be halted.
Iris Baumgärtner, project manager at AWF, said: “Despite the fact that the commission and the member states have been well informed since 2010 of the suffering of animals transported to Turkey, the situation remains unchanged and the numbers of animals being exported are increasing. The commission and member states are ignoring the core elements of their own regulations.”
The governments of Ireland, France, Germany, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania and Poland did not respond to requests for comment. The Slovenian agriculture ministry said: “Should the Slovenian competent authority receive any information on any non-compliances in live animal consignments aboard any vessels, we would immediately institute an investigation into the problem and, based on investigation results, we would institute the required and prescribed measures for the prevention of any subsequent non-compliances.”
The Croatian agriculture ministry said they saw no truth in the accusations and that necessary procedures and checks in line with the EU regulation are implemented in order to ensure animal welfare. They said competent veterinary authorities were always present “in order to monitor and undertake necessary corrective measures if irregularities are detected”.
SAV Comment – so all the evidence gathered is wrong ?
Good job we can rely on the EU to ensure there is full protection for
all animals in transport – re Regulation 1/2005 !!
Go to ore ‘Search’ box at the top right and type in ‘Turkey exports’ to
see all of our past involvement with this campaign.
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering), SUPPORTERS, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »
Posted on March 1, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Dear Mark,
TAIJI – Officials have confirmed the end of the 2016/2017 drive season in Taiji, Japan.
For six months, our Cove Monitors have stood on the shores of the cove to observe and report the hunts, while you have been by our side in unity. Together we have seen dolphins manhandled, injured, captured and slaughtered. Pods have been decimated, all in the interest of profit.
This season, a total of 34 drives took place, involving six species of dolphins. We estimate approximately 569 dolphins were slaughtered, while 235 were taken captive. Many more may have died as a result of the drives themselves, their numbers never recorded.
Those taken captive now face a lifetime of suffering, trapped in tanks and forced to entertain in exchange for dead fish. While the hunts have technically ended, the aftermath of misery continues for those held prisoner in Taiji’s pens and for the ones shipped to marine parks around the world.
Dolphin Project extends a huge “THANK YOU” to those who watched our broadcasts, shared this information and took the pledge NOT to visit a dolphin show, or participate in swim-with programs. We are grateful to each of you who lent your voices in support. We vow to continue our efforts to protect dolphins from abuse and slaughter, and hope you will continue to stand by our side.
Watch the London Taiji demo (with music by the brilliant David Bowie) which took place on Saturday – 16/1/16 by clicking on the following:
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE, VIDEOS | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 26, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Member Teleconference Briefing:
Sending Trump a Message through Litigation
Join us for an exclusive teleconference
with
Mitch Bernard
NRDC Chief Operating Officer
4:30 pm Eastern; 3:30 pm Central; 2:30 pm Mountain; 1:30 pm Pacific
Aaron Colangelo
NRDC Co-Director of Litigation
Friday March 3, 2017
With the Trump Administration fully underway, we face an unprecedented threat from the “pollutocracy” of billionaires, fossil fuel champions, and anti-environmental extremists that are about to sweep into Washington with Donald Trump. At NRDC, we’re gearing up to take them on — both in and out of court.
Join us for this teleconference with Mitch Bernard and Aaron Colangelo, who will share NRDC’s current and future litigation strategies on protecting our environment from the new administration’s most dangerous attacks. There will also be an opportunity to ask any questions you may have on this timely and important issue.
Taking part in a telephone conference call is easy.
If you will be joining us, please respond as soon as possible online and we will provide you with the simple instructions for calling in.
The mission of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is to safeguard the Earth: its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends.
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, SUPPORTERS, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 26, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
You may recall our recent (January) post re a possible new shark aquarium in Germany:
Well we have now had an update on the situation from Venus. Here is her response:
Good Morning Dear Mark!
Dear Mark,
Today, Sunday, I turned on my PC and was (as always) prepared for the worst. Because only bad news reaches us when it comes about animals, doesn`t it?
But No! Today was not like every day, it came a message that gave me hope and joy. Perhaps some readers of SAV remember the letter-action I did against the construction of the world’s largest shark aquarium in Sinsheim (Germany). I had written a letter to the mayor of the city and had spread the same sample letter all over I could, so that other people could send it to the mayor. Today I got a message from the organization, which is fighting exclusively against the construction of the aquarium!
I translate:
“A few weeks ago, we asked you to write to Jörg Albrecht, Lord Mayor of Sinsheim, and ask him to take action against the shark tank “Shark City” (www.animal-public.de/stoppt-shark-city/).
The response was very large and we would like to thank all those who have followed this call for their time and effort.
As mayor Albrecht now announced, the construction application for the shark aquarium is currently not approved. In an interview, Albrecht stated that the project would not be in line with the valid development plan, a special area would have to be designated for the construction. Local politicians have to decide about the project-related development plan.
Investors do not have a right to a positive decision. This seems to have settled the plan to start construction of “Shark City” in May….”
This is a clear sign for me, that we can achieve better results for the rights of the animals by making animal protection a political issue and putting pressure on politicians.
Best regards to you and all,
Venus
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, SUPPORTERS, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 